Perkins Pier Siting Study by BTVParks

February 2022

LAND + WATER ACKNOWLEDGMENT We honor and call this land and water by their original names: Missisquoi and Bitawbagok. Missisquoi and Bitawbagok is home to the Abenaki; the original guardians of this territory. We uplift, honor, and speak the traditional names of the land and people to remind this community and all other visitors, that these peoples did, and do still exist. Without their committed stewardship, we would not be enjoying this place today. Wliwni/Thank you.

Hello from Perkins Pier! This 4.1-acre downtown park and marina is one of Burlington's most cherished gateways to Lake Champlain. This communityguided Siting Study envisions a bright new chapter for Perkins Pier.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction

Public Engagement

Site Analysis

Project Impact

Phasing Priorities

Implementation

Appendices

INTRODUCTION Study Process With an eye towards updating Perkins Pier for future generations of residents and visitors, Burlington Parks, Recreation & Waterfront initiated a comprehensive planning process in January, 2021. The project was led by Agency Landscape + Planning and supported by VHB and Moffatt + Nichol. The process was based on a very robust community engagement plan, including: three public meetings, four stakeholder meetings, several surveys, and a winter pop-up event. The final plan represents an evolution of current activities at the site rather than a complete overhaul. Resilience to high water and wave impact – and climate change in general – was a critical consideration because the site sustained considerable damage during the floods of 2011. A new realignment of the Greenway was developed based on what worked with the AMTRAK-driven path alterations to the north and

Project Initiation Site Visit 6

the rehabilitation of the path to the south. The proposed recreation improvements include new places to play, the integration of a launching area for small boats and personal watercraft like SUPs and kayaks, and provides spaces to cool down with water features. The plan increases access to water with public boardwalks, while the lawn and plaza were identified as locations for passive recreation. The proposed plan removes the current boat launch. This removal is supported by the Marina and Harbor Capacity Study, which indicates the Coast Guard launch further to the north, as the preferred public boat launch for the waterfront. The plan supports BPRW's work with a new building for waterfront operations and workspace. A centralized public building is an opportunity for partnering with proposed space to rent, new public restrooms, and an opportunity for increased presence in the park. The Wastewater Treatment Plant's potential

Public Engagement Pop Up

City-managed Private

Current Slips in Market: 629 Maximum Slip Capacity: 990 - 1130 future expansion north drove the design in this area. If more aeration tanks are added in the next 15-20 years, the expansion will mainly impact the parking area, which could be reduced by half, while other amenities are preserved. The parking lot grade is raised to increase resiliency, and paved and striped to reduce sedimentation, to be more resilient to flooding, and for greater efficiency. Stormwater is also captured and filtered on site, to reduce runoff into Lake Champlain. The parking lot was designed with the constraint of the Wastewater Treatment plant's northward expansion in mind.

Harbor Capacity Study A Marina and Harbor Capacity Study was also conducted to evaluate potential changes to the site and specifically, water-side uses of Perkins Pier. This study looked at Burlington's overall

City-managed + expansion Private + expansion

Potential 2030 Slip Demand: 720 to 800 Potential 2040 Slip Demand: 750 to 860 capacity for boats and found that most needs were being met, but that there is capacity to expand as needs for docking and mooring spaces increase. The assessment of the capacity of existing marina facilities in Burlington Harbor included: Perkins Pier, Boathouse Marina, Burlington Harbor Marina, Lake Champlain Transportation (LCT – Ferry Dock Marina) and City-managed mooring fields. The projected demand for wet slips and moorings in Burlington Harbor was evaluated in this assessment by identifying and analyzing potential slip users. Potential slip users for the marina market area considered included: • Under-served Existing Boaters • Population Growth • Upland Development • Tourism • Commercial

Public Engagement The team led several public workshops and engaged the community to provide feedback on Perkins Pier.

Public Workshop #1 (March 16 | Online Zoom Meeting) The first public meeting provided an overview of the project, identified project goals, reviewed site analysis and climate resiliency and provided opportunities to interact via polls, using chat functions and a question and answer session. Over 100 attended with over 130 questions asked and answered.

Public Workshop #2 (May 18 | Online Zoom Meeting) The second virtual public meeting presented design options for Perkins Pier. We provided an overview of the project, a summary of feedback received during the first public meeting, site programming constraints and provided opportunities for individuals to interact via polls and the chat feature. This workshop had around 50 attendees, majority of whom were Burlington residents. Over 80 questions were asked and answered.

