land use and environmental planning

The Riverhead Sewer District was required to upgrade the existing sewage treatment plant in order to achieve a total nitrogen effluent limitation of 3.2 mg’l based on the total maximum daily load (TMDL) conducted for the Peconic Estuary Program. Due to the location of the Suffolk County Indian Island Golf Course, adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant, wastewater effluent will be used seasonally as an alternative water supply source for irrigation of up to 450,000 gallons per day. This is the first wastewater reuse project in New York. Benefits from this project extend well beyond nitrogen loading within the Peconic Estuary. Water shortages may change the water supply conditions that are currently taken for granted. The golf course currently utilizes on-site wells for irrigation. Continued use of groundwater as the irrigation source of supply is bound to affect the salt water / fresh water boundary. Irrigation with potable water from the local municipal system is already expensive and puts a stress on the existing potable water supply. We designed the treatment plant upgrade and water reuse systems. The design included the installation of all process equipment including, but not limited to: headworks fine screen, screenings, washings, add air diffusers to the existing Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) tank, convert the existing post-equalization tank to Membrane Biological Reactor (MBR) system, aeration blowers, pumps, chemical feed equipment, polymer mixing and feed equipment, controls, piping, backflow preventers, convert the existing trickling filter tanks to treated effluent tanks, a booster pump for the treatment plant effluent re-use system, a booster pump to supply treatment plant effluent for irrigation use at the adjoining golf course, UV disinfection equipment for WWTP discharge, and a closed vessel UV disinfection system for the golf course re-use systems. The electrical design included a primary electrical service, main secondary feeders, power distribution, and instrumentation control wiring, standby generator for new equpment, and motor control centers. We also prepared the structural, architectural, mechanical, plumbing and HVAC designs. Since permit levels of treatment must be maintained during construction, certain existing process equipment and units cannot be taken offline until new facilities are placed into permanent, fault free operation. Consequently, we included the specifications a construction sequence. During construction we provided construction administration and resident construction inspection services. We also prepared an operation and maintenance manual for the upgraded advanced wastewater treatment system and the water reuse systems.

H2M’s Planners have extensive experience providing development application review services to Planning Boards, Zoning Boards and Combined Land Use Boards throughout New Jersey. Our appointments have included communities as diverse as: Livingston Township, Rockaway Borough, Pompton Lakes Borough, Hackensack City, Lafayette Borough, Lodi Borough, and Cranford Township, as well as multiple communities within the Hudson Valley region of New York. Our Planners have a thorough understanding of the Municipal Land Use Law (MLUL), New Jersey’s environmental regulations, relevant case law, and the application review process for site plans, subdivisions, interpretations, appeals and variance applications. We thoroughly review all plans, reports and application materials, and will meet with applicants and their professionals, as required. We work closely with Board secretaries throughout the process to ensure required timelines are being met. Our reports comprehensively address the full-range of variances and site issues, so that Board Members are duly informed before making their decisions. To better understand the application and site history, we will visit the site, analyze historical aerial imagery, review the Master Plan and other planning documents, review prior site Resolutions, consult the Zoning Officer, and do what is necessary to get the “full picture.” We have on-staff architects, civil engineers, landscape architects and urban designers who can contribute to our reviews, if needed. We take pride in the communities we work-for, and look to ensure that the end result is a development application that is best for the municipality. Throughout our appointments, we continuously keep track of issues related to local zoning ordinances and make recommendations as to updates and amendments.

H2M conducted site visits of each property including interior and backyard inspections, where feasible, and met with interested property owners to discuss the redevelopment process. During the three days of inspections, we used tablets and mobile Geographic Information System (GIS) software, Fulcrum, to document existing building and site conditions of each property. Designing our own form for the field, the H2M Team collected and analyzed a wealth of data for the individual properties and the surrounding area, which spanned portions of Newark’s West Ward Model Neighborhood Initiative (“MNI” Area). A Property Database was developed using Microsoft Access to track, update, and display in the final report form, property information related to each site. Attributes in the database were presented in the final report as a single “property information sheet” which included applicable data such as tax assessor records, building and inspection records, zoning conformance, code violations, health department records, contamination records, and delinquency and foreclosure data. Photos taken in the field were geo-coded for each property, of which six to eight photos were used in the final report. We assessed police data and crime trends, foreclosure and underwater mortgage situations, and other blighting influences within the surrounding area. The study was adopted by the Council and allowed the City to pursue a neighborhood revitalization strategy through a subsequent redevelopment plan.

