Resources Archives - Prein&Newhof

Think your community is too small to get big bucks for its projects? Check out this story.

Proactive Village gets $2.85 million for New Bridge

You don’t need to tell the Village of Muir residents to “quit slackin’ and make it happen.” In 2012, the village with a population of roughly 600 needed a new bridge over the Twin Rivers for safety, convenience, and economic reasons. The former bridge was over 100 years old but was a vital link to health and safety services for the residents, with alternate routes adding 7-10 miles to a traveler’s trip.

The catch? This project had a $3.5 million price tag. That is a huge cost for a small community. However, nothing would stop them from making it happen.

The Village got to work and engaged its citizens: fundraising efforts included a jellybean sale at the Ionia County Fair, a lemonade stand, and Lions Club lotteries and engraved brick sales. Village leaders volunteered nearly 900 hours of their personal time to raise money for this project. Village President Doug Hyland made multiple presentations to other local stakeholders to find support for the project.

Muir received $2.85 million from a Federal Grant and worked to raise the other funds through grant programs ($200,000), other stakeholders and surrounding communities ($200,000), and the Village of Muir and Friends of the Bridge ($250,000).

In 2015, the Village completed construction of its new bridge. The old bridge was repurposed as a non-motorized crossing connecting the newly opened CIS trail segment through Muir, a facet to the overall project that created more funding opportunities.

“It has been incredible to see a community pull together and achieve this,” Prein&Newhof Project Manager Jason Washler said of the 3-year fundraising effort. “They wouldn’t give up. That’s why they saw this bridge built.”

Ten Years Later: Village Funds New Sensory Park

The small, tight-knit community of Village of Muir has two parks: Douglas Park on the northwest side and Railroad Street Park on the southwest side.

The need for an inclusive play space was identified for the Village’s 2017 Recreation Plan through public surveys, community feedback, and demographic and economic data. The Village planned to develop the Muir Sensory Park next to Railroad Street Park and alongside the Fred Meijer Clinton, Ionia, Shiawassee (CIS) Trail, an MDOT-managed trail that runs between Ionia and Owosso.

The Village of Muir hired Prein&Newhof to sketch out the concept plan, assist with the grant application, and eventually perform design and construction engineering to make this park a reality.

In February 2023, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program opened the 2023 Public Gathering Spaces Initiative competitive funding round. To be considered, a community’s proposed project must provide benefit to at least 51-percent low- and moderate-income populations in the state while increasing usability, accessibility, and seasonality within new or existing community spaces.

The Sensory Park project was awarded a $1.2 million grant in 2024. It is designed to serve all Muir residents and nearby communities, with a particular benefit for individuals with disabilities. According to the Ionia County ISD, about 14.99% of their outreach area includes individuals managing disabilities. The design includes a hillside slide, zipline, several different types of play areas, fireplace, performance area with grass seating, bike repair station, gazebo, ramps, and additional parking.

The Takeaway

These true stories highlight the importance of taking proactive steps: getting your story ready, showing funding initiative, getting the community involved, and getting creative with making connections.

Prein&Newhof can help! We’ve prepared some tools to help with this:

Funding Radar Check-in: We flag programs that match your project goals and let you know what’s coming.
Shovel-Ready Checklist: A guide and checklist to make sure your project is as ready as it can be for funding.
Story-Telling Tools: Filling out forms is the bare minimum. Identifying the story behind your project and telling that story in impactful ways will accelerate your project funding efforts.

Ask us about aligning your project for 2026 funding opportunities now!

By Brian Merk, PE

When I graduated from Michigan State University in the Spring of 2015, I didn’t know what would be in store for me as I began my career in Airport Engineering. I had never encountered it in my studies, and very few colleges even taught it. And yet, there was something that Prein&Newhof Project Manager Jason Washler told me during my interview that hooked me into the aviation industry. He told me that an airport is like a small city; they have their own roadway network, fire department, police department, water, sanitary, and storm systems, and a broad network of airfield pavement that make flight possible. As a civil engineer, maintaining and improving that critical infrastructure is where the real work—and passion—lies.

