In 2017, Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Church needed a play area for children and wanted to spruce up their parking lot. They identified a 2,500 square foot area at the edge of the lot as a prime location for the project– but first, the pavement would have to be removed. Fortunately, the Cumberland River Compact had just launched its Depave program and partnered with the church to make their vision a reality.
Paved parking lots are impervious surfaces, which means they don’t absorb any water when it rains. Instead, they generate stormwater runoff, which gathers pollutants as it runs over the ground on its way to local streams and rivers; the Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Church parking lot was contributing to pollution in Flat Creek and other nearby tributaries of the Harpeth River. The Compact and the congregation saw this project as an opportunity to decrease the amount of paved area at the church, and thus improve water quality in the Harpeth River watershed.
Depave Pioneers
On August 26, 2017, roughly 60 volunteers and Compact staff members removed several tons of asphalt from outside the church and retrofitted the newly depaved area to actively capture stormwater. It was a hot day, but a little live music and the spirit of the volunteers made it a smashing success! This was the Compact’s first ever Depave project and as such, the first Depave project ever undertaken in Nashville.
The new playground features a wood chip ground cover that absorbs stormwater and provides a soft surface for children to play on. The structures incorporate sustainably sourced wood in place of plastic and metal. The playground also backs up onto the edge of a wooded area, providing shade for its users and integration into the nature that surrounds the church.
PROJECT SPONSORS:
The Frist Foundation, Greater Nashville Unitarian Universalist Church
