Bald Point State Park is 4,800 acres of wilderness located in Franklin County, Florida. More specifically, it is where the Ochlockonee Bay meets the Gulf of Mexico. The park features woodlands, tidal marshes and freshwater ponds.
Park visitors can engage in activities such as nature walks, bird watching and beach walking. Chaires Creek runs through the site. Our projecct proposes a kayak launch in Chaires Creek so visitors can enjoy more of what the park has to offer.
Our plan includes pavilions, restrooms, kayak launch and parking. The client, the State of Florida, requested the project to feature Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility; 20 parking stalls; pick-up truck and trailer-accommodated parking lot and stalls; stormwater management designed to Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and North Florida Wastewater Management District (NFWMD) guidelines; restrooms above the 100-year floodplain; and all site facilities located outside the wetland buffers.
Project challenges included keeping the construction outside of the wetland buffer, minimizing the effects on the nearby ecosystem, and keeping construction costs low. Our simplified site design solved these problems. We observed the boundaries and effects on the surrounding ecosystem. To keep construction cost low, we minimized material surface area low. We kept site functionality high to enhance visitor experience and reduce wasted space.
Austin Ashley, Omar Mejia, Miller Shelfer, James Thompson
Sean Martin, Ph.D., PE, FRSE
Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.; Chad Mason, P.E., Chandler Hatcher EIT, Olivia O’Bryan, EIT
Spring