Airports are more than transportation facilities. They are also social and economic infrastructure. Commercial service airports, like the Gerald R. Ford International Airport and the Cherry Capital Airport, connect their communities to national and international networks. This connectivity not only supports leisure travel to and from their communities, but it also enables businesses to compete on a national or global scale.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport – Deicing and Stormwater Natural Treatment System

General aviation (GA) airports are public-use facilities serving non-commercial, business, and recreational flying—think single engine puddle-jumper. GA airports are often less visible and not always financially supported by their communities. However, these airports are a crucial cog in the national airspace system. GA airports provide safe access to aviation for many individuals and businesses. Maybe most notably, they provide a crucial stepping stone for commercial airline pilots to kick off their training. The commercial aviation system depends on GA airports to sustain the pilot pipeline and support regional access. Without healthy GA infrastructure, the broader aviation network can weaken over time. Together, GA and commercial airports form a connected system. GA airports feed regional facilities, regional facilities feed hubs, and hubs connect to the world. GA airports also provide infrastructure for crucial life-safety flights in and out of rural communities; every minute counts in emergency situations, and having access to flight can save lives.

Roscommon County Blodgett Memorial Airport – Reconstruct Runway 9

As passengers, we patiently wait for our row to be called over the speaker, walk our way through the boarding bridge, and buckle up while our aircraft taxis to the runway. As we anxiously await our turn to throttle up and take off, we rarely think about what’s beneath the ground. And when you’re seated inside a Boeing 747, whose max takeoff weight is nearly 1 million pounds, you can thank the carefully engineered pavement—with its thickness measured in feet—for supporting its massive load.

Unlike some infrastructure systems, airports must remain operational while under construction. This requires careful planning and phasing and often requires night work. Engineering decisions must balance safety, constructability, cost, and long-term performance. These decisions can be the difference between restricting future growth or supporting reliable service for decades.

Airports are not luxuries. They are essential infrastructure that supports economic vitality, workforce development, and national connectivity. General aviation airports build the foundation. Commercial airports extend that reach to the world. Airport engineering ensures the system functions safely and efficiently. When airports work well, they fade into the background of daily life. But behind that reliability is careful planning and long-term thinking. Airports connect communities to opportunity, and airport engineering makes that connection possible.

“Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner suggests we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it has been wrapped in a story. Why? Because stories are memorable. Stories help us grab the gist of an idea quickly…. Injecting hard numbers into your story will raise the stakes and bring your call to action into clearer focus. Bottom line: the combination of data + story – satisfying both left and right brain thinking – is what will ignite your audience to act.”
– Kate Harrison, Forbes, 2015

When you think of applying for a grant, you might picture endless amounts of forms, checkboxes, and spreadsheets. But what we have noticed is that these technical details fall flat without a storytelling component.

Storytelling is powerful because it deeply engages our emotions and imagination, making information more memorable and relatable. Stories connect us with others, build empathy, and can even shape our perceptions and drive action. They tap into our primal instincts for narrative structure and making meaning, helping us understand the world and our place in it.

The long-term impact of telling stories is manifold. It gives you a way to communicate the value of the project to the community, share pride in the progress we make together, and inspire other communities to resolve their own challenges in the future. In short, stories give us the “why” behind what we do. And the “why” is crucial to getting support and funding.

After identifying what the story is, figuring out how to tell it is just as important. For example: imagine a 90-second video showing your project site, outlining the problem, and making it clear what is needed to solve that problem. Imagine being able to send that video out to stakeholders and see what kind of support you get in response.

When applying for grants, the facts are important. But remember to also have the “why” to complement them. Want help extracting your story? Contact us at 616-364-8491!

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS). Earmarks. Are these the same thing? Different programs? And why is this suddenly part of the funding conversation?

The short answer: CDS and earmarks are the same tool, different names. Both refer to funding Congress allocates to specific projects at the request of individual legislators for needs in their own communities.

The longer story explains why this might feel unfamiliar. Congress banned earmarks in 2011 and did not revive them until 2021. A decade is long enough for terminology to fade, for expertise to retire, and for an entire generation of professionals to enter the industry without ever encountering the practice. When CDS returned, it came back quietly—with new transparency rules, spending caps, and disclosure requirements—but without the institutional knowledge that once surrounded it.

