With the primary focus of enhancing the roadway while making it more pedestrian and bicycle friendly, improvements along Boones Ferry Corridor were also designed to account for identified ADA deficiencies. As part of the Tualatin Moving Forward bond program, Otak served as the lead design engineer for improvements to this 2-mile corridor in Western Oregon.
A Practical ADA-Focused Design for Pedestrian and Bicycle-Friendly Corridor Improvements
While avoiding a full construction of Boones Ferry Road, the project provides practical, cost effective solutions to address bike and pedestrian deficiencies found scattered throughout the corridor. Initial analysis found gaps in bike lanes, deteriorated asphalt paths, and non-compliant curb ramps along the corridor that stretches south from Tualatin Sherwood Road to Norwood Road. Along with road widening to provide continuous bike lanes and sidewalk improvements, the multi-phase project also makes improvements to greenway paths, pavement, stormwater conveyance, traffic signals, signing, striping, and landscape. The final design of the project also retrofits curb ramp to bring existing facilities up to current ADA standards. In total, ramps are replaced at 33 corners, including four signalized intersections with pedestrian push button improvements. To further enhance pedestrian safety, the design adds two pedestrian activated rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs) as well as pedestrian lighting along a greenway path adjacent to Boones Ferry Road. The design of the project overcame challenges including steep slopes for ramps, right-of-way constraints, and numerous utility conflicts.
A master planning process with the City of Snohomish led to the creation of a community park at Averill Field. After engaging the community and leading the master planning process, Otak moved the project directly into 30 percent schematic design and slowly broke the project into phases to meet available funding.
Engaging the Public for a Community Park Master Plan
Situated next to Centennial Trail as well as the local Boys and Girls Club, the design of Averill Field was guided by feedback from the community. It’s named after Snohomish native and Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Earl Averill. Three virtual town hall meetings with presentation graphics were conducted to gather community input on amenities, materials, theme, and overall layout of the park master plan. A fly-through video of the preferred alternative was created to get final comments and buy in from the city and community members. Phase 1 included design of circulation paths, underlying drainage field, timber signage, lighting, plantings, and dedication plaques all in association with a new play structure. Small improvements to the accessible parking were included as well as a raised speed table in the parking lot to create a safe, direct pedestrian connection to the Centennial Trail. The first phase also featured two additives for potential inclusion in the form of two pickle ball courts and a basketball half-court.
When it comes to transportation engineering, Otak believes in the power of multimodal transportation as an essential design lens. In our view, roads are not only for cars – pedestrian overpasses, bike lanes, and the surrounding landscape all serve to make transportation infrastructure more robust, inclusive, and perhaps most importantly, sustainable for all to use no matter how you’re getting from point A to point B.
Attending events in this space enables us to use this philosophy as a differentiator, where we can not only share our values and approach, but we can also build relationships with the communities we work in. The result is transportation projects using a more involved and community-driven design method that serves the needs of the neighborhood.
It’s this emphasis on community-driven design that makes conferences like the NACTO 2023 Conference in Denver, Designing Cities, so important to us.
We’re happy to report our own Kevin Dooley and Ann Nguyen served as key speakers at the NACTO 2023 conference, working to showcase projects in the region that are helping transform how cities can, or ought to be designed.
What Is NACTO?
The National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Designing Cities conference is in its 11th year, bringing together over 1,000 officials, planners, and practitioners to advance the state of urban transportation. By bringing city officials, planners, and transportation professionals together, real conversations can be had about how to improve everyone’s access to quality transportation infrastructure – especially while improving a city’s bike network.
This conference is an especially good way to get an idea of what issues or challenges officials from cities around the country are facing in their multi-modal design processes, as well as identify new trends in the industry like sidetracks or protected intersections.
Denver 2023: A Site to Showcase Progressive Transportation Networks
NACTO Route: Boulder’s Core Arterial Network
Right in the backyard of our Colorado locations, this is the first time NACTO has been held in Denver. The city was chosen strategically as a place to showcase some of the most progressive and quick bike network expansions in the country since becoming a major point of emphasis for local government, a trend also catching on in surrounding cities like Boulder or Fort Collins.
