Steven L. Ihnen, P.E. Civil Engineer & Land Development Expert

Professional Experience

Provide technical investigations, analysis, reports, and testimony toward the resolution of commercial claims and personal injury litigation involving civil engineering, site development, land planning, entitlement procurement, drainage design, traffic controls, grading, roadway and utility infrastructure, standard-of-care evaluations, and other civil engineering issues in the residential, commercial, and municipal development sectors.

Partner 2019 - present
Regional Manager-Austin, TX 2019 - 2026

Led regional operations for the Austin-area office following the 2019 acquisition of Garrett-Ihnen Civil Engineers by Bleyl Engineering. Maintained primary focus on private land development projects including entitlement support, civil design, and permitting coordination for residential subdivisions, commercial site developments, and mixed-use projects. Provided design oversight and technical review of grading, drainage, roadways, parking lots, and utility plans across multiple concurrent projects. Served as Project Manager for large, multi-phase private developments. Coordinated directly with developers, municipalities, reviewing agencies, and utility providers to resolve entitlement, permitting, and infrastructure issues. Performed as expert witness in a drainage and grading design failure case, providing technical analysis, standard-of-care evaluation, and professional opinion. Mentored engineering staff and supported professional development within the regional office.

Served as project manager and engineer of record for civil site design on hundreds of commercial, institutional, residential, and municipal projects. Services provided consistently included drainage design, water and wastewater design, stormwater design, water quality and detention pond design, site permitting, public construction bidding, and construction-phase services.

Acquired Garrett/Associates Engineering, Inc. from the estate of founder Jack Garrett in 1999 and subsequently renamed the firm Garrett-Ihnen Civil Engineers in 2002. In 2012, the corporate entity was changed to GICE, Inc. Led the firm as principal and executive leader for more than two decades, growing it into a well-regarded civil engineering practice. Directed entitlement and permitting efforts for residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments. Served as Engineer of Record for site civil, drainage, roadway, and utility infrastructure projects. Managed all business operations including client development, contracts, staffing, scheduling, and financial performance. Provided construction-phase engineering support, field issue resolution, and coordination with contractors and inspectors. In 2019, negotiated the sale of the firm to Bleyl Engineering and continued as Regional Manager/Partner.

Skills and Experience Developed or Implemented (1998 to 2026):

• Firm ownership and executive leadership, including acquisition of a practice, two decades of growth, and negotiation of its sale to a successor firm
• Regional office leadership and operations management following a firm acquisition, including P&L responsibility, staffing, and business continuity
• Engineer-of-record responsibility for civil site design on hundreds of commercial, institutional, residential, and municipal projects
• Project management of large, multi-phase residential subdivision, commercial, and mixed-use developments
• Land development entitlement strategy and permitting coordination across multiple jurisdictions, including municipal, county, TCEQ, and TxDOT reviewing agencies
• Floodplain analysis, FEMA permitting and map revisions (CLOMR/LOMR), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waters of the U.S. permitting
• Subdivision platting and easement acquisition for public and private infrastructure
• Design oversight, technical review, and quality control of grading, drainage, roadway, and utility plans across multiple concurrent projects
• Stakeholder coordination and dispute resolution among developers, municipalities, reviewing agencies, and utility providers
• Expert witness services, including technical analysis, standard-of-care evaluation, and professional opinion in a drainage and grading design failure case
• Public construction bidding, contract negotiation, and bid-phase support
• Client development, staff mentoring, and professional development of engineering personnel
• 2010 Aggie 100 Award – Recognized as one of the top 100 fastest growing business by the Texas A&M Mays Business School

Served as project engineer under the direction of founder Jack Garrett, P.E. supporting civil engineering design and project coordination for residential subdivision and commercial site development and municipal projects. Responsibilities included preparation of design drawings and construction documents for grading, drainage, roadway, traffic control plans, water distribution, and wastewater collection systems. Coordinated with municipalities, reviewing agencies, and utility providers during the permitting and design review process. Provided construction-phase support including field inspections and response to contractor questions.

