Oros Green Street
As Executive Director of North East Trees (NET)/Green Way, Mr. Smith directed the landmark Oros Green Street Project design-build development and construction from 2006-2007. Mr. Smith brought together a team comprised of NET design and outreach staff, Los Angeles City Bureau of Street Services engineers and architects, private engineering consultants, and other City agency representatives, and created a stream-lined design-development process. The Project was thereby completed in two (2) years from the earliest planning stage through its dedication in July 2007.
The purpose of this first of its kind Smart Green Infrastructure project was to demonstrate that best management practices (BMPs) based on biological treatment and filtration processes can be used to meet water quality objectives when distributed throughout mixed land use neighborhoods in urban settings. By using such practices, municipalities can improve the natural setting of neighborhoods and improve habitat quality while also reducing polluted stormwater runoff (See Figure Above). As a result, this provides a valuable multi-benefit solution to complement the more traditional technology-based, end-of-pipe treatment solutions typically employed to address water quality impairments.
The Team was able to successfully address several administrative, policy, permitting and technical challenges along the way. The successful completion of the Project led to the creation of a City of Los Angeles Green Streets Committee, which has been spearheading the development of additional Green Street Projects city-wide. In addition, the Los Angeles Dept. of Water & Power views Green Streets as an important means of providing groundwater recharge facilities in areas around the city. These types of projects will be eligible for government grant funds coming from voter passed California State bond initiatives and from Federal funds coming through the Federal Smart Green Infrastructure portion of the Federal Stimulus Package.
The image to the right is a link to a PDF of the PowerPoint presentation that was presented at the 2008 APWA Conference in New Orleans on August 17, 2008, in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services. The actual slide show can be seen to the right as well.