CIB selects Oasis for James Farm master plan
Delaware Center for the Inland Bays in Rehoboth Beach has selected Oasis Design Group, a landscape architecture, urban design and master planning firm in Baltimore, Md., to develop a long-term master plan for James Farm Ecological Preserve, a 150-acre public park in Ocean View.
Oasis will lead the master plan design process and facilitate public workshops for James Farm. Oasis Design Group and its subconsultant Biohabitats will work with DCIB and its stakeholders to create a comprehensive master plan to provide a framework for education and restoration program space and facilities at the preserve and to promote, integrate and foster ecological stewardship.
The master plan will develop an overall site design for facilities, parking and visitor engagement along with a refinement of the existing trail system. Effort will also be placed on understanding, cataloging and interpreting the various ecotypes on the preserve that include upland fields, freshwater wetlands, a mixed hardwood and pine forest, salt marsh, a sandy bay beach and a saltwater cove. The impacts of climate change on sea levels will be considered because this could influence the suggested placement of site amenities.
“Sussex County’s population is projected to increase 35 percent to 271,326 people in 2030,” said Chris Bason, executive director at Delaware Center for the Inland Bays. “The future of James Farm Ecological Preserve needs to be planned in a fashion based on a clear vision that can accommodate increased visitation and program needs, while preserving ecosystem function and enhancing visitor experience and education.”
The Delaware Center for the Inland Bays is a non-profit organization established in 1994 to promote the wise use and enhancement of the Inland Bays and its watershed. With its many partners, the CIB conducts public outreach and education, develops and implements restoration projects, encourages scientific inquiry and sponsors research.
For more information, go to www.inlandbays.org.
For more information on Oasis go to www.oasisdesigngroup.com.
