The class projects for five landscape architecture and landscape contracting students won't end up graded and in the garbage but instead have the potential to make a local impact for the next 25 years.

The longevity of the project is exactly what the five students had in mind when class projects in Forestry 401 (Urban Forestry Management) and credits in an independent study brought them together to begin plans to restore sections of Holmes Foster Park, located between Westerly Parkway and Sparks Street.

"Usually we work on projects that will not be implemented," Kyle Berseth (senior-landscape architecture) said. "I chose to work on this project because it could have an actual impact on the community."

Popular for its canopy of large oak trees, the park, which has signs warning its visitors of unstable root conditions, recently lost a significant number of trees because of heavy rains and wind, said Alan Sam, the borough arborist.

Sam said 30 trees in the park were found to have substantial decay and have since been removed. "We've taken down an average of three oak trees a year due to the shallow soil and the amount of pedestrian foot traffic," Sam said. "That damages the root system."

The students worked from fall through mid-January to create a 25-year master plan for completion upon the 100th anniversary of the park in 2030. In addition to newly planted trees, the designs also include seating areas and dog parks.

The project has been presented to the State College Borough Council, and the next step is to formalize the plan by talking with the community and getting input from the neighborhood, Public Works Director Mark Whitfield said.

"The next phase will be to put together a Capital Improvement Plan, which would be a formal adoption of the formal plan," Whitfield said. He added that the plan would be presented before Borough Council in September.

Whitfield said the five-year plan, which will not begin until spring 2007, will follow the general guidelines presented by the students, but most likely a professional will be hired to assess what needs to be done to the park.

"If the council approves the plan, then a budget will be adopted in December," Whitfield said.

The money would be taken from general funds and state grants if approved, Whitfield added.

Bill Elmendorf, assistant professor of community forestry and one of the mentors who guided the project, said the students' master plan designs were realistic, and only the dog park idea is slightly controversial.

"Even so, the dog park can be constructed to be out of sight and out of mind," Elmendorf said.

Borough Council member Elizabeth Goreham said she agreed that the dog park could appeal to the community, but she is concerned the plans did not mention any upgrades to the playground equipment that sit in the park.

"Who knows if playground equipment will last 25 years," Goreham said. "I think that all parts of the park should be assessed, not just the trees."

Dennis Walls (senior-landscape architecture) said the designs were focused on enhancing the identity and experience of the park based on surveys that were distributed throughout the neighboring community. He added that the project gave him an opportunity to work with others in related fields.

"I think that bringing the two fields together for the project was a good idea because it is something that we weren't used to, and it worked out," Walls said.

Kelleann Foster, associate professor of landscape architecture, also mentored the students and said they each brought certain strengths to the project.

"They worked together to come up with a design that could easily be achieved by the 100th anniversary," Foster said.

The plan can be viewed on the borough Web site, www.statecollegepa.us.