ISSUE 70
INSIDE OUT
NEWSLETTER SUMMER | 2018
City of Bothell officials, staff, and the community gathered on Main Street to celebrate the latest milestone of this $7 million downtown revitalization project.
The Bothell community gathers at the intersection of Main Street and 101st Street for the Main Street Enhancement project ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photo credit: City of Bothell, Young Reflections Photography
From Vision to Reality-Celebrating Main Street in Bothell On Saturday, 28 April 2018, members of the community, including public officials and business owners, gathered in the city of Bothell to celebrate the completion of the Main Street Enhancement project. The celebration started with a ribbon-cutting at the intersection of Main Street and 101st Street, followed by speeches from the City Mayor Andy Rheaume and a representative from the Transportation Improvement Board.
The Main Street enhancement is part of the Main Street Extension project, which extends the existing Main Street roadway westward, and creates a new interior block resulting from the realignment of State Route 522 (SR 522). With the proposed addition of a mixed-use area on the old Northshore School District property, as well as the proposed relocation of SR 522, a “New, Old Main Street” was created.
Main Street in Bothell is over 100 years old and home to several diners and shops reminiscent of the era. From the onset of the project, it was an important part of the overall vision to preserve this historic downtown streetscape. The enhancement project included travel lane reconstruction, utilities replacement, parking reconfiguration, and sidewalk improvements to provide a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere while maintaining smooth traffic flow through the area. The enhancements incorporated concepts of urban design and landscape architecture that upheld the area’s historic charm, yet also captured the community’s vision for future downtown Bothell.
The project included implementation of a public input process; development of an overall process plan; final plans, specifications, and cost estimates, including roadway alignment, utilities, stormwater conveyance, and water quality; lighting; incorporating concepts of urban design (continued on page 2)
To update your contact information, please email newsletter@abam.com EDITORS/CONTRIBUTORS Nora Bretaña, Karen Harbaugh, Jana Roy, Lauren Hurst, and Diann Scherer DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Ailoan Che and Kelsey Hilmes
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elements and landscape architecture; development of a conceptual environmental plan and utility coordination plan; and stakeholder coordination. It also includes flexible parking on both sides of the street and flush sidewalks so that the parking strip can be converted into outdoor dining or retail space during the warmer months. Signature features of the project are the integrated public gathering spaces, wider pedestrian sidewalks, and safer and easier access to local businesses. These updates to the amenities and urban elements were designed with the intent to boost economic health in the commerce district within the downtown core.
BergerABAM, along with some local businesses, sponsored the ribbon-cutting event. The City’s Public Works Department organized kid-friendly entertainment, including a bouncy house, fire trucks, and bulldozers for children to explore, as well as live music. The event was well attended by the public; it was evident by the level of community involvement that there was a great deal of appreciation and excitement surrounding the completion of the project, which the City hopes will attract new visitors to Bothell in the near future.
New Fire Service Structure Accommodates Funding Crisis BergerABAM facilitated a community resource team through a series of meetings to gather ideas aimed at redesigning how fire services could be delivered in the most cost-effective and efficient manner.
For the City of Vancouver, Washington, leveraging public service resources to accommodate growing community needs amid a changing economy provided challenges and opportunities. In 2012, the city manager and fire chief worked together in an effort to explore ways to maintain and improve the effectiveness of the Vancouver Fire Department (VFD) in light of increased costs and reduced revenues. At the time, VFD faced a funding crisis that could result in staff reductions, and the City needed an action plan. BergerABAM was retained by the City to design and implement a process to research and recommend possible operational changes within VFD. To broaden the discussion, the City involved a group of citizens and established a Community Resource Team (CRT). Working with the City, BergerABAM facilitated the CRT through a series of meetings to gather ideas aimed at redesigning how fire services could be delivered in the most cost-effective and efficient manner while allowing the department to keep pace with community growth. The process resulted in development of the City’s 2012 Fire Service Delivery Analysis report that identified several initiatives and long-term considerations to improve the efficiency and financial health of VFD. The City also needed an assessment of its existing facilities in order to plan for future growth and share with voters for a bond measure to make the needed capital improvements, including new fire stations. For this effort, BergerABAM conducted a facility assessment of 10 existing fire stations, as well as the Public Works Operations Center campus, including more than a dozen standalone buildings.