Public Workshop #3 (December 7 | Online Zoom Meeting) The third virtual public meeting for Perkins Pier’s Siting Study took place with a summary of the feedback on the two conceptual plans and presentation of the final plan to the public with opportunity for comments/questions.

Focus Groups (March-November | Online Zoom Meeting) Several focus groups were led with key partners, neighbors, and BPRW staff during the planning process, to understand needs, constraints, and design directions.

Marina-User + Online Surveys (March-September | Online) The marina user survey was sent to current slip users, in conjunction with a marina capacity study. Then, after public workshop #2 we conducted a public survey to collect feedback on design options for key elements of the site, with 8 questions and 81 responses.

Perkins Pop-up (December 4 | In-person) We collected some initial thoughts and priorities on site at Perkins Pier during our peppermint themed pop-up! 55 participants shared funding priorities with us.

What We Heard “We’re super excited to see the redesign. Try to block the smell of the water treatment center!”

“Power boat launch should be kept to the northern edge or moved to coast guard.”

“The green space idea is central and a place to “relax into” while reaching out to water and active play. I like it.”

“I love the idea of walking into a park via a tree-lined greenway as opposed to entering through a parking lot.”

“I would like to be able to carry a paddle board or kayak up & down it to access the lake.”

“It would also be great to see climate change mitigation and local resilience prioritized in the planning process.”

“Not everyone can walk to the tip of the pier. That is why it is important to keep the green area.”

“Whatever is done needs to have a plan for long-term care and maintenance!” “We can learn here about our amazing history and ecology WHILE we recreate!!”

Key Findings • • • • • •

Open, green space is highly valued Places to walk and view are most exciting Building, docks and parking opinions were evenly spread across the options Preference for tree lined promenade More interest in educational nature play Strong preference for an occupiable dinghy dock 9

Site Analysis Perkins Pier is a physical reminder of Burlington’s industrial past and relationship to Lake Champlain as an important driver of the City's economy. Today, Perkins Pier highlights this legacy with its more community-centered and creative side - residents board their boats within yards of a beloved playground, and visitors and residents speed past the park on the Greenway on their bicycles, skates or skis, and the occasional unicycle. There are many stories to tell that connect the area’s rich history and importance with Perkins as it is experienced today.

Church Street +

City Hall Park +

Champlain Street Park + Perkins Pier +

Roundhouse Park +

BTV Greenway +

Burlington’s waterfront is an incredible asset for residents, visitors, and businesses. Perkins Pier functions as a threshold between the lakefront and the city. While the lake is a sublime natural resource, with aquatic wildlife and marina recreation, the city is a bustling urban center. Perkins Pier provides a gateway to a place of respite, play and prospect over Lake Champlain. It is situated at the southern edge of Downtown Burlington at the terminus of Maple Street and sandwiched between the lake and Greenway, where many modes of transportation are all intermingled. The pier is very accessible and connected to many destinations within walking distance. It is often referred to as the ‘neighborhood marina’ because it is the last of the publicly-owned marinas in the area.

Battery Park +

Waterfront Park +

Site Access

Smalley Park +

Perkins Pier is also difficult to find. There are no big indicators that this place is for all to enjoy and the entrance at Maple Street and LaValley Lane feels like a backdoor. There are many thresholds to get to the site: the railway and greenway give way to unencumbered views from 213 parking spaces, a waterfront playground, and walking paths right up to the water’s edge. Perkins Pier is at the intersection of several mobility systems. This confluence makes Perkins Pier a significant gateway between the lake and the downtown but also presents some connectivity challenges. The future design needs to address the multi-modal nature of Perkins Pier and its direct surroundings to ensure safe, welcoming access for all.

Site History The Burlington waterfront has been a hub of industry for over two centuries. The pier was built in 1810 and was originally called the Old South

Proximate Destinations 10

LAKE CHAMPLAIN TRANSPORTATION COMPANY SPOT ON THE DOCK LCTC SLIPS

LCTC PARKING

RAMP

PAVED PARKING GRANITE BLOCK WALL

LYMAN BUILDING

Land Use 4.1 acres

PLAY BURLINGTON GREENWAY

DINGHY DOCKS

MOORING FIELD

NE LAVALLEY LA

GRAVEL PARKING

9,150* cu. ft. WASTE WATER TREATMENT PLANT

Wharf or Salt Dock. It was also the first pier to extend into the lake. The downtown waterfront is man-made. Water used to reach the toe of the slope below Battery Street. To make room for industrial land uses along the lake, the shoreline was filled with a mix of materials. This is why spaces like Perkins Pier, Waterfront Park and the Urban Reserve are so flat and low compared to downtown. Historically, the site was primarily a home for warehouses. Materials stored on site included: coal, oil storage, groceries, boats and cement. A rail spur connected these facilities to the railroad. As a result of these land uses and the fill materials, the soils below the site will likely require special care to ensure that historical contamination is not released into the water table or exposed to park users.

