City of Redmond plans co-located stormwater and parks facilities in Overlake neighborhood

By Mary Stevens Decker • January 22, 2010 3:16 pm
City of Redmond parks project manager Tim Cox (left) and stormwater engineer Steve Hitch (right) told attendees at a Jan. 21 open house about plans to co-locate stormwater management facilities and park space in the Overlake neighborhood. They said combining these features will save taxpayers money and provide desirable gathering places as more mixed-use development and light rail are anticipated in the Overlake Village over the next 20 years.
City of Redmond parks project manager Tim Cox (left) and stormwater engineer Steve Hitch (right) told attendees at a Jan. 21 open house about plans to co-locate stormwater management facilities and park space in the Overlake neighborhood. They said combining these features will save taxpayers money and provide desirable gathering places as more mixed-use development and light rail are anticipated in the Overlake Village over the next 20 years.

The City of Redmond plans to “go green by restoring the blue” as it moves toward creating co-located park and stormwater management facilities in the Overlake neighborhood.

Last night’s open house at the Redmond VFW hall allowed citizens to view images of similar concepts that have been successfully implemented in other cities and drawings of the study area and what it might include.

The Overlake Village project study area is bounded to the north by Northeast 40th Street, to the west by 148th Avenue Northeast, to the east by 156th Avenue and to the south by Bel-Red Road and the city limits of Bellevue.

While terms like “growth” and “more density” don’t usually seem to jive with words like “parks” or “nature,” city planners believe that they can make the Overlake Village a better place to live, work and play by integrating needed stormwater facilities with urban park areas and/or plazas.

Prior to the recent open house, the Redmond Reporter met with Tim Cox, the parks projects manager assigned to this venture and Steve Hitch, the stormwater engineer overseeing that component of the project.

Cox noted that as a portion of the city’s Comprehensive Plan, about three years of research have gone into identifying what the Overlake Village might look like 20 years from now — and how to best provide the infrastructure and amenities to support that growth.

“The city is encouraging highest density in two urban centers — Downtown and Overlake — encompassing both residential and business use within each area,” said Cox.

Employment in the Overlake neighborhood is expected to increase, as well as more mixed-use development with retail on the ground level and either homes or offices above.

As older buildings in the “cornerstone” areas — such as the Sears complex, the former Group Health complex and PS Business Parks — are replaced, and with Sound Transit expected to bring light rail to Overlake, it makes sense to combine “the parks and livability factor, desirability … all co-located to use the same property,” said Cox. “We’re hoping to achieve efficient delivery for both stormwater and parks facilities to save taxpayers money.”

Ways to do that could be to create an open water area with LID (low-impact development) features such as rain gardens and pathways; or creating a vaulted water storage system with open park space above.

Hitch added, “There are about 320 acres in the study area. Stormwater crosses 520 … there’s a five-foot diameter pipe where water flows southwest along Sears Creek and Valley Creek, a tributary to Kelsey Creek. Heavy flow can cause flooding and harm wildlife. Historically, this area was forest. … Thirty years ago, people didn’t think a lot about stormwater retention or the environment, so we are retrofitting the watershed, improving water quality.”

As demonstrated by residents who participated in an August open house and have commented by phone or e-mail, the community is favoring co-located park amenities such as picnic tables, play areas, native landscaping and paving.

If you missed this week’s open house but still want to weigh in on the Overlake stormwater and park ideas, there will be plenty of opportunities. Information is on the city’s Web site at www.redmond.gov/intheworks/Overlake/stormpark.asp and you can call or e-mail Steve Hitch at (425) 556-2891 or shitch@redmond.gov or Tim Cox at (425) 556-2755 or tcox@redmond.gov.

Another community meeting is expected around March, with more information about preferred plans. Commissions and City Council will study those options before an anticipated adoption around May.