Delmar and Fontana

Landworks Studio and Water Resource Solutions worked with the City of Prairie Village, KS to remedy a long-standing stormwater problem in one of their residential neighborhoods near Delmar Ln. and Fontana St, just south of 83rd St. The City’s stormwater engineer, Cliff Speegle, worked with us to set up meetings with each homeowner. Those meetings allowed us to hear directly from each person. We presented 28 different concepts to 12 homeowners and learned which aesthetics the residents wanted to see in their yards. When it came to specifying plants for the green channel, we had a tough task. We needed to choose items that could tolerate periodic inundation by water, but also survive long stretches of dry weather. They needed to be: 

• Small and low-growing, so as not to impact stormwater conveyance. 
• Extremely low maintenance, since they would not be easily accessible to adjacent homeowners.
• Appeal aesthetically to homeowners who were otherwise accustomed to ornamental landscapes. 

Ultimately, we opted to go with a mix of plants, which included liriope, carpet bugle, blue rug juniper and daylilies.

Construction of the stormwater channel is currently underway, and landscape installation will take place both late this fall and early next spring. Ultimately, this project will eliminate a flooding issue that has plagued the neighborhood for decades. This project combines two areas of our practice that we love and do all the time: stormwater BMP design and public engagement. And, it has also allowed us to stretch into another market - residential design.