Lime Spring Square, a 98-acre, multi-phased, mixed-use development project in Lancaster, received the 2021 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The project, a unique approach to post-construction stormwater management, was a collaborative project by the team of RGS Associates, LandStudies Inc., and Richard F. Mulá Architects, a member of the CORE Design Group.
Each year, the Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence provide statewide recognition to businesses and organizations involved in a cross-section of environmental initiatives, such as cleaning up watersheds, saving energy, eliminating pollution and reducing waste. The Lime Spring Square project used floodplain restoration instead of the conventional infiltration or detention facilities, a plan that utilized best management practices to meet regulatory requirements.
The team devised an approach which included the removal of sediment to reconnect the stream channel with the floodplain, the creation of large areas of interconnected wetland habitats, and the rehabilitation of groundwater interchange. In total, this project restored 4,750 linear feet of stream bank and created 8.5 acres of wetlands, reducing runoff to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
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