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- DESIGN PLANNING | Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects | United States
Lardner/Klein Landscape Architects, P.C. (L/KLA) is an award-winning design and planning firm with the ability to clearly convey ideas to clients, citizens, and team members. Working closely with our clients, L/KLA develops effective, creative, and cost-sensitive solutions responsive to our client’s Neabsco Creek Boardwalk Simpson Park Playground Nachusa Grasslands Neabsco Creek Boardwalk 1/9 PROJECTS CONTACT info@lardnerklein.com phone (703) 739-0972 fax (703) 739-0973 120 N Alfred St. #100 Alexandria, Virginia 22314 About Careers Media
- Maple Ave Commercial Corridor | LKLA
Maple Avenue Commercial Code Update Vienna, VA L/KLA was the prime contractor for assisting the Town of Vienna in articulating their vision for their commercial corridor and then updating the zoning code to reflect that vision. Team members Clarion and Seth Harry & Associates supported the work effort through code authoring and illustrative and development analysis. Vienna’s commercial corridor runs more than a mile through the heart of the community in a typical strip retail/commercial pattern. With the new Metro stations coming to nearby Tysons, the Town Council embarked on a long delayed update to their commercial code with the intent of encouraging taller buildings in a more urban, pedestrian supportive environment. Premised on the understanding that change will occur as Tysons to the town’s east and Reston to the town’s west grow, the effort asked the community how they wished to address and shape that change to benefit the Town of Vienna. Several existing sites were selected for a capacity analysis (see illustrations), demonstrating what changes could occur and what infrastructure such as structured parking would be required to support the change. From this exercise, Steering Committee members were better able to understand the potential change and to offer ideas of how best to shape it. Desires ranged from better building modulation to support for pedestrian gathering spaces to bicycle parking and interest in bioinfiltration and other green building techniques. Team members worked for over two years with a Mayor-appointed Steering Committee. Many public forums and hearings were held that shaped the final proposal, adopted by the Town Council with a 6-1 vote in September 2014.
- Bowie Trails | LKLA
City of Bowie Trails Master Plan Update Bowie, MD The City of Bowie, Maryland is blessed with many small segments of bicycle and pedestrian facilities, but they lack an identifiable network with a strong community image. The City of Bowie’s 2016 Sustainability Plan targeted two specific goals for improving the City’s walkability and expanding existing trails for biking, hiking and family walks into a safe interconnected network. The City funded an update to the Trails Master Plan to address these goals and to set new priorities for future capital improvement projects to help achieve the goals. Updating the City Trails Master Plan presented an opportunity to address current issues and the needs of the trail system’s users. The Trails Plan Update was conducted over an eight-month process that included a community survey and two trails planning workshops that formed the basis for the draft plan. The resulting document includes the network goals and priorities, gap analysis, alternatives evaluation, trail network recommendations and trail design recommendations, as well as guidance on implementation and funding. The plan was approved in September of 2019.
- Watkins Regional Park | LKLA
Watkins Regional Park Master Park Development Plan The Maryland-National Capital Park Planning Commission selected L/KLA and team consultants to prepare a master plan for Watkins Regional Park located in Upper Marlboro, Prince George’s County, MD. Park inventories and analyses, facility and maintenance surveys, staff interviews, public meetings, and on-line surveys provided direction and perspective in solidifying a framework and vision for the park. Areas of focus included park circulation and neighborhood connections; parking; revenue and use analysis; park amenities and siting; events and programming; inventory and protection of natural resources; and infrastructure needs. Watkins Regional Park was initially developed in the late 1960’s. Improvements have been made over the years, but many facilities remain as installed over forty years ago. This 835-acre property receives over one million visitors per year. More than half of the park is protected by various environmental and policy constraints from active development. Infrastructure (athletic fields, farm, picnic facilities, restrooms, etc.) is in need of upgrading, and pressures for additional uses continue to challenge the park’s operations. Areas of focus include park circulation, parking, revenue and use analysis, park amenities and siting, events and programming, inventory and protection of natural resources, and infrastructure needs. The plan recognizes the strengths of the existing park and builds off its successes through enhancements to playground and family oriented gathering spaces, nature center, farm/agriculture, and sports facilities. Recommended improvements to picnic and play features include the introduction of social hubs with seating and food options, a sprayground, and parking renovations. An outdoor pavilion is recommended for accommodating special events and revenue-generating programs. Enhancements to the “northern athletic complex” will be supported with new fields, parking, trails, and picnic shelters at the “southern athletic complex.” The Watkins Regional Park Master Park Development Plan was developed with an open and collaborative public engagement process. An array of outreach methods were used, including: public meetings and focus groups; working with an appointed stakeholder group; interviews with key staff and agency representatives; an on-line survey; a participatory dot poster survey with displays at the Watkins Nature Center (WNC) and the Largo/Kettering/Perrywood Community Center; and attendance at park events. A copy of the Watkins Regional Park Master Park Development Plan is available online here .
