Recipe Book - Susquehanna Greenway Partnership

Transcription

Susquehanna R iver Sp or ts Park
Feasibilit y Study
Creating a Boathouse, Rowing Venue and Riverfront Park
In the Middle Susquehanna Region - Realizing the Economic
Development and Recreational Potential of Lake Augusta
May 2010
Susquehanna R iver Spor ts Par k
Susquehanna River Sports Park — Feasibility Study
Creating a Boathouse, Rowing Venue and Riverfront Park in the Middle
Susquehanna Region – Realizing the Economic Development and
Recreational Potential of Lake Augusta
The Lake Augusta communities: Northumberland Borough and Upper
Augusta, Point and West Chillisquaque Townships, Northumberland
County; Shamokin Dam Borough and Monroe Township, Snyder County;
Union Township, Union County.
This project was financed in part by a grant from the Community
Conservation Partnerships Program, Keystone Recreation, Park and
Conservation Fund, under the administration of the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation
and Conservation.
Community River Sports Park
Prepared for:
Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association
BRC-TAG-13.3-491
Bucknell University
Susquehanna University
Funding by:
Prepared by:
SEDA-Council of Governments
Community Resource Center
201 Furnace Road
Lewisburg, PA 17837
(570) 524-4491
www.seda-cog.org
and
Russell B. Roberts, AIA, Architect
295 Huntsville Idetown Road
Dallas, PA 18612
(570) 675-8596 Phone
May 2010
Credits and Acknowledgements
Thanks to the vision, leadership and commitment of the Central
Pennsylvania Rowing Association and to Bucknell and Susquehanna
Universities, Lake Augusta may now be recognized as a rowing venue of
regional and national significance. The Susquehanna River Sports Park –
Feasibility Study was made possible through a grant from the Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and matching funds
from the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association, Bucknell University,
Susquehanna University and Community Revitalization funds from State
Representatives Merle Phillips and Russ Fairchild.
The Susquehanna River Sports Park - Project Study Committee
Jim Baker
Joe McGranaghan
Paul Bugenhagen
Linda A. McMillin
Malcolm Fleming
Andrew Miller
Carol Graybeal
Joan Moreau
Jim Grose
John Skotedis
Julie Irwin
Sally Thomas
Sheila Hartung
Valerie Weber
Stacy Hinck
Kim Wheeler
Ed Hovenstein
Pam Wolfe
Stephen Kish
Tim Wolfe
Geoffrey Knauth
SEDA-COG Team
Brian Auman
Student Interns:
Tom Grbenick
Zachary Pyle
Alison Stevenson
Brian Sabri
Joe Dewalle
Ryan Witmer
Margie Swartzlander
Susquehanna River Sports Park — Feasibility Study
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
1
Feasibility Study
5
Community Profile
7
Resource Inventory and Analysis
13
Public Participation in the Planning Process
25
Susquehanna River Sports Park - Project Goals
29
Susquehanna River Sports Park - Concepts
31
Susquehanna River Sports Park - Feasibility
43
57
Appendices - Project CD
59
Susquehanna River Sports Park - Implementation Strategy
Boathouse Site Seletion Matrix
Project Study Committee Agendas
Key Person Interviews
Boathouse Tour - Booklet
Design Workshop
Photos / Illustrations
Executive Summary
The Susquehanna River is an underutilized and underappreciated resource
offering great opportunity to revitalize the river towns of the Middle
Susquehanna Region. In particular – Lake Augusta (the lake formed by
the inflatable fabridam) has not realized its potential as a recreational
destination and catalyst for economic development. The proposed
Susquehanna River Sports Park seeks to create a destination recreational
park that will attract locals and visitors to the benefit of the local economy.
The Susquehanna River Sports Park – Feasibility Study identified and
evaluated five potential boathouse sites before selecting a preferred site at
the intersection of Routes 11 and 15 in Monroe Township, Snyder County.
A detailed inventory and analysis was then completed assessing the
feasibility of constructing a boathouse and all necessary support facilities
on this site. In addition, the preferred boathouse site was evaluated for its
full development potential – exploring complementary site development;
enhanced site and river access; improved streetscapes; community
redevelopment and revitalization options; and enhanced recreation,
education and environmental stewardship opportunities.
1
The boathouse will be a rowing venue for university crew teams and the
Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association club activities and will offer
the opportunity for expanded youth and secondary school training and
competitions and adaptive rowing programs for people with disabilities.
The boathouse will also be a venue for regattas and trainings that will
bring many teams to the Region and support local service industries.
The proposed community park will enhance recreational opportunities
for local residents and be a destination for tourists. The park will provide
improved public access to the resources of the Susquehanna River,
walking and biking trails and a riverfront canal park. The Susquehanna
River Sports Park will increase connectivity between the proposed
boathouse and fabridam park and the newly proposed fish passage.
2
The feasibility planning process engaged a wide range of stakeholders
in crafting a vision for the ‘River Sports Park’ and began the partnerships
necessary to take this project from concept to reality. The feasibility of the
Susquehanna River Sports Park is strengthened by a diverse partnership
including stakeholders with interests in the environment, economic
development, education and recreation. The Susquehanna River Sports
Park establishes an ambitious vision for the west shore of Lake Augusta
and has begun a process of regional coordination and collaboration
necessary to realize the full potential of the Susquehanna River and Lake
Augusta.
3
4
Feasiblitiy Study
5
6
Community Profile
Regional Overview
The Middle Susquehanna Region is defined as the area of Central
Pennsylvania centered where the North and West Branches of the
Susquehanna meet before flowing south towards the Chesapeake Bay.
This is a predominately rural area, notable for its river towns surrounded
and separated by forested ridges and broad agricultural valleys.
Historically this Region is topographically rugged, isolated and difficult to
traverse, and the Susquehanna River guided early travel and settlement
throughout the Region.
Today, the importance of the Susquehanna River can still be seen in the
spatial arrangements of the Region’s major communities, which are strung
along the River like pearls on a necklace. The towns serve as connection
points and industrial hubs between local resources and distant markets.
Variations in local industries, therefore, played major roles in directing
town growth and shaping town character. These variations, along with
the character of the local landscape and different cultural backgrounds
and mixes, combined to create the collection of distinct, independent and
authentic river towns that we find today.
Growth Trends
The Middle Susquehanna Region, with the exception of the Anthracite
Coal Region, has experienced moderate growth in population and
employment since 1970. This has occurred despite the decline in
manufacturing and industry by a range of 1.4% to 4.2% in the five
counties between 2001 and 2005. Growth treads have been toward flat
or declining population in the boroughs (river towns) and increasing
populations and low-density development in the surrounding countryside
(townships). While all the river towns of the Middle Susquehanna Region
retain their distinctive character and human scale, the town-county
transition is becoming blurred as surrounding developments take on
an increasingly suburban character. As more suburban, low-density
development occurs in the Region, there is a general loss of walk-ability
and bike-ability within and between communities. Current trends do not
bode well for our communities from the standpoint of sustainability and
quality of life.
Demographics
As of 2006, the five-county Region had an estimated total population
of 256,215 residents. The Region accounts for roughly one-half of one
percent (0.5%) of the population of Pennsylvania, but covers nearly four
percent (3.85%) of the state’s total land area, a reflection of the Region’s
predominately rural nature.
The Middle Susquehanna Region was settled as an area noted for
tolerance and for cultural and ethnic diversity. Most of these groups put
down firm roots within the area and many current residents can trace
their families back within the same community for multiple generations.
Ironically, because the vast majority of settlers to the Region were of
European descent, the Region today appears largely homogenous (96%
Caucasian) despite originally possessing a very distinct and diverse mix of
ethnic and religious groups.
7
Economic Development
Lake Augusta – Targeted Investment Area
From an economic standpoint, the Region is dominated by low to
moderate income families. Average household income varies by county;
it is highest in Union County at $55,649 and lowest in Northumberland
County at $42,664. Median household income, however, is highest
in Montour County, followed by Union, Snyder, Columbia and
Northumberland counties, respectively. All of these figures are lower than
the median household income for the whole of the state of Pennsylvania.
In the Valley Vision 2020 report prepared by SEDA-Council of Governments
(SEDA-COG) – the Lake Augusta area was identified as one of the targeted
investment areas for the 11-county area. The state, looking for a more
efficient way to invest limited resources, sought the identification of
‘targeted investment areas’ as a way to counteract the historic practices
of scattershot investments throughout the Region. The approach would
focus more investment into strategic areas, resulting in greater benefits to
the entire 11-county region served by SEDA-COG.
Many major employers in the Middle Susquehanna Region have their roots
in the Region’s industrial era. Industries such as Wood Mode, Weis Markets
and Conestoga Wood Specialties have direct ties to the Region’s lumber
and agriculture heritage. Other industries are firmly tied to the new
economy sectors of education, research and health care. Organizations
such as Geisinger and Bucknell, Susquehanna and Bloomsburg universities
play an increasingly vital role in the economy of the Region. A desired
economic future for the Region would be to find a balance between
attracting education and healthcare jobs while retailing manufacturing
jobs – both of which have the potential to be high skill / high wage jobs.
While the Middle Susquehanna Region is generally viewed positively as an
excellent place to raise a family due to its small town and rural character,
the Region faces many challenges to retaining and attracting youth
and talent. The Region’s continued growth in education and healthcare
sectors requires attracting world-class talent. While large numbers of
students come to the Region to attend college, few of these students
remain in the area after graduation. The Middle Susquehanna Region
suffers from ‘brain drain’ as the Region’s best and brightest youth leave the
area for greater opportunities elsewhere. A challenge for the Region is to
develop both the economic opportunities and the quality of life elements
necessary to attract and retain highly qualified professionals.
8
When challenged to identify ‘targeted investment areas’ for the 11-county
SEDA-COG service area – Lake Augusta was a logical choice. The number
of projects and initiatives focused on the Lake Augusta area identified it
as a cluster of economic activity. The time seemed right, finally, for Lake
Augusta to assume its promise as an economic engine for the Region. The
Susquehanna River Sports Park idea contributed another level of thinking
to the Lake Augusta area – giving a vision for enhancements to the west
shore and proposing connections between communities for the benefit of
the whole.
Upper Augusta Twp.
12
11
147
10
14 15
13
Nor thumberland
16
147
9
8
61
Sunbur y
11
17
61
Lake Augusta
7
Lake Augusta Regional Attractions
Lake Augusta Loop Trail
PA Canal Remnants
1
2
Fish & Boat Commission
FishingTwp.
Access
Point
Proposed Fish Passages
147
11
Monroe Twp.
2 1
6
6
West Shore Scenic Drive
12
Sunbury Social Club
7
Shikellamy State Park Overlook
13
Shikellamy State Park Marina and
15Center
Future River Research
8
Pineknotter Park & Boat Launch
14
Fort Augusta Historic Site
9
King Street Park
15
Site of Native American Trading
Post in Historic Shamokin
3
Future Susquehanna Greenway
Gateway Visitor Center
4
Future River Sports Park
10
Joseph Priestley Historic Site
16
Old Towne Sunbury
5
Northumberland Boat Club
11
Fantasy Island Campground
17
Sunbury River front Park
5
Sunbury
Fabridam
61
4
11/15
3
2
Shamokin Dam
9
Susquehanna River Sports Park – Key Stakeholders
Key stakeholders to advance the Susquehanna River Sports Park include
the key project champions: the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association
and Bucknell and Susquehanna universities. Additional stakeholder
include the state agencies that are expected to play key roles in the
design and potential operation and maintenance of the recreational
facilities – the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT )
and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
(DCNR). Other key players include the landowners, Shamokin Dam
Borough and Monroe Township, Northumberland Boat Club, Susquehanna
River Valley Visitor Bureau and the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber
of Commerce, SEDA-Council of Governments, the Susquehanna Greenway
Partnership, PA Heartland Coalition for Environmental Studies, DCNR
Bureau of State Parks, PA Fish and Boat Commission and PA Historical and
Museum Commission.