Today, CDS directs billions of dollars annually to specific projects, with significant allocations flowing through HUD, Transportation, and Defense. Since returning in 2021, the program has grown quickly—from roughly $9 billion and 5,000 projects in FY2022 to nearly $17 billion and 9,000 projects in FY2023. But this is not a predictable or guaranteed funding stream. Annual amounts fluctuate based on budget negotiations and spending caps. And a critical distinction: appearing on a CDS award list is not the same as receiving funds. Projects can be announced, even published, without money ever being delivered.

What Makes CDS Different from Most Federal Funding?

The opportunity is real. So is the complexity. Most programs require competitive applications— you write the proposal, wait months for review, and hope your project scores high enough. CDS works differently. This is funding your congressional delegation secures directly for specific projects in their district or state, outside the normal competitive process.

Michigan communities are already using it. But the process has rules, timelines, and realities that can trip up first-timers.

How It Works

CDS requests go through individual congressional offices—your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. House Representative. Each office sets its own submission process, priorities, and deadlines. There is no universal template; what works for one office may not apply to another.

Typically, offices open their request windows in late winter or early spring, with deadlines often falling in March. The member’s staff reviews submissions, vets projects for eligibility and alignment with the member’s priorities and selects which requests to champion through the appropriations process.

If your project is selected and survives the appropriations process, funding is included in the relevant spending bill—usually signed into law the following fiscal year. But selection is not a guarantee. Projects can be awarded funding on paper and never see a dollar delivered. The appropriations process has multiple points where things can stall, shift, or fall out entirely.

The Timeline Reality: CDS is not fast money.

The FY2024 appropriations bills were signed in March 2024. Projects funded through those bills are just now seeing money flow. That means a request submitted in March 2023 resulted in funding available in spring 2024—a minimum 12-18 month lag, and that assumes the appropriations process runs smoothly (which it often does not).

If you are hoping to fund a project that breaks ground next summer, CDS is not your path. But if you are planning two, three, or five years out, earmark funding can be a powerful piece of your capital strategy.

What Makes a Good Candidate?

Congressional offices receive far more requests than can be funded. Projects that rise to the top typically share these characteristics:

Clear public benefit: Infrastructure, public safety, environmental protection, community facilities. Private benefit projects rarely make the cut.
Shovel-ready or nearly so: Projects with engineering complete, permits in hand, and local match committed demonstrate readiness.
Local investment: Requests that show significant local match not just the minimum required signal community commitment.
Reasonable scope: Requests in the $500K-$3M range are more likely to succeed than $20M requests.
Alignment with member priorities—and values: Each congressional office has focus areas, but the label does not tell the whole story. A member on an environmental subcommittee could prioritize conservation. Another could prioritize energy production. Both fall under “environment”—but a project emphasizing one approach may not resonate with a member who champions the other. Do the homework. Review the member’s public statements, past CDS requests they have supported, and legislation they have sponsored. Then look at the other members of the subcommittee or caucus. If your project runs counter to the prevailing values of the group, it faces an uphill battle regardless of how well it fits the topic category.

Example: A treatment plant upgrade could be framed as a local infrastructure need. But if the committee includes members with stakes in Great Lakes water quality, the smarter play is to frame it as regional stewardship—one community doing its part to protect a shared resource that spans multiple states. Same project. Different narrative. Different outcome.

Nonsupplanting: What Is It?

Federal funds must supplement, not replace, existing funding. If local dollars have been budgeted for a project, federal money cannot be swapped out and local funds redirected elsewhere. CDS funding needs to enable something that would not otherwise happen—an expanded scope, an accelerated timeline, or a project that was unfunded entirely.

Michigan’s Funding Landscape

Michigan’s transportation funding picture just got more complicated. The Citizens Research Council recently noted that 70 percent of the state’s new road revenue streams face uncertainty—marijuana tax revenue is being challenged in court, and corporate income tax threshold changes remain unsettled.

In this environment, communities need every funding tool available. CDS will not solve the infrastructure backlog on its own, but a well-timed earmark for a signature project can move something off the wish list and into construction.

Communities that win are those that have their projects documented, their engineering advanced, and their requests ready when the submission window opens.