- About | Lardner Klein Landscape Architects
WHO ARE WE? WE ARE: PASSIONATE Our passion is the collective public landscape. We work with communities at local and regional scales to plan, design, and embrace stewardship at each site. Projects take the form of trails, greenways, parks, streetscapes, historic sites, and natural areas. We help clients and communities develop creative solutions that are sustainable, culturally sensitive, and cost effective. EXPERIENCED Our firm brings 34 years of practice as planners, landscape architects, and urban designers working in diverse communities. Creative problem solving and iterative, process-based thinking drive our practice. We paint a big picture of future opportunities coupled with detailed implementation strategies to achieve the vision and project mission. With years of experience, we astutely define key issues and challenges engaging in ongoing and relevant community dialogue, generating innovative solutions and effective results. CREATIVE We harness imaginative ideas and embrace the nuances of each problem to come up with unique and comprehensive solutions. We seek to engage communities to develop ideas from the ground up, articulating and refining visions and dreams. COLLABORATIVE We form, lead and work with multi-disciplined teams explicitly tailored for each specific project. Through careful collaboration, our teams—composed of designers, planners, engineers, scientists, cultural resource experts, interpretive planners, professional cost estimators, and others—respond to the inherent characteristics of sites and the context of the places and communities we engage. VISIONARY We employ regenerative and resilient design tools on every project to assist communities in shaping a more positive future, one that is responsive to immediate and long-term changes induced by factors such as limited budgets, climate change impacts, and demographic shifts. CONTACT info@lardnerklein.com phone (703) 739-0972 fax (703) 739-0973 120 N Alfred St. #100 Alexandria, Virginia 22314 Meet the Team Careers Media
- Beaverdam Reservoir Trail Assessment | LKLAWeb091319
Beaverdam Reservoir Trail Assessment Loudoun County, VA L/KLA and Robert Fina prepared an assessment and recommendations for the establishment of a sustainable perimeter trail and related linkages around Beaverdam Reservoir. The analysis includes: A summary of existing conditions gathered from existing and readily available GIS data Discussion of trail design considerations and potential treatments for existing trails as well as realignments of existing trails as flagged in the field Confirmation of planned structures (armored stream crossings, bottomless culverts, small bridges (less than 12’) and large bridges) Recommendations for engineered trail surfaces (crushed stone/stone dust, soil stabilizers such as resin-based polymers, permeable asphalt pavement systems) and realignment projects needed to establish a more sustainable trail around the perimeter of Beaverdam Reservoir Realignments shift the trail to achieve better crossing points in the bottomland areas, avoid fall line alignment and trail grades greater than 5% Alignments that take better advantage of landform and views to the water to create a more immersive natural experience and address the desire lines of users in a more sustainable manner
- CA Historic Rte. 66 | LKLA
California Historic Route 66 Corridor Management Plan Barstow to Needles, CA The California Historic Route 66 Corridor Management Plan (CMP) is part of an ongoing regional and national effort to keep America’s iconic, 2400-mile Main Street, once a symbol of adventure, from vanishing into the past. Route 66 was listed on the 2008 World Monuments Watch to draw attention to the complex challenges of preserving not only an iconic cultural landscape, but an historic American experience. The California section from Needles to Barstow through the Mojave Desert is one of the most unique sections of the route. The California Historic Route 66 Association and the California Desert District of the Bureau of Land Management have teamed up with their local and state agency and non-governmental organization partners to help preserve the history of Route 66 through the desert and develop strategies for educating visitors from both nearby and afar about its significant cultural and natural landscape features. The effort will also look for ways to increase economic activity through enhanced recreation and heritage tourism opportunities for visitors to its gateway communities. A recent economic study by Rutgers University identified significant economic opportunities for small communities along Historic Route 66 through heritage tourism, but these “exciting opportunities for advancing historic preservation and economic development on the Mother Road [will] require enhanced cooperation amongst the various states and entities involved with Route 66.” The purpose of this planning effort is to facilitate the necessary cooperation to realize those economic benefits. Following the adoption of the plan, L/KLA served as a key team member for the City of Barstow’s efforts to utilize their Route 66 heritage to attract new businesses to their downtown. Click here to read the California Historic Route 66 Corridor Managment Plan (May 2015)
- Bull Run Natural Surface Trails | LKLAWeb091319
