Shawsheen River Visioning Workshop and Design Charrette

ANDOVER, MA | SHAWSHEEN RIVER NATURE-BASED FLOOD RESILIENCE VISIONING WORKSHOP AND DESIGN CHARRETTE – REPORT OUT 06/15/2023

WELCOME & THANK YOU  Welcome!  We would like to start by thanking and acknowledging:  Members of the Andover community  Town of Andover Staff, including:  Joyce Losick-Yang, PhD, CEM | Director of Sustainability and Energy  Marisa Browning-Kamins | Conservation Land Manager  Jeffrey Cary, GISP | GIS Coordinator  Bob Douglas | Director of Conservation  Benjamin Meade | Conservation Agent  Will Moulson | Andover High School Intern  Milagros (Mily) Puello | Assistant Town Engineer  MVP Action Grant Program, especially Michelle Rowden

OUR PROJECT TEAM  Andrew Bohne, RLA

Associate - Senior Landscape Architect  Jeffrey Dawson

Landscape Architect

 Alex Maxwell, PhD

Project Manager – Resilience Planner  Ian Law, RLA

Associate - Senior Landscape Architect

 Lara Sup, PE

Lead Civil Engineer

 Sarah Frisby, EIT

Climate Resilience Engineer

 Michael Frederick

Landscape Designer  Chelsea Zakas, AICP, CC-P

Environmental Planner

ANDOVER’S COMMUNITY RESILIENCE GOALS  Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 MVP Project Climate adaptation goals:  Reduce Vulnerability to flooding and intense rainstorms by

increasing the capacity for flood storage and mitigation through nature-based restoration and active management  Strengthen Connectivity and Accessibility of open

space and preserved land by expanding and creating linkages to existing trails, recreation opportunities, and conservation areas  Educate the local community by creating demonstration

areas that highlight the value of acquiring open space, protecting the local watershed, and adapting to a changing climate

ABOUT THE PROJECT

HISTORY OF FLOODING ALONG THE SHAWSHEEN  Andover is, after Lawrence, the Essex County

community with the highest flood claim payouts through the federal flood insurance program  Approximately 1,800 acres are within the existing

100-Yr flood zone (area with a 1% chance of flooding in any year)  In recent history, the neighborhoods most

vulnerable to flooding in Town have included those along the Shawsheen River

MUNICIPAL VULNERABILITY PREPAREDNESS (MVP) PROGRAM  Building off previous MVP project efforts  2019 Community Resilience Building (CRB) Workshop  Community participants identified flooding as a top

hazard and made a top recommendation to undertake a strategic program of land acquisition along waterways to provide flood storage and reduce impacts  Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 MVP Project

 Assessed properties along the Shawsheen River  Identified priority parcels for land acquisition

and/or restoration  Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 MVP Project  We are here

MUNICIPAL VULNERABILITY PREPAREDNESS (MVP) PROGRAM  FY2023 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action

Grant project  Develop a flood model for the reach of the Shawsheen

River that passes through Andover and neighboring Lawrence to evaluate current and future flooding conditions and potential flood mitigation solutions  Develop model with Ballardvale dam-in and

dam-out conditions  Develop concept-level assessments of nature-based

solutions

WHY HAVE A VISIONING WORKSHOP AND DESIGN CHARRETTE?  Members of the community were invited to

co-create the conceptual visions to improve resilience along the Shawsheen River  The purpose of the visioning workshop and

charrette was to help visualize and discuss concepts for key flood resilience projects and establish tangible benefits to make informed decisions about the future

OUR APPROACH

LOOK

LISTEN

CONCEPTUALIZE

CREATE

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023

Lower Shawsheen Soccer Field

York Street

Stevens Street

SITE VISITS & WALKSHOP: MAY 22 & 23, 2023

SITE VISITS & WALKSHOP: MAY 22 & 23, 2023

SITE VISITS & WALKSHOP – WHAT WE HEARD  Better river access for recreation – including signage so

people know where to go  More native plantings  Better canoe/kayak access points

 Fix walls along river where it is channelized or remove  Remove excess paving  Increase shade trees  Community utilizes existing open space for a variety of uses  Update local Wetlands/Floodplain Development Bylaw

