Austin Engineering Co. never backs down from a challenging project! So, when we heard a new Chipotle restaurant in Davenport IA was having trouble securing a civil engineering firm for site planning and stormwater management, we were surprised and intrigued. After understanding the extent of the project and the parcel of land we had to work with, the difficulty of work ahead of us came to light. Thankfully, the civil engineers at Austin Engineering are always up for a challenge.
The site in question, where Chipotle wanted to build their new location, was a “Frankensteined” lot, cobbled together from a prior automotive company on one side and a commercial business on the other. To add to further complications, the lot was smaller and previously used as a mini-golf course, with sanitary sewers, water lines, easements, and additional site features that had to be removed.
As many of these projects go, the most complicated aspects required resolution before construction could begin. We first contacted the proper departments for the City of Davenport to establish a new easement on the side of the lot so we could reroute sanitary lines cutting through the middle of the lot. Finding somewhere to relocate these utilities and easements proved difficult due to the small size of the parcel of land and the lack of available slope. However, after exploration of the sanitary lateral, Austin Engineering was able to vacate the sanitary easement and ensure the main utility lines still connected to the lot and adjacent businesses.
After determining utility placement, stormwater management was the next problem Austin Engineering contended with. Although the property had existing stormwater detention and permeable pavement from its prior usage as a mini-golf course, Davenport required us to expand the detention further. This was problematic to implement due to the width of the lot not allowing much space to add further detention. Austin Engineering’s solution: design underground stormwater detention that expanded the length of the property.
Once the issues of utility placement and stormwater management were resolved, the remainder of Austin Engineering’s work for the Chipotle site was “business as usual.” Austin Engineering assisted in designing and landscaping the restaurant’s drive-thru, access roads, parking, courtyard, dumpster enclosure, etc. The work Austin Engineering performed was detailed and precise, adhering to city requirements and Chipotle quality standards.
