Environmental Resolutions, Inc. (ERI) was retained by Palmyra Borough to upgrade a thirty-plus (30+) year-old park located in the heart of its business district. The central features of the original park design included a grouping of granite monuments at one end and an elevated, 50’ high flagpole in its center.
The park contained a substantial amount of landscaping, however, over time, it had become overgrown which isolated and obscured its features. Consequently, a primary goal of the redesign was to enhance the prominence of those features as focal points and integrate them into a more unified design.
To achieve that goal, the overgrown vegetation was removed for better visibility and to afford design flexibility. A mix of brick pavers and exposed aggregate paving was introduced to define seating areas and walkways as well as unify the parks’ elements into a singular design. Retaining walls and circular stone steps were installed to better transition the flagpole into the surrounding ground plain. Concrete edging was installed around the granite monuments to define the area and enhance their prominence. Long obscured plaster service medallions were reclaimed, painted, and set in formal, tinted concrete settings in the monument’s foreground while a series of aluminum flagpoles were arrayed behind them. Due to budget constraints, existing benches and trash containers were salvaged for reuse. The final touch was installation of a landscape designed to create spaces, texture and seasonal interest, supported by a combination spray and drip irrigation system.
