"A Green Oasis" A Climate Resilient Master Plan for the Ashuelot River Park Arboretum and Rachel Marshall Outdoor Learning Laboratory
Prepared for: The City of Keene Ashuelot River Park 312 Washington Street, Keene, NH 03431 Katherine Holder, Samantha Peikes, & Amanda Smith The Conway School Spring 2020 Index
INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION TO THE PROJECT...... 1 PUBLIC OUTREACH...... 2 RESILIENCE...... 3 EXISTING CONDITIONS...... 4 HISTORY...... 5
CONTEXT DEMOGRAPHICS...... 6 SOCIAL CONTEXT...... 7 TRANSPORTATION ACCESS...... 8 GEOLOGIC AND WATERSHED CONTEXT...... 9
SITE ANALYSIS SOILS...... 10 PRIORITY ECOSYSTEMS...... 11 FLOOD ZONES...... 12 STORMWATER...... 13 SLOPES AND DRAINAGE...... 14 HEAT ISLAND EFFECT...... 15 REGULATIONS...... 16 UTILITIES...... 17 ACCESS AND CIRCULATION...... 18 VIEWS...... 19 VEGETATION...... 20 ARBORETUM TREES...... 21 TREE HEALTH AND SUN & SHADE ANALYSIS...... 22 SUMMARY ANALYSIS...... 23
DESIGNS PRELIMINARY DESIGN CONCEPTS...... 24 SCHEMATIC DESIGN...... 25 FINAL DESIGNS...... 26 MAIN ARBORETUM DESIGNS...... 27 SOUTHWEST ARBORETUM DESIGNS...... 28 NORTHERN ARBORETUM DESIGNS...... 29 RMOLL DESIGNS...... 30
MATERIALS AND PRECEDENTS MATERIALS AND PRECEDENTS...... 31 RECOMMENDED PERENNIALS...... 32 RECOMMENDED TREES...... 33 RECOMMENDED SHRUBS...... 34 RECOMMENDED GROUND COVERS...... 35 COST ESTIMATES...... 36 COST ESTIMATES (CONTINUED)...... 37 POLLINATOR STREAMBANK GARDEN...... 38 REFERENCES...... 39 PHOTO REFERENCES...... 40 • Secondary Goals • • • • provided by the park,andplanningfor climate change. engagement and socialequity, improving theecological already services The mainpillarsto achieve aresilient parkincludefostering community • • • master plan: and identifiesweaknessesinthelandscapeperformance.This examining thecurrentecosystemservicesthatparkprovides Laboratory (referredtoasRMOLL).Thisassessmentinvolves lot RiverParkArboretumandRachelMarshallOutdoorLearning This masterplanassessestheecologicalresilienceofAshue- Primary Goals features oftheparkchangeinfuture? the CityofKeeneasks,is Ashuelot RiverParkthriving,istheparkresilient,andhowwill species oftrees,andanoutdoorlearninglab. As theimpactsofclimatechangeescalate The parkcontainsanarboretum,whichconsistsofdiversegardenbedsandover95different Located intheheartofdowntownKeene, Ashuelot RiverParkisbelovedbymanyvisitors.
Introduction TO THEPROJECT and biodiversity. Recommends plantpalettesthatincreasenativevegetation Inventories plantsandgardenbedswithinthearboretum. Assesses effectivenessofcurrentparkmaintenance. Identifies educationalopportunitieswithinthepark. pacts ofclimatechange. provide bytheparkandresilienceoftoim- Conducts anecologicalanalysistoidentifyecosystemservices Explores optionsforreplacingtheexistingcompostingtoilet. Proposes aninvasivespeciesmanagementplan. Increases diversityofseatingwithinthepark. The AshuelotRiverPark is located inthecenter ofKeene. ing tothenorth. The ArboretumalsoprovidesaccesstotheJonathanMyrickDanielsTrail extend- and theRMOLL.Apedestrianbridgeoverriverconnectsthesetwospaces. downtown. ThisareaoffocusincludesanArboretumeasttheAshuelotRiver While AshuelotRiverParkisover175acres,thisplanfocuseson5acresclosestto Ashuelot RiverPark Downtown portion ofthepark. area offocus for thismaster planislocated atthesouthernmost The 175acreAshuelotRiverPark encompasses multipleparcels. The Ashuelot RiverPark Focus Area the recentadditionofbathousesandeducationalsignsaboutthem. growing momentumtorevitalizeeducationalopportunitiesinthepark,including unteer involvementinboththearboretumandRMOLLhavedwindled.Thereisa throughout theMonadnockRegion.Overyears,activeprogrammingandvol- cal heritageandtobecomecaretakersofthelandinpark,Keene, to provideaplaceforthecommunitylearnaboutitsculturalandecologi- access tobotheducationalgreenspaces.TheRMOLLinparticularwasintended Both theArboretumandRMOLLwerefoundedwithadesiretocreatelocal Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. Friends oftheAshuelotRiverPark Ashuelot RiverParkAdvisoryBoard Stakeholders Represented by:AndyBohannon City ofKeene Client The areaoffocus for thismaster planincludesthearboretum andRMOLL. Parks, RecreationandFacilitiesDirector
1/ Introduction Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 awareness oftheArboretum,andenvisionafutureforpark. to increasecommunityparticipationintheplanningprocess, the impactsofclimatechangeonparkandexpressedneed In discussingresilience,participantsgenerallywereconcernedabout oping educationalopportunitiesthatareaccessibleandinteractive. aging inappropriateactivitiesbyvisitorssuchassmoking,anddevel- refurbishing andnewplantingsinsomeofthegardenbeds,discour- of theArboretumandRMOLL.Participantsmentionedneedfor those thatdonotworkwell,howattendeesdefineresilience,anduse tion aboutfeaturesintheArboretumandRMOLLthatworkwell Ashuelot RiverPark.Thismeetingwasmainlyusedtocollectinforma- attendees fromtheAshuelotRiverAdvisoryCommitteeandFriendsof The firstcommunitymeeting,heldMay5,2020,viaZoom,hadeleven inform andguidetheplanningprocess. input fromstakeholders,organizations,andfrequentparkvisitorsto Two communitymeetingswereheldonMay5andJune2,2020togain 0 0 5 Bathrooms How adequate are current facilities/resources in the park? currentadequate are facilities/resources the How in Highly adequate Public outreach etn ra Kayak launch Seating areas Which issues you? concern issues Which Adequate area Somewhat adequate Trail networks Trail Garden beds Garden Not adequate Not Signs survey. events. Allgraphsshownonthispagereflectresultsfromtheonline participation andlevelofinterestincertainparkimprovementsor social concernsincludingsafetyandunwantedbehaviors,overall Arboretum andRMOLLarecurrentlyused,climaterelatedconcerns, bility ofresourcesandfacilitiesintheArboretumRMOLL,how received 75responses.Questionspertainedtothequalityandaccessi- The onlinesurveywasadministeredfromMay29toJune18,2020and fined andintegratedintoafinaldesign. what theydidnotlike,andhowelementsofeachdesigncouldbere- on sheet24)andparticipantssharedfeedbackwhattheyliked, different designalternativeswerepresented(see eight attendees,mostofwhomhadattendedthefirstmeeting.Three The secondcommunitymeetingwasheldJune2,2020,viaZoomwith 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 0 not concerned not How concerned are you with climate change? climate are with you concerned How somewhat concerned somewhat neutral concerned very concerned very largest wordsorphrases werethosestated most. Final comments thatonline respondents were left attheendofsurvey compiled into awordcloud.The
Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey.
