Focused on a fully inclusive design, Elizabeth Austin Playground incorporated extensive community input to establish final features and playground equipment as part of broader master planning for improvements to Fruit Valley Park. 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 a $1 million donation by the Kuni Foundation, plans for Fruit Valley Park added the 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.
With an overarching mission to represent itself as a regional example of innovation, progression, and resourcefulness, the City of Arlington’s Comprehensive Plan establishes newly-defined subareas as well as goals and policies for each planning element. Guided by Otak, the comprehensive planning process sets the stage for decades of development and provides goals and policies that will help the community sustain a strong quality of life amid growth and ever-changing conditions.
Establishing Adaptable Goals for Growth Designed to Meet Future Conditions
The long range plan titled, “Arlington in Motion,” is designed to chart a course for Arlington, Washington decades into the future. The plan is built on five foundational principles designed to support the community as it adapts to ongoing changes related to growth and population, environment, economics, technology, and governance. These foundational principles place an emphasis on equal access to opportunity, neighborhood connectivity, climate resilience, stable employment, and community health, all framed around accentuating the city’s beautiful natural setting between the Stillaguamish River and Cascade Mountains. With fourteen established subareas, an in-depth analysis of existing conditions and missing gaps were used to identify needed improvements and goals for each area. Informed with data detailing various socioeconomic factors as well as historical and forecasted growth in population, the plan also outlines steps for monitoring—with goals, policies, implementation strategies, and projects that will take Arlington toward a strong future and through transparent process for implementation with the public.
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.
Columbia Knoll is a mixed-income redevelopment project located on the ten-acre historic Shriners Hospital site in northeast Portland. The redevelopment includes affordable, senior and congregate housing.
Affordable Housing for Mixed-Income Redevelopment
In addition to affordable family housing, a day-care facility, community center, and market rate for-sale townhomes are included in the design. The 334 housing units are distributed between four buildings. Those two, three, and four-story structures 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, as well as five neighborhood associations with an extensive public outreach program. Otak also worked closely with the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods throughout the process.
What began as an underutilized quasi-industrial site in Portland’s Pearl District neighborhood was transformed into a nationally-recognized example of successful urban redevelopment. The Yards at Union Station would mark the district’s first housing project, and it set the tone for subsequent redevelopment in the area. An existing development of four and five-story buildings would grow to include turning 7.5 acres of decommissioned rail yards into a vibrant addition to the newly minted residential community with an emphasis on affordable housing, altogether offering a total of 724 rental and for-sale units for tenants of varying income ranges.
Brownfield Site Development to Revitalize Portland’s Historic Union Station Railyards
Constructed in 1896, Portland Union Station is an established landmark for the city that’s easily recognizable for both it’s Romanesque and Queen Anne architecture as well as its 150-foot clock tower. Sitting adjacent to the Yards at Union Station project site, terra cotta and molded brick of the Union Station building – which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 – provides the basis for a cohesive motif in the neighborhood. Use of the rail yards contaminated the soil meaning The Yards at Union Station would be developed on a brownfield site. The opportunity to clean up the site for redevelopment allows for the space to be safely reinvested in the community. This sustainable design also includes stormwater planters, energy-efficient lighting and native plantings among other features. With a priority on upward mobility, the City of Portland emphasizes that its investment make sure projects address the area’s greatest unmet community needs not only in housing but in economic opportunity. With over 200 jobs created, this project exceeded its own goals as a direct investment in the area on its way to becoming a viable residential neighborhood in the heart of the city.
Located on Block 77, between East 16th and 17th Streets and East D and E Streets, in the downtown area of the City of Vancouver is an addition of affordable housing in the commercial city center.
Adding Affordable Housing to the Commercial City Center
Consisting of 83 dwelling units in 2 buildings with 56 parking spaces provided through planning adjustments such as additional secure bike storage. The project includes live/work units on the ground floor and a multiple of unit types that will be designed for a mixture of 50% median income and market rate clientele. The buildings are designed to be a three-story wood framed building with tuck under parking and ground floor Live Work units and an amenity space, and a four-story wood-framed building with an elevator as well as ground floor Live Work units with tuck under parking and amenity spaces such as community kitchen, exercise facility and leasing office. Otak provided earlier phases of development including land use, preliminary design, Civil Engineering, Landscape Architecture and traffic study.