The City of Vancouver celebrated the opening of Fire Station No. 1 on 3 February 2018.
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By 2017, Vancouver was experiencing substantial growth and development, resulting in an increase in emergency service calls. Through an initiative dubbed “Vancouver Strong,” the City began reevaluating all of its service lines and developing long-term, sustainable funding options for capital initiatives. BergerABAM was brought back on to reconvene the CRT. Scott Keillor and Nicole McDermott, of BergerABAM’s Vancouver office, facilitated the meetings and gathered input on capital, operating, and fire prevention initiatives that would improve the reliability, preparedness, and safety of VFD. Initiatives included relocating and rebuilding fire stations, including new and remodeled facilities; new ordinances to improve fire prevention programs; and new staff to support VFD’s growing operations. The City is now working from a 2018 update to the Fire Service Delivery Analysis report prepared by BergerABAM.
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Preparing the Community for Rapid Growth in Rural Gee Creek Subarea On one hand, population growth often means more jobs and economic prosperity. On the other hand, untrammeled growth can ruin the very environment that people seek in rural areas: peaceful surroundings, opportunities for agriculture, an appreciation of natural environments, and a more relaxed way of life. The Gee Creek Plateau was formerly called the “donut hole” because it is an island of unincorporated land surrounded by the southwest incorporated part of the city of Ridgefield, Washington. As one of the fastest growing cities in Washington, Ridgefield has become a popular place to live and work. Residents understand the need for additional development to support the growing population and provide economic opportunities; however, there is also a desire to preserve the rural character and scenic views for future generations. To honor the wishes of the current residents, the Ridgefield City Council started a subarea planning process to create
Transportation improvements and trail connections to future park locations will be important to the future of Gee Creek.
a unique plan for this area. The City selected BergerABAM to engage the community and establish a plan to support future residential development and the required transportation and utility infrastructure improvements. To do this, Nicole McDermott, Don Hardy, and Scott Keillor, of BergerABAM’s Vancouver office, worked with the City and subarea stakeholders to establish a vision and guiding principles for the subarea and then developed land use alternatives.
The Gee Creek Plateau is an unincorporated rural area of about 360 acres.
BergerABAM proposed a residential cluster concept for a large portion of the subarea, which enables the City to meet the density targets of the Growth Management Act while preserving significant acreage for open space and agriculture. Throughout the planning process, the BergerABAM team worked closely with a stakeholder advisory group to develop a plan that addressed the City’s residential needs while adhering to the stakeholders’ wish to preserve the area’s rural character and agricultural land. The plan included a unique approach to future land development—a residential cluster concept was proposed for a large portion of the subarea, which enables the City to meet the density targets established by Washington State’s Growth Management Act while preserving significant acreage for open space and agricultural uses. The subarea plan also recommended transportation improvements to support future development, as well as trail connections and future park locations. Once this plan was developed, the BergerABAM team recommended strategies for plan implementation, including City policy and development code amendments and capital improvements. The Gee Creek Plateau Subarea Plan was adopted in November 2017 with unanimous support from the Ridgefield City Council. Through a robust outreach process and a commitment to the vision established, the BergerABAM team was able to work with the City and stakeholders to develop a plan that was supported by the community and can preserve the rural way of life for those living in the Gee Creek area of Ridgefield.
