F. X. Browne, Inc. Environmental Consulting Engineers Open Space, Park, and Recreation Planning

Additional Representative Open Space & Greenways Projects

Park, Recreation and Open Space Plan
Upper Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, PAtc \l3 "Upper Gwynedd Township Park and Recreation and Open Space Plan

F. X. Browne, Inc. developed the previous plan for Upper Gwynedd Township in 1993 which we are currently updating. With the completion of this plan, the Township became eligible and will renew its eligibility to receive funding under the Montgomery County Open Space Program.

The previous Plan included the following:

·          Extensive GIS Mapping
·          A Natural Resource Inventory
·          A Final Master Plan for the Entire Township
·          A List of Prioritized Parcels for Open Space Acquisition and Conservation Easements
·          Suggested Placement and Development of Nature Trails
·          Preservation of Significant Wildlife Habitat Areas
·          Identification of Active and Passive Recreation Areas, Green Belt Corridors and Environmental Education Opportunities
·          Conceptual Design of Park Facilities for Active and Passive Recreation

The Township has since utilized County open space acquisition funding to:

·        Purchase Additional Parkland
·          Enhance Nature Trails
·        Plant Native Vegetation
·        Stabilize Streambanks of the Wissahickon Creek

Open Space Plan
Lower Moreland Township, Montgomery County, PA

The Lower Moreland Township Open Space Plan was successfully developed by F. X. Browne, Inc. and approved by Montgomery County in 1996. After careful analysis of the natural and manmade environment, F. X. Browne, Inc. provided guidance to the Township as to which direction to take in order to achieve an optimum relationship of varying land uses.

Our recommendations were:

· Integrated Pattern of Residential and Commercial Land with Parks, Recreational Facilities and Open Space

· The Overall Enhancement of the Built and Natural Environments

The objectives were presented to the Township in order to foresee significant improvements in the Township’s quality of life, including:

Replanting and Preservation of Scenic Road Corridors
Amendment of Zoning and Subdivision and Land Development Ordinances
Creation of a Trail System Between Existing Parks
The Improvement and Rehabilitation of Existing Playground Facilities at All Parks
The Establishment of Greenways Connecting Neighborhoods, Parks and Business Districts

The Preservation and Permanent Protection of Environmentally Sensitive Lands

Watershed Greenway Plan
Crosswicks Creek/Doctors Creek Watershed, Allentown, NJ

In 2004, this greenway plan was adopted by six municipalities. The Crosswicks Creek/Doctors Creek Watershed Greenway Plan was funded in part by a grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and with matching funds from six municipalities. A regional planning group was formed from members of the environmental commissions of these municipalities.

In the fall of 2004, the Plan, with the combined support of six municipal environmental commissions, received an award from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC) for its multiple-town cooperative effort.

F. X. Browne, Inc. worked closely with the planning group to develop the greenway plan. This involved discussing the location of existing open space, the location of historic sites and vistas, strategies for protecting water quality, specific ways of implementing the plan, and ways to get the public and additional municipalities involved in the plan.

During the course of the project, F. X. Browne, Inc. worked with the planning group, presented at several public meetings, developed a GIS database, creating maps of the proposed greenway and the existing conditions, and wrote the greenway plan.

Park Master Plan
Delaware Township, PA

F. X. Browne, Inc. prepared the Delaware Township Park Master Plan for a 140 acre park. The site included several natural areas including a freshwater wetland, upland mixed hardwood forest and a freshwater pond. The Township hired F. X. Browne, Inc. to design additional active and passive features at the park. Some of the prominent goals of the Township were to provide additional recreational activities for a wide variety of age groups, including senior citizens. The final Park Master Plan was designed to utilize the park and its available resources in a creative, yet environmentally sensitive way.

Nature Trail - Lower Sylvan Lake
Burlington, NJ

F. X. Browne, Inc. utilized its graphics and drafting capabilities to design environmental education kiosks which were placed along an existing nature trail in Burlington Township, New Jersey. The existing path of the trails was displayed upon the kiosk along with common types of natural resources one might see while walking along the trails. In an attempt to educate the public on the importance of various ecosystems, the kiosk also contained information on the importance of the aquatic environment within Lower Sylvan Lake and the forested wetland areas which exist along portions of the trails.