Lynn Waterfront Open Space Master Plan
Location: Lynn, MA
Client: Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation and Recreation, the City of Lynn
Team: Stantec, Woods Hole Group
As part of the Gateway City Parks Program, Brown, Richardson + Rowe prepared a Waterfront Open Space Master Plan for the City of Lynn’s 305-acre waterfront. A series of priority projects emerged from this Master Plan, including DCR’s Lynn Heritage State Park, DCR’s Willis Fishing Pier, and the 30-acre Lynn Harbor Park, which have become major catalysts for the regeneration of Lynn’s waterfront. The Open Space Master Plan was guided by a comprehensive public engagement process that provided the forum for residents, advocacy groups, and City and State officials to identify critical goals and objectives as they developed a vision for their underutilized waterfront.
The design team, led by BRR, carefully researched each parcel in the waterfront zone, including the regulatory boundaries and impacts, potential future public and private development plans, and projected climate resiliency vulnerabilities to develop a framework for possible new open spaces, destinations, and a continuous public promenade through the 305-acre waterfront zone. The resulting open space master plan sought to address and alleviate significant public concerns regarding prior unfulfilled promises of a signature public waterfront park and the potential for the waterfront to feel unwelcome to the public, given potential private development pressures. BRR successfully identified a new location for a signature public waterfront park, prepared design guidelines for all future waterfront projects, and established design and climate resiliency goals that seek to ensure the waterfront is welcoming and connected to Lynn’s downtown.
Lynn Heritage State Park
Client: The Department of Conservation and Recreation
Team: Stantec, Foth Infrastructure & Environment, and LEC Environmental Consultants
Nearly the entirety of Lynn Heritage State Park lies on filled tidelands and in recent years, significant settlement of the fill material has led to measurable settlement of the park’s pathways, lawns, and raised timber boardwalk, resulting in unsafe conditions. The comprehensive park redesign features connections to adjacent parcels to help implement the Master Plan’s continuous promenade, a new splash pad, improved public seating and gathering areas, a repaired parking lot including an additional vehicular entry point, the raising of park pathways to improve the park’s climate resiliency, native planting in the waterfront zone, retained and improved tree canopy, and a completely redesigned boardwalk.
Lynn Harbor Park
Client: The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and the City of Lynn
Team: Charter Contracting Company, Langdon Engineering, Foth Infrastructure & Environment, LEC Environmental Consultants, Hancock Associates
As part of the OSMP, BRR identified the old municipal landfill as a potential signature waterfront park. Through careful relationship building and close coordination, BRR has worked with the current landfill owner, as well as various State Agency partners, and the City of Lynn to amend the landfill plans to allow for the implementation of the first phase of the Harbor Park, which is currently under construction. The Harbor Park will become a one-of-a-kind signature park destination that provides unparalleled views and access to Lynn’s waterfront. The park design includes significant tree planting, a 20-30 foot wide waterfront promenade, a potential performance lawn with amphitheater seating, public plazas, a natural playground, and overlooks. BRR, LEC, and Foth are also preparing a Preliminary Shoreline Restoration Design to improve the park’s and shoreline’s resiliency in the face of increased sea level rise and storm surges which have significantly eroded the park’s coastal edge.
BRR's Master Plan for Phase 1 of the Lynn Harbor Park
Potential shoreline and waterfront zone treatment