2/ Public Outreach Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu vegetation analysisonsheets 20-22). and hemlocktrees,which arevulnerabletotheemeraldashborerand thewoollyadelgidpest(see trees thatareinpoorhealth andarevulnerabletotheimpactsofclimate change,suchastheash can withstandavarietyofclimaticandhuman inducedconditions.Thearboretumcontainssome species andecosystemsintheparkaremulti-functional andbiodiversebecausethatmeansthey such asextremetemperaturesorpests,canbe replacedbyothers.Additionallyitisimportantthat species thatservesimilarfunctionssothose speciesmoresusceptibletocertainconditions, tems. Inatownpark,ecologicalresiliencecould bestrengthenedbyhavingadiversityofplant Ecological resilienceisanaspectofoverall andreferstotheadaptabilityofnaturalsys- From United States Forest "RiparianRestoration" Service resistant to disturbance andtherefore moreresilient. habitat, andsupportavariety of biodiversevegetation andnatural communities. Thevariety offunctionsthatthese ecosystems perform make themmore Riparian ecosystems provide alinkbetween uplandforests andaquatichabitats. Riparianecosystems filter stormwater runoffpollutants, foster wildlife stand disturbance,buthastheabilitytoadaptandevolveovertime. ates environmentalshocksanddisasters,itisimportantthattheAshuelotRiverParkcannotonlywith- instead areabletochangeandevolvepersistthriveintothefuture.Asclimateperpetu- and plantcommunitiesdonotnecessarilyreturntotheirformerstateafterasignificantdisturbance,but The termresilienceisusedinmanyways.Thisplanlooksatasastatewhichhuman,animal, development thatinterfereswithwildlifehabitatandnaturalprocesses. Resilience referstotheabilityofasystembouncebackfromorwithstanddisturbance,suchasnaturaldisaster Resilience Ecological resilience Ecological the future. panding climateadaptationprogramsthataimtoaddresstheseimpactsandhelpthecitythrivewellinto tures havethreatenedecosystemservicesaswellthecity'sresilience.Keenehascommittedtoex- and moreseverestormsflooding,thespreadofnon-nativeplantsanimals,hottertempera city's commitmentstoclimatemitigation,theimpactsofchangearealreadybeingfelt.Increased paign, KeenehasdevelopedaClimateActionPlantoloweritsgreenhousegasemissions.Despitethe tered bytheICLEILocalGovernmentsforSustainability.SinceagreeingtoparticipateinCCPCam- In April2000,thecityofKeenesignedontoCitiesforClimateProtection(CCP)Campaignadminis- From COCity.se with thebuiltenvironment. Humans notonlyrely onthe ecosystem provided services by natural systems, humansare apartofthe ecosystem. graphicillustrates This variouswaysthatecosystems function mental and physical health and overallqualityoflife. is social justice.Providing equitably distributedand accessible servicesin the parkforallresidents increases both makes sense soasto not disturb existing natural communities. Another component of social ecological resilience Enco promising the natural environment. Humans arepartofthe natural world,butalsopartofthe builtenvironment. Social ecological resilience ensures that all peoplehave access to necessary resources forsurvivalwithout com- uraging resilient communities means balancing interacting with the natural worldand building where it Social ecological resilience ecological Social Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. -
3/40 Resilience Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu ary. RMOLL northandendsnorthwestattheedgeofpropertybound- Street Dam.Anarrowdirtpathalongtherivermeandersthrough ing areawherevisitorscanadmireviewsoftheAshuelotriverandWest north totheJonathanDanielsTrail. TheRMOLLcontainsacobbledseat- path leadsvisitorsfromthegardenbedstopedestrianbridgeand surrounded onbothsidesbysugarmaples.Attheentrance,agravel Visitors tendtoenterthroughthefrontarchonWest Street,whichis (shown inbrown)andtreesareprimarycomponentsoftheArboretum. 5 acresoftheentire175-acreAshuelotRiverPark.Bothgardenbeds The ArboretumandRMOLL,bothfoundedin1996,coverapproximately There are multipleentry points adjacent to theaccessible parking area. Engraved cobbles linethepathsandgardenbeds. A formal archway framestheentrance fromWest Street. 3 1 2 Existing Conditions
Footpath alongthetop ofthelevee Footpath End 6 5 4 2 7 north continues Daniels Trail Jonathan 3 Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. 1 Facing north,theentrance to theJonathanDanielsTrail. outdoor learninglaboratory. Facing north,afootpath runsalongthetop ofthelevee inthe viewing areaintheRMOLL Standing on thesuspensionbridgefacing west toward thedam volunteers. There aresignsthroughouttheparkto acknowledge andsolicit 6 4 5 7
4/40 Existing Conditions Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu broad Main Street. the wideningofcentral thoroughfare,givingKeeneitsdistinct began in1736,withthe constructionofasawmillonBeaverBrookand settle inthetownandmake improvements.Developmentofthearea the northofriver.Land wasgrantedtoanyonewhowilling Northfield. Keene,known thenas"UpperAshuelot,"wascreatedto creating sevennewtowns, includingtwoontheAshuelotRiverabove Belcher ofMassachusettsurgedexpansionto the north.Heproposed many oftheeasterntownshadbecomeoverpopulated andGovernor to layouttownshipsalongthebanksofAshuelot River.Atthistime, In 1733,twosurveyteamsfromthecolonyofMassachusetts weresent and landalongthebankscontinuetobeaplace ofbeauty. runs throughtheAshuelotRiverPark.Despite these changes,theriver Ashuelot RiverPark'sWest Streetentrancearea.Currently,theriver along West Street.Someofthisnewlandbecameincorporatedintothe mill pondswerefilledtomakeroomforcommercialdevelopments around theriverhadbeenclearedforfieldsandpastures.Theformer harmed wildlife.Bythestartoftwentiethcentury,muchland and commercialactivity.Industrialwastedegradedwaterquality continued toindustrialize,theriverbeganbeaffectedbyresidential footing whendredgingtherivertokeepitnavigablebyboats.AsKeene trails areremnantsofthepathscreatedtoprovidemuleswithsolid as doesthenetworkoftrailsweavingthroughfloodplain.These it remainsahistoric generates power, icon for many residents ofKeene, including theWest StreetMill.WhiletheWest StreetDam nolonger teenth century,manyindustrieswerepoweredbytheAshuelotRiver, settlement continuingtotheuppervalleybylate1700s.Innine- river valleywaslatercolonizedbyEuropeansintheearly1700s,with River Valley wasfirstinhabitedbytheSquakheagpeople.Thelower nock RegionofNewHampshire.ThesouthernportiontheAshuelot the ConnecticutRiverandhashelpedshapehistoryofMonad- Ashuelot Riverflowsfiftymilesfrom Washingtontoitsoutflowinto Referred toas"theplacebetween"bythePennacookpeople, need tobepreparedwithstandchangingconditions. change, boththecommunityandbelovedAshuelotRiverParkwill been apartofKeene'sidentityandhistory,butinthefaceclimate latter ofwhicharelocatedintheheartcity.Thisparkhaslong ested wetlands,trails,bikepaths,anArboretum,andtheRMOLL, ment intoawell-lovedcommunityresourcethatspans175acresoffor- were offeredtothecity.Theseprinciplesguidedpark'sdevelop been thefoundationofthisparksince1960whenfirst46acres fort andasenseofplace.Community,education,stewardshiphave the refreshingmistfromAshuelotRiver,theyfeelasenseofcom- listen tothesoundsofrunningwaterandbirdschirping,feel downtown Keene.AsvisitorssitbesidethehistoricWest StreetDam, parking lots.Theparkoffersanescapefromthehustleandbustleof isolated greenoasisthatislinedontwosidesbyroads,highways,and The entireAshuelotRiverParkabutstheandactsasan Keene, New Hampshire The Ashuelot River "A GreenOasis" History - between waters"or"collectionofmany waters." Ashuelot isan Abenaki word meaning"place RMOLL. (From"TheLandBetween:ACelebrationoftheAshuelotRiveranditsPark"1998) Photos showinggardenandtreeplantingsinthenewlyestablishedarboretumbyFriendsofAshuelotRiverPark andothervolunteersaswellstudentresearchinthe The vibrantandlivelycenterofdowntownKeene,NH. Ashuelot River fromWest Swanzey, NH,duringtheearly1900s. - HistoricalSocietyofCheshireCounty Community involvement andstewardshipplayed aprominentroleinthe park'sestablishment. Historic photoofWest StreetMillintheearlynineteenthcentury. Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey.
