E&LP was selected to lead a public engagement and visioning campaign for Sgt. George Ashby Memorial Park. The three-acre park is nestled in the heart of downtown Allentown Borough which is known for being the crossroads of the American Revolution due to the number of skirmishes fought in the area. The park is planned to play an important role in the Borough by honoring its many veterans and important site history, as well as serve as a central community park. E&LP worked with the Borough to develop two public engagement events to solicit community input and develop the park’s program.

The first Vision session was a public charrette where E&LP led the community through a series of exercises focused on idea generation and establishing desires for the role, aesthetic, and function of the park in the community at large. E&LP then developed three different design alternatives based on public input and presented those at a second Vision session. Further breakout groups at the second session were held to discuss the specific merits and opportunities of each scheme.

Finally, a single scheme was chosen based on the public input and with guidance of the Borough steering committee. E&LP further refined the chosen scheme and provided perspective renderings and a full cost estimate. The entire concept package as well as documentation of the process throughout was bound into a full report for fundraising efforts. The last portion of E&LP’s scope was to assist the Borough with a submission to the Monmouth County Open Space Fund to support a phase one implementation of the park, which was awarded.