What’s key about this for us is that a unique focus is given to the socio-economic factors impacting transportation access, or lack thereof, in a given community. Working sessions were done with historical context in mind, meaning factors like the evolution of transportation and how it impacts different demographics of people are at the forefront of conversation.
Otak leaders also gave presentations directly surrounding this topic, so we’re about to take a deep dive on what they talked about and the ideas they shared.
Prioritizing Safety and Mobility on Major Streets: A Look at Boulder’s Core Arterial Network
These working sessions at NACTO Denver, dubbed “WalkShops,” centered on literal walk-throughs of project sites throughout the city. At each location discussions were had on techniques that were used and what benefits they had to the community.
First, we’ll get into what Kevin Dooley, a Transportation Project Manager, presented on. As part of Boulder’s Core Arterial Network (CAN), more than 30 transportation planners and officials from all over the country rode through our 30th and CO Underpass project – where Kevin was on-hand to provide insight to NACTO attendees.
Improving One of the Most Dangerous Intersections in Boulder
An essential transportation route for both the general community and University of Colorado Boulder students was in dire need of an upgrade – not just aesthetically but functionally. The intersection of 30th and Colorado represented one of the most dangerous in the city. Coordination with our teaming partners based on public feedback and outreach was critical to the design process, all in an effort to make the intersection safer for all who use it, no matter the mode of transportation.
One of the unique solutions for delivering the project was raising the intersection by about five feet to provide a pedestrian underpass. This allows for shorter underpass approach lengths while meeting ADA compliance. The project also includes more 0.5 lanes miles of raised bike lanes, or “cycle track”, and incorporates the City of Boulder first fully “protected intersection” for street cyclists.
Apart from impact on right of way for users among other benefits, the design was meant to showcase that one is not always limited by space in evaluating a site. If you’re able to think outside the box, creativity ultimately pays off when designing a functional pedestrian underpass.
A second design feature also delivered two separate underpasses – the decision was one that took a data and community driven approach to complete. Early findings when researching the site showed the southwest and northeast, plus southern and eastern leg movements were more congested than the other elements of the existing intersection. Modeling also showed that one diagonal underpass would allow for only around 390 users per day, far below the utilization the project needed.
The two-underpass approach captured 61% of all bike and pedestrian crossings at the intersection, with 38% of those users traveling both legs of the intersection. During planning, over 1,000 bikes or pedestrians per day were expected to use at least one of the two underpasses, and 38% of those will use both. Using data and utilization as a guiding light made this project an especially great one to showcase at NACTO this year.
Improving Denver’s Urban Core: A Community-Led Effort Around Transportation, Art, and Culture
Ann Nguyen, an Otak landscape architect and planner, took the lead in her Walkshop around the developing core of Denver’s urban center. Besides being an expert on our team, she’s also involved in the La Alma Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association and serves as an advisory board member for the Art District on Santa Fe, meaning her passion for Denver and its design are always top of mind.
Her Walkshop involved a compilation of projects in the La Alma and Lincoln Park neighborhoods in West Denver. Improvements to neighborhood safety and main street connections in the core of the city also focused on preserving cultural elements of the urban fabric.
Transportation Design and Planning Behind a Cultural and Art District
The projects Ann walked through focus on ‘cultural’ and ‘art’ district designations and their importance to making cities places where people love living.
As a major stakeholder on the Santa Fe Streetscape project, Ann showcased a transportation-focused way of improving safety along a main street that was recently shrunk from four lanes of traffic to three lanes to create a more pedestrian-centered environment. The project represents progress on a long-standing vision for the neighborhood, including the Art District and Business Improvement District situated along this corridor.
Next, she walked viewers through the 5280 Trail project, which is a loop in the urban core of Denver that connects its neighborhoods to each other. Ann led the third phase of that project through community-led design and activating areas along the proposed trail. Ann worked closely with the Art District on Santa Fe, Neighborhood Association, Denver Housing Authority, local artists, nonprofits and youth to install two murals between Denver’s first Art District and its second cultural district.
