SH75/SH121 Green Ribbon

The City of Melissa was awarded a $2.7-million green ribbon fund for development of a gateway to their city. The Pacheco Koch team designed monumental gateways, ornamental lighting, extensive landscape enhancements of native plantings, a rainwater harvesting system to irrigate the site, and significant stormwater quality improvements through the use of ornamental landscape architectural design. Ornamental stone gabion baskets provide architectural patterns and forms on the site, which also act to filter and detain storm flows prior to their entry into the east fork of the Trinity River.  The design team worked with the economic development board, planning and zoning representatives, city councilmen, city manager, and major adjacent local businesses to develop the design solution that fit best within the context of this growing agricultural community.  The resulting context-sensitive solutions include native grasses and plantings in rows that flow with the topography, to hint at the agricultural roots of the community and mesh with the large fields of milo and feed corn adjacent to the highway.  The rainwater harvesting tanks were designed of corrugated steel to mimic silos used for agricultural storage.  The monumental entry signs are created from large steel plates, recognizing a major employer in the City of Melissa: Steel Fab of Texas.  The result is a design that melds the rural agricultural fabric of the region with the quickly growing community of industry.