Arbor Terrace Fulton

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Hailey Develoment/Ryan Homes
Location:  Scaggsville Road, Fulton, Maryland
Market: Senior Living
Size: 3.0 Acres
Zoning: CCT (Community Center Transition)

Recent Projects

The Challenges

Arbor Terrace Fulton is a 75,000 square foot, 100 bed, assisted living and dementia care facility located on 3 acres adjacent to the Maple Lawn development in Fulton, Maryland.  Pre-development site conditions required storm drainage to connect on either side of the property to exiting pipes on adjacent properties.  Site access and sight distance were major design considerations when locating the building and designing road improvements to MD Route 216, a major arterial road.  Fire access around the entire building was required with only one access point permitted from the main access road, Scaggsville Road (MDRoute 216).

 

The Solution

GLW was tasked with taking the project from vacant land, through entitlements to construction permits and surveying.  Early in the development process, GLW identified the need for off-site storm drain easements to be granted by the Howard County Public Schools and Maple Lawn Farm owners and their tenant, Harris Teeter, or the project could not move forward.  Having excellent working relationships with both land owners, GLW negotiated the easements successfully.

Road improvements to the main access road, Scaggsville Road (MD Rte. 216) needed to be coordinated with adjacent land owners, engineers and developers to solve drainage, road alignment and sight distance design issues.  GLW took the lead in circulating proposed plans and coordinated the final design.

Fire access for a ladder truck to circulate around the entire building was accomplished by using reinforced turf  and bollards that will access an emergency access driveway in the event of a fire.  This design technique also reduced the amount of impervious surface while still providing fire safety.

 

Shelbourne Senior Living of Olney

Main Shelbourne Senior Living Olney

Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:   Formation Development Group, LLC
Location:  Olney, Montgomery County, MD
Market: Senior Living
Size:  4.96 acres
Zoning: RE-2/TDR – Special Exception
Density:  1 Bed per 1,200 SF / 174 Beds

Awards:
Leed Certification

Recent Projects

The Challenge

Shelbourne-Olney is a Senior Assisted Living Facility with one floor devoted specially for the care of Alzheimer’s patients.  The property was almost entirely forested with many large, mature trees and a vital stream and associated floodplain/buffer. The property lies within the Hawing River Watershed which required special treatment because it flows directly into the Patuxent River Watershed.  An important goal of the development was to preserve the existing mature forest, specimen trees, and stream buffers while providing a quiet, wooded setting appropriate for seniors, particularly the Alzheimer’s patients. Additionally, our client wanted LEED® certification for the project which required high standards of environmental conservation and green construction.

The Solution

Site grading, buildings, driveways, and stormwater management facilities were designed to avoid impacting surrounding specimen trees, wetland and stream valley buffers.   The entrance road alignment and grading saved two massive trees, a White Oak and Ash, which served to screen the building from nearby road traffic and to emphasize the forest setting.  The rear of the building faced a mature forest requiring a retaining wall up to 13’ high to create a terrace for an Alzheimer’s garden with a wide open view out over the wall. The garden was planted with distinctive, colorful plants intended to stimulate the mind and create a memorable experience.

To gain LEED® certification the structure was built with a green roof that covers more than 50% of the roof area. The green roof was designed with a rubber membrane below a soil layer planted with succulent plants that are able to retain water in especially dry conditions.   All downspout and parking lot runoff is piped to bio-retention facilities so that no net additional untreated drainage leaves the developed area. A path runs around the building along the woodland edge and past ornamental landscaped areas provides an attractive route for seniors to exercise.  Other stormwater facilities including grass channels, sand filters and micro-bioretention ponds were located and landscaped to minimize their visual impact.

Brightview Senior Living – Rockville

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Project Description

Client/Builder/Developer:  Shelter Group
Location:  9200 Darnestown Rd., Rockville, MD 20850
Market: Senior Living
Size:  3.69 Acres
Zoning: R-90, Special Exception
Density:  N/A

Awards:
Leed certification
MBIA Environmental Award, Category:  Land Development

Recent Projects

The Challenge

Brightview at Rockville is a senior Assisted Living Facility specializing in the care of Alzheimer’s patients.  The current zoning is R-90 which is a residential zone that allows a special exception (subject to specific minimum requirements) for housing for senior adults or persons with disabilities.  Challenges centered around saving existing mature trees and designing for new environmentally sensitive stormwater management design requirements.

The Solution

From the outset GLW identified an existing double row of mature white pine trees located on the western and southern property lines and a majestic, mature 45” dbh American Elm tree located at the center of the property.  Careful site grading allowed the elm tree to not only be saved but become a focal point around which the building, parking and seating area were sited. The existing double row of mature pines and other existing mature vegetation was saved to buffer the proposed building from the surrounding neighbors while providing a quiet, secure sense of place that is appropriate for seniors, particularly Alzheimer’s patients.  Remarkably, 105 of the 160 mature trees which existed on site were retained.

At the time, new stormwater management regulations were met using innovative environmentally sensitive design that utilized many small bio-retention facilities scattered around the property and landscaped with ornamental wetland plants.  All roof and parking lot runoff was piped to the bio-retention facilities or dry-wells for no net additional untreated drainage leaving the developed area. Parking spaces and sidewalk around the building was constructed using permeable pavement allowing rainwater to drain directly into the soil rather than having to be collected and managed in a stormwater facility.  Additionally, a garden/seating area was designed for Alzheimer’s patients with distinctive, colorful plants and flowers intended to stimulate the mind and create a memorable experience for residents.