5/40 History Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu knowledge ofthenaturalenvironment.Whenparkwasfirstestablished can improvebothpeople'smentalhealthandphysicalincrease Outdoor interactions are cultivated from a young age and these connections public K-12schoolsarealsowithinaquartermiletohalfofthepark. der livewithinaquartermiletohalfoftheAshuelotRiverPark.Most or bicycleinfrastructure.MostchildrenintheCityofKeeneages17andun centrally locatedtheremaybeotherfactors,suchasinsufficientpedestrian it doesnotconnecttotheschoolssouth.Therefore,despiteparkbeing spondents saidtheydrivetothepark.Thoughthereisabiketrailnetwork, live withinlessthanamiletofivemilesofthepark.However,over50%re Based ontheonlinesurveyresults,over74%ofrespondentssaidthatthey in thecentralandsouthernportionsofcity. population densityofroughly624peoplepersquaremile,withmostliving the sixthlargestcityinNewHampshire.Spanningover37miles,Keenehasa Keene hasapopulationofapproximately23,146peopleas2020anditis Distance oflow income peopleper census fromthepark. block Demographics - - densely developeddowntownandresidentialareas. is thereforeanimportantresource,offeringagreenrefugefromthemore in thecity,manylowincomeindividualsdohappentolivenearby.Thepark space (seeheatislandsheet9).However,duetothepark'scentrallocation in areasmostvulnerabletourbanheatislandswithlimitedaccessgreen of greenspaceisunequal.Manylowincomeindividualsinothercitieslive places greatervalueonexistingparks.Inmanyurbanareas,thedistribution there isalimitedamountofpubliclyaccessiblegreenspaceinKeene,which Most of these areas line up where children 17 and under areliving. Generally, Many people(earning$30,000peryearorless)livewithinamileofthepark. such asstudentresearch. River. Currently,thereislimiteduseoftheRMOLLforeducationalpurposes, larly pertainingtothedeclineofdwarfwedgemusselinAshuelot there wasaprolificresearchcomponentforhighschoolstudents,particu shown red. in Most aquarter within live children mileorlessofthe park.Area offocus for master this plan Distance under17per census ofchildren to block the parkanddistance to ofschools thepark. - Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. Most respondents to driveto theonline survey the park, despite livingnearby. Most respondents to live close to theonline survey the park.
6/40 Demographics Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu 07/01/20 13:09 people feelwelcome.OppenheimerParkislocatedwithinoneofthe spaces andresourcesthatmakehousing-insecureindividualsall bia, andEddieMaestasParkinDenver,Colorado,containinclusive Public parkssuchas,OppenheimerParkinVancouver, BritishColum park needstobeaplacethatisaccessibleandsafeallpeople. secure individuals.Withthenotionofsocialresilienceinmind,this conditions downtown,whichiswhyitusedbysomanyhousing-in space thatprovidescoolingrelieffromthesometimesstiflingandhot The AshuelotRiverParkactsasacomfortableandattractivegreen fortable incertainspacesandmayfeelliketheydonothaveavoice. and becauseofthismanyhomelessindividualsmayalsofeeluncom Unfortunately, thereisastigmasurroundinghomelessnessinKeene, participation insocial,educational,andeconomicopportunities. that everyindividualorgroupisentitledtofairandequalrights to resilienceasitisasocialjusticeissue.Socialthebelief The issueofhomelessnessintheAshuelotRiverParkdirectlyrelates agencies (NRPA, 2017"HomelessnessinParksSurvey"). can putgreatpressureonthefiniteresourcesofparksandrecreation hand, theprevalenceofhomelessindividualsusingparkresources community, providingvaluableservicestoall.However,ontheother versial. Ontheonehand,publicparksareresourcesforentire addressing issuesofhomelessnessinpublicparkshasbeencontro and maintainregularsafe,secure,adequatehousing.Historically, People whoarehousing-insecuremostoftenunabletoacquire visitors totheAshuelotRiverPark. demographics map).Manyhousing-insecureindividualsarefrequent poverty lineandevenmoreareconsideredlowincome(see Of thetotalpopulationinKeene,approximately13.7%livebelow "One HundredNights" homelessshelter inKeene, NHopenfrommid- November to mid-April. Social Context Social - - - - Community Kitchen,eastofthepark. of theseindividuals,italsoprovidesaconvenientconnectiontothe Ashuelot River.Thoughtheparkisarefugefromdowntownformany include nearthetrailsinRMOLLandoutsideparkalong secure individualswithinandneartheAshuelotRiverPark.These The mapontherightshowsmaincampoutareasofhousing-in • • • • • matize homelessnessinpublicspacesinclude: actions andstrategiesforlandscapedesignersplannerstodestig- According toASLA's"DesigningwiththeHomeless"report,some behavior andmayalsoensuregreaterinclusion. es inthepark.Work opportunitiesmaydiscourageinappropriate volunteers tomaintaingardenbedsandperhapslearnaboutresourc ing-insecure peoplewithintheparkcouldbetohirethemaspart-time gazebo andalongthetrails.Anotherwayofaccommodatinghous improved, particularlyinwoodedareasneartheconiferbedsand Page, 2019).LinesofsightintothearboretumandRMOLLcanbe individuals arereceivingthecareandresourcestheyneed(Kingery- by partneringwithnearbysoupkitchensandshelterstoensurethese crease safety.EddieMaestasParkoffersinclusionofhomelesspeople The newdesignfortheparkfocusesonopeningsightlinestoin park, priortothe2010reconstruction,includeddruguseandsafety. least affluentdistrictsinthecityof Vancouver.Majorissueswiththe
Understanding themanypointsofviewshomelessindividuals. Working todispelmythsandfearsabouthomelessness. worth andvalue. Creating forumsforhomelessindividualstoremindthemoftheir less individuals. Advocating forlocalmunicipalitiesandnon-profitstohelphome Understanding conditionssurroundinghomelessness. Homeless camp site inKeene, NH. - - - - - enjoyment ofparkresources. Many respondents to agreethatthepresence theonlinesurvey ofhomelessindividualsimpactsuseor 10 15 20 25 30 35 0 5 Strongly agree Strongly Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. Please selecthowstronglyPlease you agreedisagree following or the with cross fromtheRMOLL trailto get to theCommunity Kitchen. Homeless camping areasintheparkandlocation ofthe CommunityKitchen. Many The homeless population makes you feel uncomfortable or concerned for your safety your for concerned or uncomfortable feel you makes population homeless The park the of areas some of enjoyment or use your influences population homeless The Agree statements Camping areas Neutral Disagree Kitchen Community Strongly disagree Strongly
7/40 Social Context Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu city busdoesdrivebytheparkentrance. for gettingtotheparkeventhoughsome userslivenearbyandthe According totheonlinesurvey,drivingisprimary methodvisitorsuse Mascoma banklots,althoughtheselotsaretechnicallyforcustomers. the Arboretum'seastside.VisitorsmightalsoparkinStarbucksor spaces designatedforparkvisitorsintheMascomaBankParkinglotalong into downtownKeene.Thereareaccessibleandnon-accessibleparking River ParkviaWest Street,whichcontinuestotheeastaboutahalfmile for vehiclesfromoutsideofKeene.Vehicles primarilyaccessAshuelot south andNHRoutes12&9tothenorthprovideeasyaccesspark near thejunctionsofmajorstateandlocalroads,NHRoute101to The AshuelotRiverParkiscentrallylocatedforvehicleaccess.Located Roads oad lass oad oads ide al s t er orridors tate ide orridors egional oads ocal onnectors ocal t er Par iver s uelot Project rea eene of ity ivers rails 10 20 30 40 50 60 Transportation Access 0 Would you live anyto events see park? these of the in 0 1 2 3
