Land Development Design Initiative • www.lddi.cee.vt.edu • Blacksburg, VA Phone: (540) 231-2474 • Fax: (540) 231-7532 • E-mail: lddi@vt.edu May 2021 Volume 15, Issue 3
In this issue: • LDDI makes its summer debut (p. 1) • Welcome additions come to MD and VA communities (p. 2) • Old Town Alexandria will soon enjoy new residential options (p. 3) • Former LDDI student reflects on the past and present (p. 3) • Meet the graduate students (p. 4)
LDDI Bridges is a publication of
Virginia Tech’s Land Development Design Initiative Editors: Kelly Shayne Young ksyoung@vt.edu
Kevin Young keyoung@vt.edu
Virginia Tech The Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Greetings from the campus of Virginia Tech. I hope this message finds you, your family, and your organization well and moving toward increasing normalcy a little more each and every day. We recently completed our first academic year in an almost entirely virtual environment, and I feel both confident and proud in stating that the unique, high-quality educational experience afforded Virginia Tech CEE students through the LDDI program was upheld during this period of distance learning. It wasn’t easy, and I want to recognize and draw attention to the above-and-beyond efforts of my colleague Claire White, the Town of Blacksburg’s Matt Stolte, and practitioner instructors from Bohler, Draper Aden Associates, and Kimley-Horn, all of whom made LDDI’s spring semester course offerings a success. Signs are pointing toward a return to in-person instruction this fall, and while acknowledging the success of the past academic year, we all eagerly look forward to a return to the physical classroom. While the chaos of the academic calendar typically calms following spring graduation, this summer will be a busy one for LDDI. For starters, an LDDI course is being offered for the first time during Virginia Tech’s summer session. I am also excited to announce that we are actively exploring opportunities and venues for an in-person summer general meeting. Last year’s virtual summer meeting broke a 14-year consecutive streak of convening in person, and we’re optimistic that this summer will provide an opportunity to restart that trend. Expect to see a save-the-date in the near future, with a formal invitation to follow. I hope you’ll add this edition of our newsletter to your early summer reading list, and as always I welcome your feedback on any facet of the LDDI program. Best wishes for a safe and fun summer! Kevin D. Young, PE, M. ASCE, VT LDDI Coordinator
LDDI Makes Its Summer Debut This year, Virginia Tech CEE students have their first opportunity to take an LDDI course outside of the fall or spring semesters, with CEE 3274 – Introduction to Land Development Design being offered during Virginia Tech’s first summer session (May 24 – July 2). This inaugural summer offering of the course features an enrollment of 16 students, approximately one-quarter of the enrollment in a traditional fall or spring semester. Taught by LDDI Coordinator Kevin Young, the course is being delivered in an online modality as the university continues to refine its plans for an anticipated return to inperson instruction this fall. From its modest debut as a one-credit seminar in 2008, CEE 3274 rapidly evolved into an incredibly popular three-credit class that has been completed by more than 2,000 students and that has featured as many as 120 students in a single section of the course. While not every CEE student who completes CEE 3274 will pursue a career in land development, the course serves as a pre-requisite for Land Development Design (CEE 4274) and Advanced Land Development Design (CEE 4284), making it a critical rite of passage in the LDDI curriculum. Of the summer offering of CEE 3274, LDDI Executive Board Chair Jeff Gilliland (J2 Engineers) states, “Expanding into the summer session provides students with more options for navigating the LDDI curriculum. An ambitious sophomore, or junior unable to take 3274 during the fall or spring semester, may now complete the course during the summer. Our Board supported Kevin’s efforts to work with the CEE department to schedule the course for the first summer session so that students could potentially apply their newfound knowledge during a summer internship that they may hold concurrent with or following completion of the course. I am happy to see that work out and am thrilled by the strong enrollment numbers.”
LDDI Bridges May 2021
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Bohler Helps Transform Downtown Wheaton
Through upfront planning and effective coordination, what was once an old community center and parking lot is now a vibrant focal point for downtown Wheaton.
Seeking to consolidate seven county agency offices and revitalize Wheaton’s downtown area, leaders of Montgomery County, MD saw an opportunity to redevelop an under-utilized property containing a small surface parking lot and dilapidated community center. To capitalize on the site’s proximity to an existing Metro stop, the County pulled in a local developer to create a Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Together, the team devised a plan to transform the tired site into a 14-story office building with ground-floor retail, an underground parking garage, an urban park with an amphitheater and plaza, and enhanced pedestrian access to the Metro station. As a PPP, the Wheaton Revitalization project required extensive coordination between many stakeholders, community members, and agency staff. In addition, the design team was held to a strict timeline to move seven county agencies, including the largest – the Maryland National Capital Park & Planning Commission (MNCPPC) – to the new location.