It is expected that the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association (CPRA) will
play a pivotal role in the evolving partnership. The CPRA was incorporated
in 2003 as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization in order to promote the
sport of rowing in the Susquehanna Valley. In the past five years, the
organization has grown dramatically. At the current time, the organization
not only provides coached rowing for its members, but also manages a
youth rowing program as well as hosting multiple learn-to-row courses
throughout each season. CPRA recently hosted its third annual Masters
of the Susquehanna Regatta, attracting rowers from ten different clubs
to the Region to compete in rowing races. In addition to CPRA, Bucknell
and Susquehanna universities worked collaboratively to provide the local
match for the Susquehanna River Sports Park feasibility study.
Population Within a Ten Mile Radius of Lake Augusta
Municipality
2008 Population Estimate
2000 Census Population
Union Township
1,492
1,427
Rockefeller Township
2,260
2,221
Northumberland Borough
3,512
3,714
Sunbury City
9,819
10,610
Point Township
3,869
3,722
Upper Augusta Township
2,514
2,556
Monroe Township
4,072
4,012
Shamokin Dam Borough
1,438
1,502
Liberty Township
1,447
1,476
East Buffalo Township
5,896
5,730
Lewisburg Borough
5,454
5,620
New Berlin Borough
818
838
Riverside Borough
1,853
1,861
Rush Township
1,236
1,189
Milton Borough
6,359
6,650
Shamokin Township
2,244
2,159
Little Mahanoy Township
430
435
Snydertown Borough
331
357
Lower Augusta Township
1,069
1,079
East Chillisquaque Township
634
664
West Chillisquaque Township
2,718
2,846
Zerbe Township
1,878
2,021
Penn Township
3,950
3,781
Selinsgrove
5,344
5,383
Jackson Township
1,333
1,276
Middlecreek Township
2,118
1,971
74,088
75,100
Total Population
10
Population of Municipalities Surrounding Lake Augusta
Municipality
2008 Population Estimate
2000 Census Population
Union Township
1,492
1,427
Rockefeller Township
2,260
2,221
Northumberland Borough
3,512
3,714
Sunbury City
9,819
10,610
Point Township
3,869
3,722
Upper Augusta Township
2,514
2,556
Monroe Township
4,072
4,012
Shamokin Dam Borough
1,438
1,502
28,976
29,764
Total Population
11
12
Resource Inventory and Analysis
Pre-History
The Middle Susquehanna Region is a beautiful and scenic area, notable
for its waterways, valleys, hills and ridges. The distinctive ridge and valley
landscape of Central Pennsylvania was formed by uplift within the past
65.5 million years, but the Susquehanna River is itself much older. It
predates even the origins of the Appalachians over 300 million years ago.
In fact, the Susquehanna River system is generally believed to be one of
the oldest in the world.
Glaciation is a geologic process that has played a role in shaping the
Regional landscape. Glaciers have overrun and receded from the Region
as far south as Selinsgrove three times within the past 770,000 years.
Glacial deposits last crept into the northernmost sections of Columbia
County during the Wisconsin Glaciation Period, approximately 17,000 to
22,000 years ago. When the glaciers melted, completely, receding from
Pennsylvania by 10,600 B.C., the Susquehanna River ran 30 feet above
current levels, forming river islands and fertile terraces along its course.
What was left behind was the Susquehanna River Valley as it is seen today
– a broad lowland of shale, limestone and glacial outwash and a natural
corridor cutting indiscriminately along the ancient water gap through
steep and rugged ridges separated by long and narrow lateral valleys.
Landscape Character
Driving through the Region, one encounters many variations on the
theme of rural landscapes. Union and Snyder counties offer fertile
limestone valleys with rolling floors that are dotted with farmsteads and
working agricultural lands and enclosed by forested sandstone ridges.
Compared to the immediate surrounding landscape and much of the
greater Pennsylvania landscape, the Susquehanna River Valley provided
a relatively passable and clear North-South route through the state. The
juxtaposition of traversable and comparatively impassable lands has
shaped settlement patterns in the Region from the earliest times. Today,
the forces which directed growth and development have made a lasting
impression on the landscape through the unique resultant pattern of
dispersed river towns surrounded by open lands bordered by ridges and
strung together by successive parallel bands of paths, canals, rails and
roadways.
13
Town and Country Landscape
The Canal Era
One of the notable characteristics of the Middle Susquehanna Region is
how remote it feels despite its relative proximity to the major metropolitan
areas of Philadelphia and New York. The rural nature of the Middle
Susquehanna Region is also highly distinctive. Other noted rural parts of
the Commonwealth, such as Lancaster, exhibit agricultural lands encircling
mid-sized, highly urbanized cities and spreading suburbs. In contrast,
the Middle Susquehanna Region’s population is dispersed in a pattern
of communities that range from very small, rural crossroad villages and
valley towns to, at their largest, minor cities that still carry a small town
atmosphere and offer authentic experiences.
The mode of transportation that really sparked the growth in Regional
trade and population was the construction of the Susquehanna Division
and the North and West Branch Canals. Canals were built throughout
Pennsylvania for two primary reasons. The first reason was to compete
with the Erie Canal system in New York State, and the second reason
was to connect Philadelphia with the raw materials from the central and
western parts of Pennsylvania. Two acts were passed in 1826 and 1827 to
create the Pennsylvania canal system.
Towns grew in the Region primarily at connection points between
local resources and transportation networks. Thus, most of the larger
communities are found along the River at the head of lateral valleys and
tributaries. From these positions, river towns served to connect valley
industries and resources with distant coastal markets downstream. Other
communities grew up within areas high in natural resources. Many of
the remote valley towns, often established by the Pennsylvania Dutch,
were located in places with good, fertile soils with easy access to the
streams and woodlands where families could live off the land in close-knit
communities.
The canal provided the area with the transportation needed to move
raw materials like iron, lumber and anthracite coal and connected the
Susquehanna Valley to larger urban areas including New York, Philadelphia
and Baltimore. The Region was a large provider of the raw materials
found in Central Pennsylvania that were processed and used by the
urban markets to build and strengthen the nation during the Industrial
Revolution.
The rate of trade in the Region rose dramatically with the introduction
of the canal. Commercial farming was being expanded; the canal,
allowed local farmers to grow crops for sale in a broader ring of regional
markets instead of growing them simply for sustenance and sale at local
markets. At this point the industries of the Region began to become
interdependent. Agriculture expanded and diversified as it was fueled by
and supported the growing local industries such as coal, textile and iron,
all of which were connected and sustained by the canal network which
provided efficient and effective means of trade and transportation.
The Canal led to the creation of many new kinds of business in the
Region. One of the new industries that the canal system created was
boat building. The most recognized boat building industries were in Port
Trevorton, Selinsgrove, Northumberland and Espy. The canal industry
also created a need for hotels, inns, restaurants and taverns that were
frequented by the canal workers and packet boat travelers passing
through the Region.
The canals not only brought people to this area with flourishing
industries and trade, but also spurred the formation and growth of the
river and canal towns that exist today. Selinsgrove, Shamokin Dam,
Northumberland, Sunbury, Danville, Bloomsburg, Berwick, Lewisburg and
Milton were all small towns plotted along the banks for the Susquehanna
River that depended upon the canal for trade and transport. These
towns became centers of trade for the Region. People from outlying
communities and the surrounding landscape came to the markets of river
14
towns to buy and sell goods and produce moving through the Region
along the waterways.
The impact of economic growth from the canal era can still be seen
throughout the Region simply by looking at population centers which
are clearly concentrated along the Susquehanna River. The significance
of the canals to the Region is also evident in the towns where they
supported new localized industries and the construction of bustling,
now historic downtown centers, affluent neighborhoods for business,
factory and mill owners and districts of worker housing, some of which
remain today. Many canal remnants are also present within the Region,
offering opportunities for recreational trails, canal restoration and historic
interpretation.
15
From Waterways to Railways to Highways
Although the canals were significantly more efficient than previously used
methods of transport, canal transport possessed its own drawbacks and
inefficiencies. These shortcomings led to the decline of the canal industry
at the hands of railroads before the close of the 19th century. A primary
weakness of the Pennsylvania Canal is that they could not be used in
winter due to harsh, freezing conditions. Railroads, however, could be
operated all year. Travel by canal was also significantly slower that by rail
and the carrying capacity of packet boats was much less than for trains.
Thus, even though incredible amounts of labor and money went into the
construction and maintenance of the Pennsylvania Canal system, it began
to fall into obsolescence just a few short decades after it was completed.
Just as the railroad replaced the canal, the railroad was ultimately
replaced by the evolving state and national highway systems as the
preferred means of moving people and goods. There are many places
throughout the Middle Susquehanna Region where we can see the history
of transportation written on the landscape. The Susquehanna River, the
original ‘highway’ parallels Pennsylvania Canal remnants, railroad tracks
and highways, as successive modes of transportation proceeded up the
riverbanks.
Lake Augusta
The Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam (A.K.A. - the Sunbury fabridam) is
the world’s longest inflatable dam. The dam is located just below the
confluence of the Western and Main Branches of the Susquehanna
between the towns of Shamokin Dam and Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The
dam is 2,100 feet long. When it is raised in the summer time, it creates the
3,000 acre Lake Augusta, which is used for recreation. The dam and lake
are part of Shikellamy State Park. In 2001, the dam was renamed for Adam
T. Bower, Chief Clerk of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from
1967-68 and Director of Services during the Pennsylvania Constitutional
Convention of 1967-68, by Act 2001-5 of the Pennsylvania General
Assembly. There are plans underway to add a fish passage to both sides
of the dam to allow the American shad to access the upper part of the
Susquehanna River watershed.
16
Lake Augusta is the seasonally impounded lake created by the
Sunbury fabridam, and the man-made lake connects the river town
communities of Northumberland, Sunbury and Shamokin Dam. The
fabridam is inflated, creating Lake Augusta, for the summer boating
season from Memorial Day through Labor Day. However, rowing and
other recreational interests have sought to have the Lake Augusta
season extended to better accommodate river activities, training and
rowing competitions. Lake Augusta remains one of the Region’s most
undervalued assets. Following is a snapshot of the Lake’s physical
dimensions:
Total Shoreline
6.23 miles
Length
2.79 miles
Width of Lake
.44 miles
Area of Lake Off-Season
672.8 acres
Area of Lake In-Season
1352.4 acres
Since becoming operational in the 1970s, Lake Augusta has emerged as
a destination for all types of water sports and sport fishing for residents
and area visitors alike. State investments in a marina park and boat
access area have opened eyes to even more development possibilities.
Plans for the Sunbury riverfront and a fish passage will add to the area’s
attraction. But the larger economic development goals touted for Lake
Augusta over 40 years ago are not yet fully realized. Large extents of Lake
Augusta shoreline remain underutilized and have the potential to attract
even greater numbers of boaters, anglers, and sightseers while serving
the close-to-home exercise and recreational needs of thousands of nearby
residents.
A Regional Gateway
Lake Augusta is at the hub of the Regional highway system. State Routes
11, 15 and 147 pass through, and State Route 61 commences in this
area. The proposed Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway (CSVT ), the
long sought missing-link that would bypass regional truck traffic around
Shamokin Dam’s ‘golden strip,’ also has important connections to Lake
Augusta. As the natural link between the river towns of Shamokin Dam,
Northumberland and Sunbury – Lake Augusta has been identified as
the site for a regional gateway to the Middle Susquehanna Region and a
portal to the historic river towns of the entire Region.
17
The Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study
Recognizing the important link between transportation and economic
development, PennDOT has provided funding for a project entitled the
Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study. This study will address past and
present topics that prevent the region from capitalizing more fully on the
potential of Lake Augusta. The planning process will convene a process
and establish an organizational framework to build area-wide consensus
on a vision for future development; agreements on development
principles, action plans and concept designs for new waterfront
development; and establish related investment priorities and a process
for collaborative municipal-county-state policy-making relevant to future
public-private investment decisions.
The Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study will integrate the Susquehanna
River Sports Park concept into this comprehensive vision for the region
and stimulate regional interest and new investment in projects to serve
the varied needs of Middle Susquehanna Valley communities and attract
Regional visitors. The study will enhance awareness of the Susquehanna
Greenway and the natural, cultural and historical assets of real importance
to contiguous river town development. It will identify new opportunities
for active living, recreation, environmental conservation, community
revitalization and economic development. It will lead to fuller use and
enjoyment of the Susquehanna River by area residents and visitors, and it
will add value to past and future municipal, county, and state investments
in waterfront park and access facilities.
18
The Susquehanna Greenway
Economic Benefits of the Greenway
Nearly half of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania lies within the
Susquehanna Watershed, which covers over 30,000 square miles from
its upper reaches in New York and Pennsylvania to the mouth of the
River in Havre de Grace, Maryland. The designation and development
of the Susquehanna Greenway along the main stem and branches of
the River has the potential to improve the quality of life throughout the
Commonwealth. Pennsylvania’s Greenway Program was launched in
August 2001 with the completion of a statewide greenway action plan,
“Pennsylvania’s Greenways – An Action Plan for Creating Connections.” The
Governor amended Executive Order 1998-3 identifying PA DCNR as the
lead agency responsible for action plan implementation. Projects like the
Susquehanna Greenway and Susquehanna River Sports Park will help PA
DCNR and the state to implement the action plan by achieving diverse
benefits such as economic development, community revitalization,
historic and cultural interpretation and environmental stewardship.
The Susquehanna River Sports Park supports the mission of the
Susquehanna Greenway and would serve as a model by supporting
healthy living through the creation of diverse recreation opportunities
for rowing, paddling, biking and walking. The Susquehanna River Sports
Park also has the potential to generate significant direct and indirect
economic benefit to the Region – creating a destination for training and
competitive rowing (regatta) events. Lake Augusta’s location near the
center of Pennsylvania and its proximity to major east coast cities raises
the interesting potential that the site could attract state scholastic rowing
championships and be a venue for regional and national-caliber training
and competition. The economic impacts of these events would be
significant for the regional service industries.
19
Quality of the Water
An important resource to note in discussing the boathouse and Lake
Augusta as a rowing venue is the quality of the water for rowing.
Regionally, the best known rowing venues are: Philadelphia’s Schuylkill
River, Pittsburgh’s Allegheny River and Boston’s Charles River. All of these
venues benefit from proximity to a major metropolitan population.
The urban nature of these sites brings with them conditions that are
detrimental to rowing. The narrow, meandering nature, numerous river
bridges and river traffic make rowing and racing on the Schuylkill a
challenge. Likewise, the industrial character and large boat navigability
of the Allegheny River creates conflict between rowers and barges. The
Charles River has similar capacity issues – with the sheer number of
boaters on the river.
20
Lake Augusta, in comparison, has many attributes that make it a much
better rowing venue than those found in Boston, Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh. The Susquehanna River at Lake Augusta is ½ mile (2,600 feet)
in width – allowing for a significant amount of river recreation capacity
for motorized and non-motorized boats to use and enjoy the River
simultaneously. The Susquehanna River has long been known as a nonnavigable river from the perspective of large river commerce boating. As
such, there are no large-scale commercial boats and barges plying the
Susquehanna as one would find on the Allegheny and Delaware rivers;
therefore, there are no large boat wakes that are detrimental to rower
safety. The Susquehanna, in the area of Lake Augusta, is a very straight
stretch of the River. Above the fabridam. the River flows directly north
for nearly two miles. Longer training runs and competitions only need to
make a single turn and navigate under one river bridge, a much preferred
condition than a rower would find on Philadelphia’s Schuylkill River and
Boston’s Charles River. A similar two-mile row on the Schuylkill River will
require three sharp turns, navigating around a river island, under one
highway bridge and under two railroad bridges – with the Schuylkill’s
width ranging between 400 and 600 feet. Likewise on the Charles River,
a two-mile row from the new Community Rowing Center will require
eight turns and navigation between the piers of two highway bridges.
Other rowing challenges on the Charles River include the number of
rowers, recreational power boaters and the narrowness of the river. The
average width of the Charles River ranges between 200 and 300 feet. The
Susquehanna River is five times the average width of the Schuylkill River
and ten times the average width of the Charles River with significantly
fewer structural conflicts and much greater recreational-user carrying
capacity. Lake Augusta, within its rural location, also offers convenient
highway access with few of the traffic problems found in East Coast
metropolitan areas.
Rowers on Lake Augusta also benefit from the River’s improving water
quality. The water in Lake Augusta benefits from the generally rural,
forested landscape of Northcentral Pennsylvania. The rowable waters
along Lake Augusta’s west shore are coming from the West Branch
Susquehanna River. The West Branch, as displayed in many aerial photos
of the River’s confluence, has less silt and sediment than the River’s North
Branch. The clearer water is better for seeing and avoiding objects in
the water – an important consideration given the fragile character and
expense of racing sculls.
Boathouse Site Selection Criteria
The resources necessary to build a rowing boathouse and a viable training
and competition venue are detailed and extensive. The Lake Augusta
area offered several sites that could possibly serve as a boathouse
location, so to properly assess and vet the options, a detailed list of
criteria was established. Since any possible boathouse site would need
to have land characteristics amenable to boathouse construction and
water characteristics conducive for rowing, the evaluation needed to
involve both land and water criteria. The land and water evaluation
matrix included 25 different criteria – 16 items associated with the land
and developability of the site and 9 items to evaluate the quality of the
adjacent water for rowing. The boathouse site evaluation criteria are:
Land Selection Criteria
• Land Ownership – Is the land publicly owned or can it be
acquired?
• Land Cost – Is the cost of the land affordable?
• Environmental Regulations – Does the site avoid or minimize
impacts to floodplain, floodway, wetland and other regulated
environmental resources?
• Visibility – Does the site provide high visibility for the project?
• Context – Does the context fit for a community park and
boathouse?
• Travel Time – Is the site easily accessible by major users such as
the universities?
• Access to the Site – Is there safe and convenient access to the site
from existing local roadways and regional highways?
• Visibility / Safety – Is the site safe, providing easy visual access,
lighting and ‘eyes on the site’?
• Lot Size – Is there sufficient land for the park and boathouse
program?
• Orientation – Is the site appropriate for passive solar heating
and natural day-lighting of the structure, and what are the wind
impacts on the site?
21
• Utilities – Is there direct access to sewer, water and electric
utilities?
• Site Redevelopment – Does the project redevelop a previously
impacted or Brownfield site?
• Building Reuse – Does the project propose a creative re-use of an
existing building?
• Transit / Alternative Transportation – Does the site offer the
public access via transit or alternative transportation?
• Greenway Connections – Does the site offer connections or
potential connections to trails and adjacent communities?
• Regional Impact – Will the project, located on this site, have a
regional impact?
Water Selection Criteria
• Water Depth – Does the site have sufficient water depth to access
the River in all conditions?
• Row-able Water – Does the site offer access to flat water of
sufficient length for training and competition?
• Water Safety / Quality – Is there easy access by ambulance, police
and emergency services to the water? Does the River’s water
quality at the site contribute or detract from its use as a rowing
venue?
• River Currents – Does the River have minimal and/or safe currents
adjacent to this site?
• Recreation Conflicts – Does the site reduce the likelihood of
conflict between motorized and non-motorized boating?
• River Obstacles – Are there obstacles or objects in the River that
detract from River access or rowing safety?
• Orientation – Is the River orientation appropriate for solar and
wind impacts?
• Docks – Are the currents and water depths conducive for the
construction of docks?
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• Greenway Water Trail Connections – Does the site contribute or
enhance the water trail system?
Possible Boathouse Sites
The five possible boathouse sites identified for the Susquehanna River
Sport Park study were located at various locations along a ten-mile
stretch of River, centered on Lake Augusta. The five sites had very
different characteristics that either contributed or detracted from its
potential as a boathouse / rowing venue. The five possible sites, and
description of their location, are:
Shikellamy Marina – The marina building located at Shikellamy State
Park on Packers Island, Northumberland County.
Libby’s Shoreside Campground – Located in West Chillisquaque
Township, Northumberland County, off of State Route 405.
Monroe Township – The triangular piece of land north of the Route 61
river bridge, opposite Tedds Landing, Monroe Township, Snyder County.
Shady Nook – A river access located downriver from the fabridam,
Shamokin Dam Borough, Snyder County. Pineknotter Park – The riverfront park at the confluence of the North
and West branches, Northumberland Borough, Northumberland
County.
Each site was evaluated using the 25 criteria. One to five points were
awarded in each category depending on how well the site met the
established criteria (5 points excellent, 4 points very good, 3 points good,
2 points fair and 1 point poor). The results of the site evaluation are listed
here in chart form. 23
The result of the site evaluation clearly established the Monroe Township
site as the preferred option from both a land and water resource
perspective (see the full evaluation in the Report appendix). It was
clear from the evaluation that if a boathouse is to be feasible in the
Middle Susquehanna Region, it would need to be located at the Monroe
Township site or nowhere at all. The remaining feasibility planning
process focused on the Monroe Township site – evaluating the conditions,
opportunities and challenges associated with creating a boathouse and
community riverfront park.
Monroe Township
24
83
Pineknotter Park
63
Shikellamy Marina 62
Libby’s Shoreside Campground
49
Shady Nook
47
Public Participation in the Planning Process
Public participation is essential to derive diverse ideas and opinions in
any open planning process. The Susquehanna River Sports Park planning
process used a wide range of tools to gather input from local residents
and community leaders, as well as local rowing experts. A project study
committee was used to advise the consultants throughout the planning
process. In addition, numerous key person interviews were performed;
strategic planning meetings were held with state legislators and state
agencies; along with on-site meetings with utility, municipal and business
development interests.
The Project Study Committee
To be successful, the Susquehanna River Sports Park – Feasibility Study
needed the engagement of people knowledgeable about the sport of
rowing and what constitutes a quality boathouse and rowing venue.
The initial project study committee was composed on regional rowers
representing the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association and Bucknell
and Susquehanna universities. This group met for nearly a year to evaluate
the possible boathouse sites and to develop the desired boathouse
program for a boathouse building and the site. Once the preferred
boathouse site was selected, the study committee was expanded to
involved municipal officials with a vested interest in the selected site.
The Monroe Township site is on the municipal boundary and Shamokin
Dam owns land on the site, so both municipalities participated as active
members of the project study committee.
Other key-person interviews included rowing facility managers, PennDOT
officials, state legislators, utility service providers and environmental
regulators. Visits to municipal meetings, including Borough Council and
Township Planning Commission meetings, were held to get feedback on
the boathouse concept and to get suggestions on how the site could
meet community recreational needs.
Boathouse Tour
In July 2008, a boathouse tour was planned and conducted to familiarize
the consultants and study committee members on boathouse design. The
boathouse tour visited three boathouses deemed the most appropriate
for the Susquehanna River Sports Park project. While the most well-known
boathouses in the state are found on Philadelphia’s Boathouse Row, it
was agreed that the Victorian design of these structures would not be
appropriate for the design of a modern boathouse. The three boathouses
selected also sought to display a wide range of project budgets and
different uses and programming of the boathouses and surrounding sites.
The three boathouses visited during the 2008 tour, are listed here.
Landowner Interviews
The preferred boathouse site, an approximately 18 acre site, is divided
among public and private landowners. Landowners – PennDOT,
Shamokin Dam Borough, John Skotedis and Ed Nestlerode, Sr. – were
interviewed to assess their support for the project idea and their openness
to either donate or sell their property for fair market value. Several
discussions and a face-to-face meeting were held with high-level
PennDOT District 3 personnel, discussing PennDOT’s right-of-way and
long-term transportation plans associated with the Central Susquehanna
Valley Thruway project.