4 Miles West Street reservedforparkusers. idling signscouldbeinstalled intheMascomaBankparkingspaceson reduce theemissionsfrom carsusedtoaccessAshuelotRiverPark,no visitors fromusingthese alternatemodesoftransportation.To further er, furtherresearchshouldbeconductedtoexamine whatispreventing emissions fromcars,particularlythosetraveling shortdistances.Howev- and addingbikeracks,abusstopcouldreduce greenhousegas alternate formsoftransportationlikecitybuses, biking,andwalking, in abike-a-thoneventtobebasedAshuelot River Park.Encouraging cles. Resultsfromthesurveyshowedthat22% of peopleareinterested than ablockaway.Theparkiseasilyaccessible forpedestriansandbicy south, theCheshireRecreationandAshuelot Trails areless begins intheArboretumandcontinuesnorthto AppleWay. To the Keene. TheJonathanDanielstrail,usedbypedestrians andbicyclists, The AshuelotRiverParkiscentrallylocatedbetween trailnetworksin Trails enter thepark. east bysidewalk,makingiteasyforpedestriansandnon-autousersto entrance toAshuelotRiverParkisaccessiblefromthewest,south,and a quartermileorlessofthepark(seeDemographicspage6).Themain less thanahalfmileaway.Manyresidencesandbusinessesarewithin which hasthegreatestconcentrationofsidewalksincityandis The AshuelotRiverparkisconnectedbysidewalkstodowntownKeene, Sidewalks ¯ oad lass oad oads ide al s orridors tate ide orridors egional oads ocal t er Par iver s uelot Project rea eene of ity ivers rails 0 Jonathan Daniels Trail 0.25 - Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. 0.5 West Street Miles Starbucks Mascoma Bank ¯
8/40 Transportation Access Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu over time,potentially alteringthecurrent riverchannel. sediment will continueasthemagnitude anddurationofflows flux dynamics influenced bychannelmaterials. Erosionanddeposition of lished floodplainforest upstreamofthedamareevidencefluvial impediments. Multiple channels oftheAshuelotRiverandestab of theWest Streetdamunrestrained bybedrockorothergeologic The AshuelotRivertoday meandersthroughthesedepositsupstream (Natural ResourceInventory2010). River, organicmatterandtopsoilbegantoform overalluvialdeposits of years.WhentheAshuelotRiverbegantoflow intotheConnecticut the formationofglacialLakeAshuelotanditspresence forthousands Keene. Layersofsedimentationabovetheseglacial depositsindicate boulders toclayparticlesandcanreachdepths ofupto125feetbelow Above thegranitebedrock,unstratifiedglacial tillcanvaryinsizefrom deposits, drumlins,potholes,andvarvedclaydeposits. of glacialactivityisdemonstratedalongtheriver intheformofdelta into theConnecticutRiversouthwestofKeene atHinsdale.Evidence in theregiontoday.WhatremainsisAshuelotRiver,whichdrains cated today.Fluvialerosionanddepositionshapedthelandformsseen Lake AshuelotformedovertheregionwherecityofKeeneislo cene epochabout12,000yearsago.Astheicesheetretreated,glacial with iceduringthemostrecentglaciationatendofPleisto- formed duringthelateOrdovicianperiod.Theregionwascovered The AshuelotRiverParkislocatedaboveplutonicgranitebedrockthat Geologic Context Geologic AndWatershedGeologic Context Granite - - Lithology Geology edrock County Cheshire 0 the river. establishing riparianbufferstocapture pollutantsbefore runoff enters Ashuelot Riverbytreating runofffromhotimperioussurfacesand communities likeKeene couldhelptoremediatethisconditionofthe ants thatchangethechemical compositionofthewater.Upstream ed pHcouldresultfrom increasedwatertemperaturesand/orpollut- impaired statusdueto elevated pHforaquaticlifeintegrity.Anelevat- shire asanimpairedriver.In2019,theAshuelot Riverwasgivenan through Hinsdale,NewHampshire,islistedby the stateofNewHamp Currently, thesouthernstretchofAshuelot Riverthatflows not beenmajorfloodingreportedsinceitwas built. Ashuelot Riverthatflowsthrough Parkandtherehas dam greatlyregulatestheflowofdownstream sectionofthe in 1941aftersubstantialfloodingoccurred downtown Keene.This Surry MountainDamislocatednorthofthepark. Thelatterwasbuilt The AshuelotRiverParkisadjacenttotheWest StreetDamandthe 2019). watershed (NewHampshireDepartmentofEnvironmentalServices, the diversityofspeciesthatexistwithinentireConnecticutRiver uge Act,whichwaspassedin1991toconserve,protect,andenhance River wasincludedintheSilvioO.ConteNationalFishandWildlifeRef age basinofabout415squaremilesandis64long.TheAshuelot The AshuelotRiver,atributaryoftheConnecticuthasdrain Watershed Context Cheshire County County Cheshire Tonalite Slate Schist Quartzite diorite Quartz rock Metasomatic rock Metamorphic Marble Granofels Granodiorite Granite Conglomerate Keene Park River Ashuelot 3 6 9 12 Miles ¯ - - - an buffers. by treatingrunoff,ensuringbankstabilization, andestablishingripari Designs forAshuelotRiverParkshouldminimize downstreamimpacts mentioned abovesincethe2006testresults. allowed inawaterbody.Thereisnodataavailableforthesechemicals mum dailyload(TMDL),whichisalegallimitofnutrientorpollutant as a5-Mimpairedstreaminpoorconditionthatneededtotalmaxi levels ofthesechemicalsand,asaresult,theAshuelotRiverwaslisted thalene, DDE,andDieldrin.Initialtestingin2006showedelevated for variouschemicalsincludingAcenaphthene,DDD,2-Methylnaph dale wasreclassifiedinJanuary2020as3-ND,whichmeansnodata, The southernportionoftheAshuelotRiverthatflowsthroughHins Hinsdale Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. & West StreetDam Ashuelot RiverPark Dam Surry Mountain - - - -
9/40 Geologic & Watershed context Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu Soils oftheentire AshuelotRiver Park. Project focus areashown inred.The mainsoiltypes for theproject focus areaareoutlinedinblack. are excessivelydrained.Thesoilsinthenorthernportionofpark, development. ThesoilsintheRMOLLareSuncookLoamySand,which likely filledwithdisplacedsoilsanddebrisfromnearbycommercial was graduallyfilledinwhenthe West StreetMillclosedin1954;itwas southern halfoftheArboretumissiteaformermillpondthat Complex (shownindarkgreen).Thissoilisalsopoorlydrained.The ern halfoftheArboretumcontainspredominantlyRippowamSaco and supportswetlandfloodplainforestcommunities.Thenorth (shown ingray).Thissoilispoorlydrainedwithfrequentponding master plan'sareaoffocus,ispredominantlyOssippeeMuckyPeat The northernhalfoftheAshuelotRiverPark,notincludedinthis Soils - do nothaveanyoverlappingspecies.SuncookLoamySandsoilsin classes andcharacteristics,bothsupportfloodplainecosystems,but Though thesoilsinArboretumandRMOLLhavedifferentdrainage powam SacoComplexfoundinthenorthernhalfofArboretum. drained floodplainclay-likesoils.ThesesoilqualitiesareevidentinRip The glacialmeltwaterinKeenecontributedpredominantlytopoorly Sand, locatedoutsidetheareaoffocus,isalsoexcessivelydrained. plex andFineSandyLoam,whicharepoorlydrained.CaesarLoamy between theArboretumandnorthernhalfareRippowamSacoCom- Legend Occume FineSandyLoam Suncook LoamySand Rippowam SacoComplex Soil Backfill - Soils ofprojectfocus area. replacements areneededfortreesinpoororfaircondition thrive. Itisalsohelpfultohavebackuptreesinmindtheeventthat selecting newtreesforplanting,asthiscanhelpensurethatthe types oftreespeciesthattoleratethesesoilconditionsiscriticalwhen and gneiss,supportredmaple,willow,aldertrees.Knowingthe in thenorthernhalfofArboretum,whichformedfromgranite cottonwood, aspen,andsilvermaple.RippowamSacoComplexsoils the RMOLL,foundinwoodedpastures,supporttreeslikesycamore, Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey.
