Instead of piping storm water
to the Conestoga River and
downstream to the Chesapeake
Bay, polluted runoff from
surrounding rooftops and
pavement is now filtered by
indigenous plantings and
allowed to naturally infiltrate
beneath terraced rain gardens
and porous parking lot paving.
Palm Sunday procession starting in the
newly-constructed courtyard
Photo: St. James Episcopal Church
Saint James, along with its
consultants and contractors—RGS
Associates, MM Architects, and Warfel
Construction—implemented master
plan goals while also demonstrating
environmental stewardship. For
example, even though its cloistered
courtyard seems deceptively simple on
its surface, it captures and infiltrates
more than 125,300 gallons of storm
water below-grade each year. In addition
to new permeable paving, this courtyard
incorporates recycled materials
including old bricks, decorative tiles,
fencing, and cast-iron window grates
repurposed as gates. Most existing trees
were preserved. New plants were
selected from native species and
heirloom varieties. A customized
fountain was inspired by the church’s
baptismal font. Collectively, these
features achieve another key project
goal: reuse and retention of the historic
church’s character-defining features.
Effective resource conservation and
stewardship were also key strategies for
nearby Community Mennonite Church
of Lancaster (CMCL). Visionary church
leaders, City staff, and their design
consultants worked to meet the parking
needs of congregants and neighbors
while adding new green infrastructure
within a redesigned church parking lot.
This project had specific
goals established jointly by
CMCL and City staff.
Congregational goals included
preventing the loss of any
existing parking spaces,
enhancing the surrounding
neighborhood, and providing
an outdoor learning area
where the science and process
of creative storm water solutions could
be taught. The City agreed to fund 90%
of green infrastructure costs if planned
site improvements could also reduce
neighborhood flooding, improve water
quality, and actively engage the local
community. All parties reached
agreement, and city funding was
provided.
sewer system. Runoff is filtered via
CMCL’s carefully tended plantings,
which also provide seasonal changes in
the landscape of interest to neighbors.
Before this project, the neighborhood
had a significant deficit of green spaces
and parking spaces. Although some
neighbors were skeptical of the
proposed green space, many now
proudly consider the greener parking
area as a local park.
By creatively providing spiritual,
social, and environmental benefits
within their small plots of urban real
estate, Saint James Episcopal Church
and Community Mennonite Church
have demonstrated their commitment
to creation care—showing that a church
parking lot can become more than a
place to store cars, and that a church
courtyard can become more than an
outdoor gathering space. These two
innovative community spaces
effectively layer multiple site amenities,
serve as replicable examples of sound
resource stewardship, and enhance
historic components of Lancaster’s
religious community.
RGS Associates’
landscape architects and civil
engineers contacted CMCL’s
up-stream neighbors to
observe roof drainage from
their fenced yards — most of
which discharged toward the
church’s parking lot. To
retain the required number
of parking spaces while
adding new plantings, CMCL
decided to remove the rear
portion of a vacant building
near its worship place,
salvaging and repurposing
building materials.
Local contractors
Rogele, Reliance
Environmental, BR Kreider
and Son, and LandStudies
constructed the new green
spaces, resulting in increased
storm water infiltration.
Presently, 87.9% of yearly
rainfall is prevented from
entering the City’s combined
Landscaped green parking lot for
Community Mennonite Church of Lancaster
Photo: RGS Associates
SACRED PLACES • WINTER 2019
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