Thinking Beyond the Obvious Category

CDS funding flows through multiple federal agencies—Transportation, HUD, Defense, and others. A single project can often be framed to fit more than one. The category you choose affects which funding stream you tap, and which congressional subcommittee reviews it.

Example: A road upgrade in a small community might struggle to compete as a standalone transportation project. But that same road, reframed as access infrastructure for a senior housing development, could find traction under HUD—where the narrative shifts from “road maintenance” to “community development serving vulnerable populations.”

Before defaulting to the obvious fit, ask: Is there another door that might open more easily?

Getting Started

Identify candidate projects: What is on your capital plan that has clear public benefit and could use a federal boost?
Advance your engineering: Preliminary design, cost estimates, and environmental review make your request credible.
Build your case: Document community need, economic impact, and alignment with regional or state priorities.
Watch the calendar: Congressional offices announce their CDS request windows—typically late winter. Miss the deadline, wait another year.
Cultivate relationships: The communities that get funded are often the ones that have built ongoing relationships with their congressional delegation, not just showing up when they need money.

Bottom Line

This is not a funding source reserved for those with inside knowledge or decades of experience—because that expertise largely does not exist anymore. Everyone is learning. Everyone is rebuilding. The difference will come down to who prepares, who builds the relationships, and who shows up ready. Readiness wins.

Every community has projects waiting for the right funding opportunity. If you want to explore how CDS funding could work for yours, reach out to your Prein&Newhof project manager or contact Jason Washler at 616-364-8491. We can help you identify which programs align with your goals and navigate the application process. The best funding strategies start long before any shovels break ground.

In recent years, Michigan communities experienced a wave of major infrastructure funding opportunities from temporary programs like the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

As these funding opportunities end, budgets will tighten, application timelines will get shorter, and competition will increase.

As the funding playing field shifts, so should our perspective. Instead of grant hunting, or reacting to the newest opportunities, we should position ourselves to be ready and to hit the ground running as soon as funding is available.

What Does Grant Positioning Look Like?

Being shovel-ready for future opportunities
Packaging projects to meet multiple eligibility categories
Securing matching funds through creative, layered approaches
Building public support and telling the story of projects needing funding
Navigating changing deadlines and program shifts with confidence

Prein&Newhof can help! We’ve prepared some tools to help with this:

Funding Radar Check-in: We flag programs that match your project goals and let you know what’s coming.
Shovel-Ready Checklist: A guide and checklist to make sure your project is as ready as it can be for funding.
Story-Telling Tools: Filling out forms is the bare minimum. Identifying the story behind your project and telling that story in impactful ways will accelerate your project funding efforts.

Want a readiness review? Talk with your Prein&Newhof project manager today! Give us a call at 616-364-8491 to get started.

By Stephanie Potoka

As early as middle school, I knew that math came easily for me. Around that time, my dad showed me an issue of National Geographic pertaining to a rising environmental issue that a relative was studying. This was also in the days of only three TV channels out in the country (four, if we rotated the antennae). So when I was home sick from school, watching the kid-appropriate daytime channel, I discovered a career plan. The show I found, hosted by Jaime Escalante of calculus teaching fame, was about using math in environmental applications. Given my math abilities and growing environmental knowledge, this added up to a concrete and comfortable plan. Was civil engineering on my radar at this point? Not even close. Numbers were too beautiful with their patterns and connections, as evidenced by another lovely TV show of that era, Square One, making the Fibonacci series, tessellations, and code-making both memorable and comprehendible.

As a result, I decided to pursue an undergrad degree in mathematics at Calvin University where some of my classmates were, of course, engineers. I was, however, not pulled into the field yet. My next life choice was grad school for a master’s in industrial and applied mathematics at the University of Minnesota, an introduction to the field of math modeling. Finding this not to be practical enough, I decided to pursue another master’s, this time in civil engineering. Nine years after undergrad, I was the proud holder of two master’s degrees and mom to three. Given the pressures of life, the added constraint of an autoimmune disease, and addition of two more kids, the solution was to spend the next 12 years at home watching construction work in our Chicago and then Grand Rapids neighborhoods with two machine-loving youngsters, while also making time for classroom involvement relating to environmental issues.