10/ Soils Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu of thislarger,formerwetlandecosystem. plain naturalcommunitieswithintheAshuelotRiverParkareremnants its naturalresourcesandecosystemservices.Thewetlandflood infrastructure wasbuilttocontrolflooding,Keenelostagreatdealof many floodplainforestsandwetlandsweredraineddeveloped complex wetlandsandthrivingfarmingfishingindustries.After built ontheAshuelotRiverfloodplainandregularfloodingsupported clay-like, poorlydrainingsoils(seeSoilsAnalysis,sheet10).Keenewas the areaheldglacialmeltwater,whichcontributedtodepositionof Keene islocatedatthebottomofwhatwasformerlyaglaciallakeand removing thedamcouldresultinlossofthesewetlandareas. dam doespreservetheimportantwetlandcommunitiesupstreamand communities. Althoughforsomeaquaticspeciesthisisabarrier,the is abreakintheriverthatdividesupstreamanddownstreamnatural forcing thewaterdownstreamtoflowfaster.The West StreetDam park, butalsoeliminatesfloodstorageduetoriverbankchannelization, prevent overtoppingofbanks,whichminimizesfloodingsouththe The AshuelotRiverhasbeendredgedneartheWest StreetDamto areas andprotectingexistingvegetationwildlife. are preservedbypreventingconstructionandregradingwithinthese less, thecityneedstoensurethatthesevaluablenaturalcommunities from climatechangewillbesomewhatcustomized(Erwin land typesandtheirindividualcharacteristics,theimpactsresulting characteristics andfunctionsofwetlands.Giventhediversitywet- precipitation eventsduetoclimatechangewillalterthehydrologic difficult topredicthowincreasedfrequencyofstormsandmoresevere to protectthehighlyimperviousdowntownareafromflooding.Itis with poorlydraininghydricsoilsandofferfloodstoragewhichhelps excessive flooding. Wetlands andfloodplainforestsarefoundinareas filter stormwaterrunofffromadjacentdevelopedareas,andmitigate lot RiverPark.Theseecosystemssupportdiverseplantcommunities, Floodplain forestandshrubbymarshwetlandscoversthelargerAshue- A. WestA. Street Dam Priority Ecosystems ). Neverthe- B. FloodplainForest - impervious and urbanizedimpervious downtown area. Most oftheAshuelotRiverPark iscovered withshrubby marshwetlands andfloodplain forest. Thesepriorityecosystems area stark contrast to thehighly A the east andwest. Theareaoffocus for this master plan isshown inpink. The entire parkisinthemiddleofawideflat valley, wherethe wetlands arelocated, with steeply slopednorth- southuplands to B River Park. these naturalecosystems arepresent just northofthisfocus area,extending throughoutmuchofthe largerAshuelot The focus areafor donotcontain thisproject,theArboretum andRMOLL, wetlands orfloodplain forest. However, Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. A B Focus Area
11/ Priority Ecosystems Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith
88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu withstand floodingandvegetationcouldbeaddedtoareascurrently area couldoccur.Structuresandwalkwaysshouldbedesignedto of theArboretum,itisimportanttorecognizethatfloodinginthis floodplain. Whenconsideringimprovementstothenorthernsection retum doeshavealargearealocatedinboththe100-and500-year The adjacent,rarelyusedparkinglottothenortheastofArbo the kayaklaunchandnortheastareaalongpropertyboundary. elevated abovebothfloodplainsexceptforthenorthernportionby blue andthe500-yearfloodplaininorange.TheArboretumismostly On theaccompanyingmaps,100-yearfloodplainisindicatedin Ashuelot RiverParkthatfallwithinboth100-and500-yearfloodplains. Based onthe2006FEMAfloodmap,therearelargeareasof A urban developments. Section A-A` acrosstheCityof Keene shows thatthefloodplainof AshuelotRiverisatthe lowest elevation betweendense A Flood Zones Flood Surry Mountain Dam Surry Mountain - A A’ hazards associatedwithflooding.Signsandeducationaltoursinthis port thefloodplainecosystemresponsetoafloodeventandreduce vegetation andminimizingman-madestructuresinthisareawillsup- Maintaining theRMOLLinanaturalstatebypreservingfloodplain events butdoesnotprotecttheRMOLLfrom500-yearfloodevents. West StreetDam.Thismayreducefloodrisksfrom100-year runs 1,750feetalongthewestsideofAshuelotRivernorth The RMOLLislocatedinthe100-and500-yearfloodplains.Alevee Ashuelot River. tion wouldalsohelptostabilizethesoilsandcreatehabitatalong maintained aslawntoreducethevelocityoffloodwaters. Vegeta- A’ ability ofthelocalecosystemtorespondaflooddisturbance. and enhancingriparianfloodplainforestsintheregionincreases prepare forpotentialfloodingintheAshuelotRiverPark.Maintaining creases inthefrequencyof100-and500-yearstorms,itisimportantto and theAshuelotRiverPark.Givenclimatechangepredictedin- regulates thevolumeofwaterflowingdownstreamthroughKeene Engineers tocontrolfloodingdownstream.TheSurryMountainDam Surry MountainDam,whichwasbuiltin1941bytheArmyCorpsof It isimportanttonotethatupstreamoftheAshuelotRiverPark location couldexplainecosystemfunctionsofafloodplainforest. Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. Kayak Launch
12/ Flood Zones Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu property line.Therust color islikely ironseepanditisevident atthedischargepoint into theAshuelotRiver. Photographs ofthestormwater outfall downstream from West Street Dam,just southoftheRMOLLwestern and chemicals. tion canbeintheformofnutrients,sediment,temperature,bacteria, therefore, managingstormwatercanpreventwaterpollution.Pollu- pollutants enterwaterbodiesdirectlythroughstormwaterrunoffand, pollutants, suchasfertilizerfromlawnsoroilroadways.Many a waterbody.Asitrunsoverthesesurfaces,stormwatercanpickup flows overthegroundsurfaceintostormwaterpipesordirectly When soilsaresaturatedorthesurfaceisimpermeable,stormwater filtered priortorecharginggroundwaterorflowingintostreams. rous surfacelikevegetatedground,itissloweddown,cooled,and When stormwaterresultingfromaprecipitationeventhitspo A Stormwater - water aredischargedintosensitivefloodplainareas,potentiallycaus and theriveritself.Additionally,duringraineventslargevolumesof potentially carrypollutantsandheatedwaterintoAshuelotRiverPark are sourcesofuntreatedstormwaterfromurbanenvironmentsand inates fromthecommercialdevelopmenttowest.Theseoutfalls is adirectdischargeofstormwaterintotheAshuelotRiverthatorig- Ashuelot RiverPark.SouthoftheRMOLLpropertyboundarythere treated stormwaterintotheeasternfloodplainforestadjacentto there aretworesidentialneighborhoodswhereoutfallsdischargeun- discharge intotheArboretumorRMOLL.Farthernorth,however, The stormwatersystemforKeenedoesnothaveanyoutfallsthat A - ment, andabsorbingnutrients. water qualitybyslowingdownwater,reducingerosion,catchingsedi- the northernArboretumriverbankswillalsocontributetoimproving human usesandriverecosystems.Theadditionofvegetationalong Ashuelot RiverParkandtheriverwillimprovewaterqualityforboth Treating andreducingthevolumeofstormwaterbeforeitenters plain forestsmaybeneededwherethestormwaterisdischarged. In thenorthernportionsofAshuelotRiverPark,restorationflood charges undertheWest StreetBridgeintotheAshuelotRiver. Parking spacesentersastormwaterdraineastoftheparkthatdis- ing erosionandturbiditydownstream.StormwaterfromtheAshuelot A Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. -
