During schematic design GEE provided guidelines and goals to direct the creation of the various habitats planned for the park including the fulfillment of a wetland mitigation requirement from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Through the construction document phase GEE refined the proposed ecological systems by providing native species lists, restoration and maintenance guidelines, technical drawings, specifications, and details to the project team.

Models such as these are valuable tools for project managers who need to maximize the effectiveness of mitigation construction activities on a project site. These models allow planners to accurately determine the amount of excavation required for proposed mitigation efforts and allows them to adjust mitigation layouts to minimize intrusive and expensive excavation operations.

GEE evaluated the proposed construction documentation and determined that a significant portion of the mitigation may require off-site wetland restoration or creation. In order to identify a location to construct the off-site mitigation wetland GEE developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) wetland mitigation suitability index model. The model analyzed a number of parameters including surface water flow accumulation, soil composition, and land use data to find feasible mitigation locations.

The resulting map allowed decision-makers to quickly determine where efforts should be made to acquire land suitable for wetland mitigation. The model provided a tool to rank individual parcels of property for acquisition.

GEE’s proposal added both a habitat layer and stormwater treatment to the remediation plan. Target species for the restoration work included neo-tropical migratory birds and herpetofaunal communities. GEE scientists have also participated in a series of stakeholder focus groups as well as outreach and community meetings. The site, through coordination with local governments and the environmental community, is poised to become a prime environmental education center along the Quinnipiac River.

GEE is providing the client support in preparing the site for an eventual sale to a future real estate development entity. GEE has conducted a wetland delineation and extensive ecological investigations to support the client’s wetland mitigation plans. This mitigation will compensate for unavoidable impacts to wetlands during the remediation. In addition, GEE is leading the design of the wetland mitigation and the associated land use permitting of the project.

The staff conducted a financial assessment of the proposed redevelopment, incorporating the potential for funding opportunities available from Federal and State sources. In addition, GEE investigated the engineering aspects, assessed the regulatory implications, and provided coordination requirements with local utilities for the potential project, ultimately delivering recommendations in a report and presentation to the client.

The majority of the fieldwork consisted of tissue sample collections from the surrounding wetland areas. Tissue samples were collected from fish, benthic invertebrates, and small mammals. GEE also conducted a biological impairment assessment of the property which included a comprehensive benthic invertebrate survey of the property’s streams and collected sediments for analysis.