By Scott Chabot, PE
This summer, the parking lot outside the Clinton Township Civic Center came to life. Literally.
Where once there was a barren plain of dilapidated concrete, there is now a repaved lot with more green islands of native plants and trees. New bio-retention basins will reduce surface pollutants, stop runoff and act as a natural filter for stormwater treatment, protecting natural water downstream of the site. Additionally, numerous township officials (kudos to Clinton Township Public Services Director Mary Bednar!) and contractors needed to share this green vision.
Today, it’s not enough for community development projects to be physically beautiful, but below those surface-level benefits, there needs to be symbiotic relationship with the surrounding environment, as well.
Looking back, it’s become a flagship project for the township – the biggest step any Macomb County community has taken to implement green infrastructure. It was also a precursor to future development projects in other areas of the township, since new state regulations require all work to meet the same stringent standards for stormwater quality.
It wasn’t easy. Because of the township’s rigorous schedule of summertime activities, we were on a strict timeline that required a well-coordinated effort. The work took place in phases to avoid interfering with the activities, with everything wedged into just 71 days, starting after the township fireworks on July 13 and concluding just in time for the annual art fair on Sept. 23. Every summer, tens of thousands of people use these grounds, so the pressure was on to deliver.
Still, even in the heat of the moment, we knew all our effort was going to be worth it. Of course, there were the immediate benefits of added LED lighting and more parking spaces, including handicap-accessible ones. Plus, we reduced the amount of surface area covered by concrete by 15 percent. And we built new walking paths around the grounds, which improved pedestrian safety and accessibility to the civic center and surrounding nature trails.
But, even deeper than that, the positive environmental benefit this project will have on the surrounding watershed – including the nearly Clinton River, which is used by thousands of people for kayakers, tubers and canoers every year – will be felt for decades.
I’m proud of the work we did, especially in light of the fact that the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, with the extra savings used to add more walking paths and redo the nearby basketball courts. For us, the thought that one day a parent will be walking those trails with their son, or playing basketball with their daughter, and though they don’t know it, these projects have improved their quality of life by making their community greener.
At Giffels Webster, we’re holding ourselves to a higher standard. The lessons we took from this project were immense, and we’ll take them into the next project we complete. And the next. Because what we learn today in Clinton Township will help make cities and township’s around the globe as environmentally friendly as they are beautiful. That’s why we’re also happily sharing our expertise with other communities. Recently, the township presented the project to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG), and Giffels Webster presented it to the southeastern branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).
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