13/40 Stormwater Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu ral ecosystemprocesses(seefloodinganalysispage12). RMOLL shouldbediscouragedasfurtherinfrastructuredisruptsnatu- some floodingintothecity,butadditionalbuiltstructuresin The vegetatedleveeintheRMOLLshownyellowhelpsmitigate that contributestoponding(showninred)theparkfromrunoff. dens andswalestoeffectivelycapturestoretheexcessrainwater to increaseopportunitiesforgreeninfrastructure,suchasraingar- increase runoffintotheAshuelotRiver.TheCityofKeeneshouldlook Increased precipitationeventsasaresultofclimatechangewilllikely to soilcompaction. northern partoftheJonathanDanielsTrail (markedinred)issubject ing lotwhereitpoolsatthesouthwesternArboretumboundary.The storm drainsystem.Water moveswesttowardstheStarbuckspark parking lotmovessouthtowardsWest Streetwhereitentersthecity 100-year floodplainandsubjecttopooling. Water fromtheStarbucks the Arboretumabuttingabandonedparkinglotarewithin not appeartoexperiencepooling.Thetrailsinthenorthernpartof the flatterareasofArboretum,producesminimalrunoffanddoes vegetated areascanincreasefiltrationofrunoff.Thelandcoverwithin duce erosionandofferssomefiltration.Expandingthewidthofthese predominantly invasivevegetation,likebittersweet,whichhelpstore- Arboretum intotheAshuelotRiver.Thesebanksarecoveredwith Water movesdownthesteepbanksofRMOLLandnorthern Slopes anddrainage - Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. Slopes %Grade Low Point Pooling River Movement Direction of Flow Levee Dam >20% 15-20% 10-15% 5-10% 0-5%
14/40 Slopes & Drainage Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu other serioushealthafflictions(EPA.gov/heat-island). creased levelsofozonepollution,whichcancauseasthmaattacks,heatstroke,and drought, andhumidity.Additionally,extremeheatdaysareassociatedwithin- Northeast, itisprojectedthattherewillbeasignificantincreaseinheatwaves, documenting temperaturetrendsandcalculatingprojectionsforthefuture.In Numerous scientists,includingtheUnionofConcernedScientists,havebeen effect, makingthetemperaturesmorebearableforbothhumansandwildlife. critical communityresourcesthathelptomitigatetheimpactsofheatisland leasing moistureintotheairduringtranspiration.Forthisreason,greenspacesare air temperaturesbycapturingsolarradiation,shadingthegroundbelowandre- as theheatislandeffect. Vegetation, especiallylargecanopytrees,helpsregulate urban areas,absorbsandradiatesheat,raisingtheairtemperatures.Thisisknown Impervious cover,especiallydenseconcentrationsofimperviouscoverasfoundin above thesection reflects the temperature changes indifferent landuse conditions. island effect peaks inthe commercial andindustrial sectionsof the city, andgradually subsides intheruralparts ofthecityTheblackline Adapted fromTheEffect ofRapidUrbanization onthe Physical Modification ofUrbanAreas. Thecrosssection illustrates howthe heat Heat Island Effect most likelytoexperienceheatduringprojectedextremedays. concentration anddistributionoflandcovertypes,thesemapsillustratetheareas These mapsareconceptualrepresentationsofheatislandvulnerability.Using from imperviousareas. extensive canopycover,itsproximitytootherforestedspaces,anddistance heat intothepark.TheRMOLLappearstobeconsiderablycooler,likelydueits to thedenseimperviouscoverofroadandadjacentparkingareasradiating due tothedensityoftreecover;however,southernArboretumisveryhot, Ashuelot RiverParkisshownonthemapbelowascoolerthandowntownareas, Within Keene,theheatislandeffectisgreatestarounddowntownarea.The The AshuelotRiver Park appearssignificantly coolerthan thesurroundingarea. Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. statesatrisk.org. (over 90°F)areexpected to increaseto over 40daysayear. Source: The UnionofConcerned Scientists projectsthat heatdays extreme
15/ Heat Island Effect Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu tional opportunities. fined bythe75-footbufferzonewhileoffering recreationandeduca changed toimprovetheecologicalfunctionof theriparianareade- RMOLL. Throughdesign,pathsandviewingareas canbeaddedor an habitatwouldimprovecurrentconditionsin theArboretumand that stabilizesbanks,capturessurfacerunoff, and providesripari water overlayprotectiondistrict.Restorationof the75-footbuffer ments withinthe75-footbufferofsurfacewaters A conditionalusepermitisneededfornewstormwaterimprove- quality improvementpurposes(Sec.102-1481). adjacent bufferareastoprovidetreatmentofsurfacerunoffforwater lutants. Itisalsointendedtopreservetheabilityofsurfacewaterand and toallowbio-remediationofexcessnutrientsintroducedpol- to moderatewatertemperaturefluctuationsofsurfacebodies, fer areasisintendedtoslowstormwaterflow,facilitateinfiltration, Maintaining vegetativecoveraroundsurfacewatersandadjacentbuf (Sec. 102-1481). protect thequalityandconnectivityofwildlifehabitatcorridors health andholdingcapacityofnaturalsurfacegroundwaters, tion ofwaterqualityassociatedwithstormwaterrunoff,maintainthe within thebuffersassociatedwiththemandtopreventdeteriora trict istoprotectthefunctionsandvaluesofsurfacewatersareas red twigdogwood,crabapple,andhawthorn.Thepurposeofthisdis- invasive speciessuchashoneysuckleandbittersweetwellnative (pg. 224,220).Thecurrentvegetationwithinthebufferconsistsof which istoremainvegetatedinanundisturbedandnaturalcondition district establishesa75-footbufferzonesurroundingsurfacewaters, ter protectionoverlaydistrictoverlayingallotherzoningdistricts.This Article XVIoftheKeeneZoningOrdinancesestablishesasurfacewa Surface Water ProtectionOverlayDistrict zone includetrailsandeducationalactivities,suchassigns. are otherwiseprotectedfromdevelopment.Activitiesallowedinthis development rightstolandsintheConservationZoneorthese servation Commission.TheConservationCommissionretainsthe are subjecttothesiteplanreviewprocessandbyCon erty boundarysetbacksfornewstructures.Anyproposedactivities The AshuelotRiverParkiszonedConservationandhas50-footprop Zoning Keene Ordinances Regulations ------and feedbackondesign plansandpermittingneeds. natural resources,the commissioncanprovideinsight planning processcontinues. Focusedonprotecting Commission isapotential resourceasthemaster in the Ashuelot RiverPark.Keene’s Conservation permitting maybeneededtoundertake newprojects With localKeeneordinancesandstateregulations, Figu regionsthese and are explained buffer woodland reference line removal of ground cover, shrubs T fruits provided by native in found typically bushes water and lakes rivers. the oils, Stormwaterrunoff is water from rain or melting snow that does systema combination is of each of us As communitiesgrow and New Hampshire’slandscape changes, the quality of our publicwaters depends on New Hampshire’s SP o protecto waterquality andhabit wildlife From New Hampshire Department of Environmental "Vegetation Services Management for Water Quality." added toestablishanaturalwoodland. must beallowedtogrowinanunalteredstate.Vegetation maybe zone, thoughvegetationincludingtrees,shrubsandgroundcovers woodland. Thisareacanbedistributedacrossthewoodlandbuffer buffer zone.25percentofthiszoneareamustbemanagedasnatural Between 50and150feetfromthereferencelineiswoodland Woodland Bufferzone the bottomthirdoftreesispermittedtoachieveviews. Shrubs maynotbetrimmedtoaheightoflessthan3feetandpruning a >12-inchdiameterscoring15points,thegreatestpointcategory. ground. Diametersaredividedintofourcategoriesofpointswith Trees areawardedpointsbasedontheirdiameterat4.5feetabove achieve 25pointsperby50-footgridsectionalongthewaterbody. be removedinthiszone.Trees andsaplingsshouldbemanagedto feet isthewaterfrontbufferzone.Shrubsandgroundcoversmaynot From thereferenceline,orhigh-waterelevation,extendingback50 Waterfront Buffer associated requirements. and woodlandbufferzonesadjacenttothepublicwaterbodywith The ShorelandWater QualityProtectionActestablisheswaterfront Vegetation isencouragedandnotallnewplantingsrequireapermit. cent oftheparcelwithoutrequiringstormwaterremediationsystems. of publicwaters.Impervioussurfacesarelimitedtolessthan20per Protection Act.Theintentofthislegislationistoprotecttheintegrity rivers, isregulatedunderNewHampshire’sShorelandWater Quality ies, includingfourthorderandgreaterstreamsmostdesignated Land within250feetofthereferencelineprotectedwaterbod Shoreland Water QualityProtection Act - 5 re 1 re 1
