Preserve at Piscataway Recreation Center and Hiker/Biker Trail

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Woodlawn Development Group
Location:  Accokeek, Maryland
Market: Recreation, Residential
Size: 858.7 Acres
Zoning: R-L, L-A-C

Recent Projects

The Challenges

The Preserve at Piscataway is a 1,000+ home residential community with extensive private recreation facilities.  The development consists of five separate villages placed strategically on what were once forested ridges and open fields of the former Bailey Plantation.  GLW was brought in to resurrect the development after a major downturn in the housing market due to the economic recession of the mid-2000’s.  Two of the five villages had been designed and mostly constructed and GLW was tasked with providing design, engineering, surveying and permitting services to complete the development including the recreation facilities.  GLW amended the approved Site Plan to remove a proposed golf course which was no longer a viable enterprise.  A main goal was to provide both active and passive recreational opportunities for the residents of all ages utilizing the vast open space, a putting green, a hiker/biker trail and other facilities were offered as a substitute.  These amenities were a major part of the successful marketing of new homes to be built in the community.

 

The Solution

GLW provided landscape architecture and engineering services for the recreation center and an extensive pedestrian system that weaved through open space and connected the villages via sidewalks and nature trails.  The hiker/biker trail is 2.2 miles long and was designed to minimize impacts to environmental features such as specimen trees, steep slopes, mature forest and streams.  Scenic vista points, sitting areas, open canopy forest, and village connectivity are features made available to residents while still being sensitive to their concerns such as privacy and noise.  At the resident’s request, GLW revised the recreation center to construct a picnic area and shelter in place of the basketball court and to add a putting green and a large, open, multi-purpose play area for active recreation.

 

The Towns at Westside

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Project Description

  • Client/Builder/Developer: Hailey Development/Ryan Homes
  • Location: Westside Boulevard, Laurel, Maryland
  • Market: Residential – Townhouses
  • Size: 45 Acres
  • Zoning: M-X-T (Mixed-use Transportation)

 

Recent Projects

The Challenges

The Westside Townhouse development is comprised of 54 front-loaded townhouses on private streets and is part of a larger 56.63 acre mixed-use development that also includes apartments, a hotel, and a retail center.  The property was annexed in to the City of Laurel and built on reclaimed land that had been previously mined for sand and gravel.  A large sediment control trap needed for the mining operation had to be enlarged and converted to a sediment control basin. The basin was subsequently converted to a MD-378 pond to treat runoff from the multi-family, public street and townhouse developments. Designing sewer and storm drain systems for the townhouse parcel was especially challenging because gravity flow of the systems required detail coordination of grading and sewer and storm drain design to overcome a ridgeline that ran through the center of the property.

 

The Solution

GLW provided full entitlement processing services from rezoning to annexation exhibits to site plan approval; and full engineering services including subdivision platting, site grading, utility design, public road design, ADA compatibility, sediment control and stormwater management (SWM) and construction permitting.

Site grading of the apartment and townhouse parcels was designed early in the development process to allow sewer and storm drain construction for the adjacent apartments to move forward.  Sewer and storm drain alignments and profiles were designed to minimize extra depth trenching to keep construction costs on budget.

Additionally, site grading and SWM focused on designing a submerged gravel wetland that could handle both environmental site design (ESD) and 100 year attenuation for downstream flooding for most of the property.

GLW provided detailed coordination with State Highway Administration (SHA) and Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation for an ongoing Rte 95 interchange construction that included a wholesale re-alignment of roadways that were adjacent and provided access to the property.

 

Germantown Park

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:   Beazer Homes
Location:  Germantown, Maryland
Market: Residential Townhouses
Size:  8.5 acres
Zoning: RT-12.5
Density:  104 Townhouses (13 MPDU’s), 12.2 DU/Acre

The Challenges

Germantown Park was the redevelopment of an outdated and under utilized1980’s retail shopping center into a thriving townhome community.  After our client determined there was a strong market demand for townhouses, the next step was to rezone the property from C-1 (commercial) to RT-15 (townhouses,15 units/acre).   To better compete with nearby neighborhood resales our client wanted to include numerous site amenities.  Stormwater design would need to meet current ESD requirements as well as continuing to connect to an existing large pond shared with a convenience store on the corner.  Additionally, site design would need to incorporate an existing adjacent cemetery and steep slopes down to roads fronting the property.