Finally, Ann walked through her work on the Santa Fe Design Overlay, a rezoning project she’s been working on independently for years. With the goal of developing a true main street, those rezoning plans were passed. This cleared the way for a design overlay on Santa Fe Drive that supports future development that’s integrated with the existing community, ensuring that it complements the existing built environment and character of place.
An aging and underutilized park in Vancouver, Washington, was redesigned to meet current safety and accessibility guidelines. In updating the design and amenities of Dubois Park, Otak developed a master plan – as well as subsequent construction support – to address a variety of goals based on input from the community.
A Park Site Plan to Meet Diverse Community Recreation Priorities
Originally installed nearly 40 years prior, Dubois Park underwent an extensive public engagement process to produce a preferred site plan that met community needs for recreation. For the 2.3-acre park that was largely underutilized, its redesign balanced a widely diverse set of priorities from the public. From sustainable materials and planting design to universally inclusive public amenities and creative play opportunities, the design placed an overarching emphasis on enhancing recreation opportunities for all ages. Park layout, topography, and program were adjusted and publicly presented to demonstrate respect for various concerns and how they were addressed. The park has received praise from both neighborhood users and park staff for preserving the woodsy quality of the park while also increasing it’s utility for the community as a whole.
Across nearly 60 acres of land in Southern Oregon, a design guideline manual for its development was established to provide clear and consistent direction regarding architectural and site design elements. In setting these requirements for three commercial developments in the Hillcrest District, the Otak team placed an emphasis on ensuring that buildings developed contribute to high-quality public spaces and vibrant town center.
Historically-Inspired Design Guidelines to Develop a Vibrant Town Center
With historic properties featuring pear orchards that define the past of the Hillcrest Orchard area, those same elements provided inspiration on aesthetic guidelines aimed at a modern interpretation for its future. The Commercial Design Manual is outlined with the intention to create a pleasant and memorable experience that attracts people to the area while encouraging them to shop, dine, visit with friends and family, and ultimately return in the future. These standards and guidelines aim to enhance the district’s unique character and elevate the overall quality of design. By incorporating elements from both regional traditions and contemporary styles, specifically the Cascadian and Modern Farm styles, the goal is to establish a cohesive design image that reflects the aspirations and vision of the Hillcrest District while creating a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly commercial district. The design requirements of this manual take into consideration local architectural precedents, historic site uses and character, and local building preferences and materiality.
An affordable housing community takes shape in Lincoln City, Oregon. In designing Wecoma Place, Otak drew inspiration from the site’s surroundings to emulate the enduring nature of the Oregon coast.
Affordable Housing Designed for a Displaced Community
Wecoma Place is comprised of three masses that resemble the large geomorphic shapes along the beach. The various patterns in the siding battens represent the wind-swept grasses found along the coastal landscape. The 44-unit building provides a place to live for residents of Lincoln County displaced by The Echo Mountain Fire in 2020. The units are designed to maximize natural light in the coastal environment and the building is oriented around a courtyard that provides space to recreate and acts as a buffer between the building and Highway 101.
Featuring a fully inclusive playground, plans for Fruit Valley Park incorporated extensive community input to establish final design features and playground equipment. The Otak team (in partnership with Learning Landscapes) led public outreach along with master planning, construction documents, and permitting services to develop this public space designed to celebrate the natural beauty and habitat found in the Vancouver lowlands.
