Engineering Inc. - January/February 2008 - (Page 17) mULti-Project FeAtUre ACEC member firms solve a myriad of infrastructure dilemmas while easing environmental concerns Jeff foott/Getty ImaGes causing flooding in a nearby community. To avoid similar problems in the new development, the group hired Omahabased engineering and surveying firm Lamp, Rynearson & Associates (LRA). The firm was charged with designing a linear greenway and storm water management system to alleviate the flooding problem and ensure additional construction in the surrounding area did not exacerbate it. “Our goals were to address the downstream flooding, mitigate the low-quality wetlands on-site, provide recreational amenities for the new development and design a storm water management system,” says Mike McMeekin, president of LRA. The company incorporated three storm water detention cells into the greenway design, mEnt By Darlene Bremer upgraded an existing farm dam to high-hazard standards and embedded new, high-quality wetlands along the stream channel. Trails along the greenway were designed for pedestrians and bicycles and included a series of bridges, one of which was incorporated into a stream stabilization structure. “The storm water ponds and wetlands development have encouraged natural habitat growth and reduced runoff,” observes Thomas Marnik, an LRA vice president. Other facets of the project include extensive landscaping and underwater data collection for monitoring silt accumulation in the downstream lake. LRA faced two major hurdles on the project. The first was convincing the developer it could solve the flooding Mike McMeekin Thomas Marnik problem by incorporating an open waterway. The second was how to deal with concerns of residents in the existing neighborhood downstream, many of whom believed a new development would only further compound existing flood problems. But the developers pushed on, eventually winning approval and community buy-in through visual render- ings that demonstrated how work on the waterway would improve the natural landscape. “We repeatedly and openly explained how the project would actually solve the flooding issues,” recalls McMeekin. “This project has proven to be an excellent example of how sustainable engineering principles can address multiple design issues and add value to a development.” 17 jANUAry / FebrUAry 2008 eNGiNeeriNG iNc.
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