Expo Center Stormwater Wall

GreenWorks is working with the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services to design a Green Wall at the Expo Center that will also manage roof stormwater runoff. Because of this added function, we have taken to calling this project a Stormwater Wall. A design workshop was just recently held on April 16^th with our project partners at Metro and the Expo Center along with participants from BES and GreenWorks. There was a lot of good conversation, information and design ideas generated during the work session from which to move forward with into the design phase of the project. The Storm Water Wall project will serve as a prototype for BES from which they can monitor and learn from for future green wall projects. It will also provide an exciting and attractive new green sustainable feature to the the Expo Center.

Lake Oswego 2nd Street / Green Street Under Construction

We have been working on a very exciting green street project with the City of Lake Oswego right in the heart of their downtown business core. Construction began just a couple of weeks ago and quite a bit of progress has been made already. Below are images of the formwork for the southern most flow-through planters and the concrete truck filling up the forms. Needless to say we are very excited about this construction work and will have more updates as the work progresses.

Hosford Middle School Stormwater Project

Construction of a swale at Hosford Middle School began during the school’s winter break. It was designed by GreenWorks, PC and constructed by DeSantis Landscapes for the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership’s stormwater and schools efforts. The design includes a curved concrete wall and other features that reduce the maintenance efforts needed by Portland Public Schools. The swale infiltrates runoff from approximately 4,600 square feet of the school’s roof and reduces the amount of runoff to the combined sewer system. The rerouted downspout creates a runoff powered water feature by directing water through a series of basalt columns before spilling into the swale. The project provides schoolyard learning opportunities for students, beautifies the school grounds, and supports local and regional efforts to improve the health of our rivers through onsite stormwater management. Students and Estuary Partnership educators will plant several hundred native plants in the swale in the next few weeks. Project partners include Hosford Middle School, the Estuary Partnership and Portland Public Schools. We would like to thank the City of Portland, East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District, and New Seasons Market for their generous support.

Engelman Park: A Nature-Themed Neighborhood Park

With the high demand to incorporate nature into people’s lives in urban settings yet provide basic needs such as playgrounds and passive open space, there is a new type of park emerging: Nature-Based Neighborhood Park. Engelman Park in Wilsonville, Oregon has the elements of a traditional neighborhood park, but it feels quite different. Located in a high-density residential neighborhood, the nature-theme is a derivative of the large amount and size of the existing trees planted by the Engelman family in the 1960’s. Along with the preservation of the urban tree canopy, the design relies on vast native planting areas and an understory of forest duff, as well as nature-based playgrounds to give the sense and feel of a wild, natural environment amidst a developed neighborhood setting.

On opening day, children started their play experience at the nature-themed playground structures near the entrance of the park. After a few runs down the slide, they made their way along the crushed rock path that follows the dry-creek bed towards the play equipment in the back of the park that focus on balancing and climbing. Along the way, the kids discovered boulders and downed logs carefully placed throughout the park as landscape elements. As soon as one child strayed off the trail, others followed suit as if they never had the opportunity to see and touch a real rock or log. Next thing we knew, a two-year old was insisting the dry creek bed was their personal pathway. Why walk on plain-old concrete when you can walk on rocks?

Nature-Based Parks allow for self-discovery; children are free to roam the park and play in areas that are unlike any place they have seen or been to. Despite being quite simple looking, it was no small feat to create this feeling in a one acre park. It took thoughtful design moves to create the space, from the layout and scale of paths and gathering spaces, to planting design, to the placement of boulders and downed logs. The park was designed to represent a wilder, natural environment with an aesthetic that enables park users to feel as if they have left the City without going far from home.

Oregon Recreation and Park Association Annual Conference

The Oregon Recreation and Park Association (ORPA) recently held its annual conference in Medford, Oregon. GreenWorks staff members that attended included Mike Faha, Robin Craig, Michelle Mathis and Andrea Cameron. The conference offers a variety of activities including workshops, networking, and recreational opportunities. GreenWorks staff members gave presentations on two topics during the conference. Michelle Mathis presented “Ready, Set Go! Nature Play is Spreading Across Oregon” with Jerry Burgess, Capital Project Manager, Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District; and Mark Davison, Planning Team Leader, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. Robin Craig presented “Parks Can Be Key to Economic Development” with Janet Bebb, Principal Regional Planner at Metro.

The Oregon Recreation and Park Association (ORPA) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 1954 to serve members of the park and recreation profession.  Our mission is to support our members through training, professional development, legislative advocacy, information and peer-to-peer networking in order to enhance the quality of recreation and parks services.