H2M provided comprehensive Affordable Housing Services to municipalities throughout the state of New Jersey to comply with communities’ legal obligation to build affordable housing. One aspect of a municipality’s affordable housing obligation is it’s “rehabilitation obligation.” As Affordable Housing planners for the Township of Little Falls, New Jersey, we undertook a town-wide property survey to determine the municipality’s statutory obligations of the affordable housing. To estimate the number of units in need of rehabilitation in the community, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs has developed a standard Exterior Housing Survey to be used for the analysis. Only structures that are more than 50 years old are eligible for the survey. We used this form and conducted windshield surveys of approximately 1,800 properties in three days. We also used GIS applications to prepare our field staff for proper recording during the exterior survey process. Structure exteriors were evaluated on the condition of three major and three minor systems. Major systems included the foundation; weatherization (i.e. windows, doors, siding, and walls); and the roof and chimney. Minor systems included eaves, soffits, gutters, leaders, rails, the steps, the porch, and the fire escape. If at least one major system or two minor systems are noted as needing repair, the structure is considered substandard. The information gathered was compiled into a database and resulted in Little Fall’s housing rehabilitation obligation for its Housing Element and Fair Share Plan.

H2M was part of a consultant team that prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzed the potential environmental impacts associated with various potential future operating scenarios of the re-activation of the Queens Groundwater System. Environmental assessment was required to support to support the renewal of NYCDEP’s Water Supply Permit from the NYSDEC. During the EIS process, H2M participated in scoping the analyses required for the project and provided all project description information regarding site changes and water treatment needs. H2M also authored several EIS chapters and performed environmental analyses for including infrastructure, natural resources, energy, hazardous materials chapters of the Draft EIS.

To reserve these trends and expand the progress being made in the Borough’s downtown redevelopment area to the entire corridor, H2M created three new zone districts for the corridor. The new zoning promotes compact, mixed-use development that features attractive, highly articulated buildings and site design that caters to the pedestrian experience. The purpose of the new CC districts is to accommodate vehicles, pedestrians and transit users; stimulate pedestrian use of the corridor; develop attractive buildings and appealing site design; minimize visibility of parking lots and automobile accommodations; and create a visually stimulating and economically viable commercial corridor. The three new districts include a downtown core transit-oriented area near the train station; a district geared towards creative/maker, innovation, and live-work uses; and an easterly mixed-use district that transitions to residential. The regulations feature bike parking requirements, shared parking allowances, architectural facade standards, and signage requirements. Abundant graphics, diagrams and photographs enable users and reviewers to easily interpret the regulations.

H2M was retained by Battery Park City Authority (BPCA) to evaluate and help advance a conceptual resiliency project consisting of a series of interconnected barriers extending approximately 1,500 feet inland that would protect the Battery Park City property’s northern borders. Located on the lower west side of Manhattan along the banks of the Hudson River, the Battery Park City is not only subject to high storm surges during events like Hurricane Sandy, it is also located in a densely developed and highly trafficked area of NYC. H2M engineers analyzed the barrier concept through careful analysis of existing project area conditions. This included field work to record ground elevation data, and review existing buildings, land uses, and visible infrastructure. Field data was coupled with available Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for utilities, land use, sea level rise, and storm surge. With this information, H2M conducted a preliminary review of cutting edge flood barrier types and technologies for numerous site conditions with varying constraints. Special attention was also given to barriers that could achieve a challenging project goal, crossing West Side Highway. For this area, many barriers that are ‘deployable’ via rising flood waters or were otherwise easily operated, were reviewed along with their potential advantages and disadvantages for the site’s context and challenges. H2M then produced graphics of selected sections of the barrier wall system, proposing concepts that minimized aesthetic changes while meeting project goals of flood protection, ease of deployment, and maintenance.