47.1% Parking 28.7% Green Space 23.1% Hard Surface 1.1% Building

Permeability 65% Impervious 35% Pervious * “First Inch” water quality volume

Perkins Pier is a 4.1 acre public park and marina. Nearly half of the site is dedicated to parking - paved and unpaved. The site is mostly impervious, but lawn areas along the water provide some permeability - as well as flexible green space. Park goers have access to a small playground, which is well-loved but in need of renovation and replacement. There are also a number of benches for sitting and enjoying views of the water. There are a handful of commemorative plaques along the waterfront that pay homage to the prominent Burlington physician and city alderman Dr Charles Perkins, whom the park is named after, to Champ, the Lake Champlain monster and other interpretive signage.

Perkins Pier is one of the many boating facilities along the shores of Lake Champlain. Perkins Pier is not the only waterfront facility within Burlington. There are a number of other marinas and beaches where Burlingtonians access the water. The Marina includes two primary facilities: the 83 boat slips in the cove and the 23 moorings to the west. These are supported by two dinghy docks, parking, and restrooms. Another major use is the boat ramp where boaters depart for day trips on the lake. Lake Champlain offers high-quality and diverse boating experiences for locals and tourists alike. The Perkins Pier Marina requires some upgrades to better meet the needs of its users, who are predominantly Burlington locals.

Site Resilience Perkins Pier sits at the edge of Lake Champlain, and as a result, more extreme flood events like the flood of record in 2011 are expected to continue to impact the site. Perkins Pier sits between the elevation of +98 feet and +104 feet above sea level. The average lake level is +95.5 feet above sea level. As a result, seasonal high water inundates parts of the site nearly every year. Large storms and unusually high lake-levels have caused more extensive flooding, most recently during the 2011 hurricane, Irene, which submerged nearly the entire site. Flooding disrupts the use of the site - both recreational and operational. This includes disruption of the greenway’s connectivity. High water can remain elevated for weeks.

103.27’ HIGHEST (2011) 101.5’ MAJOR FLOOD 101’ MODERATE FLOOD 100’ MINOR FLOOD (99.96’ MAY AVERAGE) 95.5’ ANNUAL AVERAGE 93.16’ SEPT. AVERAGE

DATA FROM NOAA/NWS

100'

104’

+98 +100

+101

+99 +98 +99

+104 +103 +102 +101 +100

Site Topography + Flooding Following flooding, the site requires the following clean-up and repair:

levels in May that submerge parts of the site every year.

• Removal of sediment and debris

The multi-year construction project to invest in the Burlington Greenway trail that hugs the park addressed some of these flooding issues as well as widened the path and enhanced universal access to Perkins Pier and other areas of the waterfront.

• Patching and repair of the asphalt parking • Regrading of the gravel parking lot The shoreline section on page 12 shows how low the site elevation is, and how vulnerable it is to even minor flooding compared to seasonal high

Design Alternatives City and community desires for site programming and amenities informed the creation of two concept plans. These concept plans were shared with the community at the second workshop and subsequent survey to help narrow these two options into one hybrid preferred plan. The design alternatives took into account four significant takeaways from the site analysis and inventory: Perkins Pier is at the crossroads of multiple local and regional transportation systems. This confluence positions the site as a major gateway to the Lake and City. Both of the design alternatives and the final plan seek to address conflicts between modes, especially at Maple Street in a few different ways. The site is in need of repairs to the amenities, waterfront edges, infrastructure and building. Urban soils will guide topography and stormwater strategies. Perkins Pier's industrial history means that much of the parking areas are covering

potentially contaminated soils that cannot be easily remediated. The approaches each design takes to consider the site's urban soils and its resilience to future floods fundamentally rethinks the arrangement and elevation of the site. Lake Champlain offers high-quality and diverse boating experiences for locals and tourists alike. The Perkins Pier Marina requires some upgrades to better meet the needs of its boating audiences and for maintenance needs. There are a variety of ways to enhance and expand boating opportunities for marina users and other types of boating, which were played out in the design alternatives. The low-lying site will continue to flood with increasing frequency in the future. The future designs consider flood-resilient construction and novel approaches to regrading the site to extend the usability of the park and marina and reduce post-flood cleanup and repairs and to extend the life-cycle of any future investments.

