Portfolio

Residential Green Infrastructure (GI) Standards for Imagination Zones, Harris County Engineering Department and Harris County Community Services Department, Houston, Texas Houston,TX RG Miller | DCCM was selected as one of two prime consultants to assist Harris County with implementing its Single-Family New Construction Program (SFNCP) using U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant funding, through the Texas General Land Office.  RG Miller | DCCM’s contract was task order based.  Under Task Order No. 2, RG Miller | DCCM was retained to prepare residential green infrastructure standards to support the program. Harris County is in the process of developing standards, called Imagination Zones.  Created using alternative land planning and platting guidelines, imagination zones will encourage a mix of affordable, workforce, and market-rate housing and will enhance the resilience and equity of Harris County communities.  RG Miller | DCCM initiated work on the GI standards in March 2020 and delivered a pre-final draft on September 30, 2020. The delivered pre-final report includes guidance on planning, engineering, and landscape design for a whole suite of GI techniques including curb cuts, curb inlets, vegetated swales, bioretention systems, rain gardens, and tree boxes.  The report also includes guidelines for operations and maintenance.  Appendices include engineering design standard details in computer-aided design software format along with standard specifications for bioretention systems and permeable paving. Harris County has not moved forward with the implementation of the new standards.  

Application for Envision Verification for the Kowis Street Improvement Project, Harris County Engineering Department, Harris County Precinct 2 Houston,TX As a subconsultant to Cobb, Fendley, and Associates, Inc., providing Envision Sustainability Professional consulting support to assist the county to pursue a Platinum Level verification for the project.  This is the first project in the Houston metro area to pursue Envision verification.  Project will include green infrastructure landscaping, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, replaced roadway paving, new storm water management system, pedestrian amenities including lighting, a sound wall, seating, signage, and the incorporation of a resilience hub to address the high risk of flooding in the project area from Halls Bayou.  Project scope includes extensive stakeholder mapping and engagement with full bilingual support (Spanish and English). RG Miller | DCCM is coordinating the preparation of detailed submittals for each of the 59 credits in the Envision framework.  Credits help project planners and engineers enhance the project outcomes related to Quality of Life, Leadership, Resource Allocation, Natural World, and Climate and Resilience. The reconstruction of Kowis Street in East Aldine is intended to enhance the economic, social, and environmental conditions along the corridor between Halls Bayou and Precinct 2’s James Driver Park.  Published by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, Envision® is an objective framework that advances sustainable approaches for planning, designing, constructing, and operating public infrastructure projects. The framework helps guide project decision-making to foster an enhanced quality of life for project stakeholders, effective leadership, better resource allocation, conservation and restoration of natural resources, reduced air emissions, and improved resilience.  

Planning, Design, and Envision Verification of Crosby-Eastgate Wetlands Mitigation Bank, Harris County Flood Control District, Harris County, Precinct 2, Harris County, Texas Houston,TX Harris County owns approximately 240 acres of undeveloped, forested, and heavily vegetated land adjacent to Cedar Bayou located east of Crosby-Eastgate Road and north of Felscher Road in Harris County Precinct 2.  As a result of an anticipated increase in unavoidable impacts to waters of the United States arising from Harris County mobility improvement projects and HCFCD channel improvement and detention projects, Harris County Precinct 2 has requested that Harris County Flood Control District (HCFCD) move to develop a wetlands mitigation bank on the subject property.  The development of the bank will provide compensatory mitigation credits that can be used to offset the anticipated unavoidable losses in the area. HCFCD retained RG Miller | DCCM  to provide environmental services, Envision Sustainability Professional services, and civil engineering design services to support the creation of a new Mitigation Banking Site along Cedar Bayou.  To obtain permission from the Galveston District (SWG) of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Interagency Review Team (IRT) and to create a new mitigation bank, a number of technical studies have been conducted and formal reports submitted for USACE and IRT review. Thus far RG Miller | DCCM has planned and laid out temporary access trail locations and cut them using forestry mulching equipment; oversaw a geotechnical investigation of all soils and conducted site specific field measurements of infiltration using a double-ring infiltrometer; oversaw a Phase I environmental site assessment; completed all field work associated with a cultural resources survey; spot-checked field elevations to adjust Light Distance and Ranging (LiDAR) based topography; developed a detailed water balance model and conceptual design to estimate the area and duration of site inundation achievable with site modifications such as berms and outfall structures; prepared draft mitigation banking rule Prospectus; determined baseline functional capacity indices and units for existing wetland areas and estimated functional capacity indices and units achievable after increased inundation;  and prepared and submitted a draft Mitigation Banking Instrument with conceptual mitigation plans. RG Miller | DCCM civil engineers oversaw a geotechnical investigation, survey, and subsurface utility engineering services to support bank design. RG Miller | DCCM is currently using Envision to design the weir structures, access road, perimeter fencing, and other site alterations. The Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework is a rating system that helps owners maximize the social, economic, and environmental outcomes on public infrastructure projects.  RG Miller | DCCM is preparing detailed narratives and supporting documentation to explain the planning and design steps and decisions used to meet credit requirements and to support the application.  This is the first HCFCD project to pursue verification under the Envision Sustainable Infrastructure Framework.  

Aldine-Westfield Stormwater Detention Basin, Harris County Flood Control District (Under Subcontract with IDCUS), Harris County, Texas Houston,TX Under contract with IDCUS, RG Miller | DCCM conducted Section 404 wetlands delineation work on a 136-acre detention basin site and ordinary high water mark (OHWM) identifications along 7,340 linear feet of adjacent bayous or channels. The purpose of the investigation was to identify, classify, and document the location and extent of all potential waters of the United States (WOUS) including waterbodies and wetlands, within the proposed project area through the delineation of the boundary of such features. The OHWM of the channels in the project vicinity was also defined to establish the extent of USACE jurisdiction in those waterways. As part of this investigation, determinations were made whether these featured are considered potential WOUS, as defined by Section 404 of the CWA and/or Section 10 of the RHA, subject to the jurisdiction of the USAC Galveston District and USEPA. This information was obtained through both desktop and field investigations. RG Miller | DCCM conducted all field work in January 2017. Site areas were assessed as wetland or upland using physical observation of wetland hydrology indicators, presence of hydric soils, and prevalence of hydrophytic vegetation as described in Corps of Engineers Wetlands Delineation Manual (1987 Manual) and the Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Region, Version 2 (Regional Supplement).  Ordinary high water marks was identified through the observation of physical characteristics such as natural impression on the bank, shelving, changes in the soil character, destruction of terrestrial vegetation, litter or debris, or other appropriate means that consider the surrounding areas. The OHWM of streams in the project location was identified using these characteristics as well as using the Ordinary High Water Mark Delineation Manual for Section 404 Water s by Harris County Flood Control District, October 2005 for further guidance.  A formal pre-verification report was prepared and finalized to address HCFCD comments. RG Miller | DCCM prepared a formal request for an Approved Jurisdictional Determination from the USACE and upon receipt prepared a formal verified delineation report for the project records.  RG Miller | DCCM prepared an Individual Permit Application and assisted in obtaining a permit from the USACE in only 7 months.