Planning an Accessibility-Focused Public Asset, Based on Extensive Community Input
Made possible by $1 million donation by the Kuni Foundation, plans for Fruit Valley Park include a playground named after Elizabeth Austin to honor her legacy as a leader – and mother – in the community. With features based on community input, the playground embodies a design theme of “Play Like a Bird.” While most playgrounds incorporate basic ramps and a few wheelchair-accessible play options, those accommodations only address some mobility disabilities making inclusive play spaces a priority for Vancouver Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services. An emphasis on inclusive play equipment, from ADA-approved poured in place rubber surfacing to fencing that supports the safety of children with specific developmental and neurodiverse needs, as well as bird sculptures and houses, altogether highlight the design theme. A rope climber, we-go-round spinner, zipline, water play area, play mounds, slide, and bell and drum musical instruments are among the specially-designed inclusive equipment. New bike racks, benches and picnic tables also improve the park’s utility while a planting area enhances its natural setting. In addition to making the park more inviting for people with disabilities, inclusive play environments also encourage strong physical, mental and social development in children who do not experience disability.
Thanks to Otak’s GO (Green Otak) Committee, we’re able to empower our staff to live their values of sustainability every day. It follows that when team members advance their credentials in the sustainability space, we should give them the attention they deserve.
One of these employees is Danah Palik, landscape architect, who recently earned her SITES AP, or Sustainable Sites Initiative Accredited Professional certification.
Danah joined Otak in 2018. A dedicated member of our planning and landscape design team, her experience on city and outdoor park projects for NPS has made her indispensable. After half a year’s effort to get this certification, she passed the exam in December of 2022 and was eager to talk to us about what SITES enables.
But just what is SITES? And what does it mean?
According to the Sustainable Sites Initiative, the SITES AP establishes a common framework to define the profession of sustainable landscape design and development. It provides landscape professionals with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, expertise, and commitment to the practice of sustainable design.
Those seeking to get the accreditation must meet existing requirements and pass an exam that demonstrates not only their knowledge, but their pledge to sustainable land development.
Danah has certainly demonstrated that commitment. When asked why she wanted the certification in the first place, she said, “I wanted to improve my knowledge base of sustainable land use practices. Not every project emphasizes sustainability in this way, but having SITES in my background enables me to bring that knowledge to the job site whether it’s emphasized or not.”
Communicating the value of this to clients comes down to user experience. When people actually use a site that has been engineered to be sustainable (both during the project and after completion), PM’s save time, money, and materials by integrating a SITES framework.
When asked how sustainable projects should be in the future, Danah doubles down, “I constantly think about how sustainable practices can be best used in every step of project delivery. I’d like to see a project take that on from the outset, integrate it into its entire lifecycle, and conduct more post-occupancy evaluations to continue to stay in tune with the site. SITES has helped me look at every project this way.”
Congratulations Danah on this achievement! To learn more about our firm-wide commitment to sustainability, check out Otak’s sustainability page.
In November 1805, the Lewis and Clark Expedition reached a site along the lower Columbia River they named Station Camp. Located in current-day Washington state, the riverfront site was redesigned to become a National Park Unit of the broader Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.
A Historic Site with Tribal Heritage Designed to Benefit the Public
While the site carries significance to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, that event represents only a small part of its history as a long-time summer village of the Chinook Nation. Once an important trading site for tribes on the Columbia over the course of centuries, Middle Village / Station Camp Park is now designed to serve as an outdoor commemorative park and interpretive landscape with elements that tell the important story of the location. After an unintended archeological discovery at the site, revised plans moved forward in meeting the broader vision of promoting the region’s rich history. The updated park master plan and final design plans for the site also address parking and pedestrian circulation, as well as low impact measures for stormwater facilities, earthwork, and wetland mitigation. Visitor orientation, accessibility, safety, and site connectivity were all included as important design considerations. In leading the design, Otak also developed the NEPA Environmental Assessment and worked closely with representatives from the Chinook Indian Nation and other tribes throughout the course of the project.
Community impact, quality design, and a lasting legacy—all of these are phrases that describe the work of Don Hanson, senior advisor of our planning and landscape architecture division, who has announced his well-deserved retirement. It’s a bittersweet day at Otak, however, we are taking this opportunity to reflect on and commend Don’s work throughout his illustrious career.