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16/40 Regulations Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu ed toprovidedrinkingwaterinacentrallocation. be relocatedtoamorevisiblelocation.Awater linecouldbeextend- ern portionoftheArboretumthatneedsrepair andcouldpotentially sewer main.Thereisaclosedcompostingtoilet locatedinthenorth- Composting toiletscouldprovideanalternative toconnectingthe irrigation water,butthereisnotasewerconnectionintothepark. border oftheArboretum.Currently,awaterconnectionprovides The waterandsewermainsarealongWest Street,thesouthern West Street Water and Sewer Closed composting toilet in northernArboretum Utilities Water Main Connection Toilet Composting Old vent crown dieback andprotectthe healthofthetree. extend atleasttotheedge ofthecanopytree)willhelppre- If excavatingforanew water line,protectingtreeroots(which potable watertoa bottlefillingstationorwaterfountain. supply main,thereispotential toconnectaseparatelinesupply Because theArboretum irrigationsystemconnectstothewater ate bothwetanddryconditions.(Seeplantlists onpages35-38.) are adaptedtowetconditions. are also There species that can toler- Drought-tolerant plantsdonotneedasmuchwater asthosethat porate plantsthatcantolerateawiderangeof moistureconditions. ing waterusage.Anotherstrategytoreduce useistoincor- den bedsallowingwaterdripintotherootzones ofplants,reduc- evaporation. Alternatively,dripirrigationcould beinstalledingar- in theearlymorningsoreveningswhenthereis lesspotentialfor runoff, andoverwatering.Itisimportanttooperate thesystem head sprinklersystemscanbeinefficientdue toevaporation,water the perennialbeds.Irrigationdoesnotextend totheRMOLL.Over- new systemisdependableandirrigatesboththelawnareas ed tocitywaterinthesoutheastportionofpark.Thisrelatively The Arboretumhasasprinklerirrigationsystem,whichisconnect- Sprinkler Irrigation Line Water Line Irrigation N operating costslongterm. these safetylightscouldreducedependencyon fossilfuelsandlower ing renewableenergyoptionslikesolartooffsettheelectricaluseof The lightsincreasevisibilityandsafetyintheparkatnight.Consider- tenance shed,whichhastheirrigationcontrolsandapoweroutlet. In theArboretum,thereareoverheadlightsandpowertomain- Power/irrigation shed Typical light inmain Arboretum. Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. and lampposts Quanzite boxes Electricity Pole 75ft N
17/40 Utilities Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu entrances tothepark. ties tofurtherconnecttrailnetworksingeneralandcreateotherformal lot blocksuniversalaccessforpeopleintothepark.Thereareopportuni- (in white)isquiteclosetothepark,gardenbedwestofparking thetic andecosystemservices.Eventhoughtheaccessibleparkinglot the Arboretumandshouldbehighlightedastheyprovideavaluableaes- admiring thegardenbedsandtrees,whicharecentralfeaturesof near theRMOLLandingazebo.Very fewpeoplewereobserved wanted orinappropriatebehaviorbyindividualswithinthewoodedarea Visitors totheparkaredeterredfromusingcertainlocationsdueun ing lotwithsomeparkingintheStarbuckslot. where therearebenches.MostpeopleparkintheMascomaBankpark- were observedgatheringinbothsunnyandshadyareas,butprimarily were observedwalking,biking,andkayakingalongtheriver.People abandoned parkinglotinthenorthernpartofArboretum.People informal entrancesincludealongthetrailinRMOLLandacross (circled inblue)andtheStarbucksparkinglot(inpink).Someof Some otherformalentrancesincludetheMascomaBankparkinglot formal. MostpeopleenterthroughthefrontentranceonWest Street. There aremultiplewaystoenterthepark,someformalandin- are accessible to seniorcitizens andpersonswith disabilities. From onlinesurvey. Most respondents believe parkresources areaccessible, butsomesaynotallresources Access andCirculation A. WestA. Street Parking Lot -
Entrance Starbucks B C Entrance Front A C. Trail Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. entrance near Mascoma Bankto enter the River Ashuelot Park. From survey. online Over 50%ofrespondents they said use the main Mascoma when they Banklot drive to the River Ashuelot Park. From survey. online Roughly 86%ofrespondents they said the parkin B. Pedestrian Bridge
18/ Access & Circulation Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu A. View ofthedam A. the gazeboandconiferbed. ior occurs.TheseareasincludeinthebackpartofRMOLLandnear low visibilityareasastheseplacesareoftenwhereinappropriatebehav- erbanks anddesignatedviewingareas.Itisimportanttoacknowledge river couldbeachievedbyaddingnativevegetationtostabilizetheriv- tween managinginvasivespeciesandprovidingaccesstoviewsofthe amounts ofinvasivespeciesandarepronetoerosion.Abalancebe- views oftheriver,yettheseareasalongriverbankcontainhigh can helptomaintainafeelingofsafety.Visitorsareenamoredwith parked carsandstreettraffic,theydoallowviewsintothepark,which While treesalongtheedgesofArboretumdonotblockviews low. vegetation andstructures.Theselowvisibilityareasareshowninyel- street andfrompathwayswithinthepark,someareasareconcealedby RMOLL overlookingthedam.Thoughmanyareasarevisiblefrom in thepark,includingfrompedestrianbridgeandbenches traffic. VisitorsadmireviewsoftheAshuelotRiverfrommultipleplaces particularly evergreen,toblockviewsofparkinglotsanddowntown of parkedcarsandstreettraffic.Therearenotenoughtallshadetrees, and thewesternboundaryofparkdonotcompletelyblockviews which isrelativelynoisyandhighlytrafficked. Trees along WestStreet Many peopleentertheparkthroughmainentranceonWest Street Views B. View ofthe riveratkayak launch
West StreetDam Seating AreastoView Dam Low VisibilityAreas Negative Views Positive Views A Pedestrian Bridge Conifer BedGazebo C B impact thefunctioningandhabitatvalueofthisfloodplainarea. views intotheRMOLLwouldrequirepruningvegetation;this within theparkcouldimprovesafetyandusage.Openingup Increasing linesofsightandopportunitiesforinformalsurveillance open viewsintotheparkfrompublicspacesalongperiphery. safety andenjoyment.Visualbarrierscouldberemovedwhichwould throughout thearboretumwillcontributetoparkbeingaplaceof Reducing isolatedandhiddenspacesbyincreasingviewsinto 'Eyes onthePark' Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. C. West Street
19/40 Views Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu will increase thepark’s ability toadapt climatechange. tolerate the highertemperaturescurrently foundinzones 6,7,and8 temperature; however,astheclimate warms,selectingspecies that ture climate conditions.Manynative speciesaretolerantof arangeof also importanttoconsider perennialadditionsthatareadaptedtofu- and providehabitat foragefornativepollinatorsandwildlife.Itis ed tothrivewouldadd seasonal color,reducewateringrequirements, tions. Locatingnativeperennials inconditionswheretheyareadapt- native pollinatorsandare adaptedtoregionalenvironmentalcondi- the plantlistsonpages35-38).Additionally,they haveevolvedwith a diversityofchoicesthataretolerantrange ofconditions(See When consideringadditionstoperennialgardens, nativespeciesoffer would alsoreduceevaporationandkeepthesoil fromdryingout. interest andtexturetothegardens.Establishing morevegetation colonizing plantscouldquicklycoveropen,mulched areasandadd weed seedsandpreventthemfromgerminating. Groundcoversand addition ofmoreperennialscouldreduceopen spaceandshadeout Weeding isanongoingchallenge despite mulchingofthebeds.The proach mightbetofindopportunitiesreduce maintenance. maintenance, butmaybedifficulttogarner.Amoresuccessfulap Additional volunteerscouldhelptosharetheburdenofongoing are volunteeredannuallytowardskeepingthegardenslookinggood. Ashuelot RiverParkandvolunteersfromthecommunity.Manyhours Currently, maintenanceofthegardensiscoordinatedbyFriends to theArboretum. native totheregion,butcontributecolor,texture,andaestheticvalue and interesttothelargegardenareas.Mostperennialspeciesarenot accent thearboretumspecimens.Various perennialsaddcharacter Perennial gardenslocatedalongtheedgesandundercanopytrees Perennial Gardens Vegetation Stream Bank Gardens - A Bed the useofcompost orotheramendments. will helpindicatehowto improveexistingsoils,forexamplethrough tions suchaspH,organic matter,andnutrientlevels.Soiltestresults Testing soilsingardenbedswillhelp determinecurrentsoilcondi- Rodgersia Cranesbill Varigated Dogwood Rose AppleMay Annabelle Hyrdrangea Rose Beach Siberian Iris Tickseed Phlox Rizomal Gerranium Peony Colombine Pulmonaria Azalea Easter Flower Barrenwort Solomn's Seal Lilies Daffodils Common Name Geranium macrorrhizum Saxifragaceae Sp Geranium Cornus Alba Podophyllum peltatum Hydrangea arborescens Rosa Rugosa Coreopsis Aquilegia Pulmonaria Hellebore Epimedium Polygonatum Botanical Name D C B Bed Cat Mint Rudebeckia Daffodils Rizomal Gerranium Coral Bells Iris Grasses Lilies Daffodils lilyDay Plantain Lily Daffodils lilyDay Barberry Common Name Narcissus Heucura Narcissus Hosta Narcissus Berberis thunbergii Botanical Name Nepita ment. hazards tohumansandthenaturalenviron- Chemical applicationsareknowntohave persistent specieslikeJapaneseknotweed. ical treatmentsmaybeneededonmore help reduceinvasivepopulations,yetchem- cycle. Mechanicalremovalofspecieswill will likelybedependentonthespecies'life ing ecosystems.Controlofthesespecies the parkandreducethreattosurround- species willhelpnativeplantsregeneratein boretum andRMOLL.Managementofthese Invasive speciesarepresentinboththeAr- Common buckthorn handdrawing. Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. Invasive Species Amur corktree Multiflora rose Common buckthorn Japanese knotweed Japanese honeysuckle Burning bush Autumn olive Bittersweet Japanese barberry Common Name Phellodendron amurense Rosa multiflora Thunb. Rhamnus cathartica L. Reynoutria japonica Lonicera japonica Thunb. Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb. var Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb Berberis thunbergii Botanical Name Invasive speciesalongriverbank. Rupr. 20/ Vegetation Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha
40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu Yellowwood Arboretum Trees Conifer bed Weeping Hemlock North Arboretum picnicrock the soilcanlimittheirgrowth. teach usersaboutthepresenceoftreerootsandhowcompaction under thecanopyoftrees.Additionally,aneducationalsigncould ground coverthattoleratesshadecouldbeusedtodeterfoottraffic and increaseinfiltrationofwaternutrients.Adenselyplanted ing arootprotectionzonesaroundtreeswillreducesoilcompaction potentially impactingrootdevelopmentandtreegrowth.Establish- stricts rootgrowthandinfiltrationofnutrientswaterintosoils, Compaction ofsoilsduetofootandmaintenancevehicletrafficre light. the specimenconiferscouldbemovedtoalocationwithmoresun- be replacedbecausethelargescarmaylimititslifeexpectancy,but transplanted. Forexample,theyounghorsechestnutmayneedto Some treeswilllikelyneedtobereplacedwhileotherscould ing stormwater. bon sequestration,providingshade,habitatforwildlife,andabsorb- Trees offermanyecologicalbenefitsincludingbankstabilization,car spruce. lilac, sycamoremaple,weepingNorwayspruce,andColoradoblue endemic totheNortheast,includeJapanesemaple,tree green ash,andcrabapple.Non-nativespecies,plantspeciesnot hawthorn, blacklocust,yellowwood,elm,hemlock,hophornbeam, Native treespeciesincluderedmaple,silversugar The AshuelotRiverParkhas96treesregisteredintheArboretum. Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. - -
21/ Arboretum Trees Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha 40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu and variousoakspeciesaretolerantofpresentfuturecondi- trends predictedwithclimatechange.Trees suchasthesycamore as zone5,possiblyeven7,willbemorelikelytotoleratewarming Park. Lookingtotreesnativetheeastcoastthatareclassified climate conditionswillincreasetheresiliencyofAshuelotRiver Selecting replacementtreespeciesthatwouldsurviveinprojected winter monthswilllikelyincreasepopulationsatafasterrate. have anativepredatorandanincreaseintemperaturesduringthe likely impactashandhemlocktreespecies.Thesepestsdonot populations liketheemeraldashborerandwoollyadelgidwill due toincreasesincarbontheatmosphere(Oswald2018).Pests West Streetportionoftheparkcouldpotentiallydeclineinhealth changes totheprecipitationpatterns.Sugarmaplesthatline invasive pests,inabilitytorespireinacarbonrichatmosphere,and Potential impactstoArboretumtreesfromclimatechangeinclude Tree Health Root girdlingofaredmaple Sugar maples along West Street Arboretum specimensinthefuture. these treesintheshorttermwillensurecanopycoverandlarge ease, yetisstillalivedespiteitscondition(Bartlett2014).Replacing the largeelmincenterofArboretumhadDutchdis pathogens, andashorterlife.AccordingtoBartlettTree experts, has damagealongitstrunk,potentiallyexposingthetreetostress, water andnutrientmovement.Thereisalsoahorsechestnutthat the treeandconstrictvascularsystemofpreventing ble rootgirdling,whichiswhenrootsencirclethebasalareaof or pests.Forexample,therearetwolargeredmapleswithvisi- condition forvariousreasonsduetodamage,rootgirdling,and/ Most Arboretumtreesareisgoodcondition,yetsomeinfair into futureclimateconditions. tions intheAshuelotRiverParkandcouldhelptransitionpark Black locust basalscar Tree lilac - is mostlyshade. part sunarepreferredwiththeexceptionofwesternparkentrancethat conditions aroundtheperimeterofpark,perennialstolerantsunand reach theirlifeexpectancy,ensuringshadeinthefuture.Duetosunlight boretum. Successivetreeplantingswillsucceedthematuretreesoncethey Deciduous canopy trees offer relief from hot summer sun throughout the Ar shadows arecastintheArboretumwhensunislowonhorizon. along theriverisinfullsunmostofday.Duringcoldermonths,long retum receivesshadowsinthemorningandafternoon.Thenorthernsection throughout mostofthegrowingseason.ThecentrallawnareainArbo- Dense deciduouscanopiesthroughouttheArboretumcastlocalizedshade Sun &Shade Analysis Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. - 22/ Tree Health and Sunlight Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha
40 A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu of thebedsanddecline ofcertain trees. Park arethetreesandgardenbeds. Stillsomeleft comments atthe end denotinglackofvisualappeal From onlinesurvey. Nearly halfofrespondents said thatwhatthey liked most abouttheAshuelot River instead ofaplacetostayandenjoytheplantedareas. led theparktobecomeusedmostoftenbyvisitorsapass-through lack ofeducationalopportunitiesandsignsintheRMOLL,have lighting treesandformalgardenbeds,maintenanceissues partially inaccessibletrailsandwalkingareas,lackofsignagehigh- individuals sleepingovernightintheseareas.Disconnectedand system andcommunitymembershavenoticedhousinginsecure individuals. TheRMOLLdoesnothaveasafeandaccessibletrail of visibilityaroundthegazeboandlong-termuseby park, butvisitorsareoftendeterredfromsittingthereduetolack The gazeboiscurrentlytheonlyfullyshadedseatingareain geous toaddmoreseatingareasthatareshadedfromthesun. uncomfortable duringwarmermonths,thereforeitisadvanta- tum. Theseplacesthoughtendtobequitesunnyandmaybecome es andwherethereisopenlawnspaceinthefrontpartofArbore- lack diversity.Visitorstotheparklikesitwheretherearebench plants arewidelydispersedleadingtoweedinvasions,andthey survey graphsopposite).However,theyareheavilymulched, central componentofthearboretumthatattractsvisitors(see and ecosystemservices.Thegardenbeds(inlightbrown)area in nativevegetationthroughouttheparktopromotebiodiversity areas alongtheriverbanks,generallythereneedstobeanincrease erosion. Thoughtheinvasivevegetationhelpstostabilizesome the riverbankareoverrunwithinvasivespeciesandproneto river andviewsoftheWest StreetDam.Unfortunatelyareasalong People whovisittheAshuelotRiverParkaredrawntoviewsof Summary analysis - Not forconstruction. Part ofastudent project andnot basedonalegal survey. Ashuelot RiverPark features anArboretum. From onlinesurvey. Roughly halfofrespondents saidthey didnotknow the 23/40 Summary Analysis Designed By: Katherine Holder, Samantha A Master Plan for Ashuelot River Park Peikes and Amanda smith 88 Village Hill Rd. Northampton, MA 01060 For the City of Keene, New Hampshire Spring, 2020 413-369-4044 www.csld.edu