The Solution

GLW was brought in to provide rezoning, planning, engineering, landscape architecture and surveying services.  Our local jurisdictional planning experience was needed to  successfully argue that rezoning the property to allow townhouses would create an improved buffer and be more compatible to the surrounding residential neighborhoods than a shopping center.

Our site designers achieved the desired density and included many passive recreational amenities and a central village green that serves as a community gathering place.  An extensive interconnected sidewalk system links the residents to the amenities throughout the community and to an off-site pedestrian system and public transportation.  The green space provided throughout the project adds up to 4.5 acres or 53.3% of the total property.  Purposeful stormwater design resulted in small micro-bio ponds that were shaped to fit within open space and are landscaped to be part of the amenity package within the community.

 

The Metropolitan

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:   Kettler
Location:  Columbia, Howard County, MD
Market: Mixed-Use Residential, Retail, Restaurant
Size:  4.6 acres
Zoning: Downtown Columbia, Warfield Neighborhood
Density:  380 Residential Units, 13.500 Square Feet Retail and Restaurant

The Challenges

The Metropolitan is a mixed-use project located in Downtown Columbia, just south of the Columbia Mall. It includes a 6-story residential building with retail and restaurants at street level. The entire building wraps around a precast parking structure. Although the project is part of the Columbia redevelopment, the site was not fully developed and only partially graded. GLW was charged with providing surveying, engineering and planning services to create an urban road grid network and other required infrastructure. GLW also developed and processed the Site Development Plans using Howard County’s new Downtown Columbia review system. The challenges for GLW planners included following the recently enacted Downtown Columbia legislation that created new site development requirements. The challenges for our engineers included addressing the relationship of steeply sloped streets to a large urban building and its impact to pedestrian and vehicular access, and streetscape frontage design.

The Solution

GLW was brought in to provide engineering, surveying and plan processing knowledge to guide the initial planning, develop Final Development Plans and Site Development Plans, as well as construction coordination. The extensive stormwater management design integrated seamlessly within the design of the project’s hardscape and landscape. The stormwater management design met all regulatory requirements but also created an educational opportunity for Howard County officials to observe how storm water flows and can be managed. GLW coordinated detailed site grading with the project’s architects to align finished floor elevations to the exterior grades, adjacent sidewalks and roadways. GLW’s site grading also successfully created pedestrian connectivity and handicap accessibility between the parking structures and nearby retail restaurants.

Potomac Highlands

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Winchester Homes
Location:  Potomac, Montgomery County, MD
Market: Residential – Townhouses
Size: 5.41 Acres
Zoning: R-90 –  MPDU Optional Method
Density: 4.25 DU/Acre

Recent Projects

The Challenges

Potomac Highlands was historically an old farm property that had become mostly forested over the years with significantly steep slopes rising up over 80’ directly from Seven Locks Road to the rear of the property. The adjacent properties to the north and south are fully developed townhouse communities along with pristine forested area of Cabin John Park to the east. The dramatic grade changes on-site created significant site access challenges and protection of the surrounding communities and important adjacent environmental features would be required.  

The Solution

GLW provided full entitlement processing services from concept planning, preliminary plan through site plan approval; landscape architecture/design; and full engineering services including subdivision platting, site grading, utility design, public road improvement design, ADA access, forest conservation, sediment control and stormwater management (SWM) design/approval.

After a detailed analysis of the complex site conditions we developed a creative access entry road alignment and interdependent multi-level retaining wall system that provided a safe vehicular and pedestrian access to the site from Seven Locks Road. This also created a dramatic site entry feature for the project. The use of curved retaining walls in combination with decorative native stone provided an appealing and welcoming entry that maximized the site’s elevation as an effective selling point for the views and prominence of the townhouse units at the site. Our engineers designed state of the art ESD (Environmental Site Design) stormwater management through the use of creative mico-bioretention to provide maximum stormwater management treatment and protect the sensitive downstream watershed.  

