a historic renovation because of the heavy fire damage, the areas while enhancing the neighborhood. Bioretention basins,
owners are trying to preserve as much of the historic character rain gardens, porous pavement on driveways and walkways,
as possible. Matt Ashby, an urban planner for Ayres who also and similar techniques help urban infrastructure handle
acts at the executive director for the Windsor DDA, said the whatever nature brings.
project’s success is a shining example of what good things
can happen when a community and private developer work Engineering around tourism
together. “We were very fortunate to have a developer that was The small City of Hayward, a tourism hub for northern Wisconsin,
willing to move forward after the fire,” he said. “It’s a testament
to the project that they had a driving desire to see it through
despite the setbacks.”
Low Impact Development builds
resilience into infrastructure
is host to festivals and events year-round, many of which draw
crowds in droves. More than 13,000 skiers and an estimated
30,000 spectators descended upon the City for this year’s
Birkebeiner week, for example.
As urban areas continue to develop, managing stormwater
becomes both more challenging and more necessary. As much
as 90% of the surface area of a city could be covered by streets,
sidewalks, parking lots, and buildings. These impervious surfaces
prevent the natural dispersal of water, and rain and snow melt
cannot enter the ground. The community relies on a system
of drains and pipes to divert the stormwater to detention or
retention facilities that collect the stormwater, remove pollutants,
and slowly release the stormwater to control flood flows.
Tourism is undoubtedly the largest and most vital component
of Hayward’s economy. As such, the downtown streets receive
tremendous traffic. So how is there ever a “good” time to
pause for the construction of much needed infrastructural
improvements? The community is about to find out.
Earlier this year, Ayres helped the City secure a $1 million
Community Development Block Grant to help fund the
reconstruction of deteriorated street, sanitary sewer, storm
sewer, and water infrastructure in its downtown business
district. Ayres is now providing engineering services associated
Low Impact Development (LID) is a stormwater management with the $1.5 million project. Construction is slated to start in
approach that minimizes impervious surfaces and maximizes March – earlier if weather permits – and before some downtown
natural site features to manage stormwater. The design of businesses open for the season. Closing Main Street will be
Spruce Street in Tampa, Florida, is making good use of LID unavoidable, but to minimize disruption the team will stage
concepts. One part of the design is to maintain existing ditches efforts, working their way up the street so the entire project
instead of removing them, which allows for natural stormwater area isn’t torn up at the same time. Because work involves
infiltration. Ayres designers are also creating a linear park on top underground utilities, the blocks under construction won’t have
of an existing large ditch. Special drainage structures will allow vehicular access, although drivers can still park on back and
water from the park to infiltrate into the stormwater system. side streets. Sidewalks will be left in place as long as possible,
Another Tampa project, this one on East Columbus Drive, is with temporary bridges or ramps providing access to buildings
using captured stormwater to irrigate trees. The design includes while the concrete cures. Work is scheduled to wrap up by
multiple “bulb outs” to accommodate street trees. Trees and the third week of June – just in time for Musky Fest and the
similar landscape elements cut down on the size of impervious summer tourist season.
www.AyresAssociates.com
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