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023

Lower Shawsheen Soccer Field

York Street

Stevens Street

YORK STREET – EXISTING CONDITIONS  Private parcel north of the Haverhill St Bridge and east of

Riverina Road

 Approximately half of the parcel is currently occupied by a

parking lot

 Opposite side of this channelized reach of the Shawsheen

River are residential homes that fall within the FEMA flood zone

 Some forested land is present

 Steep slopes, high flows, and hard armoring create poor

connections to the surrounding floodplain

 Socially vulnerable area of the Shawsheen, surrounded by

census block groups with relatively high percentages of both elderly (over 64) and young (under 5) populations

YORK STREET – EXISTING CONDITIONS

YORK STREET – RESILIENCE CONCEPT N

Total estimated cost: $10 million (M) to $15.4M 

Riverside Trail



Access Road Between Kenilworth Street and Haverhill Street for Town’s Pump House



Ecological Landscape Enhancements



Streetscape Improvements (Shade Trees, Green Infrastructure, and Sidewalks)



Residential Properties to Consider Elevations



Riparian Terraces for Reconnected Floodplain and Flood Relief

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023

Lower Shawsheen Soccer Field

York Street

Stevens Street

STEVENS STREET – EXISTING CONDITIONS  Private parcels south of the Stevens St Bridge,  Adjacent to the current site of the Andover

Commons apartment community and Whole Foods supermarket  Forested and non-forested wetlands cover much of the

remaining area of the site  Banks of the river are stable with minimal signs of

erosion  Good connections to the surrounding floodplain  Stevens St Bridge forms a barrier along the northern

edge of the site

STEVENS STREET – EXISTING CONDITIONS

STEVENS STREET – RESILIENCE CONCEPT

 

      

New Bridge with Pedestrian Crossings Stone Cross Vanes River Realignment Riverside Trail with Boardwalk Crossing River and Wildlife Viewing Dock Ecological Landscape Enhancements Access Road with Parking Areas Environmental Education Center Trailhead with Kiosk/Informational Signage

Total estimated cost: $9M to $13.7M

N

KEY FLOOD RESILIENCE PROJECT AREAS FOR 2022-2023

Lower Shawsheen Soccer Field

York Street

Stevens Street

LOWER SHAWSHEEN SOCCER FIELD – EXISTING CONDITIONS  Public parcel south of the Balmoral St

Bridge  Adjacent to several commercial and

residential uses  Majority of the parcel is comprised of a

large oval track and soccer field  Banks of the river on the site show

isolated areas of erosion  Opposite bank is extremely steep and

shows evidence of downcutting  Significant portion of this parcel is

located in FEMA regulatory area

LOWER SHAWSHEEN SOCCER FIELD – EXISTING CONDITIONS

LOWER SHAWSHEEN SOCCER FIELD – RESILIENCE CONCEPT  Floodable Athletic Field

 Re-oriented parking area (31 spaces)  Green Infrastructure  Measured Activity Track

 Perimeter Trail  Seating Walls  Flood Relief Culverts  Riparian Buffer Enhancements  Landscape Enhancements  Picnic Tables & Park Benches  Residential Properties to Consider Elevations

Total estimated cost: $4.5M to $6.8M

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION

QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION  What did you like about the

concepts that have been developed to date?  Are there any specific design elements that

you liked?  Does the concept resonate with any ideas that

you have had for these sites?

REVIEW OF NEXT STEPS

NEXT STEPS  Finalize illustrative site concepts and

update localized flood modeling  Develop planning level cost

estimates  FY24 MVP Action Grant application

THANK YOU  Have additional questions/comments?  Contact:

Alex Maxwell, PhD Project Manager

AMaxwell@fando.com

YORK STREET – INUNDATION MAPS

STEVENS STREET – INUNDATION MAPS

LOWER SHAWSHEEN SOCCER FIELD – INUNDATION MAPS