A Certified Expert
For the past 37 years at Otak, Don has become a lauded expert in residential, mixed-use commercial, and industrial development work. He also has extensive project experience with public parks/recreation, open space, and streetscape improvements. Greater still, Don served as chairman of the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission and was a member of the commission for 10 years, setting development and land use policies for the entire Portland Metro Area.
To say Don’s career has been impactful would be an understatement. Though it’s hard to pick just one of the many projects he’s worked on, we’re zooming in on a few key projects that highlight Don’s legacy both at Otak and in our greater community:
The Project Breakdown
Center Commons—Portland, OR
Don’s Role: Serving as the Principal Planner, this project involved the preparation of a master plan and highly detailed site design, as well as a land use approval process coupled with public involvement.
Project Highlights
This work is regarded by TriMet, the Portland Development Commission, and the neighborhood as a model for transit-oriented development and in-fill development in Portland’s station area districts.
The project includes 314 units of housing at both market and affordable rates, housing for seniors, as well as for-sale townhomes. Retail space, a daycare center, and management offices are also provided.
The focal point for Center Commons is a “woonerf” space that congregates cars, pedestrians, a playground, a bosque of trees, parking, drop-off zones, and generous sidewalks that provide shortcuts to transit. The development is located adjacent to the 60th and Glisan station of the MAX LRT line.
Don’s Role: As the Principal Planner/Landscape Architect for this project, Columbia Knoll is a mixed-income redevelopment project located on the ten-acre historic Shriners Hospital site in northeast Portland.
Project Highlights
The redevelopment includes affordable senior independent and congregate housing, as well as affordable family housing, a day-care facility, a community center, and market rate-for-sale townhomes.
The 334 housing units are configured in two, three, and four-story structures that are carefully sited to preserve mature existing trees and the historic Shriners front lawn on Sandy Boulevard.
The project required detailed coordination with the state Housing Office, the Portland Development Commission, the Historic Landmarks Commission, and an extensive public outreach program with five neighborhood associations. We also worked closely with the NE coalition of neighborhoods throughout the process.
Don’s Role: Serving as both Principal and Master Planner, this project is in the countryside west of Wilsonville.
Project Highlights
Villebois is a spectacular 480-acre site where residential neighborhoods include forests, open spaces, ponds, walking trails, and magnificent vistas. Working in close coordination with the master planner and the City of Wilsonville, Don oversaw the design of a cohesive street and site network that encompasses 135 acres of single-family residences, parks, and open spaces, while preserving the natural features of the site.
Individual projects within Villebois include residential subdivision developments, engineering of public roads and private alleys, utility infrastructure design, water quality and detention ponds, and enhancement and creation of wetlands. Final design elements include greenways, trails, neighborhood and regional parks, a future community swim center, and entry monuments.
Not only has Don’s skill set had an indelible impact on Otak’s project work, his involvement and community affiliations outside of work set him apart as a luminary in the field and his extensive resume reflects that. Some of the groups Don was a part of, and even led, include:
Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission, Past Chair and Former Member
Former Development Review Advisory Committee: City of Portland
Former Citizen Advisory Committee Member reviewing the Title 34 Land Development Ordinance: Portland, Oregon
Former Stakeholder Advisory Group Member for Vision 2000: Portland, Oregon
Committee Member reviewing the Urban Renewal Districts Status: Portland, Oregon
Former Downtown Design Review Board Member: Vancouver, WA
Passing the Torch
With a dedicated planning & landscape architecture team now led by staff like our own David Sacamano, Business Unit Leader for our Oregon and Southwest Washington Planning and Landscape Architecture team, Otak will continue to deliver on dynamic projects in Don’s spirit and bring not only our whole selves, but also our expertise to projects in the future. It’s a practice that Don ensured was integral to Otak’s success, and it will continue to be so in our future operations.
Take a closer look at how we celebrated Don’s legacy as an Otakian in this digital booklet and join us in bidding a fond farewell to Don as he begins this well-deserved new chapter.
Thank you, Don—you’ve made Otak a better place.
Take a quick peek at Don’s career below:
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