The Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation envisioned transforming a former U.S. Navy airfield into a restored wetland and natural habitat that’s fully integrated with an urban park. A trail system within the wetland complex would also provide access to five newly constructed athletic fields.
One of Seattle’s Largest Wetland Mitigation Plans
In what was at the time the largest compensatory wetland mitigation plan in the City of Seattle, Warren Park also included continued extensive wetland monitoring. That monitoring would include collecting data on vegetation performance, water quality, amphibians and macroinvertebrates, among other parameters. The unique habitat design that combines wetland mitigation with a public park also retrofitted the existing stormwater system to improve water quality and provide hydrology to the wetland. Otak led the environmental design and extensive permitting across local, state and federal levels for the 65-acre habitat and park.
The US 20 project is of statewide significance as it provides transportation system efficiencies and improved safety that increased economic activity between mid-Willamette Valley and the Oregon Central Coast. The project replaces a ten-mile segment filled with hairpin turns and narrow lanes with a new straighter 5.5 mile segment.
Steep Stream Channels Designed for Statewide Transportation System Efficiency
Otak was the project hydraulic engineer on the ODOT led project delivery team for Phase 3 & Phase 4, including the design of steep stream channels, slope pipes, outfall energy dissipators, water quality treatment facilities, stormwater flow control facilities, and revisions to the Stormwater Management Plan. Otak was the prime consultant hired to design and then administer construction for Environmental Mitigation (Phase 5) which involved floodplain reconnection, wetland creation, large wood installations, and revegetation at 7 different sites. Otak was the design engineer on a team that delivered Turnkey Environmental Mitigation (Phase 9), including the protection of forested headwater areas, removal of a fish blockage, restoration of a creek, floodplain reconnection and wetland creation.
After more than 60 years artificially isolated from tidal influences, the opportunity to restore Cattail Lake was initiated as part of mitigation for construction at nearby Naval Base Kitsap. A new bridge, selective revegetation and complete permitting strategy are features of this mitigation plan to restore intertidal functions.
A Bridge Design and Mitigation Plan for Estuary Restoration
Restoration of the estuary off the Kitsap Peninsula in northwest Washington included the eight-acre, freshwater Cattail Lake that had been impounded on Hood Canal. The design reestablishes intertidal, riparian, and upland habitats with selective revegetation while a new bridge replaces two under-sized culverts to provide anadromous fish access to the watershed. Hydraulic analysis determined the new stream channel width as well as its scour potential. That analysis informed the single span bridge design, from its 100-foot length to the recommended riprap and deep foundations installed as scour countermeasures. Through research and design, Otak led this project while also playing a key role in coordinating with the Army Corps of Engineers, National Marine Fisheries and US Fish and Wildlife Services, Washington State Department of Ecology, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for necessary permitting.
A dam built on the Deschutes River at Colorado Avenue in 1911 was a significant safety hazard and required the 160,000+ annual river users to exit the river and portage around the impediment. In replacing the Colorado Avenue Dam, three channels were created in the river to provide locals and tourists with river recreation experience, right at the center of Bend, Oregon.
Balancing Recreation with River Health
Bend Whitewater Park features a number of elements intended to meet the overarching goal of balancing recreational access with health of the Deschutes River. The design removed life-threatening rock and steel pilings and enhanced protections for natural habitats while expanding recreation opportunities by creating two whitewater channels (one for expert and one for beginner river enthusiasts). In accounting for a 100-year flood event and revising flood insurance rate maps, a conditional letter of map revision (CLOMR) and letter of map revision (LOMR) were developed. The project also replaced the bike/pedestrian bridge that connects McKay Park to Miller’s Landing Park on either side of the river and provides a platform for public observation of the river recreation in the Whitewater Park.
In partnership with the City of Kelso and the Washington Department of Transportation, eight blocks of West Main Street through the business district of West Kelso were realigned to relive traffic congestion.
Roadway Realignment to Relive Traffic Congestion
Construction of this federally funded project addresses growing congestion between the Cities of Kelso and Longview by developing a smooth connection from SR 4 to the Allen Street Bridge, while simultaneously performing significant City water, storm, and sewer upgrades within the project limits. Otak managed the construction phase and provided full-time construction inspection for the duration of this nine month, $4.5 million improvement project.
The Beaver Creek Bridge, located on Hwy 47, is approximately 10 miles south of Vernonia, Oregon. Due to structural deficiency and stream constriction the single span bridge would be replaced.
