Miller Park Upgrades & Stream Restoration

 
Concept Design
2023
Construction
2024-2026
Completion
December 31, 2026

Overview

H.L. Miller Park is located in the heart of downtown Wake Forest, adjacent to several municipal buildings including the Wake Forest Town Hall and Wake Forest Police Department. The park is bordered by a municipal parking lot, which serves the Town Hall and hosts a weekly Farmer’s Market, and a large, developed parcel owned by Wake Electric Membership Corporation (Wake Electric).

The 2-acre wooded park features picnic tables and paved trails with three pedestrian wooden bridges that loop throughout the park.

There are two stormwater control measures (SCMs) situated in the park and two stream features that merge within the park. USGS named Spring Branch, a primary stream, initially flows from the South Franklin Street culvert onto the Wake Electric property before entering the park property in the north-eastern corner.  The other stream, a USGS unnamed tributary (UT), flows from the South Taylor Street culvert in the north-western corner and meanders between the park and Wake Electric properties before its confluence with Spring Branch within the park boundary. Below the confluence, Spring Branch flows to a culvert near the traffic circle of Elm Avenue and South Franklin Street.

There is significant erosion downstream of both SCM outfalls and several other outfalls in the park and the stream is incised with vertical banks that are eroding and contributing sediment to the reach. The overland erosion from the outfalls is undermining the existing paved trails, causing structural damage to the asphalt. The wooden pedestrian bridges are in poor condition as well.

The Town of Wake Forest (Town) has requested McAdams to develop this proposal for a conceptual design to enhance and restore this highly visible and unstable stream to improve water quality and safety and renovate the park’s amenities and greenway system to provide greenway connectivity. The project areas differ between the stream restoration, greenway and park design concepts.

 

ARPA logo

American Rescue Plan Act

This project is supported by a grant from US Treasury as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) CoronavirusState and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds award totaling $14.5 million.

Project Leaders

Chris Glass, PE
Assistant Engineering Director
919-435-9443                                            

Steve Meyer
CIP Manager
919-435-9510

Contractor

Caleb Lowman, PE
Associate 
Kimley-Horn
919-677-2108