Thanks to a civil engineering friend, I started part time at Prein&Newhof as an engineer on the first day that my youngest started full-time school. At the time, I really had no idea what civil engineers did day-to-day, but I happened to land in what P&N considers a “support service,” specifically that of hydraulics and hydrology. To me this is essentially the civil engineering version of industrial and applied modelling all about water, including both water on the landscape and contained within a system of pipes (think drinking water as well as wastewater). There was still a firehose of information, a steep learning curve, and so many questions which my co-workers graciously answered (and continue to answer).

A useful way for me to dive into work was involvement in Water System Reliability Studies. Unbeknownst to the vast population of Michigan residents, communities do this overview examination of their drinking water system every five years. This data-heavy report includes a map of the entire system of watermain, details of storage tanks, pumps, wells, and treatment plants, as well as water-usage related data like total pumping and billing. The other component of the study is flowing hydrants throughout the system, recording the changing pressures and flows, and then bringing the field data back to the office to calibrate the hydraulic model of the system.

To use any computer model, we must trust the reality of its abstraction: that the model does not 100% predict the system, but it gets close enough to be useful. Initial computer models began as text only, simply a list of pipes and associated connections with the program performing all the equation computations of water flow that, for decades, people had done by hand (or slide rule!). Given its ease of use now, with graphics and all, it’s tempting to use the model as a black box with magical answers. Given the iterations of these models that senior professionals have seen, though, we always ask the question “Do the results make sense?” Because sometimes they don’t, and if not, we must find out why. The purpose of the model is to aid in identifying areas of the water distribution system that could use improvement, often with larger diameter pipe or increased pumping capacity. The whole reliability study involves not just the model, spreadsheets, and numbers, but also the fluidity of patterns and connections.

In addition to enjoying the technical components of my job, coming to the profession so late in life has elevated my appreciation of municipal Department of Public Works employees and managers, as well as surveyors, GIS specialists, construction contractors, and all others involved in the work of infrastructure. I always knew that the fundamental building blocks of our first-world luxuries (clean drinking water, treated sanitary sewer systems, roads, bridges, and rainwater management) were taken for granted but had no idea how extensive the work behind them truly is. These building blocks are not perfect, though, as anyone with knowledge of PASER ratings, groundwater contamination, storm water quality, and aging infrastructure would know. There are still uncountably many environmental issues to approach from different angles, but I derive great satisfaction in being part of the integral behind-the-scenes work to maintain and improve infrastructure for local communities. While I now am fully converted to engineer, I am thankful to still be immersed in the beauty of numbers.

By John VerPlank, PE

When people come to us with a vision, whether it be a new building, park, or parking lot, they often have a clear idea of what they want to create. What they may not realize is that before any ground can be broken, a lot of invisible groundwork has to happen first. Site design starts long before the first shovel hits the dirt. It begins with understanding the history, limitations, and potential of the land itself.

That early process, often called due diligence or feasibility, is where we help clients turn ideas into informed plans. Whether we’re working with a private business, an architect, or a local township, we start by asking the same questions: Is this site suitable for what you want to build? What challenges might we run into? How can we plan around them before they become costly surprises?

Laying the Groundwork

We understand that many owners want to minimize financial risk early in the project’s process until they’re confident their site is viable. To make the most of that early phase and build an initial understanding of site conditions, we often begin the feasibility study using readily available online resources like wetland, environmental, and soils mapping tools. From there, we request a MISS DIG/One Call design ticket to obtain utility maps and confirm what exists in the project area.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Remediation Information Data Exchange (RIDE) website may provide insight into the property’s history, whether it once hosted a gas station, industrial facility, or landfill that could leave contamination behind. This kind of research, paired with United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Soil Survey maps, may help provide initial insight into the existing site conditions. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and ArcGIS mapping are also useful tools to understand the soil type, slopes, and drainage characteristics of the site. These details can help to determine where a building can go, how stormwater will be managed, and how utilities can be routed efficiently.

At the same time, we also verify important regulatory factors. We check zoning and setbacks to confirm that the project fits within local ordinances. We confirm whether public utilities are available and have enough capacity to serve the new development. A complete topographic survey, Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, wetland evaluation, and geotechnical investigation can also be completed during the initial feasibility study. However, these more detailed studies are often reserved until the preliminary results of the feasibility study give us confidence that the site is likely to work for its intended use.

