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Planning for intelligent development is an exacting process. Elements such as proper traffic flow, infrastructure creation, wetland preservation and integration into existing frameworks are critical to success. The work is not glamorous and, when complete, it becomes an almost imperceptible part of the community. As a result, the public rarely knows about the work of firms who help to bring new life into neighborhoods and play a pivotal role in multi-disciplinary teams.
For example, it’s tough to imagine the River District without the familiar streetcar making its rounds between downtown and Northwest Portland. Someday soon, the streetcar extension to Riverplace will seem as much a part of that scenery.
David Evans and Associates worked as a subconsultant to Stacey & Witbeck on the original Central City Streetcar project, providing construction engineering services. The firm created as-builts of the existing road section (curbs, cross slopes, intersections, existing rail) and fine-tuned the design to prevent drainage problems and provide smooth transitions for the roadway drive areas.
Now, the firm is working as a sub-consultant to URS on the one-kilometer, double-track Portland Streetcar extension to Riverplace. DEA’s scope of services for this project includes civil, roadway, traffic and structural engineering as well as surveying and landscape design work.
“Landscape planning is critical because it can impact the spaces enjoyed by the greatest number of people,” said David Knowles, vice president for planning and design services at DEA. “We consult with our in-house professionals who know about engineering infrastructure and wildlife considerations to maximize the knowledge base and increase opportunities to create outdoor places where people want to be.”
The streetcar extension’s construction will include a new roadway connector with retaining walls, street lighting and associated drainage improvements.
Once finished, the streetcar will bring more people to Riverplace to enhance the area’s activity and link it to the downtown core, the River District and Northwest Portland. The ease of access between these regions will help reduce automobile dependence for Riverplace residents and visitors.
DEA was also the lead engineering firm for the design-build delivery of Line Section 10C of the Interstate MAX project. This area is the Expo Segment of the Interstate MAX and includes two stations, both of which contain park-and-ride facilities. Approximately half of the segment is elevated.
According to Knowles, integrating their services promotes better results.
“We can combine the planning and economic feasibility aspects up front to determine where the best place is to put a station or if we should move the rail over a bit,” said Knowles. “It not only saves time and money, but the planners and engineers can work together to explore ideas they might not have come up with themselves.”
DEA is designing all the drainage associated with Line Section 10C, which includes road relocations, parking lots, light rail track and bridge deck drainage. This project will be the terminus of the Interstate MAX, and bring new visitors to the Expo Center as well as other nearby amenities.
The Burnt Bridge Creek project in Vancouver, Wash., will bring new life into the community by reviving the natural habitat and tying it into the existing neighborhoods. PBS Engineering & Environmental is performing civil and environmental engineering services to extend and connect the regional trail system that traverses the entire city from easy to west. Phase I improvements include the construction and extension of approximately three miles of a regional pedestrian trail known as Discovery Loop.
Urbanization deteriorated the wetland area and damaged the stream’s water quality. The project will restore the balanced environmental conditions and provide riparian and wildlife habitat for fish, birds and other locally indigenous mammals. In addition, the team will increase the tree canopy with diverse, native species of trees and vegetation.
“Currently 11,000 citizens live within a quarter mile of the creek,” said Tim Leavitt, manager of engineering services at PBS. “Residents choose our community because of the quality of life with parks, trails and recreational opportunities. Soon, this area will provide these amenities for the neighborhoods along the creek.”
In order to accomplish the objectives of this project, PBS completed a comprehensive assessment of historical and existing natural resources along Burnt Bridge Creek, including geology, vegetation, wetlands, and fish and wildlife habitat. The firm also performed significant environmental assessment, soils and hydrologic assessment of the local drainage basin and hydraulic modeling of the creek.
When finished, the Discovery Loop will provide recreational, education and even economic opportunities for the community.
“Neighbors will be able to enjoy and interact with the habitat from overlooks, pedestrian bridges and trail heads,” said Leavitt. “The goal is to create a diversity of habitat, and the public will be able to watch birds, beaver and possibly deer.”
The restoration presents the potential for new retail and residential development while safeguarding the basin by mitigating the impacts of future development. The connection of this section to the rest of the trail also will encourage alternate modes of transportation by making it possible to bicycle through the city.
Water quality is a major component of the Burnt Bridge Creek restoration. Construction of new stormwater facilities will improve the quality of water before it flows into the creek and additional flood control methods will be included to accommodate high-intensity storm events. The project is a partnership between the city of Vancouver Surface Water Management and Vancouver-Clark Parks and Recreation Department.
The professionals at Alpha Engineering Inc. have assisted in the creation of highly-regarded developments such as Fairview Village and Orenco Station. With planners and engineers on staff, AEI takes great care to integrate elements such as transportation links, connectivity to schools and community resources, green spaces and environmental preservation into their projects.
For the 130-acre Bethany Planned Community, AEI provided comprehensive land development services including civil engineering, planning, surveying and construction management. They created appropriate design elements to transition between the mixed-use components.
“With active office, commercial and recreation space, diverse housing, a school and a park, Bethany is now a vibrant place to live, work, eat and play,” said Teri Miller, marketing manager for AEI.
Currently, AEI is part of a collaborative team effort to create the 198-acre plan Villebois, a smart growth, urban community in Wilsonville. The Villebois community will accelerate planned transportation improvements, reconnect the east and west parts of Wilsonville and provide much-needed housing. One of the goals in Villebois is to preserve natural site characteristics and link residents to trails, paths and scenic beauty. The first phase is scheduled to start construction this year.
The firm also has provided design services for numerous downtown revitalization plans for smaller communities throughout Oregon. AEI assisted North Plains by providing planning and engineering services for its urban growth boundary expansion plans. In an effort to bring together existing civic and commercial space in the heart of downtown St. Helens, AEI designed the St. Helens Plaza. As the impetus for downtown revitalization, the plaza will create a vibrant public space, addressing civic, social and economic needs.
While Jerry Palmer, president of AEI, takes great pride in the firm’s larger community developments, he gets equal pleasure in successfully completing the smaller infill projects.
“It’s a great pleasure to integrate good design into the existing fabric of a community,” Palmer said. “That’s probably as exciting as a new village to me because it’s more challenging.”