Environmental Park

Voorhees Environmental Park 1 Rutgers Principal Investigators CUES Team Members Wolfram Hoefer, Dr.-Ing., BayAK, ASLA James Bykowski Associate Professor Graduate Student, Class of 2013 Landscape Architecture Praxis Studio Master of Landscape Architecture, Department of School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Landscape Architecture Department of Landscape Architecture The Graduate School of New Brunswick Rutgers University Beth Ravit, PhD Center for Urban Environmental Sustainability David Hanrahan Department of Environmental Sciences Graduate Student, Class of 2013 School of Environmental & Biological Sciences Master of Landscape Architecture, Department of Rutgers University Landscape Architecture 14 College Farm Road The Graduate School of New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ 08901 Rutgers University P: 848-932-XXXX, ext 6210 C: 201-774-1614 Kevin Perry Graduate Student, Class of 2013 Master of Landscape Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture The Graduate School of New Brunswick Rutgers University Alisa Stanislaw Graduate Student, Class of 2013 Master of Landscape Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture The Graduate School of New Brunswick Rutgers University Jim Taranto Graduate Student, Class of 2013 Master of Landscape Architecture, Department of Landscape Architecture The Graduate School of New Brunswick Rutgers University Acknowledgements CUES would like to thank all who have provided information and valuable guidance throughout the design process: Voorhees Township; Voorhees Environmental and Cultural Education Foundation (VECEF); CME Associates, Inc.; Ms. Joyce Laurella, Teacher, Voorhees Middle School; Jason Gabosky, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS), Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station; Stephen Handel, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Recourses, Plant Ecology; Chris Obropta, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, Department of Environmental Science, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program; Dunbar Birnie, School of Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Solar Panel Research; The Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, especially, Laura Lawson, Chair; Seiko Goto, Assistant Professor; Kate John-Alder, Assistant Professor; Dean Cardasis, Professor and Graduate Program Director 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary 7 Introduction 9 1 Site Analysis 11 2 Design Exhibition 23 3 Survey Analysis 41 4 Integrated Design 49 4.1 Introduction 49 4.2 Design Walkthrough 49 4.3 Additional Information 65 5 Phasing 85 References and Figure Source List 97 3 4 Illustrations 1 Site Analysis Figure 1. Location of Voorhees in New Jersey 11 though a large open space towards the solar field, representing Figure 2. Voorhees Environmental Park and major arterial roads 11 man-made technology. Master Concept and Group Design. 28 Figure 3. Historical timeline 12 Figure 30. Section of Bosquet Overlook 28 Figure 4. A chain-link fence separates the pond from the rest of the Figure 31. Bird Blinds Looking Out into Meadow 29 site. 16 Figure 32. Solar Overlook 29 Figure 5. A view of the pond from the high ground of the landfill cap. Figure 33. Succession by Design: Ecological succession, defined as 16 the observed process of change of an ecological community over Figure 6. Students descend an earthen ramp leading from the landfill time informs the concept of succession of space, species and cap down to the pond. 16 energy. Master Concept and Group Design. 32 Figure 7. Monitoring wells like this one are found around the border Figure 34. Phasing Diagram 33 of the site, protruding 18 inches above grade. 16 Figure 35. Pond Overlook 33 Figure 8. Owners of adjoining properties were allowed to choose their Figure 36. Interlock: Connects the former technological and indus- own fencing materials on the southern borders. 16 trial uses of the site with the potential of reestablishing natural Figure 9. View to the north. The mound in the background is part of processes once endemic on the site. Master Concept and Group the neighboring landfill owned by GE. 16 Design. 36 Figure 10. A cleared field houses equipment used in the landfill Figure 37. Parking lot with overhead solar structures. 37 remediation process. 16 Figure 38. Diagram of floating treatment islands. 37 Figure 11. A retention basin collects water shed from the GE landfill Figure 39. Perspective looking from boardwalk to meadow. 37 and the eastern portion of the Voorhees landfill. 16 Figure 40. Rainwater collection from solar panes and tree irrigation. Figure 12. Long stretches of chain link fence define many borders of 37 the site. 17 4 Integrated Design Figure 13. A long view from northeast to southwest. 