Jeff Seymour Family Center

Location: 10909 Emery Street, El Monte, CA 91731

The Jeff Seymour Family Center campus design is a direct result of listening to community members and partnering with the organizations on site to develop features that are unique and meaningful to the stakeholders of the Center. The transformation of the campus was made possible with the help of community volunteers and conservation corps workers. Water is a guiding principle in the campus design. Following the flow of water on site, water-intensive grass was removed and changed the shape of the ground to add gentle depressions, mounds and swales to direct and capture rain and run off, creating a new topography and a new sense of place. Rain gardens and bioswales located throughout the campus collect and infiltrate water from rooftops, sidewalks, asphalt blacktops, and parking lots.  As gravity pushes water through layers of soil, it is naturally cleaned before recharging our underground water supply. This process also helps prevent pollutants from entering our waterways. Native plants create habitat for birds and butterflies. Increased tree canopy cools surfaces, sequesters greenhouse gases, captures stormwater, improves air quality, and beautifies the campus.

Find more information on the various features of this neighborhood project here: Jeff Seymour Family Center