From Information to Imagination

Once we understand the existing conditions, we can start conceptual planning. This is where the fun begins for clients: they get to see their ideas take shape. We develop conceptual layouts that show how a building, parking, access drives, and green space might fit on the property. We also prepare engineer’s probable costs of construction, helping clients understand the investment required. This phase helps us set realistic schedules and coordinate with local agencies for approvals and entitlements.

The process that follows can look a little different depending on the type of client and project. Private developments often move through schematic design, then design development, and finally construction documents, with each step adding more detail and refinement. For municipal clients, the path may be shorter or adjusted depending on funding sources, but the goal is always the same: to design responsibly and efficiently from the start.

One of the most valuable roles of a civil site engineer is assembling the right team to answer every question along the way. No single person has all the expertise required for a complex site. On many projects, we collaborate closely with architects, surveyors, geotechnical engineers, environmental scientists, and construction managers. Everyone brings a different perspective, and together we help clients make well-informed decisions.

A good example of why this early coordination matters happened on a recent project where we discovered groundwater only three feet below the surface during initial investigation. The client had already envisioned a new facility on that site, but the shallow water table created major complications for construction. If not addressed early, it would have caused costly delays and design changes later. Because we were involved from the start, we helped the client bring in the right specialists (environmental consultants, geotechnical engineers, and dewatering experts) to manage the issue effectively. We adjusted the design and construction plan so the project could move forward safely and successfully. That experience reinforced why due diligence isn’t just a box to check but is a safeguard for your vision.

Turning Complexity into Clarity

For many first-time developers or organizations expanding for the first time, this process can seem intimidating. My goal as a site design engineer is to make that process approachable. We take the technical details and translate them into clear options and next steps. Whether we’re preparing a feasibility report or final construction drawings, the heart of our work is partnership. Every successful project I’ve worked on has started with good information and open communication. When we understand the site, respect its limitations, and plan for the unexpected, we set the stage for a smoother construction phase and a better end result. At Prein&Newhof, we believe that engineering isn’t just about solving problems; it’s about anticipating them before they happen. The due diligence process may not be the most visible part of a project, but it’s what makes everything else possible.

If you’re considering a new development or wondering whether your property can support your vision, the best place to start is with a conversation. Every project can benefit from a little time spent understanding the site now to save a lot of time and cost later.

by Scott Post, PE

When I graduated from Calvin with a degree in civil engineering more than 30 years ago, I knew I wanted to design projects that helped people move safely and comfortably through their communities. Over the decades, that calling has taken me from sidewalks in small towns to multi-county trail networks that stretch for miles across Michigan. I’ve always had a passion for non-motorized transportation and outdoor recreation, and I consider it a privilege to plan and design the construction of trails that connect people to nature and to one another.

Early in my career, I had the chance to meet Fred Meijer, who was well known for his philanthropy and his commitment to building bicycle paths across West Michigan. When he learned that I design trails, he baitingly asked, “Why do we need an engineer to design bike paths?” I gave him the standard answers about drainage, easements, retaining walls, and construction oversight. He smiled knowingly, because he already understood. But his question stuck with me. Why should a community invest in professional design and oversight for something that looks so simple on the surface?

Years ago, a township asked the same question. They decided to save money by having a developer build a trail without independent design or engineering oversight. At first, the project seemed like a success. But it didn’t take long before cracks spread across the surface, weeds and roots pushed through the pavement, and poor drainage left sections washed out. Corners were too sharp, slopes were uneven, gravel wasn’t compacted properly, and the asphalt was laid in a single layer instead of two. By the time I was called back (first to design an extension, and then to evaluate the original section) the township admitted their cost-saving approach had backfired. The fixes would cost far more than they had saved.

By contrast, the extension we designed and observed was built to last. Two layers of asphalt, carefully compacted gravel, thoughtful drainage systems, and attention to details like curve radii and accessible slopes resulted in a smoother, stronger trail. Today, it only needs routine maintenance, and the township has confidence it will serve their community for decades. This experience wasn’t unique. After three decades and several hundred miles of trails, I’ve seen time and again that investing in good engineering at the start saves communities significant time and money and prevents future frustration.

