Location: Petersburg, VA  |  Client: James River Association  |  Project Date: August 2015 – October 2016

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Petersburg Walkable Watershed Concept Plan

Project Description

Situation

Residents of the Robert E. Lee Neighborhood have experienced regular flooding, safety, connectivity and stormwater infrastructure issues for decades. Adjacent to Petersburg National Battlefield, residents report regular flooding in their streets and yards surrounding their homes, insufficient sidewalks, speeding traffic and disconnection from nearby open spaces.

Solution

Skeo partnered with the James River Association, City of Petersburg and the Robert E. Lee Neighborhood Watch Association to conduct an existing conditions analysis, facilitate a series of community meetings to learn community needs and priorities and develop a Walkable Watershed Concept Plan.

Outcome

The Concept Plan identifies opportunities for stormwater infrastructure improvements to reduce flooding, improve bicycle and pedestrian amenities and slow traffic through vegetated traffic circles and bioretention curb extensions. The Plan improves connectivity by prioritizing streets for sidewalks and crosswalks, recommends trails through existing open space and connects residents to the Battlefield Park’s trailheads.

Through public engagement, the project team learned that residents did not use the adjacent Battlefield Park’s trail network. After a meeting with the National Park Service, who manages the Battlefield Park, the project team informed residents that a fee was not needed to use the park. Now, residents can access hundreds of acres of open space, an established trail network and well-maintained historical resources.