17 Figure 41. Street trees in Centennial Boulevard 49 Figure 14. A view along the northeastern border of the site. 17 Figure 42. Integrated Desgin - Conceptual Plan 51 Figure 15. A long view of the northeastern border of the site. 17 Figure 43. View approaching the entrance plaza 53 Figure 16. A stone-bottom swale directs water into a deeper swale Figure 44. View looking down the promenade 54 which channels water toward the pond. 17 Figure 45. Trees and stone dust at the Miller Garden 55 Figure 17. Centennial Mills is an active adult community directly Figure 46. Quincunx bosquet diagram 55 across Centennial Blvd. from the site. 17 Figure 47. Diagramatic water storage and reticulation system along Figure 18. A long view of the street-facing northwestern border of the the promenade 55 site with post and rail fencing. 17 Figure 48. Solar Overlook plan 55 Figure 19. A view across the site, from the western corner looking Figure 49. Pond Overlook section 56 eastward. 17 Figure 50. View from the great lawn looking back at the promenade Figure 20. An aerial view of the current conditions of Voorhees Envi- and solar bosque 57 ronmental Park, with image cues keyed to Figures 1-16. 17 Figure 51. View looking from the boarwalk across the meadow at a Figure 21. Inventory Map of Recreational Amenities offered in and bird perch 58 around Voorhees Township (image not to original scale) 18 Figure 52. View from the white pine bosquet looking across the lawn Figure 22. Local open space areas 19 towards the successional woodland area 59 Figure 23. Vegetation and fencing Inventory Map. 20 Figure 53. Circulation Diagram 60 2 Design Exhibition Figure 54. Theme Garden - Labyrinth 61 Figure 55. Theme Garden - Pollinator Garden 61 Figure 24. Voorhees Environmental Park Exhibition Announcement 22 Figure 56. Theme Garden - Sensory Garden 61 Figure 25. Exhibition in Voorhees Town Hall. 22 Figure 57. Theme Garden image from Rutgers Gardens 61 Figure 26. In Solis Pacem: Dialogue between modern technology and Figure 58. View looking towards pond docks 62 nature is developed through celebrating solar panels and a stylized Figure 59. Bats provide a way to naturally control mosquito popula- nature (Asian influence) as end points of a promenade. Master tion without the use of persticides. The bat condo houses them. 63 Concept and Group Design. 24 Figure 60. Tree species 66 Figure 27. Plan of Site Entrance showing the visitors center, courtyard Figure 61. Tree species characteristics 67 garden and a portion of the promenade 25 Figure 62. Meadow Image 68 Figure 28. Plan of Asian pond design 25 Figure 63. Soil Section 68 Figure 29. Nucleus: For the designers, nature is the nucleus rep- Figure 64. Meadow plant species 69 resented by the pond, moving gradually away from nature leads Figure 65. Meadow plant species 70 5 Figure 66. Overturned Tree 71 Figure 67. Species to clusterbomb through small caliper trees and shrubs. From largest to smallest: American Holly (Ilex opaca), Black Cherry (Prunus serotina), Sassafras (Sassafras albidum), Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus), Ser- viceberry (Amelanchier arborea), Common Witch Hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica), Spicebush (Lindera benzoin), Beautyberry (Calicarpa spp.), Redosier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) 72 Figure 68. Proposed solar array area 73 Figure 69. Zones of solar field based on existing grading 73 Figure 70. Solar panel structural section 74 Figure 71. Water collection and reticulation system diagram 74 Figure 72. Water collection of solar panels diagram 74 Figure 73. Sections of water collection system 74 Figure 74. Estimate of portential volumes of water captured during different sized storms 75 Figure 75. Estimate of total impervious surface area for each row of solar panels 75 Figure 76. Depiction of sixteenth century cannon placements with gabion blockades 76 Figure 77. Stone gabions at the BUGA Gera und Ronneburg 76 Figure 78. Free-standing gabion wall. 76 Figure 79. Diagram of gabion use at Voorhees Environmental Park with approximation of casing length and fill volume. 77 Figure 80. Dominus Winery, Yountville, California designed by Herzog and de Meuron uses gabions filled with local basalt rock. 77 Figure 81. Welded Mesh Gabion. 78 Figure 82. Solar Array Placement 79 Figure 83. Structure Profile 79 Figure 84. Plateau Panel Structural Design 79 Figure 85. Sun path across the sky 80 Figure 86. New Jersey solar insolation values 80 Figure 87. Solar panel model and angle calculations 81 Figure 88. Entrance Sign 83 5 Phasing Figure 89. Existing conditions of the site 85 Figure 90. Phase 1 plan 86 Figure 91. Entrance Plaza design model - angled planters 86 Figure 92.

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