
When RICK opened its doors in 1955, a new chapter started for Glenn Rick and his two sons, Bill and Wally. After helping lead San Diego’s growth as City Planning Director for nearly three decades, Glenn Rick joined his sons in starting a company rooted in the same principles and values he brought to the City of San Diego. Bill Rick served as the firm’s first president, helping lead the company through its earliest years of expansion.
“We started the firm because we felt the work was too important to be done by outside firms who might not grasp the nuances of each project. It is difficult to justify an in-house system unless you have a large volume. But we want to oversee every aspect of engineering for our client.” —Wally Rick, former RICK Vice President (San Diego Daily Transcript article, 1975)
From the beginning, the firm focused on projects combining technical expertise with responsible growth. One of those early opportunities came in the 1960s with Rancho Peñasquitos, a large-scale development that set the tone for RICK’s future work in sustainable and community-focused design. It all began in 1962, when San Diego developer Irvin Kahn purchased roughly 14,000 acres in the northern part of the city. At nearly 22 square miles, the site was massive, close to five times the size of New York’s Central Park. Kahn planned to build a master-planned community that combined housing, parks, and open space in one cohesive design. To help bring that plan to life, he turned to RICK for support with planning and technical direction.
Most of the land was still ranchland at the time, and building something of this scale meant planning around more than just roads and lots. RICK locked into the work by focusing on Peñasquitos Creek, one of the site’s most important natural features. The creek drains nearly 67 square miles, and managing this waterway required detailed hydrology and floodplain planning to ensure both environmental protection and public safety. Once the creek was mapped and managed, the team shifted focus to the broader design work that lay ahead.
RICK’s scope extended well beyond infrastructure. The plan was centered on building a complete community where people could gather and enjoy the natural landscape around them. The team helped design a plan that included homes, schools, commercial areas, and parks, while preserving a significant amount of land for open space. About 34% of the site was set aside for conservation, including what is now Black Mountain Park and Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve.
As San Diego annexed the area in 1964, development gained momentum. RICK remained closely involved, helping guide early decisions that formed the physical layout and long-term character of Rancho Peñasquitos. It was one of the firm’s first large-scale master planning projects and set the tone for how RICK would approach growth and development for decades to come.
Today, Rancho Peñasquitos is home to more than 15,000 households and over 6,500 acres of developed and preserved land. Peñasquitos Creek still runs through the heart of the community, and the parkland surrounding it continues to serve as a gathering place for residents and all San Diego citizens. The layout of today’s community still reflects the vision and priorities set during those formative years of planning.
Rancho Peñasquitos gave RICK the opportunity to bring its principles and values to development projects on a much larger scale. Guided by Glenn Rick, his two sons, and a growing team of professionals, the firm used this early project to set a standard for work combining technical expertise with real-world impact. RICK’s approach brought together planning, engineering, and environmental insight to support long-term growth and meet the needs of the surrounding community.
As part of our 70th anniversary series, we’ll continue sharing the history and growth that have shaped RICK over the decades. Watch our news feed for future articles as the story of RICK’s history unfolds.