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C. Bernard Shea Rowing Center, Princeton University, Princeton, New
Jersey
Mercer Lake (Finn M.W. Casperson Rowing Center), Princeton Junction,
New Jersey
Cooper River Camden County Boathouse, Pennsauken, NJ During the tour, study committee members received a tour of each facility
by a knowledgeable facility manager or staff person. Study committee
members were able to view the different boathouse structures and ask
questions about the boathouse design, function, management, cost and
funding, operations and management. The consultants were able to
measure key features and discuss on-site storage needs – an item that
seemed to be overlooked in even the high-end Princeton boathouse.
In addition to the boathouses, the tour offered a chance to view different
scenarios of access, parking, boat trailer parking, dock systems and staging
areas, all necessary for day-to-day training and large-scale regatta events.
The boathouses had distinct design features and programs. Princeton was
a single-function rowing boathouse, while the Cooper River boathouse
was booked years in advance as a venue for weddings, meetings and
other events. The Mercer Lake boathouse was a very utilitarian structure,
whereas the Princeton and Cooper River structures used innovative and
high-end materials for construction. Touring the boathouses helped
the study committee gain an understanding of the unique needs of a
boathouse on the Susquehanna River, and the consultant team a better
understanding of the elements of a successful boathouse design.
26
Boathouse Design Workshop
In October 2008, the boathouse sub-group of the project study committee
convened to develop a program for the boathouse. Participants in the
workshop were given background information, including maps of the
site, floodplain information and site cross sections, boathouse design
reference materials, several boathouse concept designs and a slide show
of boathouse examples. Participants discussed and came to general
agreement on what facilities are needed or desired in the boathouse. At
its most basic, the boathouse needed to physically house the rowing
shells of the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association and Bucknell and
Susquehanna universities. But other elements were viewed as highly
desirable to grow the sport of rowing in the region and for the building to
attract economic development opportunities to the site and region.
The boathouse program that evolved from workshop includes:
• Boat Bays (4-6)
• Workout Room (ergs and free weights)
• Locker Rooms and Showers
• Club Space / Meeting Room
• Restrooms for interior use AND for park users with exterior only
entry
• Coach’s Efficiency Apartment – This would make hiring a coach
for the summer considerably easier since she/he wouldn’t have to
find/pay for an apartment for the summer – and would have site
security benefits
Other boathouse program options discussed included:
• Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau – office or informational
kiosk
• Outfitter – canoe / kayak rental and shuttle service
• Location for the Susquehanna Greenway – Gateway Visitors
Center and Museum
Questions that were asked to help refine the program include:
• Do the universities need a workout facility at the boathouse when
they each have quality workout facilities back on their campuses?
• Do we need to invest in six bays, or can winter storage resemble
that of sliding library book shelves that can be very tightly
packed?
Other considerations include:
• Locating the boathouse outside of the 100 and 500 year
floodplain, while keeping the structure close enough to the water
to make moving boats between the dock and the boathouse bays
feasible - keeping in mind the difficulty of moving boats after a
long-hard workout.
• The need to traverse the terrace between boathouse and dock
with an angled ramp.
• Moving boats from upper terrace to the water – the slope of the
ramp is very important. The ramp at Shady Nook is too steep.
The existing ramp at site is OK – but also on the steep side
• Are boats stored differently in-season and during the winter?
Are the boat bays only for winter storage and in the summer the
boats will be stored on racks located on the lower terrace in close
proximity to the dock?
• It was felt that six boat bays would be the best number to design
for the boathouse building, allocating one bay for each of the
following teams / groups: Susquehanna University Men’s Crew,
Susquehanna University Woman’s Crew, Bucknell University Men’s
Crew, Bucknell University Woman’s Crew, Central Pennsylvania
Rowing Association, and one bay used as a repair bay, and/or for
scholastic rowing or other program.
• Winter storage is needed primarily for November – February.
• Spring and fall are the busiest times of year. The boathouse
would be used by CPRA and both universities. Summer is less
hectic with the boathouse being used by CPRA, camps and learnto-row programming.
• Workout Room – Public Gym
27
• Since DCNR owns the overlook, marina and fabridam park,
would DCNR consider expanding its ownership to include the
future community park on the boathouse site? This could be
viewed as an extension of fabridam park and the beginning of an
interconnected Lake Augusta Greenway system.
• What functions are not currently accommodated at the marina,
overlook and fabridam that could be accommodated on this
site; i.e. outfitter, interpretive center, bike and pedestrian trails,
whitewater park, canal interpretation and restoration.
• A county park system is another ownership alternative for the
proposed community park.
• How can we collaboratively work with PennDOT and DCNR on an
integrated plan for the west shore that includes the fish passage,
enhanced site access, canal towpath trail, natural and historical
interpretation of the site and the boathouse?
Several months after the initial Boathouse Design Workshop, many of
the same participants met to further refine the program in a meeting
facilitated by Architect Russ Roberts. Some ideas were challenged at this
meeting; i.e., the need for a workout facility and the creation of separate
structures to accommodate a Regional visitors center, restaurant and
museum. From this follow up meeting, the Architect had what he needed
to develop a concept design for the Susquehanna River Sports Park
boathouse.
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Susquehanna River Sport Park – Project Goals
The following goals have been established for the Susquehanna River
Sports Park (SRSP). These goals reflect a comprehensive vision
1. The SRSP will bring new economic vitality to the Region,
creatively developing an underused property at the heart of
Lake Augusta.
2. The SRSP will create a beautiful and memorable gateway to the
Middle Susquehanna Region and to the adjacent river towns of
Sunbury, Northumberland, Shamokin Dam and Lewisburg.
3. The SRSP will initiate an era of Regional coordination and
collaboration – comprehensively planning and sensibly
developing the full potential of Lake Augusta.
4. The SRSP will offer something for all residents and all visitors to
the Region.
5. The SRSP will create a beautiful new riverfront park connecting
the fabridam and fish passage, with an historic canal park and
boathouse.
6. The SRSP will connect residents and visitors to the Susquehanna
River, creating new opportunities for boating, fishing and
picnicking.
10. The SRSP boathouse and rowing venue will attracts nationallevel training and competition events to the Region as well
as high-caliber talent to the rowing programs of Bucknell and
Susquehanna universities.
11. The SRSP boathouse will allow the Central Pennsylvania Rowing
Association to continue to grow and thrive with inclusive
programs for adults, youth and those with special needs.
12. The SRSP will allow Regional secondary schools to develop
rowing programs – expanding recreation options (competitive
and non-competitive) for students.
13. The SRSP will contribute to the Region’s quality of life, helping
to attract and retain high-skill and high-paying jobs.
14. The SRSP will increase physical activity of area residents by
providing a venue for running, walking, biking, rowing and
boating.
7. The SRSP will interpret the history and environment of the site,
river and Region.
8. The SRSP and the Sunbury riverfront will form the beginning
of a Lake Augusta Greenway, linking Shamokin Dam,
Northumberland and Sunbury with riverfront park space,
pedestrian and bicycle paths, river accesses and scenic
overlooks, helping to build the Susquehanna Greenway.
9. The SRSP will spur community involvement in the re-design of
the Route 11 / 15 highway corridor – creating a scenic parkway
that will accommodate current and future traffic volumes while
integrating roadside landscaping, scenic pull-offs, park access
and integration of multiple modes of transportation.
29
30
Susquehanna River Sports Park – Concept The Susquehanna River Sport Park (SRSP) concept has several key
components. At the heart of the concept, and the original rational
for the study, is the boathouse; however, from the beginning it was
recognized that for the boathouse to be successful, it needed to be part
of an integrated and comprehensive plan for the riverfront. The selected
Monroe Township site was of sufficient size and possessed resources that
allow for a large-scale and diverse concept plan to be developed for the
Susquehanna River Sports Park. The SRSP concept includes the following
elements:
• Site Access and Route 11-15 Highway Corridor Enhancements
• The Boathouse
• Visitors Center
• Restaurant
• Hotel
• Riverfront Recreation and Canal Park
• Regional Gateway
• Susquehanna Greenway Connections
• Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study
31
Site Access and Route 11-15 Highway Corridor Enhancements
At its most basic, the SRSP concept will consist of a boathouse and dock.
In this simplistic scenario, the boathouse will need safe access to and from
the highway to accommodate the needs for rowers and event spectators
– perhaps being accommodated with minimal enhancements to the
existing access. The expanded vision for the Susquehanna River Sports
Park (SRSP), with boathouse, visitors center, hotel and park, will necessitate
significant modifications to the highway and site to accommodate access,
circulation and parking. The SRSP is not feasible with the current design
and conditions of the Route 11-15 corridor and future plans to straighten
the highway to make Route 11 the main through highway. To overcome
these access issues and bridge the gap between current conditions and
the transportation design necessary to accommodate the SRSP program,
an on-going dialogue is needed with the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation.
32
The selected boathouse site is located at a highly-visible hub of the
regional transportation system. The SRSP and adjacent highway
enhancements have the potential to change the face of our region and
to improve its prospects for future generations. The SRSP can shape the
character of our area and enhance the Region’s economic prospects by
developing a shared vision and coordinated action for the Lake Augusta
riverfront. Lake Augusta provides a focus for community revitalization,
river-based recreation, and environmental conservation projects and
activities connecting the river towns of Sunbury, Northumberland and
Shamokin Dam via the Susquehanna Greenway.
Access issues to the boathouse and other development proposed by the
SRSP must be accommodated in collaboration with a comprehensive
re-design of the Route 11-15 corridor. A partnership with PennDOT and
regional and community leaders are necessary to make this happen and
to ensure a design solution that will make access to the SRSP safe and
efficient for all users. The Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study planning
project will enable this on-going dialogue with PennDOT and community
leaders and allow SRSP site access and transportation issues to be further
refined within the regional context.
33
The Boathouse
The boathouse proposed for the Susquehanna River Sports Park will
be a rowing venue for regional university teams, private rowing clubs
and community learn-to-row, youth and adaptive rowing programs.
The boathouse, located at a highly visible location, has the potential to
become an identifiable landmark for the Middle Susquehanna Region.
The concept design of this new facility places a “clubhouse” for the Central
Pennsylvania Rowing Association and the universities on the second
floor above the boat storage and repair bays, creating a multi-use space
separate from the utilitarian functions of the boat bays. The clubhouse
provides men’s and women’s locker rooms and a large multi-purpose
meeting and dining area with a catering kitchen, storage room and
restrooms. It is reached by an open stairwell and elevator from a towerlike entrance lobby at the west end of the building facing the highway.
Its location on the second floor keeps vital mechanical, electrical and
34
plumbing systems and other equipment out of reach of potential future
flooding. There is also a meeting room at the second floor landing which
could be reserved for use by groups such as the Northumberland Boat
Club and other community organizations while still maintaining secure
separation from the Clubhouse.
The clubhouse is also linked to coach offices and a coach / caretaker‘s
apartment. It provides good visibility of the River from both a private
outdoor patio adjacent to the apartment and a public viewing deck
adjacent to the multi-purpose room. “Furniture-like” space dividers create
a subtle interior corridor rather than a closed hallway and screen the
entrances to the locker, restroom, and kitchen functions from the larger
multi-purpose room. This has the added advantage of bringing more
natural light into the back of the room from the River-facing window wall.
The design allows the upper story to be secured from uninvited public
access to the elevator and stairwell entrances. The coach’s offices and
caretaker’s apartment can also be secured from the multi-purpose room.
There is also an upper level indoor observation deck and meeting space
in the tower that can be reached from the clubhouse entrance by an
extension of the main stairwell.
The structure incorporates many “green building” or sustainable design
features. The flat roof area over the boat bays facing south toward
the highway accommodates an array of photo-voltaic panels which
can generate a significant amount of electrical power for use in the
building. These sloped panels add visual interest to the building—a real
advertisement and attention-grabber from the highway, symbolizing the
“self-powered” ethos of the rowing sport. The flat roof which extends out
from the caretaker’s apartment is a vegetated “green roof,” which provides
a pleasant view from the multi-purpose room deck, provides a terrace
for the apartment, reduces heat gain and further insulates the boat bay
below. The clubhouse will also utilize a radiant geothermal heating and
cooling system, using water from the nearby Susquehanna River as a heat
sink.
