RLG Consulting Engineers worked on the Bob Woodruff Park North project in Plano, Texas. We performed civil engineering and surveying for the project. RLG first collaborated with the City of Plano and Talley Landscape Architects (TLA), the landscape architect, on a feasibility study for the site to determine design needs and wants. The Team also utilized the local community in order to determine park amenity preferences, which pinpointed the need for a larger playground, more green space, and address ponding issues on the volleyball court and playground due to being located in the floodplain. When complete, Bob Woodruff Park North will be adding a gaga pit, two cricket pitch pads, a footwash station, a misting station, additional green space and seating areas. The existing restroom building, playground and sand volleyball courts will be improved by raising out of the floodplain and providing larger, new facilities. At a minimum, the same quantity of parking will be provided as currently exists, and if budget permits, alternate scope has been provided to provide additional parking.
The Bob Woodruff Park North project is split into two phases. The first phase focused on providing a new and improved playground, volleyball court and restroom building that currently flooded and redesigning the parking lot to allow for more green space and better park accessibility. In the original feasibility study, the design did not intend to raise all park amenities out of the 100-year floodplain. At the kickoff for the project, the site was redesigned to ensure no work was performed in the floodplain, in order to forgo a flood study in the first phase and ensure public accessibility following a rain event. The park improvements included subsurface drainage design on the playground and volleyball courts and discharging the storm sewer to grade with a sloped headwall. The design also included a dead end water main on site for 2 fire hydrants required by City code for fire protection, a new 2-inch domestic water meter and service line, and extending the private sanitary sewer lateral to the new restroom building location. There was a steep grade transition on site from the upper parking area where an ADA drop-off is provided and the lower playground area. RLG, TLA and the City, worked back and forth to reorientate pedestrian walks, the restroom building and playground to ensure slopes met ADA standards, no handrails were needed and the restroom building was not located in the floodway easement.
The second phase for the park will focus on the trail and addressing flooding issues experienced by park users. RLG will identify the 5-year floodplain and grade the trail to allow for positive drainage away and reduce flooding on the trails in a typical rain event.
Our team took lead to get approvals of the design by determining the project scheduled based on the City of Plano deadlines for platting and zoning. RLG coordinated addressing the plat and site plan City comments with the design Team and ensuring the comments could be incorporated in a timely manner to meet the CPC meeting deadlines.
The RLG survey department performed a topographic survey and platted the site. The plat involved separating out Holifield Science Center to ensure the City could easily amend the either Site Plan in the future without hassle. Platting out the science center required amending the existing Site Plan, which lacked information, and required RLG to gather the additional information needed by the City.
Community feedback drove all the improvements and enhancements for this project. The City directly involved constituents from neighboring communities and distributed a survey to better understand the needs of the parks’ users.