To keep the project moving forward, Bohler navigated communication complexities by aligning PPP stakeholders, addressing community concerns, and providing additional scrutiny to the design plans. The site’s antiquated infrastructure required substantial off-site public water and sewer improvements, while a portion of the property encroached into environmentally sensitive areas. Bohler organized extensive design and coordination meetings with the project team and collaborated with multiple agencies throughout the process to devise a plan to remove old pipes, replace them with new water and sewer mains, and add more fire hydrants. While the project served to consolidate Montgomery County agencies and provide MNCPPC with a new headquarters, the Wheaton Revitalization ultimately transformed the neighborhood. Bringing the community together with new retail options, an urban park, and outdoor music venue, the development also improved Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility and added approximately 300 public parking spaces.
J2 Engineers Brings Aldie, VA Community Together with Corpus Christi Catholic Church
After 20 years of advocating for a Catholic church, Corpus Christi provides the Aldie, VA community a place to worship. Photo by Leslie Miller, Arlington Catholic Herald, catholicherald.com.
J2 is blessed to help the Corpus Christi parish with the design and approvals needed for its new church in Loudoun County, VA. After 20 years of congregating in school gyms, the new 21,000-SF Gothic-style church provides parishioners with a permanent place of worship. The European-style cathedral currently accommodates up to 1,100 congregants and includes 60-foot ceilings, hand-carved fixtures, a limestone facade, and a hand-crafted, stained-glass window. The church is in the initial phase of the master-planned 100,000-SF campus. The campus build-out is expected to occur over the next ten years. Future buildings will include a rectory, parish center and hall, a school with a childcare facility, and a gymnasium. The project also includes off-site sidewalk connections to facilitate pedestrian access to the church and integrate the church with the surrounding community.
The first phase of development included the church, surface parking, sidewalks, landscape architecture, and a stormwater management pond. These improvements were carefully planned with the parish leaders and the Diocese of Arlington to minimize the impacts of future phases on the initial infrastructure. During the design process, J2 worked with the Diocese and the General Contractor to incorporate a value engineering process into the delivery of the work. This process enabled J2 to deliver site improvements that met the church's nearterm needs while keeping initial costs within the budgeted range. J2 provided the following services to support the project: zoning entitlements, site survey and construction stakeout, site layout planning, final engineering design and permitting, landscape architecture design, and construction administration.
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LDDI Bridges May 2021
Pennoni Extends Services to Carlyle in Old Town Alexandria Pennoni has a 30-year legacy of site/ civil engineering within the Carlyle development located in Old Town Alexandria, VA, and Carlyle Park Towers is the firm’s most recent project within Carlyle. Carlyle Park Towers is in the southeast corner of the development and consists of four towers at the perimeter of a parking structure for a total of 1.5 million square feet of gross floor area. The parking structure is capped with a public and private landscaped park/amenity deck. Residential uses are proposed for all four towers totaling 1,414 units. Beginning in April 2020, Pennoni has provided master plans for stormwater management and low impact design (LID).
In collaboration with the architects, landscape architects and City stormwater reviewers, LID facilities were designed to address the City’s Green Building Policy through green roofs, urban planters, and sand filters. Pennoni performed a capacity analysis of the existing storm sewer outfalls, resulting in extended detention within the proposed LID facilities to prevent flooding. The urban street, streetscape, and utility design entailed close collaboration with the design team and the City regarding its Eisenhower Avenue improvement plans. An innovative development in an historic neighborhood, Carlyle Park Towers is slated for completion in 2024.
Carlyle Park Towers is Pennoni’s latest endeavor within the Carlyle development in Old Town Alexandria and will boast 1,414 residential units upon completion. Images courtesy of Oculus
LDDI Graduates in the Industry: John Tedesco Kimley-Horn Civil Analyst
John Tedesco completed his academic career in 2017, graduating from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in civil and environmental engineering, and soon after began his professional career with Kimley-Horn & Associates. Hailing from South Jersey, John has settled in North Texas, working in the firm’s McKinney, TX office as a civil analyst, and soon to become a Professional Engineer later this year. While a student, John found the three LDDI courses he completed to be extremely helpful, particularly the senior design course. “While the Introduction to Land Development course laid the groundwork for my career, the Land Development Design course provided me the experience, tools, and confidence to be successful,” John explains. “The design course not only provided me a truly unique perspective on what the project life for a land development engineer looks like, but it challenged me to use all of the tools I gained from other core classes (i.e. – Water Resources, Geotechnical, CAD, etc.). From the design class to Advanced Land Development, the experience provided by Kevin, Claire, mentor companies, and guest speakers bolster a student’s ability to hit the ground running in the land development industry.”
