Summary

The Amerine Park Improvements project required an efficient way to manage a large volume of runoff from impervious surfaces without dedicating a significant portion of the 2.2-acre site to stormwater infrastructure.

A compact FocalPoint® Biofiltration System allowed the project team to treat the required stormwater volume within a 36-square-foot installation. The solution avoided conventional curb-and-gutter collection and extensive underground conveyance while preserving more of the public park for greenspace and landscaping.

Challenge

The City of Maryville needed to manage a high volume of stormwater runoff within a site where space was limited and every square foot contributed to the park’s public value.

A conventional approach could have required curb and gutter, underground piping and a larger pond or traditional bioretention area. Those components would have increased construction costs, consumed valuable land and reduced the amount of usable greenspace available within the park.

The project required a stormwater control measure that could provide the necessary treatment capacity in a substantially smaller footprint.

Solution

The project team selected the FocalPoint® High-Performance Modular Biofiltration System supplied by Jen-Hill.

A 36-square-foot FocalPoint system was installed to treat a design runoff volume of approximately 1,882 cubic feet. Its compact design allowed stormwater treatment to be incorporated into the park landscape without requiring a large surface pond or extensive underground conveyance infrastructure.

FocalPoint combines engineered soil media with a modular underdrain system to support filtration, infiltration and water storage. This high-flow configuration enabled the project team to address its stormwater requirements while making more productive use of the surrounding land.

Results

The completed system provided the required stormwater treatment within a compact landscaped footprint.

According to the project team, the FocalPoint solution:

• Avoided the need for conventional curb-and-gutter collection and extensive underground stormwater conveyance.
• Reduced project costs compared with conventional conveyance and treatment alternatives.
• Used substantially less land than a pond or larger traditional bioretention area.
• Maintained low ongoing maintenance costs.
• Preserved and increased greenspace within the public park.
• Added visual and community value through integrated landscaping.

The Amerine Park project demonstrates how compact, high-performance biofiltration can help municipalities satisfy stormwater requirements without allowing stormwater infrastructure to dominate a public site.

About the FocalPoint® Biofiltration System

FocalPoint® is a compact, scalable high-performance modular biofiltration system designed to treat and manage stormwater runoff in a significantly smaller footprint than conventional bioretention practices.

The system combines engineered soil media with a modular, high-capacity underdrain to support filtration, infiltration and water storage. It can be integrated into landscaped basins, streetscapes, sidewalk planters and other low-impact development applications, making it suitable for both new construction and retrofit projects where land is limited.