Skills and Experience Developed or Implemented (1995 to 1998):

• Entitlement and permitting for residential subdivisions, commercial site developments, and municipal projects
• Grading, drainage, and stormwater management design, including FEMA FIRM/LOMR coordination
• Roadway design, including access management, intersection geometry, traffic control plans, and TxDOT coordination and permitting
• Water distribution and wastewater collection system design and permitting
• Storm drainage system design, including detention and retention ponds
• Site civil design and platting for single-family, multifamily, commercial, and industrial developments
• NPDES SWPPP preparation and erosion control plan design
• ADA compliance review for site access, parking, and pedestrian facilities
• Construction-phase support, including RFI response, submittal review, field issue resolution, and inspector coordination

Representative Projects (1995 to 2026):

• Quick-service restaurant chains — Site civil design and permitting for 100+ locations including Jack in the Box, Panda Express, AutoZone, Walgreens, RaceTrac, Popeye's, and Wendy's
• Retail and commercial development — Hill Country Galleria, Shops at the Galleria (Bee Cave), Arboretum Tower, Arboretum Park, Colonnade Shopping Center, Las Cimas Office Park (Phases I–IV), Parmer Lane Office Park, Golfsmith International, Harley Davidson, MetLife Building
• Self-storage facilities — Public Storage, Bee Cave Public Storage, SureGuard, Uncle Bob's Storage, 620 Storage, The Storage Center
• Automotive dealerships — Classic Toyota, Classic Honda, Classic Hyundai
• Institutional and civic — Pflugerville Justice Center, Gardner-Betts Juvenile Justice Center, Juvenile Justice Facility, DPS Mega Center, South Texas Boot Camp, Gary Job Corps Center, Temple Police Facility
• Educational facilities — Bee Cave Elementary School, Blanton Elementary, Patton Elementary, Brentwood Elementary, St. Edwards University, ACC Riverside Campus, ACC Parking Facility, YMCA Northwest, Austin Tennis Academy, Capitol Gymnastics
• Religious facilities — Shoreline Christian Faith Center, Hill Country Bible Church, Hill Country Fellowship, Faith United Methodist Church, St. Thomas More, Lutheran Social Services
• Medical and healthcare — Seton Medical, Cedar Park Medical Center, Affordable Dentures, Affordable Care, Whitestone Memory Center, Cedar Park Sleep Center
• Federal and postal facilities — Multiple U.S. Postal Service buildings and stations, including USPS General Mail Facility; ABIA Airport Air Cargo Dock
• Residential subdivisions — Heatherwilde, Hometown Kyle (multiple phases), Sandy Shores PUD, Ferguson Estates, Highland Bend, Carlton Estates, Gatehollow Estates, Lake Travis Subdivision, Toro Canyon, Bull Creek Ranch, Whisper Valley Ranch, Crystal Crossing
• Infrastructure and utility projects — City of Austin Davenport West Wastewater Extension, Oak Park Wastewater Improvements, Brodie Lane South Wastewater, Spanish Oak Wastewater, Water Improvement District projects, IBM Drainage Services, Water Quality Pond at Sandow Mine

Prepared bid documents and detailed cost estimates and quantity takeoffs for numerous underground utility and concrete construction projects. Developed pricing for water, wastewater, storm drainage, paving, and structural concrete scopes. Reviewed plans and specifications to identify constructability issues and cost risks prior to bid submittal. Worked closely with project managers, superintendents, and field crews to align estimates with construction means and methods.

Projects Included:

• Provided bidding, material controls and project management for the construction of storm water, wastewater, detention and water quality ponds for several residential sections, City or TxDOT municipal projects:
  • Circle C Ranch Subdivision Improvements (Austin, TX)
  • Western Oaks Subdivision Improvements (Austin, TX)
  • Canyon Creek West Subdivision Improvements (Austin, TX)
  • Buttercup Creek Subdivision Improvements (Cedar Park, TX)
  • RM 1431 (Marble Falls, TX)
  • Howard Lane (Austin, TX)
  • South Congress (Austin, TX)

Skills and Experience Developed or Implemented:

• Project plan review to determine best means to achieve construction goals
• Plan quantity take-offs and development of bid tabulations
• Construction production estimates
• Materials procurement and distribution management of materials to project sites
• Excavation and trench safety implementation, principles and practices
• Confined space safety protocol
• Temporary traffic control implementation
• Verified conformance with traffic control device plans (signing, striping, and signalization) for street and highway projects in conformance with the TMUTCD/MUTCD

Provided engineering design and construction management services on a variety of heavy industrial projects located nationwide.

