lowell lake state park master plan · 2019-06-18 · lowell lake state park master plan with...

LOWELL LAKE STATE PARK MASTER PLAN

With assistance from Engineering Ventures PC and CHM Government Services

PROJECT BACKGROUND

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PARK HISTORY• Lowell Lake Resort opened in 1880

o People came from all across New England to recreate on the lake and in the woods

• Later owners added a children’s camp and a family camp to the lakeshore

• The state acquired some of the land in 1977 and created a state park

o Removed some of the lodge buildings to create a day use state park

• An additional parcel was added in 1996 to create the 350+ acre park

PARK HISTORYHistoric Significance:• The remaining collection of structures are good examples of mid-

20th century summer camp construction, architecture, and design with relatively few alterations.

• They are significant at the local level as a tourism-related development that was a key part of Londonderry’s economy, drawing visitors to the area starting in the 19th century and continuing to this day.

• The structures and landscape features of Lowell Lake State Park may be eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district under Criterion C for recreational architecture

PREVIOUS PARK MANAGEMENT ACTIONS

• Management Plan signed in 1999• Long Range Management Plan update completed in 2018• Structural Assessment completed in 2015• Historic Preservation Report completed in 2018

PREVIOUS PUBLIC PROCESS

• Public engaged in the original general management plan 1997-1999

• Public engaged in the addendum process in 2015

• Public Meeting, February 2016• Public Meeting, March 2017• Public Meeting, February 2018

Public Meeting, February 2018

PROJECT PROCESS AND GOALS

MASTER PLAN PROCESS

Phase 1: Facility Assessment• Public meeting to share assessment and gather input prior to

design (meeting held 12.10.18)Phase 2: Preliminary Conceptual Design Alternatives• Public meeting to share preliminary designs and gather

feedbackPhase 3: Final Conceptual Design• Public meeting to share Final Conceptual Design and gather

additional feedback

MASTER PLAN PROCESS

The Master Plan will represent a vision for the future of Lowell Lake State Park. Additional resource assessment work will be conducted as needed after the Master Plan is complete, and additional refinement of the design will occur prior to implementation.

Create a vision for the park’s future development that is born out of an open and inclusive process, thoughtfully considers the historic and natural resources, and allows for a long-term sustainable park model that supports both dispersed recreational activities via trails and waters, and overnight accommodations within the limits of the historical areas of this use.

OVERALL GOAL

GOAL #1

Assess Capacity• Define use limits • Establish number and size of facilities for day and

overnight use. • Consider how to balance environmental protection,

operational and cultural carrying capacity while enhancing visitor experience.

GOAL #2

Plan for Upgraded Day Use Area• Redesigned parking and improved vehicular circulation• Park office building• Composting toilets• Potential new swimming access point

GOAL #3

Respect Historic Use• The updated Long Range Management Plan calls for the

exploration of the programmatic goal of re-opening the historic district of cabins and support buildings for overnight use, while provide universally accessible recreational facilities.

• State Historic Preservation Act 22 V.S.A. requires state agencies to maintain historic buildings and exhaustively study all alternatives to demolition. More info here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/22/014/00743

GOAL #3 (CONT.)

Respect Historic Use• Explore restoration of the central lodge for communal use

with a kitchen and centralized bathroom facilities. • Make recommendations for restoration, replacement or

removal of overnight and maintenance/ support structures. • Provide fully accessible and code-compliant facilities for the

park visitor of today while being sensitive to the historic context.

GOAL #4

Take into consideration the natural resources of the property. Designs shall showcase environmental best practices:• Stormwater management (including erosion control)• Maintain lakeshore buffers• Avoid sensitive ecological areas

GOAL #5

Design renovated and new structures to LEED and Net Zero Standards and to incorporate local, durable materials.

GOAL #6

Plan for financial sustainability and consider a phased approach to project implementation:• A financial and investment analysis will be

conducted to assess the economic feasibility of restoring and operating overnight facilities

GOAL #7

Engage the public!

• Local input• Input from broader region

FACILITY ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW

Site Overview

ENTRY EXPERIENCE, PARKING, AND CIRCULATION

• Parking lot fills up quickly on weekends and is difficult to manage

• The narrow width of the road to the boat launch area prevents safe two-way circulation

RECREATION

• Accessible trails not currently provided to picnic and swimming areas

• Majority of recreation is passive (paddling, hiking, etc.)

ENVIRONMENTAL

• Some erosion present in high-use areas near shore• Majority of shoreline has undeveloped character, with

some remnants of historic lodge foundation present

Building Assessment

BUILDING ASSESSMENT

Most structures are considered salvageable

BUILDING ASSESSMENT

Buildings are not currently ADA accessible but all could be renovated to be made accessible

Capacity Analysis

CURRENT CAPACITY

• Current level of use at dispersed recreation areas (the water, shoreline, trails, etc.) is considered reasonable

• Visitors rate their recreation experience at the park very highly• Significant crowding has been report for concentrated use areas at LLSP:

• Access roads and paths• The parking lot• The day use area• The boat launch

• Parking lot is often at or above capacity on peak days (25-30 spaces)• On busy weekends with nice weather – wait times for a parking space can be 90+

minutes and visitors are turned away

0

5000

10000

15000

2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Annual Visitors

USE STATISTICS

FUTURE CAPACITY

Recommend expanding parking to accommodate approximately 40-50 cars (possibly broken into two parking lots), improving vehicular circulation and boat launch access, and improving parking enforcement (parking only within designated lot)

With a 50 vehicle lot and overnight use:• Day Use: Assume approximately 10-15 boats on the water at any

given time• Overnight use: Assume approximately 4 or 5 boats on the water at

any given time• Total of 15-20 boats on the water at any given time, between both

day and overnight users• Equivalent to 5-7 acres of surface water per boat (well within

suggested targets)• Even if every car and overnight user had a boat on the water, there

would still be 1.5 acres per boat (exceeding some suggested targets)

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

DAY USE

Input to inform our planning and design process?

OVERNIGHT USE

Input to inform our planning and design process?

THANK YOU!