Bull Run Occoquan Trail Fairfax County, VA L/KLA is serving as the prime contractor leading a multi-disciplined team for the development of a trail inventory, assessment, and final design recommendations to address ongoing maintenance and sustainability issues funded through the federal Recreational Trails Program (NOVA Parks). The project consists of the realignment of approximately nine thousand five hundred linear feet of new natural surface single track trail with an optimal width of 4’ with a 3’ minimum where tree preservation or side slope constraints need to be addressed. The trail is designated for multiple uses where permitted. Mountain bicycle use is prohibited north of Old Yates Ford Road. Equestrian use is permitted. The expected finished condition is “Trail Class 3 (Developed)” in the US ForestService Trail Class matrix and “More Difficult (Blue Square)” in the IMBA Trail Difficulty Rating System. The analysis included: A summary of existing conditions gathered from existing and readily available GIS data An assessment of trail design considerations and potential treatments and structures for each head slope, v-shaped channel and perennial stream crossing for use in confirming the preliminary design alignment as flagged in the field and a preliminary opinion of probable cost (order of magnitude) • The development of final design and construction drawings for the proposed trail alignment
- Port Tobacco Courthouse | LKLA
Port Tobacco Courthouse Preliminary Design Charles County, Maryland L/KLA worked with Charles County, the Town of Port Tobacco (population 15) and key stakeholders to prepare a preliminary design that expands the capacity of the site to accommodate visitors while respecting the rights and privacy of individual property owners. The preliminary design addressed the following key program elements: Historical context of the village, once a bustling port along the Tobacco River and now a site rich in archaeological resources Expanding parking capacity utilizing permeable and/or turf pavers while avoiding archaeological sites Developing a village interpretive walk to tell the story of the once bustling town utilizing the original footprints of former building sites and historic photographs A landscape plan that captures the historic character of the town and hits heritage as a once bustling port Developing a signage plan for a family of five sign types (entry, orientation, wayside exhibits, historic markers, and regulatory signs Developing new sanitary facilities that do not rely on existing septic tank drainfields (architecturally appropriate portable facilities or composting toilet) A phasing plan that illustrates how the projects can be build out over time
- ViennaTownGreen | LKLA
Vienna Town Green Vienna, VA Completed in 2007, the Vienna Town Green is Vienna’s new central park and gathering space directly abutting Maple Avenue/Route 123 and the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. A sloping lawn serves as seating for the new amphitheater and is home to summer library programs, a concert series, and unstructured play space. A separate, formal green is protected by a low stone seat wall. Adjacent to the four-lane road, an extensive plaza serves as the front door to the community and host for many activities. As Project Manager for the Town Green, Ms. Lardner won the project based on her initial drawing of what she envisioned for our urban park at the Town’s core. The initial drawing became the design of the Town Green, capturing everything we had hoped for. The park is a masterpiece of common sense with whimsy and charm built in. In an atmosphere of doubt regarding the development of the Town Green, her calm and graciousness created trust among the Town residents, businesses and elected officials. Because of her ability to bring people together to work towards a common goal, the Town Green is now the focal point of our community.’ We feel privileged to know and to have worked with Ms. Lardner. Her designs are meant to last many lifetimes and to be identifying parts of our community. She is a wonderful asset to all landscape architects and an advocate for community design and involvement.’ Catherine Salgado, Director and Project Manager, Vienna Parks and Recreation, VA. A story in The Washington Post stated "The project will turn on its head the traditional notion of how a community develops: Colonial-era towns rose around their greens, and many Northern Virginia communities have built a town center first and counted on development to follow. Vienna’s green will be reclaimed from the growth that established the 116-year-old town." It is very powerful to create public space right in the heart of the town. Unlike plazas where shoppers rest at malls, the Vienna green is a true public space, reclaimed from the strip and owned by the public. On the site of a former commercial building and surface parking lot, the southern end of the block was reunited with its northern end, home to two historic buildings. Integrating the two seamlessly and creating open space in the heart of the strip - Vienna’s downtown, demonstrate how our suburban-built communities can be reclaimed. Constructed with a limited budget, a passionate client and highly sophisticated community, the project represents responsible stewardship of all resources—living and budgetary.