The boat bays can be accessed from either end—from the parking lot side
or from the riverfront side. There is easy access to parking near the tower
entrance lobby and along the entrance drive, with overflow event parking
provided farther back on the site. There is a “boat way” immediately
parallel to the side of the boathouse on the opposite side from the entry
tower. This provides crew access directly between the boat trailer parking
bays and the ramp leading to the launching area. Access from the exterior
to public restrooms is provided at the tower entrance end of the building.
35
The site plan also shows one existing structure retained as a “dockside”
shelter— a space that could be used by race officials for storage of buoys
and other equipment and perhaps provide a modest vending service
space for events. It could also be used for peak-season boat storage when
not needed for events. Parking is provided adjacent to the launch area for
day users who might chose to bring boats such as canoes, kayaks or single
sculls to the site on a car roof rack.
The boathouse concept design reflects the input we have received from
core members of the project study committee and from our research
and boathouse field trip. The power of this concept lies not only in the
boathouse itself, but also in the potential to spur other public and private
investments on the site, such as a Susquehanna River Valley Gateway
Visitor Center and Museum and a hotel, restaurant and meeting facility
overlooking the river.
36
Visitors Center / Museum
The SRSP site is located in the heart of the proposed Middle Susquehanna
Heritage Area and contains interesting natural and historic cultural
resources including remnants of the Pennsylvania Canal, wetlands
and river woodlands. The visitors center idea offers the potential of a
partnership with the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau – either as
an office location or as a visitor orientation center.
The idea of a river museum has been discussed for years. The SRSP site
has the potential to accommodate a Susquehanna River Natural and
Cultural Heritage Museum – as does the proposed Shikellamy State Park
marina building a few miles up-River. Thinking holistically the various
features and functions will be placed in their most appropriate location,
making the Lake Augusta a model for regional planning and cooperation.
Restaurant
Hotel
An entrepreneurial private business venture opportunity will be created
by the SRSP project, a riverfront restaurant highly visible from the highway
while offering beautiful views of the Susquehanna River. The location of
the restaurant adjacent to the boathouse and riverfront park would create
a logical cliental base of rowers, boaters and other recreational users of
the park.
The hotel is another private business venture opportunity created by the
SRSP idea. An idea initially proposed by local municipal leaders, the hotel
could tap into the underserved market for hotel accommodations in close
proximity to Susquehanna and Bucknell universities. The hotel would
have the benefit of river views and access to the riverfront park. The hotel
would also benefit by its proximity to the boathouse for university rowing
events, training activities and regatta competitions.
37
Riverfront Recreation and Canal Park
The park will include program elements identified by local residents and
in regional recreational needs surveys. The Susquehanna River Sports Park
(SRSP) will be a place for all. The functional needs of the boathouse must
to be designed into the riverfront community park and the boathouse
should make sure all types of users are accommodated in the initial
design. Some of the user groups that must be included in the design of
the Riverfront Canal Park include:
• Non-motorized Boaters (kayaks and canoes) – Provide river access
for these users; accommodate a water trail portage around
the fabridam, encourage the idea of a whitewater park for the
proposed nature like fish passage, and consider the potential
of an outfitter being a private investor in the overall SRSP
development.
• Fisherman – Provide enhanced fishing access to Lake Augusta for
boaters and for fishing from the shoreline.
• Swimmers – As water quality continues to improve, consider a
swimming area somewhere on the shores of Lake Augusta.
• History Buffs - The historic Pennsylvania Canal runs through the
site and there are several areas where the canal remnants are
quite visible and in good condition. Through signs and other
materials, interpret the canals and other historic transportation
elements of the site. Re-water a section of the canal and develop
a tow-path trail for walkers, runner and bicyclists.
• Nature Buffs – Connect to the Susquehanna River – interpreting
the River’s natural history and current environmental issues
like the restoration of the American Shad and the Chesapeake
Bay and current water quality concerns. Educate the public
about the fish that live in the River and the birds of prey that are
returning to the Susquehanna’s riverbanks. Promote the new
environmental center at Shikellamy marina and the research
being done by the regional universities.
• Hikers, Bikers, Runners, Walkers - Provide a safe, non-motorized,
place for people of all ages and all abilities to connect to nature
and the beauty of the Susquehanna River.
• Spectators – The riverfront park will provide ample space for
the large number of attendees to view the races during regatta
competitions
38
• Power Boaters – Maintain and enhance access to the River by the
Northumberland Boat Club and establish a mutually beneficial
partnership between rowers, the Club and other recreational
power boaters on Lake Augusta.
• Families / General Public – Include features and amenities such
as picnic areas, benches, tables and trails that will attract local
residents and families to the riverfront.
• Visitors and Tourists – Develop a riverfront park that will attract
visitors and their money to the Middle Susquehanna Region.
Regional Gateway
Susquehanna Greenway Connections
The boathouse and riverfront development of the SRSP has the potential
to become the recognized icon of the Middle Susquehanna Region. The
architecture, landscaping, riverfront park and greenway can all be viewed
as a Gateway to the Region and a memorable transition into adjacent river
towns.
As the first major project proposed for the west shore of Lake Augusta,
the SRSP will realize the recreational potential of Lake Augusta by
connecting the river community of Shamokin Dam with the towns of
Sunbury and Northumberland by a ribbon of parks and green spaces
containing walking and biking trails. The SRSP will also connect residents
and visitors to the Susquehanna River and River history and heritage. In
these ways, the Susquehanna River Sports Park will help to build the
Susquehanna Greenway.
Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study
The Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study will recommend contextsensitive standards for all classifications of roadways in all land use
conditions. This project is intended to provide clear guidelines for
creating new “main streets” or other walkable roadways in communities
that are planned using smart growth principles. The project will establish
design guidelines to transform the Route 11-15 corridor using context
sensitive design elements to enhance the safety, scenic qualities and
economic development prospects of the highway corridor.
New Town Development
During the feasibility study the opportunity to assess the current
development along Lake Augusta’s west shore was identified. The idea of
the boathouse and community park started committee members thinking
about complementary development of a hotel and visitors center on the
site. These ideas further spurred thinking about redevelopment of the
existing commercial parcels west of the Monroe Township site. These two
sites, containing big box and strip mall commercial businesses, have the
potential to be re-developed using a ‘new town,’ mixed-use development
strategy. A mixed-use development, consisting of commercial,
professional offices and residential building, would benefit from a direct
connection to a riverfront park and recreation area. The Susquehanna
River Sports Park project could serve as a catalyst for thinking differently
about future development in the area, with more emphasis being placed
on developing an urban boulevard and improved connectivity for
pedestrians and bicyclists.
39
Susquehanna River Sports Park - Relation to Other Local and
Regional Activities
Valley Vision 2020
The Susquehanna River Sports Park supports the goals and strategies
in SEDA-COG’s Valley Vision 2020 regional strategic plan for land use,
transportation and economic development. The SRSP directly addresses
the following elements of the regional plan and is the reason Lake
Augusta was identified as a Regional Targeted Investment Area.
Community Revitalization and Community Development
Maintain and enhance livability, sense of place, and quality of life within
the Region’s communities.
The Keystone Principles & Criteria for Growth, Investment & Resource
Conservation were adopted by the Economic Development Cabinet
May 31, 2005. They were developed by the Interagency Land Use
Team, a working group of the Cabinet for over two years. The principles
and criteria are designed as a coordinated interagency approach to
fostering sustainable economic development and conservation of
resources through the state’s investments in Pennsylvania’s diverse
communities. The principles lay out general goals and objectives for
economic development and resource conservation agreed upon among
the agencies and programs that participated in their development. The
criteria are designed to help measure the extent to which particular
projects accomplish these goals.
Regional Planning and Community Education
The SRSP address several of the Keystone Principles, but especially
Pennsylvania Keystone Principles #1 – Redevelop First; #6 – Restore
and Enhance the Environment; #7 - Enhance Recreational and Heritage
Resources, #9 - Plan Regionally, Implement Locally. The SRSP uses Lake
Augusta and the Susquehanna River as focal points to bring together a
multi-county, multi-municipal region to begin working together. The
River has been generally identified as an underutilized resource that, if
properly developed, can stimulate community revitalization, economic
development, river-based recreation and environmental conservation.
Promote a regional approach for planning coordination, information
sharing and cooperation on multi-municipal and multi-county initiatives.
Susquehanna Greenway
Environmental Conservation and Recreation
Protect, maintain, and enhance the Region’s rural character and natural
systems through regional conservation planning. Support regional
planning of active and passive recreation resources to ensure healthyactive communities.
Transportation and Land Use
Build better communities through integrated transportation and land
use planning, programming and projects. SEDA-COG LUTED Regional
Planning & Community Outreach Goal #1 - “Work regionally to address
issues and opportunities in public policy, smart planning, community
design and development.” The SRSP directly addresses the LUTED goals of
regional planning & “Targeted Investment Areas. “
Community Outreach
A desired outcome of the SRSP project includes setting direction for the
formation of new intergovernmental partnerships for implementation of
this plan and other planning endeavors.
40
The Pennsylvania Keystone Principals
The SRSP will help implement the Susquehanna Greenway’s Strategic
Action Plan and Interpretive Plan by enhancing awareness of the
Susquehanna Greenway and the natural, cultural and historical assets of
regional river towns. The SRSP will “identify new opportunities for active
living, recreation, environmental conservation, community revitalization
and economic development.” The SRSP will lead to fuller use and
enjoyment of the Susquehanna River by area residents and visitors, and it
will add value to past and future municipal, county, and state investments
in waterfront parks and access facilities. The SRSP site is a strategic
location for the interpretation of the resource of the Susquehanna River
and the boathouse and riverfront park will attract tourists and economic
opportunity to the Region.
Snyder County Comprehensive Plan
The transportation component of this plan states that the ‘livable
communities objective’ is attainable through “promoting the concept of
livable communities through the development of pedestrian walkways
and bikeways that interconnect residential areas with employment,
transportation, business and recreation centers.’
Northumberland County Comprehensive Plan
The economic development component of this plan is to maintain
and improve the economic base of the County, including the objective
‘maintain and strengthen the tourist industry’ and ‘seek and support
regional cooperation in planning for economic development.’
Union County Comprehensive Plan
An objective stated for the Central Planning Region, which includes Union
Township states, “Participate in regional park and recreation initiatives (e.g.,
network of recreational providers, regional parks and open space plans).”
SRSP - Green Design and Green Infrastructure Opportunities
The Susquehanna River Sports Park has the potential to integrate many
green design and green infrastructure elements that will have benefits
such as clean, alternative energy generation, energy efficiency, lower
operation and maintenance costs and improved water quality and riparian
and aquatic habitats. The quality of Lake Augusta as a rowing venue
and location of a river-focused recreation park is predicated on good
and improving water quality of the Susquehanna River. The boathouse
and park have the potential to serve as models for ‘green’ building by
employing the following elements:
Green Site Design
trails and encourage alternative transportation on the site to
connect the towns and neighborhoods of Lake Augusta’s regional
communities.
• Pervious Paving – Overflow parking areas and boat trailer parking
areas will use geo-grid (grass) pavers or pervious pavement.
• Landscaping / Revegetation – Adding topsoil and the revegetation of the site will enhance the capture, infiltration and
cleansing of stormwater; planting trees and using grass pavers
will help mitigate heat-island effect associated with development
and large parking areas.
• Sedimentation Reduction – The tributary stream passing under
the site will be diverted to re-water the historic Pennsylvania
Canal, improving water quality by preventing silt and sediment
from reaching the Susquehanna River.
• Habitat Enhancement – The development of Canal Park will
control invasive plant species and replace them with a diverse
collection of adapted, native plant species.
• Wetland Creation – The re-watered Pennsylvania Canal has the
potential to create wetland habitat that will benefit wildlife
and water quality. The edge of the Canal can be designed and
planted with a wide assortment of native wetland species.
• Aquatic Habitat – In addition to reducing silt and sediment
entering the Susquehanna River, the SRSP will seek partnerships
with PA DCNR and the PA Fish and Boat Commission to enhance
fish and eel habitats.