A Seismic-Resilient Replacement for a Bridge with Structural Deficiency
Due to a deep soft layer of soil discovered during geotechnical explorations, the bridge is design to be supported on piling while the abutments are supported by tied back sheet piling. This is to preclude lateral spreading during a seismic event. Additionally, cellular concrete will be used for a portion of the roadway fill to minimize settlement. Rapid bridge construction techniques were incorporated into the project to limit the overall road closure time to two months.
Gerding-Edlen Development and Portland State University aimed to develop a 212,095 square-foot, ten-story, mixed-use building on a 30,000 square-foot site located adjacent to the campus. In promoting environmentally responsible development, this project is certified LEED Silver, and was completed on a fast-track design to meet deadlines for student housing.
Designing an Environmentally Responsible Development for Higher Education
The building provides 384 studio apartment units, 15,230 square-feet. of ground-floor retail or service use space, and 17,910 square-feet of second-floor office and classroom space. The apartments are located on the third floor through the tenth floor of the building. The primary exterior building materials are brick veneer and metal panels with concrete columns. Windows for the ground-floor retail spaces feature clear glass with aluminum storefront. Metal and glass canopies extend over the public sidewalks. Windows for the offices on the second level and the apartments above consist of clear glass with aluminum frames. An eco-roof was installed over 60 percent of the roof area with the intent to slow storm drainage from the roof and to provide a degree of treatment for storm water. The plant materials were chosen to be drought tolerant, self-sustaining, and fire-resistant. A drip irrigation system is planned to assist the plantings during low precipitation periods.
To provide greater access to the region’s transit system and create vibrant transit-oriented neighborhoods, subarea plans were designed that propose future development around two new light rail stations in Shoreline, Washington. The subarea planning processes for both station areas engaged stakeholders and the community in shaping the future plans for the neighborhoods.
Transit Oriented Development Plans that Maximize Land Use and Community Mobility
The plans focused on maximizing short and long-term land use opportunities presented by the light rail stations, including a mix of residential, employment, and commercial uses. An emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle access between uses enhances development in the area while establishing a comfortable, attractive, and vibrant public realm. Creating effective transitions between the newly planning transit-oriented community and adjacent uses also maximizes opportunities for housing across a range of income levels and enhances the ridership base for the expanded transit system. In close coordination with Sound Transit, Otak completed the station subarea plans while also conducting analysis around an environmental impact statement, property values, fiscal conditions, and alternatives for an urban design that best suits the neighborhood in preparation of the station area plan.
With the goal of identifying the best future land uses for the area, the South Town Center Subarea Plan was completed in alignment with Washington Growth Management Act requirements as part of broader updates to the Mill Creek comprehensive plan. In addition to working with the city to collaboratively engage diverse community interests, the Otak team also provided planning, market and economic development analysis, and urban design/placemaking concepts for a plan that extends the look and feel of the city’s highly successful town center southward.
Creating Guidelines to Develop a Community’s Social and Commercial Core
In the southern portion of Mill Creek, Washington, is the vital corridor of Mill Creek Boulevard and the South Town Center subarea. In supporting the continued vibrancy and success of the town center that accommodates future growth in Mill Creek, this subarea plan envisioned a future with more housing choices and job opportunities. Originally developed in the 19980’s, properties in the subarea were zoned as business park and community business. The new vision calls for mixed-use redevelopment with a highly walkable network, accessible to bus rapid transit stations, new public spaces, and festival street areas designed for events and celebrations. Based on input from residents, the business community, and affected property owners, the plan was created through a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. Updates to Mill Creek’s comprehensive plan would follow, using the vision for this subarea along with additional amendments, in advancing the city’s broader growth goals.
After being designated a regional growth center by the Puget Sound Regional Council, the city of University Place aimed to develop a subarea plan for its town center and commercial core.
Establishing A City’s Subarea Plan as a Regional Growth Center
Regional centers are relatively small areas of compact development where housing, employment, shopping, and other activities are in close proximity. The University Place Growth Center is a 465-acre area that includes a mix of commercial, civic, single and multifamily residential, and light industrial uses. It will be divided into three districts—the Northeast Business District, the 27th Street Business District, and the Town Center District. Otak’s work involved community visioning, goal identification, policy and action strategy development, capital facility planning, architectural design, and conceptual plan drawing.
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