What has changed over the years is the role trails play in our communities. When I first started designing them, they were often viewed primarily as recreational amenities. Today, they are recognized as essential infrastructure. Trails connect neighborhoods, provide safe routes for students walking or biking to school, support local businesses by attracting visitors, and contribute to public health by encouraging active lifestyles. They are also increasingly designed with universal accessibility in mind, making sure that people of all ages and abilities can use them comfortably. Sustainability has become another focus, with green infrastructure to manage stormwater, materials that balance cost and durability, and layouts that respect natural landscapes.

I’ve also witnessed the growing importance of funding partnerships. Projects often succeed because communities pursue grants from MDOT, MDNR, and other agencies, and because engineers can help guide that funding process. A well-designed trail not only makes the best use of funding but also strengthens a community’s case for future support. Each project becomes a building block in a larger network of connected paths across Michigan, a system that links people not only to destinations but to each other.

Now, when someone asks me Fred Meijer’s question, I have more than the “engineer’s answer.” I have decades of stories of lessons learned, trails built to endure, and communities that continue to benefit from investing in doing it right the first time. Good engineering may not always be the cheapest option at the outset, but it’s the choice that pays back in well-being for everyone who steps, rides, or rolls along the path.

by Claire Vellinga, Construction Observation Intern

There are days where I take a step, and for a moment I simply take in the world around me and the space I fill within it. This is when I realize I am no longer a little girl with hopes and dreams. I am a woman with plans that align with my life goals. To be completely honest, I didn’t grow up wanting to be a civil engineer. I didn’t even know it was a career. But I’ve always had a knack for puzzles, logic, and problem-solving games and activities, so it seemed logical to look into engineering. Sitting in my freshman Introduction to Engineering class at Hope College, civil engineering caught my attention. I liked the fact that it seemed tangible. Things you could actually see and touch. However, even then I didn’t really understand how vast the field of opportunity in civil engineering was. It wasn’t until I started my internship at Prein&Newhof after my sophomore year that my curiosity and fascination within civil engineering really took flight.

One of my favorite parts of being on a job site is watching what I see on paper get excavated and constructed. I see it as a whole world underneath the world we know. The underground infrastructure fascinated me. While inspecting on site, I typically just see one small part at a time. But I’ve found it intriguing to look beyond just what is in the hole below me or on the plan set in front of me. Thinking about how everything is connected and carefully designed, calculated, and constructed to serve the needs of our communities is what I’ve found myself interested in.

This summer, I got to watch a live sewer connection. This was an interesting experience for me as it was the first time I had seen anything like it. Before that day, I don’t think I realized how complex and involved an infrastructure update like that can be. Between coordinating bypass pumping and the actual live connection, there was a lot going on. This experience really helped open my eyes to the bigger picture. While I was just looking at a pipe, a whole team of individuals was working both up and downstream to make sure the connection was smooth. That day, I learned a lot about coordination and constructability from a “hands on” perspective.

The “hands on” experience has been one of my favorite parts of interning at P&N. There’s a lot I can learn in the classroom, and from fellow engineers, but as a college intern, it has been extremely useful to actually see the work out in the field. It’s been fun to see things I read in a book, or got lectured on, show up in my field inspections. I’ve learned so much from observing and from asking questions. From basic terminology to phasing and environmental regulations, there is something new to learn every single day.

I’ve interned with the Holland Office’s engineering team for the past two summers, and Ken Bosma, Jonathan Nelson, Lucas Timmer, and Jesse Boogaard have been the best mentors. They answer my daily questions and elaborate further than what I even knew to ask about. From the beginning, they made it clear that no question was a stupid question. There is so much I have yet to learn, and they are more than patient in their explanation and reasoning. This environment made me feel safe to learn, grow, and make mistakes.

At its core, this is why I chose to join Prein&Newhof post-graduation. The work environment the team has created gives me the confidence and support I desire as a new engineer, and I know that I will take this experience and continue to keep learning as I grow in my engineering career here. I’m excited to know that this is a culture and community that I will continue to get to work in every day.

by Paul Reinhold, PLA, LEED AP, NGICP

As a landscape architect, my job is often seen as primarily visual—choosing plants, shaping outdoor spaces, coordinating materials. And while aesthetics do matter, what’s always been more important to me is how people experience a community gathering place. Who feels welcome there? Who can move through it with ease? How does the space represent the community who uses it? These questions have guided my work for decades and are at the heart of something I care about: universal design.

