Lincoln Park District installs environmentally friendly parking lot

[December 03, 2011]  The Lincoln Park District has broken ground on a new, environmentally friendly parking lot at their administration facility on Primm Road. This "green" parking area is a first for Lincoln and Logan County. Instead of installing a more conventional concrete or asphalt pavement, the park district elected to install a permeable parking lot consisting of concrete pavers that allow water to percolate into the soil through the pavement surface. This parking surface was recommended by the park district's engineering consultant, Prairie Engineers.

Permeable pavements are considered a more environmentally friendly paving option, as they allow storm water to percolate and infiltrate through the pavement surface. This permeability helps to manage storm water runoff and reduce erosion. In addition, permeable pavements result in cleaner storm water runoff as the percolation into the soil keeps pollutants in place as opposed to contributing to pollution in nearby streams.

Although permeable pavements are typically more expensive to install than conventional asphalt and concrete pavements, the Lincoln Park District was able to save money in this situation by not installing a separate storm sewer to carry away the storm water. Pavements consisting of concrete pavers also have a long life expectancy and require only minimal maintenance.

Prairie Engineers is a consulting firm established in 2010 and located at 200 S. Chicago St. in Lincoln. The firm provides expertise in municipal, roadway and highway, water resources, land development engineering, GIS development, and land surveying. The office may be reached by phone, 217-651-8017, or fax, 217-718-4764.

[Text from file received from Prairie Engineers]