- Illinois River Road | LKLA
Illinois River Road Corridor Management Plan Update Ottawa to Havana, Illinois The effort helped various partners and stakeholders associated with the Illinois River Road to update their management plan and to reorganize their efforts to bring together like-minded partners into a new umbrella organization as part of the process. The updated CMP identified common priorities for the organization and its partners. Recommendations provide the rationale, implementation steps and potential sources of funding for each action. Getting outdoors, reaching various age groups and demographics, tying byway activities to the health and livbility quality of the Illinois River Valley are all endorsements for the activities the Illinois River Road National Scenic Byway is promoting in the region. People powered activities are an untapped reservoir of activities to support in future byway efforts. Tying any proposed improvements, linkages or promotions to health care programs targeting the 25-44 year old demographic may also open a potential funding avenue. Beyond the health incentives, getting people out and on or near the water will do much to dispel the stereotype of the river and to communicate the positive changes that have occurred over the past thirty years in the Illinois River basin. No longer a place to avoid, it is a great natural resource for canoeing, kayaking, paddle boarding and even swimming as demonstrated by the recent Bradley University triathlon where the swim segment took place in the river. Getting visitors and residents ‘to the river’ is a key focus of the byway. River access needs specifics – support river infrastructure for canoe trails, e.g. shuttling/outfitters – blue trails. This system will also give access to new stories (river landings, early history of settlement) that can be interpreted. New and improved mapping, noting water access points such as those found in Peoria, East Peoria, potential access points such as at the Bass Pro property along the backwater (top right), the access point to the easily paddled loop such as at the USFWS Chautauqua site or between Henry and Lacon (2nd from bottom at right) will make it easier for visitors to get to the river and to build on nature tourism opportunities. Similarly, there are minor and major improvements that can be made to enhance the bicycle ‘friendliness’ of the byway and local communities. Maintaining a route for nonevent oriented riders is as important as sponsoring and supporting organized rides.
- Port Deposit Waterfront Plan | LKLA
Port Deposit Working Waterfront Master Plan, Cecil County, MD A historic port town on the Susquehanna River, Port Deposit’s waterfront has been home to many different maritime industrial uses over the ensuing decades up until the 1980s. Since then, the Town has been working to revitalize its waterfront and expand public waterfront access, while addressing one of its biggest challenges— tidal flooding from the Susquehanna River and opening of the Conowingo Dam flood gates coupled with stormwater runoff from adjoining hillsides. Through a collaborative public process that included a Town- appointed waterfront committee, a public brainstorming session and a community design workshop, four goals emerged that capture the range of ideas that moved forward throughout the planning process: Increase economic activity in the Town using community-based assets and cooperative regional marketing Improve safety and convenience of linkages between the Town and Waterfront Enhance shoreline access and circulation Enhance appearance of public areas Increasing the resiliency of the waterfront areas also emerged as a common theme. Design concepts were developed for waterfront areas that were needed to adapt features to more frequent flooding while continuing to provide access to waterfront features. The master plan was completed in September, 2018.

