Warwick Township Municipal Campus Expansion
Warwick Township in Lancaster County saw an opportunity to use land adjacent to their municipal buildings to create needed community recreational space. The Township acquired 20 acres and converted 10 of them into an active recreational facility. The conversion of the land to an active park yielded a multi-use field, baseball fields, a bocce ball court, horseshoe pit, two sand volleyball courts, and a one-half mile trail. The entire park is open to the public from dawn until dusk.
The project, however was much more than creating fields; it involved stormwater management, native planting, material reuse and recycling, and engagement of the local community. The fields and courts are used by countless youth groups and youth sports clubs.
Many trees were planted in park, including Red Buds, Birch, Red Cedars and White Pines, and food compost from local school districts and leaves from the township are brought in to use instead of chemical fertilizer No pesticides are used.
Several steps were taken to improve stormwater management at the park. To boost the amount of stormwater absorption, a bioretention basin was constructed. The bio-basin serves to collect runoff from the park and a neighboring development. The bottom of the basin would receive the most water and needed vegetation that would withstand very wet conditions. The park replaced most of its impervious surfaces with porous asphalt and concrete. The pores in the pavement will allow additional runoff to be absorbed into the ground and recharge the ground water.