The city of Southfield has won two 2008 Project of the Year Awards from the Michigan Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the Carpenter Lake Restoration Project and the Municipal Complex South Parking Lot Project.
The Carpenter Lake Restoration Project won in the category of the Environment Less than $5 million. The purpose of the project was to restore Carpenter Lake for storm water management, public recreation and fish and wildlife habitat to create the Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve. The preserve features 42-acres of mature Oak-Hickory woodlands, forested wetlands and native meadows overlooking the five-acre Carpenter Lake. The City’s Parks & Recreation and Public Works departments worked in partnership with environmental consultants and contractors to replace the existing dam, dredge the lake to restore it to its original size, and to establish fish and wildlife habitat features. Recreation enhancements included trail development, interpretive signage, public parking, shoreline stabilization and habitat restoration for new public access to fishing. The use of porous paving and other storm water management features including a bioswale were incorporated in the parking lot to provide control of runoff. This method greatly reduces flooding and pollution of the Rouge River. Future plans for Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve include the addition of a new nature interpretive center that will provide environmental education programs and displays.
The Southfield Municipal Complex South Parking Lot won in the category of Structures Less than $5 million. The project replaced and reconfigured the existing south parking lot servicing the municipal offices, police department and golf course. The project goals were to improve the parking lot’s functionality, reduce its environmental impact and enhance public safety and usability. The project involved removing the existing concrete pavement and installing a new pervious asphalt pavement, bioswale and landscaping. The lot was reconfigured to increase pedestrian safety by rerouting vehicles outside the limits of the parking area. As a result, the new parking lot is more pedestrian friendly with improved traffic circulation and increased handicap accessibility. All pedestrian facilities were updated to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The project also features one of the first and largest installations of porous pavement at a municipal facility in the state of Michigan. The new lot was designed and constructed utilizing new technology and materials that make it environmentally-friendly, reducing storm water runoff by one-third and filtering it before it reaches streams and other waterways. This approach not only helps to protect the environment, but also to reduce the impact upon the immediate habitat.
For more information, contact Southfield Public Works Director Gary Mekjian at (248) 796-4801.