Shipley’s Grant

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Bozzuto Group, Inc.
Location:  Ellicott City, Howard County, MD
Market: Mixed Use – Residential and Retail
Size: 58.6 Acres
Zoning: R-A-15 & B-1
Density: 474 Town homes, 32,446 Square Foot Restaurant & Retail Center

Recent Projects

The Challenges

Shipley’s Grant is a mixed-use development located adjacent to major highways; MD Route 100, Snowden River Parkway, and Waterloo Road (MD Route 108).  The site was developed as a multi-phase, Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND zone) townhouse community with a 3.4-acre shopping center and two recreation/community centers.  Challenges for GLW planners and engineers included traffic noise from vehicles on Route 100, a stream and associated buffers that run through the center of the property, sensitive preservation of the exiting farm house and cemetery, and extensive  road improvements required for Waterloo Road and Snowden River Parkway.

The Solution

GLW’s role was brought in to provide environmental, engineering, surveying and landscape design services from the initial planning stage through construction phases.  The property was planned as a high density development that required careful site design and engineering to ensure the closely connected neighborhoods could be coordinated and constructed in overlapping phases required for the various builders and market demands.

During the entitlement process, GLW assisted in two separate rezoning petitions and construction permits which were obtained from multiple agencies including Howard County, Maryland State Highway Administration, and Maryland Department of the Environment.  During the 15-year lifespan of the project, GLW was able to successfully adapt the overall plan as market conditions dictated, allowing our client/developer flexibility to change land uses and multiple builder and unit types. These changes were navigated through the regulatory agencies with no negative impacts to our client’s original vision for the project.

Modera Westside

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Mill Creek Residential
Location:  Westside Boulevard, Laurel, Maryland
Market: Multi-family
Size:  26.80 Acres
Zoning: M-X-T
Density:  18 DU/Acre

Recent Projects

The Challenge

The Modera Westside multi-family development is part of a larger 56.63 acre mixed-use development that also includes townhouses, hotel and a retail center.  The property, which enjoys a prime location minutes from I-95 and adjacent to the future Konterra mixed use town center, was annexed into the City of Laurel in 2012. The project is built on reclaimed land that had been previously mined for sand and gravel. An existing stream and two major water lines define the boundaries on two sides of the property.  A large sediment control pond needed for the mining operation had to be converted to a sediment control pond then stormwater management pond for the multi-family development. Before the apartments could be constructed, GLW designed a 1,700’ long public street which had to be built and dedicated to the City of Laurel to provide access to the land-locked multi-family property.  

The Solution

GLW provided full entitlement processing services from rezoning to site plan approval.  Site grading and engineering focused on designing a submerged gravel wetland in the stormwater management pond that could handle both water quality and 100 year flooding events for most of the larger 56 acre property.  A single sanitary sewer location required all site grading and sewer design to accommodate future on-site development. To allow construction of the apartments over the former sand and gravel mine, GLW provided detailed settlement monitoring of soil compaction during the backfilling operation.  The entrance road was designed and located to allow for a large berm and landscaping to buffer views of the development from the adjacent residential neighborhood.

Westphalia Row

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Haverford Homes, Inc.
Location:  Ritchie Marlboro Road, Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County, MD 20772
Market: Mixed Use – Townhouse and retail
Size:  20.67 Acres
Zoning: M-X-T
Density:  0.61 Floor Area Ratio overall, 275 townhouses, 10,000 Square Feet retail

Recent Projects

The Challenges

Westphalia Row is a GLW designed mixed-use residential and retail development that is located near the Capital Beltway and Ritchie Marlboro Road. Important design considerations were to reduce vehicular noise from the Beltway and a nearby exit ramp, provide road improvements along the adjacent Sansbury Road, maximize retail and housing density by adjusting the existing Fernwood Drive, and address “Gateway Entrance” requirements of the Westphalia Sector Plan. Further, our client wanted to develop the project in three phases to allow townhouse sales to stay even with land development construction.