The County wished to update its regulations (last updated in 2008) in an easy to digest format, to create urban design-based circulation strategies for county roadways, incorporate Complete Streets designs into county roadways, and to update the regulations to reflect post-Sandy stormwater standards and updating green techniques and Best Management Practices (BMPs). We worked alongside team members Stantec and Arterial to update Hudson County’s Land Development Regulations (LDR) in order to incorporate the new “complete and green streets” focus. The LDR Update included street design requirements based on a new road typology framework and urban transect approach. Multiple pictorial case studies were presented for each of the street typologies as well as design elements, for better visual understanding. The other major focus of the update is the development of enhanced green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) requirements to stimulate the installation of GSI along Hudson County roads. A visually presented Green Stormwater Infrastructure Siting Quick Reference Guide and Fact Sheet was created for each of the GSI techniques, which will help applicants more easily digest stormwater requirements.

H2M overhauled the City’s master plan to shape the physical, environmental, and economic future of the City. The updated master plan provides a framework for preserving the City’s character, ensuring its diversity, supporting investment and promoting desired change.  As part of the master plan, the City desired a graphic-intensive document that would be easily understood and could be referenced by residents, developers, City officials, and the general public. The GIS-based cartographic services provided for this master plan ensured that the maps were colorful and easy to interpret. Many of the maps were further manipulated in Adobe Suite products before being placed into the 200+ page document.

Village of Washingtonville, located in the Lower Hudson Valley faced a difficult situation. Flooding of homes along the Moodna Creek was becoming more prevalent as the 100 year flood plain was expanding. H2M was hired to assist in writing a grant application to secure funding to purchase residential properties damaged by flooding as a result of Hurricane Irene. Purchasing these properties would reduce the potential public safety and health risks that occur during major flood events. After repetitive losses, the homeowners readily volunteered to participate in the program. The grant proposed developing fair-market values, acquisition of the properties, demolition and removal of structures, site restoration, and deed restriction and property acquisition services. The grant application was successful with Washingtonville awarded $4.59 million in state and federal funding to purchase 18 residential properties along the Creek.

When West Hempstead Water District was ready to start developing their digital water supply and distribution system management program, they asked H2M to create a new GIS. In the process, we converted their existing AutoCAD-based distribution map into an ArcGIS geodatabase format. The new GIS map contains over 15 themes, including roadways, street names, water mains, valves, fire hydrants, tanks, buildings, parcels, and municipal boundary lines. The water distribution system was also digitized into a “geometric network” format. This format allows the District to perform special GIS functions in the future, such as plotting a main break and automatically identifying which valves need to be closed. In addition, the District could automatically determine which customers are affected by the break and generate notification emails. Distribution system water mains, valves and fire hydrants were all placed into the GIS along with the available attribute data, such as main sizes. Over 167 historical valve sketches and field notes were scanned and hyperlinked to their respective geographic valve locations. We provided and installed the new GIS on the District’s computers, making a free, read-only version of the GIS map available for District personnel use. The District is in the process of planning the continued development of the GIS to further improve their operations and management capabilities.

Through a grant from the New York State Department of State (“NYSDOS”) provided to the Town of Oyster Bay, H2M is currently managing the preparation of a Brownfield Opportunity Area (BOA) Step I Study. Together with Sustainable Long Island, NPV, and a group of community stakeholders, H2M is assisting the Hicksville area in developing a vision and implementation strategy to identify, remediate, and redevelop brownfields within the community. The study concerns an approximately 1,100-acre area, characterized by 21 potential brownfield sites within the northwestern portion of Hicksville. The study is being conducted at the neighborhood contextual level, rather than at an individual site level, to maximize community buy-in to redevelopment efforts. This approach engages community members and stakeholders, who identify and prioritize community-supported redevelopment opportunities. Community participation is an integral element of the BOA program. Situated centrally within the Town of Oyster Bay, Hicksville is ideally located for strategic economic development opportunities and is host to several major highway and mass transit assets, including one of the busiest LIRR stations on Long Island. The primary objectives of this project include: establishing a community vision for redevelopment; assembling accurate data and information about the area; and establishing a process that will spur redevelopment. The anticipated benefit to the community will be tangible projects that will support Hicksville’s vibrancy, enhance property values, and strengthen quality of life.