Play area Secured dinghy dock Public dock Buildings Benches/Tables Trees Greenway Vehicular circulation Pedestrian access Secondary vehicular access Railroad 14

The Promenade

BPRW Green Pier

Public Dock

Promenade Shade

Play Public Partners + Facilities

Calm Water

Dinghy Dock

This option features an amenityrich corridor linking Maple Street to the pier. Flexible open green space at the end of the pier preserves open views and allows for a variety of community programs. Layered boardwalks and secured docks at the southeastern side of the park creates a protected and calm harbor for humanpowered watercraft. This option also preserved the boat ramp but relocated it to the southern edge of the site. Workshop participants appreciated the inclusion of a boat ramp, play space and gateway promenade.

Boat Launch

Stormwater Treatment

The Outlook

BPRW

The design maximizes open space along the waterfront and pulls the greenway into the site. Similar to the promenade, this option creates a protected area for launching a range of paddle boats. The removal of the boat ramp in this option allows for more space for the BPRW to perform site maintenance and the protected waterfront allows a larger variety of users to access the waterfront.

Viewing Lawn

oc k

Pier Connection

Din g

hy D

Play

Calm Water

blic

Public Partners + Facilities

The new building for community use and the new marina facilities were popular elements of this option.

ck Stormwater Treatment 15

The Waterfront Hub Created from public feedback, this final plan combines ideas to honor the current park history and future needs. The promenade adds a new front door to the park, bringing Perkins to Maple St, and creates a play corridor that links to an updated lakefront with a plaza for community events, sunset lawn for gazing over the lake, and a multi-use launch for paddle watercraft. The plan includes two new buildings, one for BPRW operations and a public facing facility, hosting space for partner organizations. The removal of the former boat launch at the northeast corner of the site will allow more space for BPRW to conduct critical on-site pier management and operations. This removal also aligns with the outcomes from the marina capacity study. Ultimately, the new multi-use paddle watercraft launch will allow for a greater diversity of user groups to access the water from Perkins Pier, reinforcing its identity as a community waterfront.

Promenade and Sunset Lawn Upon arrival from Maple Street, pedestrians and cyclists will encounter a tree-lined promenade guiding them toward the Park’s historic pier. Beneath the trees, plaza paving offers flexible space for movement and programming. The promenade includes a series of play areas featuring stone salvaged from the site. The promenade terminates in a Plaza and the Lawn at the end of the pier.

PIER EXTENSIONS

SUNSET LAWN

FLEXIBLE PLAZA

PUBLIC BOARDWALK

FLOATING WETLANDS

MULTI-US LAUNCH AR SECURED DINGHY DOCK

Play area Secured dinghy dock Public dock Buildings Benches/Tables Trees Greenway Vehicular circulation Pedestrian access Secondary vehicular access Railroad 16

FLOATING WETLANDS

+10 NEW SLIPS

BPRW FLOATING DOCK

PLAY AREAS SEATING + SHADE STRUCTURE PUBLIC FACILITY SPLASH PAD

EXISTING GREENWAY

LCT PARKING

WORK YARD OPERATIONS TEAM PROMENADE

MAPLE STREET

NEW GREENWAY

~120 SPACES

LAVALLEY LA

SE REA

LCT SLIPS

STORMWATER FILTRATION

N 60’ 17

PERKINS PIER SITING STUDY Public Boardwalk

Floating Wetlands

This floating boardwalk will provide public access to the water and short-term docking for visiting boaters. The boardwalk will also serve as a breakwater to diffuse swells from the southwest. From the boardwalk, visitors can access one of the floating wetlands for observation.

These rafts will suspend living plants at the surface of the water, allowing their roots to extend into the water column below. The root systems will provide filtration and aquatic habitat. From the shore, or the public boardwalk, visitors will be able to observe the wetlands functioning and read interpretive panels about their design and function/role.

Multi-Use Launch Area The site's current rocky shoreline will be transformed into a series of floating docks and gently sloping boat launches for canoes, kayaks and stand-up-paddle-boards (SUPs). The series of docks will shelter an inner area, creating calm conditions and access for boaters of all levels of experience, and of ages and abilities, to launch, explore and disembark. A direct connection from the parking lot to the launch area makes it convenient to pickup and drop off vessels and supplies.

