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North East Redmond Neighborhood Park Master Plan NAKANOASSOCIATES LLC kristin l. tollefson Adopted: April 20, 2010 ---PAGE BREAK--- Mayor John Marchione Parks and Trails Commission Chair, Peter McDonald Vice-Chair, Cindy Jayne City of Redmond Staff Parks and Recreation Director, Craig Larsen Project Manager, Bett y B. Sanders Park Operations, Eric O’Neal Design Team Landscape Architect, Nakano Associates Artist, Kristin Tollefsen Environmental Consultant, ESA Adolfson Survey, PACE Engineers ---PAGE BREAK--- Table of Contents Site Analysis 4 Programming 8 Alternative Concepts 11 Final Master Plan 16 Appendix 24 ---PAGE BREAK--- North East Redmond Neighborhood Park is a site of approximately 5 acres located east of 176th Avenue NE between NE 122nd and NE 124th Streets. The forested site includes a stream and pond along the eastern portion of the property. Site Analysis began with a boundary and topographic survey of the site by PACE Engineers to identify and locate signifi cant and landmark trees and other site features. ESA Adolfson searched Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Priority Habitats and Species data, City of Redmond wetlands, stream, and wildlife habitat mapping and studies, and other sources for documentation on the NE Neighborhood Park site. Staff then performed a fi eld visit to document the presence of wetlands and fi sh and wildlife habitat conservation areas including the stream and pond. A general assessment was made of habitats present on the site and wetland boundaries were identifi ed. The results of the tree survey were incorporated into the discussion of the wildlife habitat on the site and included in a critical areas technical memorandum. An opportunities and constraints map was prepared to illustrate critical areas to be protected and preserved, and the best areas remaining for park activities. Search results, site documentation and analysis fi ndings were compiled in a Critical Areas Study report to the City of Redmond. The most signifi cant results from this Study are described below. Forests and Wetlands The forest on this site is dominated by big-leaf maple and red alder with Douglas fi r and western red cedar present as well. This tree layer has an understory of shrubs such as salmonberry and vine maple. There are two forested wetlands present on the site. Many of the plant species are the same as listed above, but the ground is saturated long enough each year to create wetland conditions. The pond located near the southeast corner of the site is part of one wetland. 4 Site Analysis NE 124th Street Stream Trees and Shrubs ---PAGE BREAK--- Wetland A is located along the east boundary. This wetland, due to its relatively large size, the presence of the pond, and its association with the stream, has more to off er both wildlife and humans. The stream, a tributary to Bear Creek, may have trout habitat and Bear Creek has both salmon and trout habitat. Wetland B is a forested wetland located near the west site boundary. This wetland is considered isolated, as it has no surface water connection to other wetland or drainages. It provides a single type of habitat for wildlife. Wetland and Buffer Delineation Wetland B Wetland A 5 ---PAGE BREAK--- The ephemeral stream along the east edge of the site fl ows in a southerly direction through Wetland A and into the pond. The stream leaves the pond through a pipe in a man-made berm and fl ows through a box culvert under NE 122nd Street. Wildlife Habitat The site also contains valuable wildlife habitat. The forest, wetlands, and stream together provide a rich interface of habitats. Numerous species of wildlife found in suburban neighborhoods are found here, such as black-capped chickadee, Townsends Chipmunk, downy woodpecker, golden-crowned kinglet, and many others. A few that are typically found in more undisturbed habitats are found here, such as pileated woodpecker and hermit thrush. The park site is habitat for many common species and also for some rarer ones. Pileated woodpeckers use this site extensively for foraging. Nest cavities were not observed, but the birds have been observed feeding on the site daily. Vaux’s swift is another less common species that may use this area. This site aff ords many opportunities for neighbors to get close to nature – to observe a variety of natural areas and a plethora of plant species, hear song birds, glimpse the second-largest woodpecker in North America, and see and hear Pacifi c tree frogs in their habitat. Pond Woodpecker Salmonberry 6 ---PAGE BREAK--- At the same time that this site aff ords opportunities, it also has some constraints. The presence of wetlands and streams on the site introduces some regulatory limitations. The City of Redmond protects streams and wetlands with buff ers, which limit the activities that can occur within buff er boundaries. Some features such as pervious trails, can be planned within the wetland buff ers. The exact location of buff ers can be determined through a buff er averaging process allowed by the Redmond Community Development Guide. Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas are also regulated by the City of Redmond. The Final Master Plan contains elements developed to protect wildlife habitat and streams and wetlands on the site. Stream Pond 7 ---PAGE BREAK--- Programming the Site: The Public Process Developing a “program” for the site refers to the selection of the kinds of activities that will occur on the site, and the kinds of structures that might be built to support those activities. Because of the sensitivity of the site and the desire to encourage park users to interact with the natural environment, it is recommended that the park activities be more passive than active. During the public meetings held for this Master Plan citizens were asked to suggest activities that would be compatible with this approach. The following activities were suggested by the participants: Programming 8 ---PAGE BREAK--- CHILDREN IN NATURE In considering how to incorporate the information gleaned from the Site Analysis phase and the preferences voiced by the community, the City staff and consultant team began to explore an approach to park planning that is beginning to receive increased att ention in the United States and Europe. In his groundbreaking book, Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv describes today’s disconnection from the outdoor world as “nature defi cit disorder” – “the human costs of alienation from nature”. A variety of cultural trends could be of such a phenomenon: att ention defi cit disorders, depression, obesity, and a lack of connectivity with natural cycles. Louv’s book suggests that a groundswell movement aimed at reconnecting children with nature has begun. He cites studies that show how children who interact with nature on a regular basis benefi t physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually and creatively. Unstructured outdoor play allows for fi rsthand discovery, problem solving, and creative use of space, materials, and time. These two girls building a stick fort depicts this sort of active engagement and its tangible results. Open-ended opportunities for play invite children’s participation in the environment and hold their interest as a result. Robin Moore, an international authority on the design of environments for children’s play, learning, and education suggests that “Natural spaces and materials stimulate children’s limitless imaginations, and serve as the medium of inventiveness and creativity.” In nature, children slow down, become curious, and take notice of what is happening in their surroundings. They often seek out natural objects for play that have multiple uses or interpretations: a rock is a hill, a castle, an elephant; a hole is a volcano, a cooking pot, or a hiding place; sticks are 9 ---PAGE BREAK--- Nature play promotes a range of physical agility and strength building, kinesthetic learning, and sensory acuity: children learn deeply through fi rsthand experience. Climbing allows children to change their perspective from that of a small person to a taller one, grown-up or giant: hills, stones, and limbs off er a variety of options. Exerting energy makes them feel powerful, which in turn engenders capable behavior – children will often push their envelope of ability during outdoor free play. Learning with one’s whole body in this kind of sett ing (as opposed to organized sports which off er a prescriptive process) develops kinesthesia – muscle intuition – that supports a lifetime of self-awareness and well-being. Studies of recreation in schoolyards with both green areas and manufactured play areas have shown that children engage in more creative forms of play in the green areas, and they also play more cooperatively in these spaces. In 2008, children at the Learning Community, a charter school in Rhode Island, designed their own playground, transforming a concrete parking lot into a green hill with trees and room for both active play and quiet contemplation. Their choice of these remarkable spaces, manifested desires held by many children for places to play that are simultaneously green, adventuresome and welcoming. Nature has a calming eff ect on trauma, and acts as a soothing antidote to the chaos of contemporary life: here children can engage their animal inclinations to nest, create small spaces, and ground themselves on the earth. Witnessing natural cadences in seasons, tides, weather, and planets sparks wonder. Becoming aware of these cycles of plant and animal life reminds us of the cycles of our own human lives. “In the same way that protecting water and protecting air are strategies for promoting public health, protecting natural landscapes can be seen as a powerful form of preventive medicine.” Howard Frumkin, Director of the National Center for Environmental Health at Centers for Disease Control In Redmond’s North East Neighborhood Park, we see wonderful potential for off ering this generation of children a place for enrichment and for fostering future generations of stewards of the natural world. 10