Green Building Design
• Reuse of a degraded, underutilized site overlooking Lake Augusta
and the Susquehanna River.
• Green Building Materials – Recycled, recyclable, sustainablyharvested, locally available building materials will be used in the
construction of the boathouse, plaza and docks.
• Green Building Materials –Recycled, recyclable, sustainablyharvested, locally available building materials will be used in the
landscape and site design.
• Energy Production – Solar photovoltaic array on the roof of the
south-facing, flat boat bays will help generate electricity for the
building, site lighting and other electric needs.
• Transportations Enhancements –Landscaping and greening
the highway corridor will increase transportation efficiency and
safety, while creating a scenic parkway.
• Energy Efficiency – Heating and cooling of the boathouse and
clubhouse will be via a geothermal heat exchange with the
Susquehanna River.
• Multi-modal Transportation –Will integrate pedestrian and bicycle
• Green Roof – A green roof-top terrace as an observation deck
overlooking the River.
41
42
Susquehanna River Sport Park – Feasibility
The Susquehanna River Sports Park Feasibility Study evaluates the
constructability of a boathouse and rowing venue for Lake Augusta at the
selected site in Monroe Township. The study also examines opportunities
for compatible development adjacent to the boathouse. The riverfront
concept that evolves from this process begins to fulfill the potential of
Lake Augusta, putting forth a diverse development program that would
make Lake Augusta’s west shore a vibrant part of the new riverfront,
creating a regional destination for competitive rowing and a quality
recreational area for residents and visitors. To determine if the boathouse
and park concepts are feasible, a full range of issues were examined,
including legal, recreational need, site development costs and operations
and maintenance requirements.
Legal Feasibility – Land Ownership
The feasibility of the Susquehanna River Sports Park project begins with
land ownership. The Monroe Township site has four landowners: Ed
Nestlerode, Shamokin Dam Borough; John Skotedis; PG Energy (UGI –
Penn Natural Gas); and PennDOT, which owns a wide right-of-way along
the Route 11-15 highway corridor. All the landowners have been apprised
of the proposed boathouse and mixed use development proposed in
this feasibility study. Ed Nestlerode, Shamokin Dam Borough and John
Skotedis support the idea of SRSP concept. Nestlerode is interested in
‘fair market value’ for his land. Shamokin Dam Borough, whose land is
in the 100 year floodplain, has formally offered the land for recreational
development, but also is interested in the wise development of the site.
PG Energy has a pump station and high pressure line passing through
the site; the location of the station and line should make these facilities
avoidable in the development of the SRSP program.
and 11 highways adjacent to the Monroe Township site. PennDOT plans
call for making Route 11 the through road – trimming a wide section of
the site within the PennDOT right-of-way. The area of land that would
be taken is the prime developable land outside the 100 and 500 year
floodplains – the prime site for the boathouse facility.
Unless PennDOT is willing to re-evaluate – the SRSP boathouse and much
of the proposed site development is not feasible. PennDOT, however, will
be actively engaged in the Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study – and it
is through this separate but complimentary planning process - alternative
roadway designs and alignments and multi-modal transportation
solution will be explored and evaluated. This process will determine
what transportation, access and land use solutions meet the approval of
PennDOT. It is through the Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study that the
SRSP access issue will either be resolved – or determined non feasible.
There are different levels of service for site access – depending on the
extent of site development. If only the boathouse structure is built, an
improvement of the existing access may suffice. However if the full SRSP
development is realized, the site will require 2 or 3 additional accesses.
The SRSP development concept shows one access off route 11, two access
off 11-15 and a forth site access from under the route 61 river bridge from
fabridam park.
The SRSP concept is currently not feasibility given PennDOT’s long-range
transportation plans. As the final phase of the Central Susquehanna Valley
Thruway (CSVT ) project, PennDOT plans to reconfigure the Route 11-15, 15
43
Land Availability
The landowners, John Skotedis, Ed Nestlerode and Shamokin Dam
Borough, are willing to participate in the further development and
refinement of the SRSP idea. Their participation may range from selling
the land for fair market value, to donation of the land for development,
to a potential partnership in the development of the site. The process
of program development, site planning and design, and construction
needs to engage these landowners from the beginning. A priority for the
next phase of project development will be to secure a land appraisal for
the different land parcels to determine fair market value of the land. In
addition, adjacent landowners such as the Northumberland Boat Club will
be engaged in exploring options for site access and circulation design
through the Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study.
Recreation Need – User Feasibility
Participation in the sport of rowing is growing. While historically viewed
as an ‘elite’ sport, there is a real effort on the part of US Rowing and the
Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association to bring the sport to a larger
and more diverse group of young people. Education equality rules
have opened up the opportunity to participate in sports to many young
women. Title IX of the Education Amendments, more commonly known
simply as Title IX, is a United States law enacted on in 1972. The law states:
“No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded
from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to
discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal
financial assistance…” Although the most prominent aspect of Title IX
has been its impact on high school and collegiate athletics, the original
statute made no explicit mention of athletics. Title IX has been a boon
to the sport of women’s rowing. Rowing has a favorable ratio between
the number of high school rowers and those receiving college rowing
scholarships. Rowing is also a sport that can be enjoyed for a lifetime, as
illustrated by the growth of the Central Pennsylvania Rowing Association’s
membership and the number of members actively rowing in their 60’s,
70’s and 80’s.
People are using the water differently today. Fishing has experienced
significant reduction in participants in recent decades – whereas kayaking
is frequently recognized as one of the fastest growing sports. The same
qualities that attract people to kayaking can be found in the sport of
rowing. The quiet, intimate connection with the river and the river
44
environment, often at sunrise or
sunset, has an unquestionable
allure for a lot of people.
The rowing experience can
accommodate you whether you
want to go-it alone in a ‘single’
shell, or whether you enjoy the
social camaraderie of rowing
as part of a two, four or eight
person team. Rowing seems to
offer something for everyone.
Rowing is excellent exercise,
according to Fritz Hagerman,
Ph.D., a professor in the
Biological Science Department
at Ohio University. Hagerman,
who studies exercise physiology
such as aerobic and anaerobic
capacities, metabolic response,
and the effects of blood lactate levels on athletes, found that competitive
rowers expend almost twice the number of calories on a 2,000-meter
course as a runner in a 3,000-meter steeplechase (considered by many
to be one of the toughest events). There are now 1,000,000 joint
replacement surgeries performed each year due to high- impact, sportrelated activities. Both competitive and recreational rowing is unique in
comparison to most sports in that it exercises all of your major muscle
groups. Everything from your legs, back, and arms are engaged while
rowing. In addition, rowing is a low-impact sport. When executed
properly, the rowing stroke is a fairly safe motion, providing little room for
the serious injury often found in contact and high-impact sports. Aside
from full body conditioning which builds lean muscle mass while burning
600 calories per hour, rowing allows you to release stress, lose weight and
reduce your blood pressure. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy movement
and your connection with the water as you take each stroke. Rowing
offers the opportunity to continuously improve technique that balances
strength, balance, grace and poise and to constantly set and push
personal limits.
Competing Rowing Venues
There are two major rowing venues in the state of Pennsylvania. The most
well known is Boathouse Row on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. There
is also a growing interest in rowing on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh.
Important rowing venues are found also found along the Charles River in
Boston and the Potomac River in the Washington DC area. Lake Augusta,
as a rowing venue, compares
favorably to all these other
venues. As stated earlier in
the report, characteristics
such as the length and
width of the water, lack of
obstacles and meanders,
and capacity to handle many
more recreational users make
Lake Augusta an important
rowing venue of statewide
and potentially national
significance. The location
of Lake Augusta within the
state of Pennsylvania has
the benefit of significant
distance from competing
rowing venues in Pittsburgh
and Philadelphia and offers
a central location for events
such as high school scholastic
rowing championships.
The region’s economic well-being is increasingly linked to the continued
success of area universities, hospitals and Geisinger Health Systems.
Developing a region with diverse cultural and recreational resources is
essential to nurturing the new economy. Creating a boathouse, rowing
venue, greenway trails and riverfront park is the type of resources that
help attract and retain highly talented workers and are the resources
that help attract new businesses and economic opportunities to an area.
Rowing would help to diversify and expand the recreational experiences
offered and be a sport that can attract youth, scholastic, collegiate, adult
and master rowers. A new boathouse and rowing facility would be a vast
improvement over the existing rudimentary boathouse structure and
would help to grow the visibility and accessibility of the sport. Trails and
greenways are consistently ranked as top recreational priorities in the
Region, and they benefit people of all ages and abilities.
The region’s population is sufficient to support a thriving rowing
community, and a new boathouse, rowing venue and riverfront park
would be a good investment in the economic future of the Middle
Susquehanna Region. The Susquehanna River Sports Park will help to
realize the potential of Lake Augusta and is an excellent example of a
project that will help to build the Susquehanna Greenway.
Site Feasibility
The following approximate land area is allocated to each element of the
Susquehanna River Park:
Site Entry Features and Road Frontage Landscaping
4.0 Acres
Access Road
1.5 Acres
Boathouse, Staging Area, Boat Trailer Parking
3.5 Acres
Visitor Center
1.0 Acre
Shared Parking (Boathouse and Visitor Center)
1.5 Acres
Existing Population / Demand Analysis
Hotel
2.5 Acres
Canal Park
4.0 Acres
Central Pennsylvania is a rural area. The SEDA-COG 11-county region has
a population of over 650,000 residents. The Middle Susquehanna Region,
consisting of Union, Snyder, Montour, Columbia and Northumberland
counties, has over 250,000 residents. A population of 75,000 people
lives within a 10-mile radius of Lake Augusta, and the municipalities
immediately surrounding Lake Augusta contain approximately 29,000
people. As a rural area, the Middle Susquehanna Region often has a hard
time retaining its young people and attracting highly skilled professions to
the region’s growth industries of health and education.
Setbacks and Rights-of-Way
Total Area
1.5 Acres
19.5 Acres
45
All of the following elements play an important role in determining
the feasibility of the Susquehanna River Sports Park and each will be
addressed separately.
boathouse, visitors center and hotel. The upper terrace, while generally
flat, contains areas of grassland, woodland, asphalt, gravel and river
dredge materials.
Site Access – The SRSP program will require enhanced site access from
Route 11-15. At a minimum, the construction of the boathouse, an
enhanced access will be needed to accommodate more cars, trucks
and boat trailers and overflow parking which will require a re-designed
entry that affords a buffer that respects the needs and functions of
the Northumberland Boat Club. The full scope of site development,
including boathouse, visitors center, hotel and restaurant, would
necessitate numerous accesses off Route 11-15 and Route 11 and possibly
a secondary site access under the Route 61 river bridge. PennDOT’s
highway design and use of its right-of-way are key to resolving the
SRSP site access issues. The Lake Augusta Gateway Corridor Study will
help design a resolution to the SRSP access issues, and PennDOT will be
involved throughout that planning process.
Steep Slopes – The steep slopes of the site are found on the River’s edge
and the abrupt transition zone between lower and upper terraces. These
terraces are both natural and man-made, created by fill and stabilized by
rock.
Site Size – The Monroe Township site offered the best location
for the boathouse because of its ample size with plenty of area for
complementary buildings and park elements. A boathouse, staging area,
parking and docks can be accommodated on three or four acres of land.
The Monroe Townships site, approximately 19.5 acres in size, has sufficient
area to accommodate a larger, more diverse and complementary building
program.
Context – The adjacent fabridam park contributes significantly to the
site’s potential for public recreation. The expansion of fabridam park and
a potential partnership with PA DCNR have the potential to create a park
of regional significance along the Susquehanna River. The network or
highways that pass the site complement the proposed building program
by providing high visibility to the project – enhancing the ability to attract
private investors to the project.