Master planning, including the reclamation of a 98-acre quarry, and layout design for numerous residential and mixed-use buildings form HQ Plaza. In leading the planning and refinement of the quarry, Otak also prepared building concepts and site renderings to be consistent with the envisioned redevelopment of the site.
Master Planning and Building Design for a Reclaimed Site
The HQ Plaza master plan includes over 2,000 multi-family residential homes, numerous mixed-use buildings of office, retail, hospitality, residential, and light industrial uses. Due diligence in the refinement and reclamation plan for the quarry involved a number of teams, including planning, urban design, civil design, and landscape architect team members. The architecture team contributed to the site plan and roadway layout from a building layout and design perspective, and prepared concept building and site renderings.
With more than 300 million visitors annually, protecting and preserving the423 national parks, monuments, and scenic lands that make up the US National Park System is no small undertaking. It is a balancing act between providing an enjoyable experience for visitors today and preserving the natural environment and cultural heritage for generations to come. This is the primary mission of the National Parks Service (NPS). It is also at the core of what Chad Weiser, PLA does every day at Otak as the firm’s Federal Practice Leader.
A professional landscape architect by trade, Chad was drawn to Otak’s interdisciplinary approach to working with clients when he joined the firm in 1999. “When I first came to Otak, I was a project manager in the Planning and Landscape Group. Over time, my role grew and eventually ventured into working on a lot of federal work,” Chad states. “I have enjoyed the evolution, but being able to work with all the disciplines at Otak has made my work that much more interesting. To be able to work with civil engineers, structural engineers, and architects and bring all of those pieces together to do great work for our clients has been very rewarding,” he adds.
His longevity at Otak has not only allowed Chad to work with all of the different disciplines, but has given him a broad knowledge base and the ability to translate structural, architectural, and civil engineering data for clients. He explains that “the key is being able to understand the important elements of all of the different disciplines and how they come together, and distilling it down for a client so they can make the decisions that will make their project successful.”
Early in his career, Chad had the opportunity to work directly for the NPS, overseeing construction on various projects and acting as a liaison between contractors and NPS design teams. His background and familiarity with the challenges faced by the NPS have been an asset as Chad and other leaders at Otak have been helping the NPS withvisitor use studies and restoration projects at a number of sites. “The challenge we have on every project,” Chad explains “is to find the right balance between the visitor experience and preservation. Sometimes we’re needing to think about expanding a footprint of a developed area, but doing it in a way that will have minimal impacts, both to cultural and natural resources.”
Mount Rushmore Facilities Improvements Project
NOCA Stehekin Fire Facilities
Notable projects Chad and his team have been working on include facilities improvements and renovations at the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, campground rehabilitation at Yosemite National Park, and new wildland fire facilities in North Cascades National Park. Chad cites the Yosemite campground project as a prime example of balancing the user experience with the need to preserve and protect the environment. “This was a 300-unit historic campground that was very tired and in need of a lot of updates. We provided the design for the campground renovation, which included updating the amenities at each campsite, as well relocating twenty of the campsites away from a sensitive river corridor and building a new access road to those sites,” Chad explains.
Chad is also spearheading projects in coordination with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, The US Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. He sums up working with the NPS and other federal agencies as a process of finding creative solutions to challenging problems and doing it in a way that everyone feels heard and understood. “We are often working with teams from multiple departments—from cultural interpreters and rangers to operations, maintenance, and law enforcement—and they all come with a different perspective and a different area of focus. They all need to be heard and they all need to feel the solution we’re coming up with meets their needs and expectations.” He adds that “it can be challenging at times, but we’ve become very good at putting all the pieces together, balancing all the different demanding needs, finding solutions and getting them implemented.”
Looking to the future, Chad and the rest of the team are most excited about theGreat American Outdoors Act. Passed in 2020, the Act provides critical funding to address the significantmaintenance backlog of deteriorating facilities within the National Park Service as well as other federal land management agencies. “There’s going to be a lot of work for us to help the NPS implement projects, and it will be a lasting legacy for the next 50 to 100 years and we get to be part of it,” Chad says enthusiastically.
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