The Solution

GLW provided planning, landscape architecture, engineering and surveying services throughout the entitlement, permit and construction processes.  The project layout is a high density, compact, urban design with a centrally located recreation center and numerous landscaped activity areas interconnected by sidewalks throughout the development.  A safe and efficient realignment of Fernwood Drive through the center of the property provided greater flexibility to lay out the residential, recreational and commercial blocks. Along the common property line to the Capital Beltway exit ramp a concrete noise wall was designed and constructed.  The noise wall was designed to look like brick and extensive landscaping was used to reduce the impact of the wall seen by homeowners and motorists. A special gateway sign and landscaping was designed to announce entry into the Westphalia Town Center area and to compliment the Westphalia Row project.

GLW created added value to the project by proposing to use an adjacent off-site surplus property owned by Maryland State Highway for a stormwater management pond.  A negotiated land swap between our client, an adjacent property owner and the Maryland State Highway Administration allowed a stormwater management pond to be built off-site but adjacent to the property resulting in a higher unit yield.  

Bowie Marketplace

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Berman Enterprises
Location:  3206 Superior Lane, Bowie, Prince George’s County, Maryland 20715
Market: Mixed Use – Retail Shopping Center & Multi-family Apartments
Size:  20.29 Acres
Zoning: C-S-C
Density:  0.47 Floor Area Ratio, 275 multi-family units, 134,992 Square Feet of retail

Recent Projects

The Challenge

Bowie Marketplace was a redevelopment of a nearly vacant indoor mall. Situated in a highly visible location on a major arterial road, both residents and officials from the City of Bowie wanted the mall repurposed or torn down. The City of Bowie was an active proponent in bringing a development team together to create a new vision for the property. GLW was charged with providing design and construction services that would ultimately combine retail stores alongside residential apartments.

The Solution

Through a public-private partnership with the City of Bowie the mall was torn down and replaced with a phased mixed use development that included retail and residential components.  GLW provided planning and engineering services on the first phase, which was a 100,050 sf shopping center constructed on the northern portion of the property in 2016. Numerous outparcels located along Annapolis Road (MD Rte. 450) take advantage of high visibility by motorists.

The second phase will be a 3-4 story, 225 unit, apartment building built on the southern portion of the property behind the shopping center. The shopping center was designed with a driveway running through the middle of the parking lot between the stores and terminating at the future entrance of the apartment building.  GLW designed living walls and planters and easy pedestrian access between the two uses allowing them to coexist and complement each other. The apartment building is served by a multi-story parking garage and site amenities that include a pool, paved activity and sitting areas and landscaping.

Trotters Glen

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:   Toll Brothers
Location:  Batchellors Forest Road, Olney, Montgomery County, Maryland
Market: Residential – Single-Family Detached
Size:  175.80 acres
Zoning: RNC – Optional Method with MPDU Density Bonus
Density:  69 half acre lots (avg.), including (1) 15 acre farm lot

Recent Projects

The Challenges

This project was a redevelopment of an 18 hole golf course into a cluster subdivision of 68 half-acre lots.  The property, located along a designated “rustic road” required special treatment to maintain its rural character.  A large pond that served as a golf course hazard became a liability when developing a single-family neighborhood. Detailed analysis of existing grades early in the process revealed the need for grinder pumps for a group of houses on a cul-de-sac.

The property owner wanted to continue living in her home on the property that included horses, barns, fenced areas and outbuildings.

The Solution

GLW provided planning, landscape architecture and engineering services to cluster private lots around a 15-acre lot set aside for the owner. This allowed vegetative screening of the existing home and outbuildings and provided large areas of homeowner-owned open space to create privacy and passive recreational opportunities for residents.  The existing pond was evaluated and restored to its former condition as a stream. The stream became an amenity for homeowners, visible from existing golf cart paths and bridges that were repurposed along with new paths that connect to a public hiker/biker trail.  The paths took advantage of other existing environmental features such as scenic overlooks, specimen trees and undulating terrain. Additionally, a centrally located “village commons” provided seating areas and informal recreational space. Creative use of the roadside ditches for stormwater bio-swales resulted in a reduction of storm drain piping and elimination of large stormwater ponds.