Project Description
The Bayonne Urban Coastal Design project provides three island design options for riparian lands owned by the Bayonne Golf Club in the Upper New York Bay in order to protect eastern Bayonne from storm surge and to create desperately needed habitats identified in the Hudson-Raritan Estuary Comprehensive Restoration Plan.
The project team, led by landscape architects and environmental planners, included environmental, civil and oceanic engineers, and local and state agency representatives. Designs were based on detailed analysis of existing conditions, regulatory determinations, scientific literature, similar ecological restoration case studies, construction best practices, and future sea level rise and storm surge projections.
Each design converts approximately 175 acres of mud sediments to shoreline and shallows, transition grassland, and maritime forests, stressing three major system components: Coastal Protection, Designed Ecological Systems, and Adaptive Management to support long-term performance.
Links Island echoes the golf course’s form and topography, incorporating high and low saltmarsh systems and a freshwater collection area.
Bird Island increases habitat and biodiversity for as many species as possible, including existing mudflats as additional foraging areas for birds and crabs.
Estuary Terminal Island draws inspiration from the adjacent historic Military Ocean Terminal, integrating form with protection, and includes alternative energy options.