Engelman Park Nearing Completion

Wilsonville’s next Neighborhood Park, Engelman Park, is nearing completion. Site amenities include paths, native plantings, seating areas, and nature based playgrounds which are nestled amongst a framework of large specimen trees that include Douglas Fir, Engelmann Spruce, and a lone Red Oak.  JP Contractors will be completing the construction next month for the park which will provide a central open space for the Montebello neighborhood.

Corvallis Wastewater Treatment Wetland

For the past several months, GreenWorks has been working for the City of Corvallis as part of a multi-disciplinary team led by Kennedy/Jenks Consultants to develop a schematic design for a 30-acre treatment wetland on the banks of the Willamette River directly across from the city’s downtown.   The design combines wastewater treatment using the cleansing abilities of plants and micro-organisms, with trails, overlooks, interpretive displays, and other public open space amenities.

Seven to ten million gallons of Class B wastewater will be piped every day from the nearby Corvallis Wastewater Reclamation Plant to the wetland site. At the wetland, the wastewater will be distributed into a series of emergent marsh wetlands before infiltrating through a rocky sub-layer back to the river.  During this infiltration process the primary role of the wetland is to cool the wastewater.  In order to preserve fish habitat, all Oregon municipalities discharging wastewater to natural bodies of water are required by the DEQ to adhere to certain Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) temperature limits.

On August 7^th, the design was presented to Corvallis city officials and the general public.   GreenWorks generated a series of 3D visualizations to convey the design intent where wastewater treatment and public open space intertwine.  Further sessions with city and county review boards are scheduled for the near future.

Cape Horn Pedestrian Undercrossing Awarded APWA Project of the Year

The American Public Works Association (APWA) has awarded the Cape Horn Pedestrian Undercrossing project the “Project of the Year” award for structures less than $5 million in cost. This Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) project, located on SR 14 at the west end of the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area, provides two safe pedestrian tunnel crossings for trail users of U.S. Forest Service Cape Horn Trail.  GreenWorks, working with Wallis Engineering (civil engineering) and Kramer Gehlen & Associates (structural engineering), provided stone masonry design for the entrance facades of each of the tunnels. The stone used is indigenous to the area and in accord with the natural surroundings. The stone and stone masonry pattern used was given careful consideration to provide consistency with other historic examples of stone masonry construction in the Gorge Scenic Area.  In addition, GreenWorks provided vegetation restoration enhancements at the tunnel entrances using native plants. The Washington Trails Association has stated that the Cape Horn Trail is about to become one of the prized jewels of the Columbia River Gorge Scenic Area.  GreenWorks was honored to be a part of this project which will serve outdoor enthusiasts of the region for generations to come.

For more information on this award and the project, visit the APWA Reporter.

Also, you can enter ‘Cape Horn’ into the search function of our blog to find past Cape Horn Project entries which chronicle the construction.

East Metro Connections Plan

Over the last few weeks, the Troutdale, Wood Village, Gresham, and Fairview Councils and the Multnomah County Commission all unanimously endorsed the East Metro Connections Plan. Metro Council will take action on the East Metro Connections Plan as an agenda item at approximately 3:30 p.m. in Metro Council Chambers on Thursday, August 9, 2012.

GreenWorks assisted Kittleson and Metro in the East Metro Connection Plan as a part of the regional planning effort. The East Metro Connections Plan is the first mobility corridor refinement plan to come out of the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan. The Plan has implemented a new approach to allocating limited transportation dollars to ensure regional transportation investments, support local land use, community and economic development, and the environment. The plan has been a 2‐year effort to understand present and future transportation challenges and prioritize solutions that reflect community values and the future plans and aspirations of each city. The plan includes a systemic look at each of the north/south and east/west arterials in the plan area to identify needs related to:

• Road capacity and safety
• Freight operations, capacity and safety
• Modes such as transit, biking and walking
• Related public and private investment

The process is intended to allow Metro and local governments to be strategic and efficient by prioritizing transportation projects that achieve multiple outcomes. There is approximately $14.4 billion in transportation projects identified in the plan for east county. Project goals include: healthy communities, equitably distributed benefits and burdens, improved access and protection of parks and natural resources, improved transportation system, economic development opportunities and safety and security improvements.

We congratulate Metro, Wood Village, Troutdale, Fairview, Gresham, Multnomah County, ODOT and Kittleson on this milestone planning achievement.

Read more about the East Metro Connections Plan in the Oregon DJC.

Phase Two of Design Begins for Trillium Creek Park

The City of Damascus approved the Concept Plan and funding for the next phase of design and construction for Trillium Creek Park.  GreenWorks completed the Concept Plan in March after a successful public involvement process that included strong support and enthusiasm from the local community.  Construction Documentation will continue through the next nine months in order to bid and construct the project next summer. This project represents a successful collaboration between the City of Damascus and North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District. It will be the first neighborhood park within the City limits.