Topography – The site has two main terrace levels. The lower terrace is
approximately 8 feet above the level of Lake Augusta and is located in the
100 year floodplain. The existing boathouse, parking and staging area is
found on this lower terrace, as is the remnants of the historic Pennsylvania
Canal and riparian forest. The upper terrace is located 12-15 feet above
the lower terrace. Portions of the upper terrace are above the 100 and 500
year floodplains and are the areas reserved for the proposed buildings:
46
Streams and Rivers – The Susquehanna River forms the eastern edge
of the site and a small, unnamed stream passes underground at the
northern end of the site and day-lighting just south of the current
boathouse structure. The stream outflow, with its close proximity to
the Pennsylvania Canal remnants, offers the interesting possibility of
providing a water source to re-water a segment of the Canal. There are
two benefits to diverting the stream into the Canal. First, the diversion
would reduce the amount of silt and sediment reaching the River. The
restored Canal could have a ‘forebay’ structure designed to capture silt,
sediment, stream bedload material and debris and could be designed to
be periodically dredged and cleaned which would improve water quality
for the Susquehanna River. Secondarily, the diversion of the stream into
the Canal would help to prevent the re-establishment of a delta at the
confluence of the stream and Susquehanna River. This delta formed by
the accumulation of silt, sediment and stream bedload outflow from the
stream has required periodic dredging in the past to prevent rowing shells
from being damaged.
47
Floodplains and Flooding – The construction of a boathouse requires
an interesting balance between convenient proximity to the River and
sufficient buffer from the destructive forces of flooding. The Monroe
Township site has enough topographic relief to provide a buildable site
above the 500 year floodplain in close enough proximity to the River to
make for a functional boathouse/River relationship.
Geology and Soils – The Monroe Township site is highly modified and
disturbed, containing fluvial soil deposits and a combination of resident
soils and rock and soil and rock imported to the site. The Pennsylvania
Canal significantly impacted the site, as did later railroad, highway and
bridge development. Much of the edge of the upper terrace is exposed
rubble – likely from the Pennsylvania Canal, old river bridge abutments
and large rocks used to stabilize the riverbanks. Also found on-site is
alluvial material dredged from the Susquehanna River and stockpiled; the
dredging removed a delta that formed at the confluence of the unnamed
tributary and the Susquehanna River. Due to the varied nature of the site’s
geology and soils, testing will need to be done by a qualified geologist
to determine proper foundation design for the boathouse and all future
buildings on the site.
Utilities – Significant utilities are found on site including electric,
communications, sewer, water and gas. The high pressure gas line and
substation, located at the lower end of the site, should be avoided in
the development of the SRSP. Existing sewer and water lines may or
may not require relocation depending on the final plan for the SRSP. The
electric and communication lines, running through the middle of the
site, must be relocated to implement the proposed SRSP development.
Because of the number of electric and communication lines traversing the
site and the larger project goals of creating a Regional and community
gateway, serious consideration should be given to placing these utilities
underground. The existing overhead utility lines are numerous and
unattractive. While underground relocation of utilities can be four or
48
five times the cost of above ground relocation, the aesthetics must
be considered if the site is to be developed as a boathouse, regional
gateway / visitors center and riverfront park.
Vegetation - The site contains a wide range of vegetation type and
quality. There are two distinct patches of forest found on the site - one
a riparian forest consisting primarily of silver maple and box elder, and
the other a patch of upland forest adjacent to Route 11-15 consisting
primarily of maples. Other areas of the site are covered with fescue
grasses and early succession plant material. Invasive plants such as sumac
and crown-vetch encroach into the site from the highway edges. A linear
corridor down the middle of the site is the original highway and there
are concrete and asphalt remnants of this roadway remaining. The site,
formerly used as a construction staging area for the highway bridge, also
contains areas of gravel and poor soils where little or no vegetation grows
– only sporadic, early-succession and colonizing species. If the site is to
ever become a green park land, significant amounts of quality top soil
will need to be brought to the site for the establishment of grasses and
shrubs. For tree plantings, each tree will need excavation, clean fill, and
soil enhancements to provide a sufficient growing medium for the life of
the tree.
Wetlands and Habitats – On the PNDI Project Environmental Review
Receipt a potential impact was identified for notification to the PA Game
Commission and the PA Fish and Boat Commission. Follow up letters
were sent to both these agencies. No impacts were identified for federally
listed, proposed or candidate species. The site of the proposed boathouse
and dock is highly disturbed and does not contain quality wetlands and
habitats. The best wetland and habitat sites are found in the riparian
forest and in the wetlands created by the historic Pennsylvania Canal.
The old Canal bed contains a wide range of wetland types – from open
water and shallow open-water wetlands to wet meadow and marshes
– all of which are covered with a canopy forest. The quality of these
wetlands is degraded by invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, that
greatly limits the potential biodiversity of the site. The riparian forest is
a quality habitat for canopy bird species; but because of the prevalence
of invasive plants, there is poor habitat value for understory and ground
bird species. The majority of the site consists of highly degraded habitats
consisting of invasive, weedy and early succession, colonizing plant
species. Re-vegetation and habitat enhancements are two objectives of
the Susquehanna River Sports Park development. Improving water quality
and enhancing wetland species diversity is also the goal of the proposal to
re-water the historic Pennsylvania Canal. Special care needs to be taken
to protect habitats and water quality during the construction process
using all appropriate erosion and sedimentation control methods. The
construction of the dock systems should utilize a construction method
that maintains or enhances riverbank stability and land and water habitats.
49
Water Depth & Dependability - The Monroe Township site was
prioritized for the boathouse using over 20 different criteria, and water
depth and dependability were very important considerations. Lake
Augusta is ‘rowable’ at the Monroe Township site regardless of whether the
fabridam is inflated or not. The rowing conditions are more favorable if
the fabridam is inflated, with greater water depth, expanded boating area
and reduced river current. But rowing can occur with the fabridam down,
due to a consistent and long, deep water pocket found along the west
shore of the River. Because of the fabridam’s spotty history of function, it
would be best if rowing is fully functional with or without the inflatable
dam. The Monroe Township site was the only site that offered access to
dependable deep water.
Lake Augusta and the Monroe Township sites offer limited obstacles,
few meanders and plenty of open water for rowing. Three miles of
dependable water can be found without the fabridam, but when the dam
is inflated, many more miles of the River are open to rowing. The width
of the River, lack of River obstacles and hazards and its straightness are all
sought-after qualities in a training and competition rowing venue.
LAKE AUGUSTA
WEST BRANCH
SUSQUEHANNA
Water depth is approximate and subject
to natural fluxuations.
Stream
Chillisquaque Creek
2'
NORTH BRANCH
SUSQUEHANNA
4'-5'
4'-5'
Turtle Creek
1'
2'
3'-4'
2' Over Most Boom Piers ( Depth Between is 4' )
Rocks, Boom Piers
Catbird Island
5'
Stream
5'
5'
3'
4' 3'
4'-5' 3'
Channel 5'-6'
Winfield Creek
4'-5'
Little Springs Creek
2'
5'-6'
3'-4'
2'
4'
5'-6'
6'-7'
Boom Piers
3'
3'
4'
Stream
6'-7'
Ledges
6'-7'
2'
6'-7'
1
1
US
1'-2'
2'-3'
Ledges
Island
3'-4'
Stream
6'-7'
Power Lines
( Rusty Towers )
Stones
Ledges in this Area are Covered with 6'+
Power Lines
( Green Towers )
NORTHUMBERLAND
7'-8'
Stones
4'-5'
1'-2'
Ledge
N
7'
9'
US 1
1
Tower
Railroad Water Intakes
Stream
Extend 100' from Shore
Not Marked Under 6' of Water
Packers
7'-8'
RT
Island
8'-9'
14
5' 6'
7
Stream
7'-8'
8'
10'-15' 6'-8'
6'-7'
RR
Slow No Wake
Shikellamy
(Shaded Area)
6'-7'
State Park
7'-8'
Overlook
Water Intake
1' Depth at Full Pool
10'
Shikellamy State Park
Marina
LAKE AUGUSTA
US 15
7'
SUNBURY
50
For Reservations: 888-PA-PARKS
1
15
-1
1
Web site: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/shikellamy.aspx
For current Lake Augusta water level visit this Web site:
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/pa/nwis/uv?01553990
Water Intake
5' Under
US
SHIKELLAMY STATE PARK
Bridge Avenue
Sunbury 17801-9302
Phone: 570-988-5557
e-mail: [email protected]
RT 14
7
10'
1/2
1000
Adam T. Bower Memorial Dam
(Inflatable Dam)
0
1
SCALE IN MILES
Veterans Memorial Bridge
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
SCALE IN FEET
5000
6000
7000
Micro-Climate – Predominate wind direction for the Region is from the
west. A major characteristic of the west shore of Lake Augusta is the high
ridge that overlooks Lake Augusta and the Susquehanna River. From this
ridge you can find some of the most popular and scenic River views in the
region. This geological formation is ideally situated for blocking westerly
winds, thereby providing protection from the wind. The ridge not only
provides protection from wind, but it also creates still water – an ideal
combination for rowing. When there are southern and northern winds,
the rowing will either be going directly into or with the wind. When
winds are sufficiently strong, whitecaps can be found on Lake Augusta
creating a potential hazard to rowers. The ridge also provides shade in
the late afternoons of summer. The shade lowers temperatures creating
an enhanced microclimate for the rower. The combination of shelter from
wind and the shade from afternoon summer sun makes the microclimate
of the site ideally suited for rowing and other riverfront recreation.
Large Event Accommodations – The boathouse, parking and docks
can be constructed on a fairly small building footprint of three or four
acres. Large events such as regattas will require a significant amount of
additional space for parking, teams, boat trailers, visitors and observers.
Large events like regattas will only occur a few times a year. It would
make no sense to design the boathouse and riverfront park for occasional
events like regattas, but flexible space and shared spaces should be
built into the site plan for the Susquehanna River Sports Park. Parking
areas that can be shared by the boathouse and visitors center would
make efficient use of resources. Due to the proximity of the site to large
shopping malls, arrangements should be developed for a shuttle service
between off-site mall parking and the boathouse / rowing venue. Teams
and visitors will benefit local retailers, hotels, restaurants and other service
providers in the region.
51
Financial Feasibility
Boathouse Development Costs
The Susquehanna River Sports Park is an ambitious project but one that
has the potential to bring together a diverse set of public and private
partners, with large economic benefit to the region. The SRSP will require
a transformation in the way that such projects are conceived, planned,
designed and built. It will require integrated collaboration and planning
between state agencies, regional planning organizations and local
communities. It will also require private landowner participation and
a unique collaborative partnership between regional universities and a
private rowing association. It will require private entrepreneurship and
investment within the context of a public riverfront park; and it will take
continual advocacy and leadership to advance the project from concept
to reality.
Susquehanna River Sports Park – Development Cost Estimates
Land Acquisition Costs
Private landowners should be paid fair market value for their land or given
tax credits for the donation of their land towards the project. The value
of Shamokin Dam Borough’s land should be quantified and used as local
match for the development of the Riverfront Canal Park. The land that
must be acquired just for the boathouse element includes approximately
3.5 acres of land owned by John Skotedis, Ed Nestlerode and PennDOT
and a newly designed roadway access involving land owned by the
Northumberland Boat Club.
Land Acquisition Estimate
Land Appraisel
Legal Fees
Land Acquisition Cost - Estimate (entire site)
Second Land Appraisel
$10,000
$5,000
$1,000,000
$5,000
The estimated cost for designing and constructing the 23,000 square foot
boathouse are as follows:
Boathouse Estimate Costs
Up Front Costs to Anticipate
Topographic Land Survey
$20,000
Environmental Review and Clearances
$25,000
Geotechnical Engineering and Testing
$35,000
Boathouse Design and Site Tests and Inspections
Architectural Design Costs
$725,000
Engineering Design Costs (ramps, docks, swim)
$125,000
Solar / Geothermal System Design
$50,000
General Inspection and Testing
$10,000
LEED Building Commissioning
$25,000
Boathouse Construction Cost Estimate
$7,250,000
Total Boathouse Cost Estimate
$8,265,000
Utility Costs
The SRSP development will require the re-location of overhead electric
and communication lines. PPL estimates the cost to relocate electric
utilities to range from $ 330,000 for overhead utilities to $1,450,000 to
relocate those same utilities underground. While much more expensive
to re-located underground, the decision will need to be made based on
project goals and objectives. If the site is to become a Regional gateway
and a highly recognized symbol for the Region, serious consideration
should be given to spending additional money on underground utilities.
