HKGi worked with Easter Lutheran Church to develop a site plan for this steeply sloped site along the southeastern
edge of Thomas Lake. Because of the tremendous natural setting—herons are routinely spotted from the church grounds and
city parkland lies on two adjacent sides—the congregation wanted to maintain the site’s natural environment as much as
possible. The site design reflects those wishes by maintaining a contemplative pastoral setting. A Memorial Path winding
along the lake's edge features memorial benches at various points along the path, and was constructed with a minimal
amount of disturbance to the landscape. From the path the church building and parking lot can barely be seen, and
traffic noise from the busy Cliff Road/Pilot Knob Road intersection is effectively eliminated by the placement of the
building and vegetation plantings and preservation.
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Because the church site drains directly into Thomas Lake, storm water treatment was an integral part of the site's final
design. Three storm water treatment ponds handle the runoff from the development, and prairie and wetland vegetation were
also used to help reduce and filter the amount of water draining directly into the lake.
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