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A New Bridge on Old Olympic Highway On 1 May 2018, the McDonald Creek Bridge on Old Olympic Highway between Sequim and Port Angeles, Washington, opened to commuters. The Old Olympic Highway is almost parallel to Highway 101 and sits on the northernmost edge of the Olympic Peninsula, connecting the growing town of Sequim to the city of Port Angeles on the northern coast of Washington State: a necessary alternative route to much of Highway 101. As Clallam County gradually widened and improved the Old Olympic Highway over the course of 20 years and replaced two other bridges, the McDonald Creek Bridge was the final bottleneck in the highway for traffic. When Clallam County initially identified the need to seismically retrofit the bridge to current Washington State earthquake codes, BergerABAM was selected to conduct field investigations, environmental support, and preliminary engineering to identify the existing bridge deficiencies and the conceptual-level bridge repair
The new bridge improves sight lines along the old highway, space for bicyclists to cross safely, and nearly doubles the width of the old bridge.
and/or retrofit approaches. Though it was technically feasible to design and build a seismic retrofit, the
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Removal of the original 1957 bridge after BergerABAM’s recommendation to replace the bridge for improved safety and function instead of performing a seismic retrofit.
bridge—a three-span concrete voided flat-slab bridge supported by spindly columns—had other issues that needed to be addressed. Its narrow width (23 feet wide and 120 feet long) made it functionally obsolete. In addition, it was vulnerable to potentially destabilizing scour from the creek below near the intermediate columns, and the bridge itself was located in a dip in the road, making it difficult for drivers to see other vehicles as they approached the bridge. As bicyclists also use this highway, the narrowness, approach, and difficult sight lines posed dangers for car drivers and bicyclists alike. Based on this assessment, BergerABAM recommended to the County that the bridge be replaced rather than seismically retrofitted, and the County agreed. BergerABAM’s team designed a 40-foot-wide, 140-footlong, precast prestressed concrete girder bridge with a cast-in-place concrete deck, which eliminated the need for any piers near the creek and helped avoid some environmental impacts. The design improved the sight lines along the old highway and also included the substructure and civil drainage design, and widened the stream channel to improve the habitat for migrating fish. BergerABAM was also responsible for construction administration, inspection services, and design construction support services. Though the initial estimate for project completion was eight months, snow and bad weather conditions delayed the construction two more months. Nevertheless, the project stayed within budget and produced a bridge that was safer, wider, and more seismically resilient and environmentally sustainable than the one it replaced.
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We are pleased to welcome the following new team members to BergerABAM.
Zach Schorr Portland Office Zach Schorr is an engineer-in-training. He earned a bachelor’s in agricultural and biological engineering from Pennsylvania State University. Previously, Zach was a civil engineer on projects, including roads, sanitary sewer, water systems, and storm draining systems.
Andrew McAferty
Stephanie Kinner
Federal Way Office
Portland Office
Andrew McAferty is an engineer-in-training for the Waterfront Department. He earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Seattle University with an emphasis in structural design. His past experience includes serving as field engineer on the Tacoma trestle project.
Stephanie Kinner is an engineer-in-training with a bachelor’s in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Washington. She has experience with heavy industrial structures, docks, piers, and pile repairs.
Joe St. Pierre
Craig Marineau
Federal Way Office
Portland Office
Joe St. Pierre is a construction inspector for the Public Works and Transportation Department. With 25 years in the construction industry, he has extensive experience in road building, drainage and sewer systems, utilities and pipe installation, and all phases of site development.
Craig Marineau is a project engineer with experience as a civil engineer on subdivision, private site improvement, and street improvement projects. He earned a bachelor’s in civil engineering from Rochester Institute of Technology in New York.
Marvin Monterrosa
Jordan Gates
Portland Office
San Diego Office
Marvin Monterrosa is an engineer-in-training with a bachelor’s in structural engineering from the University of California, San Diego, and a master’s in structural engineering from Lehigh University.
Jordan Gates is an engineer-in-training for the Waterfront Department. Previously an intern with BergerABAM, she has returned with a bachelor’s in architectural engineering with an emphasis in sustainable design from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Scott Bucklin
Sihem Belarbi
Vancouver Office
Houston Office
Scott Bucklin is an environmental planner. He has experience in the greater Portland area, where he recently worked as a transportation planner. He earned his bachelor’s in sustainable urban development from the University of Washington.
Sihem Belarbi is an engineer-in-training. She earned a bachelor’s in architectural engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology in Rolla, Missouri, and a master’s in architectural engineering with an emphasis in structures from the University of Texas at Austin.
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