The Village of Lakewood, New York
Beautiful Aqualine™ Permeable Pavers create an environmental streetscape – the first of its kind in New York.
Every Project Starts with a Purpose
The Village of Lakewood, New York, located at the southern end of Chautauqua Lake, is a tourist destination with old-world charm. The village offers a public beach, park, playground, boat launch and the hustle and bustle of downtown boutiques, Amish crafts, artisan dining, antiques and wine shops. As part of a stormwater management engineering study of the nearby lake and watershed completed in 2018, a recommendation was proposed to include permeable pavers as a solution to minimize street flooding and runoff to the lake.
With a need for pedestrian accessibility, safety and keeping Chautauqua Lake clean, the village initiated the green stormwater infrastructure retrofit of the main intersections and pedestrian areas – all while keeping the aesthetic charm of the village. It was also important to allow the flow of pedestrian and street traffic at the intersections and to educate the public about the retrofit. Lakewood Village was determined to keep businesses open, with clear signage to pedestrian access during the project.
The Chautauqua Avenue streetscape revitalization project, which included permeable pavers as a key component, was part of a consolidated funding application for the New York State Green Innovation Grant Program, approved in November 2019. According to Randall Perry, Executive Director of the Chautauqua Lake and Watershed Management Alliance, funding was provided by the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation Green Innovation Grant Program (Grant 1597) and locally from the village, County of Chautauqua, and the Alliance via grants from The Lenna Foundation, the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation, and the Holmberg Foundation.
The Chautauqua Avenue Green Steet Project was completed in 2021. This included replacing asphalt pavement with permeable pavers in three main intersections along with curb areas. Barton & Loguidice (B & L), a multidisciplinary engineering firm, called for a unique design using Belgard® Aqualine™ permeable pavers, which are produced nationwide.
The Solution
Solving for Style, Function, and Durability
The unique use of permeable pavers for the Green Street Project’s roadway is believed to be the first of its kind in New York State, along a route with regular, heavy vehicular traffic.
To highlight key intersections while preserving the look and feel of Lakewood Village, the landscape architects selected Belgard Aqualine permeable pavers in Amaretto, Bella, Sable and Silex. The custom color pattern accents pedestrian crossings and reinforces the village’s historic character, while delivering meaningful environmental benefits through stormwater mitigation.
“This paver system provides a beautiful streetscape while also caring for the lake water, creating an environmentally and aesthetically friendly final product for the village,” said Nicole Cleary, Managing Landscape Architect at Barton & Loguidice, who specializes in streetscapes and stormwater management projects.
The interlocking Aqualine pavers incorporate double-running bond patterns to delineate crosswalks and 90-degree herringbone patterns in main traffic areas. The smooth-surface paver field includes joints filled with ASTM No. 89 over a 1-inch ASTM No. 8 bedding layer, set on a 6-inch choker course confined by geocell for added structural support. Beneath the surface, a 16-inch aggregate sub-base functions as a stormwater reservoir, while an elevated underdrain allows water to infiltrate the ground, with excess runoff directed into the existing stormwater system.
The project demonstrates the successful use of concrete pavers in high-load applications, supported by design features that enhance system performance. In addition to permeable pavers, the design incorporates stormwater tree trenches, flexible porous pavement and planted landscape areas. The Belgard Commercial national support team collaborated closely with the project landscape architect, providing design and construction guidance for the permeable paver system.
The project also demonstrates the successful use of concrete pavers in high-load applications with special design features that improve the system’s performance. In addition to managing stormwater with the permeable pavers, Cleary and her team utilized stormwater tree trenches, flexible porous pavement and planted landscape areas. For the permeable paver portion of the project, the Belgard Commercial national support team provided design and construction input to the project landscape architect.
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The Result
A Lasting Impression:
The Final Transformation
A 2022 Hardscape North America Award Winner, the Lakewood Village project achieved its goals of enhancing the village’s aesthetic charm while improving water quality and managing stormwater events.
According to Nicole Cleary, stormwater runoff is now captured, treated and cooled before entering the groundwater or Chautauqua Lake. Underdrains beneath the permeable pavement intersections are connected to the existing storm sewer system, allowing excess water from large rain events to be safely managed.
The Belgard team remained involved from design through post-construction, sharing surface infiltration monitoring results with the project team to demonstrate system performance. Post-installation testing, conducted in accordance with ASTM C1781, showed an average surface infiltration rate of 643 inches per hour. Continued annual testing by APG New England and the Belgard Commercial National Support Team confirms sustained performance, with rates consistently exceeding 100 inches per hour.
“Everyone seems pleased with how nice it looks,” said Cleary. “Pavers are unique for roadway intersections, but the aesthetic value and water management benefits are working very well for the village. Maintenance guides were provided, and we would definitely use the Belgard Aqualine pavers again.”
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