Transitioning from student to practicing engineer has challenged John to be conscientious and to set the right goals for success. “Setting SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time -Based) and providing the best quality of work day-in and day-out is proving to my clients that I am willing to put in the extra effort to provide them exceptional service,” notes John. In just under four years with Kimley-Horn, John has provided design services on numerous projects, including two noteworthy developments in Frisco, TX: “The Star” which is the headquarters for the Dallas Cowboys Football Team and the PGA of America Golf Course and OmniHotel and Resort. “I don’t think of any specific project as more difficult or more important than any other,” John says, “but as an opportunity to provide exceptional service to the client.” While he misses the Blacksburg community, Tedesco and his fiancée enjoy kayaking and paddle boarding, and they are involved with the local Dallas-Fort Worth Alumni Chapter, meeting and spending time with Hokies from across the country.
“My father told me at a very young age that ‘Knowledge is Power,’ and while you spend four years at school learning, you need to spend those years of your life also finding out what you are passionate about so you can apply that knowledge you have just gained and help serve others.”- John Tedesco, Kimley-Horn Civil Analyst
Thank you to our corporate sponsors and municipal members! DYMOND Advanced Drainage Systems ▪ Bohler Engineering ▪ Bowman Consulting ▪ Concrete Pipe and Precast, LLC ▪ Pennoni Associates, Inc. PLATINUM
ATCS, P.L.C. ▪ christopher consultants, ltd. ▪ Dewberry ▪ Draper Aden Associates ▪ Edens Land ▪ Gordon ▪ J2 Engineers, Inc. ▪ KimleyHorn and Associates, Inc. ▪ McAdams ▪ Timmons Group ▪ Tri-Tek Engineering ▪ WithersRavenel GOLD Accumark Subsurface Utility Services ▪ AES Consulting Engineers ▪ AST Cowen Design Group LLC ▪ Balzer & Associates, Inc. ▪ Brookfield Homes ▪ Burgess & Niple, Inc. ▪ Delta Airport Consultants ▪ Gay and Neel, Inc. ▪ Hurt & Proffitt ▪ Land Design Consultants ▪ Lumsden Associates, P.C. ▪ Rodgers Consulting ▪ Van Metre Homes ▪ VHB ▪ Whitman, Requardt & Associates, LLP ▪ Youngblood, Tyler & Associates, P.C. SILVER Colman Engineering, PLC ▪ Cunningham Engineering Corp ▪ Eden & Associates, PC ▪ Mattern & Craig ▪ Ramey Kemp & Associates ▪ Wetland Studies MUNICIPAL Fairfax County
LDDI Bridges May 2021 To extend the number of students prepared for careers in land development, and in collaboration with LDDI, the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering approved a new Master of Science program in Sustainable Land Development in Spring 2020. The program is excited to welcome its first cohort of graduate students in Fall 2021, and in the coming newsletters we will be introducing you to this talented group of individuals! Many LDDI members will recognize Morgan Newcomb as the current president of the Sustainable Land Development Club (SLDC). Originally from Leesburg, VA, Morgan is one of a relatively small number of students to have completed all five undergraduate offerings in the LDDI curriculum. Morgan cites those courses and, interestingly, a horticulture course titled Plants and Greenspaces in Urban Communities as sparking her interest to more deeply explore sustainable land development. The Sustainable Land Development MS program was particularly attractive to Morgan because of its interdisciplinary nature and the ability to take courses outside of CEE, including options in planning, urban affairs, and policy. Morgan plans to pursue the program’s thesis option, and intends to focus her research on Morgan Newcomb the intersection of green gentrification policies and certification programs such as LEED and Envision. A freelance digital artist in high school, Morgan continues to apply her passion for graphic design in her work as an engineer. Upon completing the MS program, Morgan plans to pursue a Ph.D.
Hokie football fans may recognize Great Falls, VA native Akul Mehra from the four years he spent as an undergraduate playing saxophone with the Marching Virginians. Akul enters the MS program motivated by a desire to push the boundaries of the status quo to build a future that is better for the environment, human health, and the world as a whole. Like Morgan, Akul is excited by the program’s interdisciplinary format, and he looks forward to learning and integrating new skills beyond those confined to traditional academic silos. Akul intends to pursue the program’s thesis option, and will focus his research on the use of 311 data to guide maintenance decisions for local municipalities to better manage and improve the efficiency of infrastructure systems. Akul points to Akul Mehra all LDDI courses, but in particular CEE 4264 – Sustainable Land Development – as the origin of his passion to identify new ways to make the built environment more sustainable and resilient. Following completion of his graduate degree, Akul plans to enter the world of consulting. Both Morgan and Akul will serve as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) while they work to complete their master’s degrees. Each was able to get an early jump on their GTA roles during the spring 2021 semester, when Morgan served as a GTA for two lab sections of Kevin Young’s CEE Measurements course (CEE 2814) and Akul served as a GTA for Claire White’s Applied Real Estate Development course (REAL 3024). Please join us in wishing the best of success to Akul and Morgan as they begin pursuit of their graduate degrees.