Landscape Architect Articles

LASN Letters September 200511-30-05 | News

Editor?EUR??,,????'???s note: The Ravine Development news item on LOL, reprinted below, garnered several responses:

Debate Over Ravine Development

Parents in a southern Connecticut suburb are debating over a town-owned wooded area behind their children?EUR??,,????'???s elementary school, reports Greenwich Time. Some parents say the ravine behind New Lebanon School should be developed to provide much-needed sports fields. Matthew Popp, a parent and landscape architect with Environmental Land Solutions, had initially agreed with this idea and developed plans for the proposed field last winter, hoping to have the plans placed on the town?EUR??,,????'???s 10-year capital improvement plan. But a stroll through the wooded area with his son changed his mind. ?EUR??,,????'??There are mature red oaks, silver maples, American beech, basswoods, as well as rock outcrops, salamanders and, I think, the one deer in Byram lives back there,?EUR??,,????'?? he told Time. Popp now thinks the area would be useful for science lessons, but many parents are still pushing the need for the fields. The plans will be reviewed by the city before any decision is made.

Re: Debate Over Ravine Development

This article brings to light what I consider one of the biggest pitfalls of the development community. If the article is correct, it appears that Mr. Popp visited the site after he had developed a plan. It is a fact that most people that are working in large firms who do the actual design work, whether for the final product or the interim issues of erosion and sediment control, never visit the site. The more mundane task of an on site land survey, if it even occurs with modern technologies, is left to lower level personnel who may or may not be looking at the surroundings. It seems that before someone can ?EUR??,,????'??design?EUR??,,????'?? something they should at a minimum view extensive photographs of what the existing conditions are. With the age of digital photography it should be a simple task to view a site and the immediate surroundings prior to developing a design.

Prior to final approval of any plan submittal, I will do an on-site visit. It astounds me when someone who has submitted a plan that has their professional seal attached has never even viewed photos of a site and relies strictly on contour maps, which generally show nothing of adjoining properties. The upland ones that may have tremendous impact on the project and the down slope ones which may be tremendously impacted by the project.
I believe there is a requirement in at least one eastern state that the developer of an erosion and sediment control plan must verify that they have made an actual site visit. To me this would only be common sense.

Mary Jo Webster, Conservation Specialist
La Crosse, Wis.

Re: Debate Over Ravine Development

It?EUR??,,????'???s so refreshing to see that the landscape architect changed his opinion following a walk through of the ravine instead of caving to pressure to go with the sports field. It just made my day.

Now suggest that the parents and decision makers do the same instead of developing every single inch around us.

George Seegebrecht
Skokie, Ill.

Re: ?EUR??,,????'??Yosemite Falls: Where Nature Meets the Crowd?EUR??,,????'?? (LASN, August 2005 feature)

I was born and raised on my Illinois Brockmeier Sod Farm, but lived 15 year in the San Francisco area. I was an avid backpacker and Boy Scout leader and spent many wonderful times at Yosemite. Next to my farm, it is my favorite spot on earth. Thanks for the wonderful article and update on refurbishment and maintenance. It?EUR??,,????'???s hard to compete with God?EUR??,,????'???s landscape architecture?EUR??,,????'???. but it?EUR??,,????'???s nice to complement it.

Ronna Blattner
Brockmeier Sod Farms
Edwardsville, Ill.

Re: ?EUR??,,????'??McConnell Arboretum and Gardens Opens?EUR??,,????'?? (June LASN p. 134)

enjoyed your article and photos of McConnell Arboretum. I grow a Mediterranean garden and volunteer at UCSC Arboretum. In August I met some of the staff at Walnut Creek symposium ?EUR??,,????'??Plants from South Africa?EUR??,,????'???s West Coast.?EUR??,,????'?? I shall be in the Redding, Ca., area the end of next month (Sept.) and would like ?EUR??,,????'??? to see what?EUR??,,????'???s happening in this exciting new venue. (Cape) Restios were an important part of the discussion. I understand they do well in Redding.

Clarification Re: Bonfante Gardens, (July LASN p. 74)

Funtraptions Inc. (was) the designer and fabricator of all of the elements that make up the Splash Garden. Interactive Play, listed as a supplier, is one of our valuable subcontractors with whom we work, but were not the contracted supplier of this equipment. These designs and equipment and other custom interactive water play equipment we call WetScapes can be sourced directly from Funtraptions, Inc.