Floating Wetland | Chicago Riverwalk, Chicago IL

Parking

Kayak Launch | Brooklyn Bridge Park, New York NY 18

The current parking lot will be reconfigured for efficiency. The lot will be paved, striped and outfitted with stormwater management features like the central permeable parking island, the southern planted drainage swale and stormwaterdetention pond. These changes will help slow down and greatly improve the quality of runoff generated by the site. Trees will be introduced to provide shade, cooling and assist with stormwater uptake.

Greenway

Flexible Plaza

This project presents an opportunity to shift Burlington’s beloved Greenway closer to the lake. This will provide better views of the lake from the Greenway. Pedestrian crossings along the Greenway will be carefully designed to ensure safety and clarity for all.

In an effort to preserve as much open, community-oriented space as possible along the waterfront, this plan proposed a Flexible Plaza adjacent to the Promenade and the Sunset Lawn. While Sunset Lawn is a passive soft space for lounging and lake-watching and the Promenade is an active corridor for play, the Flexible Plaza presents a multi-use middle ground. With movable furniture, it allows for casual seating and another edge for watching the horizon on a day-to-day. It also allows for larger waterfront community gatherings like markets, outdoor fitness classes, or pop-up ice skating.

Boat Ramp The current boat ramp does not accommodate smooth launching when lake levels are low. Additionally, operating the ramp requires considerable paved areas for maneuvering and parking vehicles and trailers. After careful study, including an inventory of the entire inner harbor, the City plans to remove the ramp and redirect its users to the existing USCG boat launch (1/2 mile to the north). The City understands that improvements must be made at the USCG ramp to ensure its capacity and circulation are adequate to accommodate the additional use.

Reconfigured Marina The existing Marina slips at the north edge of the site will be slightly expanded and the cribbing wall that supports them will be replaced with a new steel sheet pile at a higher elevation (to match recent sheet pile at LCT lot boundary). Ice Skating | The Wharf, Washington DC

New Facilities This plan proposes two structures to support the long-term viability of the park, marina and waterfront. The first, an Operations Building, will provide shop workspace for repairs and storage of essential waterfront equipment. This building will also include a modest amount of office space for core waterfront staff, including a client-facing “front desk” for the marina. The second building, a public-facing facility, will provide park and marina amenities, such as restrooms, showers, and kayak storage. Within the building there will be approximately 2,000sf of flexible office space intended for a recreationoriented nonprofit tenant.

Race Street Pier | Philadelphia PA 19

PROJECT IMPACT Cost Estimates The following costs for the complete Perkins Pier project are based on the conceptual vision set forth in the Siting Study. Preliminary estimates suggest that the full cost to renovate the park, including construction costs and additional planning and design for both the pier and the park space, will be between $2.4 million and $4.8 million per acre. There are many recently completed waterfront parks with similar amenity investments, and infrastructure needs that the city can review to help guide decisions about the materiality and level of investment appropriate for Perkins Pier. The "peer projects" below are just a few examples of those recently completed spaces. At this stage in the planning process, many options exist for implementing the vision, including different approaches to materials, finishes and construction methods, which in turn, vary in cost. The eventual cost of the proposed

improvements will be determined through additional design refinement, public processes and available funding. The purpose of this cost estimate is to guide these upcoming efforts – not to finalize the project’s final costs.

Planning for Uncertainty Over the past decade, and especially during the current pandemic, the cost and availability of materials and labor have fluctuated considerably. It would be misleading to guarantee that this cost estimate will remain viable in the future. Instead, the estimate reflects an informed effort to anticipate costs, while acknowledging that we cannot predict the future. To buffer against this unpredictability, an allowance for inflation over the next 24 months and other considerable ‘contingencies’ have been added to the budget.

PEER PROJECTS

Julian B Lane Riverfront Park

Moore Square

Tom Hanafan River's Edge Park

Tampa FL

Raleigh NC

Council Bluffs IA

Civitas / W Landscape Architecture

Agency Landscape + Planning

23 acres total $1.5M per acre

4.5 acres $2.2M per acre

8 acres $2.2M per acre

Health and Community Impact

Economic Value

The modernization of the park's play spaces, along with investments in the Greenway along the park will encourage physical activity that can help improve cardiovascular health, improve social well-being, and reduce stress among park goers young and old.