Utility Relocation Costs
PPL Electric Overhead
PPL Electric Underground
$330,000
$1,450,000
Verizon Communication Overhead *
$250,000
Verizon Communication Underground *
$750,000
Utility Relocation Costs Overhead
$580,000
Utility Relocation Costs Underground
$2,200,000
* Verizon Communication - price to include four manholes and three road bores
and tear down.
52
Roadway Access and Site Access Road Costs
Roadway Access and Site Access Road Costs - Continued
The cost of developing access to the site depends on the scale and
complexity of the access. If only a boathouse is constructed on the site,
the access requirements and costs would be significantly lower. However
the access cost would not be shared among other public / private
ventures. The full Susquehanna River Sports Park program would require
multiple points to access the boathouse, visitors center, restaurant and
hotel. An enhanced boathouse would require a single access, a long-term
agreement with the Northumberland Boat Club and construction of an
improved access, access road and parking.
If the full Susquehanna River Sports Park program is realized, the cost
of multiple site access and access roads could be in the $2-$2.5 million
dollar range. A broad partnership will be sought for funding assistance for
access and roadway development.
Single Access and Site Access Road
Design and Engineering
$65,000 - $80,000
Engineering Design Costs
$35,000 - $50,000
Environmental / Reqular Review
$15,000
Highway Occupancy Permit
$10,000
Municipal Approvals
$5,000
Access Road (1,200 LF)
Parking
$25,000 - $50,000
$250,000 - $350,000
$50,000 - $150,000
Landscaping
Excavation
$70,000
Clean Fill / Placed
$80,000
Plants and Seeding
$50,000
Roadway Access Cost Estimate
$210,000 - $250,000
Engineering Design Costs
$150,000 - $200,000
$30,000
Highway Occupancy Permit
$15,000
Municipal Approvals
$5,000
Construction Estimate
Two Signaled Intersections
$500,000
Re-Engineered Roadways
$500,000
Third Access - Under Bridge
Access Road (2000 LF)
Construction Estimate
Enhanced Access
Full Roadway Access and Access Road
Parking
Hotel / Visitor Center / Parking
$200,000
$550,000 - $750,000
$50,000 - $150,000
NOT INCLUDED
Landscaping (Frontage / Gateway - four acres)
Excavation
$100,000
Clean Fill / Placed
$150,000
Plants and Seeding
$100,000
Cost Estimate
$2,100,000 - $2,500,000
$500,000 - $750,000
Note: The disadvantage of the single site access is that the cost will be incurred
only for the boathouse project. Costs would be shared between the boathouse,
visitors center, restaurant, and hotel with full access development.
53
Susquehanna River Sports Park – Riverfront Park
Visitors Center, Hotel, Restaurant
Private Development Costs –Not Included
Riverfront Canal Park
Susquehanna River Sports Park Estimate Cost Summary
Park Planning and Design
$50,000 - $75,000
Land Acquistition
$1,000,000
Engineering Design
$30,000 - $50,000
Full Roadway Access and Access Road
$2,250,000
$10,000 - $15,000
Forestry Management Plan
Municipal Approvals
Park Construction Estimate
Utility Relocation (Underground)
$2,200,000
$5,000
Boathouse Design and Construction
$8,250,000
$5,000
Riverfront Canal Park
$1,000,000 - $1,500,000
Clearing and Grubbing
$35,000
Site Clean up
$15,000
Invasive Plant Control
$15,000
Grading and Drainage
$35,000
Canal Trail - 2,000 LF
$50,000
Connecting Trails - 1,200 LF
$25,000
Park Gateway Bridge
$250,000
Pedestrian Bridges (2)
$150,000
Stream Diversion
$75,000
Habitat / Water Quality Enhancement
$35,000
Canal Restoration
Landscaping / Re-vegetation
Park Features and Amenities (Benches, Tables, Signs)
Total Park Cost Estimate
54
$100,000 - $150,000
$200,000
$75,000
$75,000
$1,100,000 - $1,650,000
Total Project Cost Estimate
$1,500,000
$14,300,000
Operations and Maintenance Costs
The costs to heat, cool, light, clean, operate and maintain the boathouse
facility will be significant. The design of the structure, use of alternative
energy and development of a collaborative partnership for ongoing operations and maintenance will reduce costs and ensure the
sustainability of the building. The boathouse bays, which constitute a
majority of the building’s area, will require a minimum amount of heating,
cooling and lighting. During the rowing season, the space will use natural
day-lighting by opening the boathouse doors. In the winter the boat bays
will use a minimum amount of heat to prevent freezing temperatures in
the building’s interior. Bucknell and Susquehanna universities have made
a significant commitment to green design and energy efficiency. The use
of solar photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, solar hot water panels
for the showers and kitchen, and geothermal heating and cooling will
all contribute to lower operating costs. The operation and maintenance
costs of the facility will be shared between boathouse partners – Bucknell
and Susquehanna universities and the Central PA Rowing Association.
Locating the clubhouse over the boat bays was designed to reduce
maintenance costs associated with flooding. The structure will be located
outside the 500 year floodplain. In addition, the first floor boat bays are
designed with very durable and utilitarian materials capable of handling
direct or indirect flooding impact, allowing easy washing and cleaning.
The higher cost clubhouse is constructed on the second floor – well above
any possible flooding impact. The buildings electric, HVAC, plumbing and
communication systems will all be primarily located in the upper level.
Site Security - An efficiency ‘coach’s’ apartment is designed as part of
the boathouse and will provide a 24-hour presence at the facility and
riverfront park. The second floor apartment offers a flexible living
arrangement for a university or club coach or facility caretaker, and the
apartment’s roof-top terrace will enhance building, site and riverfront park
security.
Revenue – The Cooper River Boathouse in Camden New Jersey is an
example of a boathouse that derives a significant amount of income as
a venue for weddings, meetings and social events. The boathouse on
Lake Augusta would have similar opportunities to host social events
using the all-purpose room, catering kitchen, terrace and riverfront park
space, but a proper balance is needed so the building remains true to
its original function – to support and nurture the sport of rowing on the
Susquehanna River and Lake Augusta.
Impact to Local Economy - A calculation of potential revenues’ generated
by a boathouse and riverfront park can be derived from other boathouse
examples around the country. The Oak Ridge Rowing Association in Oak
Ridge, Tennessee, calculated that one of its regattas earned $55,000 in
hotel taxes for the local tourism agency, and a single team training at their
facility over spring break spent $27,000 in hotels and food establishments.
Based on these examples, some conservative estimates on the immediate
and five-year economic impacts to the local and Regional community are
as follows:
Boathouse and Park Use
Recreation and Park Users
Banquets and Special Events
Meeting and Conferences
Regattas and Rowing Center
Economic Benefit
Economic Impact (Year 1)
Economic Impact (Year 5)
$25,000 per year
$125,000 per year
$100,000 per year
$500,000 per year
$50,000 per year
$250,000 per year
$150,000 per year
$750,000 per year
$325,000 per year
$1,625,000 per year
55
Feasibility Summary
What started as a boathouse feasibility study has become a larger and
more inclusive vision for the west shore of Lake Augusta. While the
boathouse can be pursued separately, much would be lost in the site’s
development potential. While the boathouse should remain the focus
to maintain project interest and momentum, the boathouse should
be viewed as one part of a comprehensive redevelopment of the west
shore, from fabridam park to the Northumberland Boat Club. Feasibility
of this comprehensive Susquehanna River Sports Park will require greater
collaboration and coordination between the community, universities,
private landowners, Northumberland Boat Club and state agencies.
At the current time, we cannot determine if the Susquehanna River Sports
Park (SRSP) is a feasible project. The questions that remain include:
• Site Access and Route 11-15 Highway Design
• Land Ownership / Land Acquisition
• Project Funding and Funding Partnerships
Answers to these questions will be forthcoming. PennDOT will be
engaged in a highway planning study entitled the Lake Augusta Gateway
Corridor Study. This planning process will occur over the next year with
completion expected in the spring 2011. At that time, there will be a
concept design developed for the highway and access to the Monroe
Township site. In the meantime, there will be an opportunity to establish
general agreements between the landowners: PennDOT, Nestlerode,
Skotedis and Shamokin Dam Borough, and land value appraisals can be
completed for these properties. This time should be used to engage
the two universities to get the boathouse project on their long-term
development plan and to begin marketing the Susquehanna River Sports
Park to potential investors.
56
Susquehanna River Sports Park – Implementation Strategy
To realize the Susquehanna River Sports Park will require the development
of public / private partnerships and project leadership to continuously
advance the project through fundraising, planning, design and regulatory
hurdles. The following outlines a 10-year plan to implement the
Susquehanna River Sports Park project:
Short-Term Actions (Years 1-2)
Highway Design and Site Access – Coordinate and collaborate with
PennDOT and community stakeholders to develop a consensus design for
the Route 11-15 highway and the design for access to the site.
Land Acquisition – Establishing agreement on the development program
for the site and formal understanding of how each landowner seeks to
participate in the development process. Engage all groups with a land
ownership interest in the property including: PennDOT, Shamokin Dam
Borough, Ed Nestlerode, John Skotedis, PA DCNR and PG Energy (UGI –
Penn Natural Gas).
Land Appraisals – Prepare costs for future land acquisition and conduct
land appraisals for each of the various site parcels. Land appraisals will be
completed by a reputable real estate land appraiser.
University Coordination – Outreach to Bucknell and Susquehanna
universities to get the boathouse project added to each university’s longrange building plan.
Project Promotion – Promote the boathouse and riverfront park concept
to state agencies, the general public, university donors and potential
private investors.
Develop Partnerships – Continue discussions with state legislators and
develop partnerships with state agencies such as PA DCNR and PA DCED /
Governors Action Team to establish funding support for the project.
Riverfront Canal Park Design – Develop a master plan and final design for
the park as a coordinated effort with an expanded fabridam park and fish
passage.
Medium-Term Actions (Years 3-5):
Site Access – Resolve the plan for site access, place the site access and
adjacent highway improvements on the Region’s TIP (Transportation
Improvement Program).
Environmental and Regulatory Review – Environmental and cultural
resource agency reviews of the proposed development and any proposed
mitigation needs understood before land is acquired.
Land Acquisition – Based on the survey and land appraisals, acquire
all privately owned land and have formal agreements with state and
municipal owners on the development of the Susquehanna River Sports
Park.
Funding Commitments – Develop the public and private funding
commitments for the Susquehanna River Sports Park elements including
the boathouse, riverfront park, hotel, restaurant and visitors center.
University Funding Commitments – Secure funding commitments from
Bucknell and Susquehanna universities and/or large donor commitments
from alumni.
Public / Private Funding Commitments – Secure federal and state funding
support for the project.
Boathouse Design – Commission architectural and engineering designs of
the boathouse and dock
Riverfront Canal Park Construction – Construct the first phase of the
Riverfront Canal Park.
Long-Term Actions: (Years 6-10)
Site Access – Construct the enhanced access to the site.
Access Road – Construct the access road.
Boathouse Construction – Construct the boathouse, parking, docks and
staging areas.
Riverfront Canal Park Construction – Construct the final phase of the
Riverfront Canal Park.
Hotel, Restaurant and Visitors Center– Construct privately owned hotel,
restaurant and visitors center.
Gateway Landscaping – Landscape the site, roadway and site entrance to
create a Regional Gateway.
57
58
App endices
59
60
Appendices
Appendices – Project CD
Boathouse Site Selection Matrix
Project Study Committee Agendas
Boathouse Tour – Booklet
Design Workshop Photos / Illustrations
Maps
References
61
62
Susquehanna R iver Spor ts Par k — Feasibilit y Study

Recipe Book - Susquehanna Greenway Partnership

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