Universal design isn’t just about meeting accessibility requirements or adding a ramp to the corner of a park. It’s a design philosophy that seeks to create spaces that work for everyone. When we apply these principles to public spaces, especially in smaller communities, we open doors (sometimes quite literally) to a better quality of life for more people. When I was invited to work on the design of the Village of Muir’s Sensory Park, it was clear this project would be a meaningful example of universal design in action.

Why Universal Design Matters

Universal design is guided by seven core principles. These help us think beyond minimum requirements and imagine environments that support independence and inclusion for people of all ages and abilities:

Equitable Use: The design is useful and appealing to people with a range of abilities.
Flexibility in Use: It accommodates a variety of preferences and needs.
Simple and Intuitive Use: It’s easy to understand, regardless of a person’s experience or background.
Perceptible Information: Information is communicated effectively, even if someone’s vision, hearing, or cognition is limited.
Tolerance for Error: The design reduces risks and minimizes consequences of mistakes.
Low Physical Effort: It can be used comfortably, with minimal fatigue.
Size and Space for Approach and Use: It provides appropriate room for access, regardless of body size or mobility device.

I keep these principles in mind on every project, but they took on particular importance in the design of Muir’s new park.

Meeting a Community Where It’s At

The Village of Muir sits just under a square mile in Ionia County and has less than 600 residents. It’s the kind of place where people wave from their porches, where community parks serve as front yards and backyards all in one. Over the years, Prein&Newhof has worked closely with the Village, including helping to acquire funding and to design a new bridge over the Maple River in 2014. That experience laid a foundation of trust, and when the Village set its sights on creating an inclusive park alongside the Fred Meijer Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee (CIS) Trail, they came back to our team.

The idea for the sensory park had been in the works since the Village’s 2017 Recreation Plan. Through public input and demographic data, it became clear that the community needed a space where everyone, especially those with disabilities, could feel at home. This wasn’t about adding a few inclusive pieces of equipment to an existing park. It was about creating a whole new environment grounded in accessibility, interaction, and sensory experience.

Designing with Intention

The site, directly next to Railroad Street Park and the CIS Trail, gave us a good starting point. But the original plan relied on land not owned by the Village. When the hoped-for easement didn’t come through, we had to adapt by reworking the design to fit within Village property while still holding true to the project’s goals.

It helped that this wasn’t just a park with a single purpose. We included a variety of play types and sensory features: a hillside slide, zipline, multiple textured play areas, a fireplace for gathering, a performance space with grass seating, and even a bike repair station. All of these were designed with accessibility in mind, from the surface materials to the layout of paths and seating. We also ensured that ramps, parking, and resting areas supported a wide range of users—not just children, but parents, grandparents, and anyone else passing through or spending time there.

As we moved forward, we helped the Village apply for the Michigan CDBG Public Gathering Spaces Initiative. This is a highly competitive grant program focused on improving usability, accessibility, and seasonality in spaces that serve low to moderate income populations. In 2024, the Village was awarded $1.2 million to bring the park to life. The funding was a major win, but the budget still required careful coordination. We worked with the low bidder and MEDC to value engineer where needed, always making sure the core vision of accessibility and universal design remained intact.

A Space That Belongs to Everyone

There’s something powerful about watching a design become a real place. In a community like Muir, where resources are limited but people show up for each other, it means even more. This park isn’t just for kids. It’s for the parent with limited mobility who wants to watch their child play up close. It’s for the grandparent who needs a smooth path and a place to rest in the shade. It’s for the child on the autism spectrum who feels more comfortable exploring quiet sensory areas. It’s for visitors on the CIS Trail who stop in to stretch their legs or fix a flat bike tire. It’s for everyone.

That’s what universal design looks like when it’s done well. It doesn’t feel like a set of accommodations tacked on—it feels like a space that simply works for whoever shows up. And in the end, that’s what landscape architecture is really about for me. Designing places that welcome people in, however they move, however they perceive the world, however they connect. I’m proud to have been part of making that vision real for Muir’s community.

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