Although Perkins Pier formally generates revenue for the City through slip and mooring reservations, parking fees and nominal fees for marina services, there are many other ways for the renewed space to gather funding and generate revenue to pay for the project. The site informally adds value as a critical part of the City’s network of waterfront parks, which generate income through tourism dollars, elevate adjacent property values and provide ecological services such as cooling.

Environmental Benefits The design of Perkins Pier includes the replacement of existing ash trees, which are highly susceptible to emerald ash borer, with native, hardy trees that will provide over twice as much shade over the park. These trees will help mitigate urban heat island effects, reduce air pollution, and provide habitat for urban and waterfront dwelling wildlife species.

Perkins Pier

Sarasota Bayfront

Fritz Hedges Waterway Park

Burlington VT

Sarasota FL

Seattle WA

Agency Landscape + Planning

Walker Macy

5 acres $2.4M-$4.8 per acre

10 acres $3M per acre

3.5 acres total $3.25M per acre 21

PHASING PRIORITIES

Opportunity + Vision: Implementation funding will likely come from a variety of sources and at different times. For example, funding will soon be available to renovate the playground – while some of the larger investments will require additional time to materialize. A central function of this plan is to guide these opportunistic and sporadic investments and ensure their alignment on a case-by-case basis.

Visible + Invisible Investment: If implementation focuses exclusively on recreation amenities in lieu of infrastructural and operational updates, there will continue to be inefficiencies. Additionally, some amenities, such as the Lyman Building, will continue to deteriorate. Instead, a balanced approach would bundle highly-ranked elements, such as the Sunset Lawn and Playground, with adjacent infrastructure and necessary enabling projects, such as the Promenade. A set of these ‘bundled’ scenarios were identified once the preferred plan was developed, based on geographic adjacencies and inter-related project phasing needs, see diagram below.

GREENWAY

During the Perkins Pop-Up and Public Workshop 3, we asked public constituents to rank the proposed design elements in order of their priority for implementation. In other words, which improvements should happen first? Not surprisingly, waterfront recreation topped the list. By contrast, infrastructural investments, the new buildings, and other higher-priced improvements ranked lower. Understanding this, the approach to phasing should honor the public guidance and prioritize waterfront amenities, while navigating three key tensions:

Enabling Work + Permitting There are several steps that must take place before and during construction to enable the implementation of the Siting Study. These include surveying, environmental investigations, additional design, and ongoing community input. A major consideration among these is permitting. Several permitting agencies have purview over the proposed work at Perkins Pier. The site is also home to existing easements as well as some encumbrances associated with past LWCF funding. Ideally, the work will be done in the fewest number of phases to help streamline permitting. A full matrix explaining the applicable permits is available in Appendix VII.

SUNSET PROMENADE

WATERFRONT FOR ALL

PARKING AND PARTNERS

IMPLEMENTATION The Siting Study is an early step in the park’s retransformation to continue to be a beloved public park for Burlingtonians. Full build-out of the park is likely to take several years and will be part of a public process each step of the way. The Siting Study proposes 4 phases of implementation. The Siting Study is step two of a four step process to implement the project and transform Perkins Pier. More detail about the stages of the park's reinvestment are detailed below:

Identifying Need The City regularly identifies deferred maintenance needs for all parks and facilities across the City. The deferred maintenance needs often require a range of capital improvement needs, but in order to include those improvements in the proposed capital improvement plan, the Department needs to articulate what projects are necessary to reinvest in a park or facility.

The Siting Study (we are here!) The Siting Study helps BPRW articulate those needs and ensure the Burlington community drives what investments are made. The study outlines the park’s primary goals, general design, and specific individual projects that make up a complete redesign for the park.

Fundraising + Feasibility The Siting Study outlines a high level cost estimate for all elements of the project. Once the siting study is complete - the city will need to raise funds for the project through available sources. This stage of the process is also when the city may investigate the feasibility of certain projects in the Siting Study. There are three ways the city can fund the Perkins Pier project: (1) public funding through bonds, taxes, or the general fund; (2) contributions like donations or grants and sponsorships; and (3) dedicated reinvestments through revenue generation from parking, marina and mooring fees, rental fees, and concession sales.

Design + Construction Once funds are secured, the city will work with landscape architects and engineers to develop detailed drawings that will be used to build the park. Waterfront landscape construction is a demanding process and requires continual decision making, adaptation of the design, and collaboration among the client, the landscape architect, and the contractor. For a park like Perkins Pier, which has many different uses and site conditions, that means that the design and consturction will be completed in phases over many years to ensure marina operations and park operations are not interrupted for too long.