The purpose of the March Lane project is to transform a blighted un-landscaped corridor in the heart of a well-established neighborhood into a usable community space that provides beautification, educational opportunities, a safe route for pedestrians and bicycles and encourages future redevelopment in the area. This project, which was a joint venture between the City of Stockton and East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) project, called for Siegfried to incorporate street trees and lawn areas along an existing meandering asphalt path. An added feature is a dedicated 2,500 SF waterwise educational garden with information kiosks to familiarize the public about the plants and a patio area built with donor-inscribed pavers. The plants on display in the garden have a variety of characteristics such as drought tolerance, California natives, low maintenance, fragrance, and winter blooming. Public opinion was a major factor driving the design, and to accommodate this, Siegfried established many strong relationships with community leaders, neighbors, the City of Stockton, and EBMUD through numerous public outreach and stakeholder meetings. Our goal was to provide compelling designs which satisfied multiple stakeholders and provided a beneficial impact for the community. For this phase of the project, all design fees were donated which contributed significantly to the City obtaining a Federal grant to fund the construction.