Projects Included:

• U.S. Navy / Large Cavitation Channel (Memphis, TN): Design, materials procurement and construction management of a high-pressure oil lubrication system for thrust and internal impeller bearings
• Westlake Styrene Terminal (Chicago, IL / Sulphur, LA): Engineering design and construction management of fire suppression systems for bulk styrene monomer storage and distribution; managed construction of railroad crossing truss structures supporting styrene transfer piping to shipping docks
• Fina (TotalEnergies) Refinery (Port Arthur, TX): Night-shift lead during Fluid Catalytic Cracking Unit shutdown, responsible for pressure testing of piping systems
• Willowbrook Mall Elevated Storage Tank (City of Houston, TX): Embedded engineer-in-training supporting scaffolding systems, welding of temporary scaffolding brackets, grinding of weld seams, and assist in quality control and safety policy enforcement

Skills and Experience Developed or Implemented:

• Confined space safety protocol
• Scaffolding safety protocols
• Materials procurement, receiving, stagnating and implementation
• Pressure pipe design, pipe layout, pipe support systems
• Structural engineering design, detailed structural design drawings
• Project management if field crews facilitating and implementation designed projects
• Produced engineering drawings and design documentation using MicroStation CAD software
• Calculation of testing pressure protocols of pipe systems
• Quality assurance and quality control

Completed summer engineering internship supporting pipeline operations and engineering functions. Gained early exposure to energy infrastructure operations, maintenance and engineering project coordination.

Completed summer engineering internship with TxDOT supporting roadway intersection projects, temporary traffic control implementation, and traffic impact analysis.

Professional Credentials

Registered Professional Engineer: Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas

Education

B.S., Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas

Continuing Education

• Solving Inland Water Supply Challenges, ACEA, 2026
• Reliable Solutions for Water Infrastructure, Park USA, 2026
• Development services Update, ACEA, 2026
• Environmental Compliance: Navigating the Current Regulatory Landscape and Your Project, Crystal Hall, ACEA, 2025
• Municipal Utility Districts 101, Jones-Heroy & Associates, 2025
• Stormwater Management in Urban Developments, Ferguson Waterworks, 2025
• Why Geology Matters, MLA Geotechnical, 2025
• Designing for Sheet Flow with Channel Drains, NDS, 2025
• Retaining Wall Basics for Civil Engineers, ROSCH Engineering, 2024
• Pressure Sewer Design Course, E/One Sewer Systems, 2024
• Concrete Pipe 101, Rinker Concrete, 2024
• Why Systems Outperform Goals: A Fresh Take on Achievement for 2021, ACEA, 2020
• Choosing the Right Products for Road Construction, ACEA, 2020
• Design, Construction and Application of Segmental Concrete Walls, Keystone Hardscapes, 2020
• Williamson County Subdivision Regulations Update, ACEA, 2020
• Jurisdictional Waters of the U.S., ACEA, 2019
• Wastewater Treatment and Plant Design, Austen Beck, Bleyl Engineering, 2019
• Polypropylene Thermoplastic Storm Sewer Conduit and Related Structures, ADS, 2019
• Travis County Atlas 14 Initiative (Panel), ACEA, 2019
• Effects of Modifications Adopted by Municipalities (Panel), ACEA, 2019
• Saving Time, Saving Trees: Working with Arborist to Plan Sites Efficiently and Effectively to Preserve Trees, Davey Proven Solutions, 2019
• Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, ACEA, 2019
• Key Contract Clauses in Construction, ACEA, 2019
• ESD 202: Laws Governing ESDs, SAFE-D, 2016
• General Session: Legislative Review/Outlook, SAFE-D, 2016
• ESD Accounting, SAFE-D, 2016
• City/ESD Cooperation, SAFE-D, 2016
• Audits for ESDs, SAFE-D, 2016
• Grants: Texas Forest Service, SAFE-D, 2016
• Planning, Design and Implementation of Stormwater Solutions and Bridge Products in Engineering and Architectural Projects, Contech, 2016
• Central TX Infrastructure Design & Construction Symposium, ACEA, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2025
• Modeling Stormwater Runoff Reduction from Rainwater Harvesting, Contech, 2012
• Cistern Design Considerations for Large Rainwater Harvesting Systems, Contech, 2011
• Rainwater Harvesting and Re-Use: A Tool for Stormwater Runoff Reduction, Contech, 2010
• Overtopping Flow Protection, Contech, 2009
• Scour in Bottomless Culverts, Contech, 2008
• Evaluation of Media-Based Stormwater Filtration Systems, Contech, 2007
• Revetment Design Considerations in Sheltered Water Wave Conditions, Contech, 2007

Professional Memberships

American Society of Civil Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers

Past Memberships and Affiliations:

• Austin Contractors and Engineers Association —
  • Member, 1992-2026
  • Board Member, 2001, 2005, 2019
  • President, 2025-2026
• Real Estate Council of Austin, 1992-2026

v. 08/20/26