UPDATE: This meeting has been moved from the park to Germantown United CDC, 5320 Germantown Ave., due to high winds and possible rain. The meeting will kick off at 5:30 p.m. as planned. Please bring your ideas!

a wide angle photograph of Bringhurst Park, which is a small paved lot surrounded by a chain-link fence. There are empty raised garden beds at both ends of the park and a few trees and benches in the middle, as well as chairs and makeshift tables and a lot of fallen leaves.

Bringhurst Park has been a community gathering space for decades. Now, the space is getting a revamp to add some green and protect our local waterways. Residents and park users are invited to join us for a talk on April exploring future designs.

Thanks to our Green City, Clean Waters program, thousands of green tools like rain gardens and stormwater tree planters across the city soak up tens of millions of gallons of stormwater runoff each time we have a substantial storm.

Germantown is already home to a number of these projects, but many more green stormwater improvements are planned for the neighborhood in the coming years. Dozens of residents came out to learn about plans for these projects and provided input during our October 2017 open house at the Happy Hollow Recreation Center.

As part of ongoing efforts to involve residents in designing these planned green improvements, we are currently working with neighbors and others who use Bringhurst Park, located across the street from the John Wister Elementary School at Bringhurst and Wakefield, to revamp the space and add stormwater management features.

A meeting to discuss the project and collect feedback about possible improvements will be held at the park on Wednesday, April 4 at 5:30 p.m.

In the event of rain or other bad weather, we will meet at the Germantown United Community Development Corporation, located at 5320 Germantown Ave.

Sign up for the Philadelphia Water Department Germantown green projects email list to be notified if the meeting is moved and to get alerts about other local projects and events.

Topics to be discussed include:

  • Potential designs for a stormwater feature, like a rain garden
  • Landscaping and planting palettes
  • Additional features neighbors envision

Though in some ways informal, Bringhurst Park has been a community gathering place for decades. Residents use the space for growing flowers in raised beds, barbecuing, and enjoying the outdoors. By adding features to the park to protect local waterways, we at PWD are committing to maintaining the space along with neighbors who want to see the area revitalized.

We see Bringhurst Park as a space that is perfectly suited for both community gatherings and stormwater management. Similar projects, like the creation of new community space and rain garden in the Hestonville area of West Philadelphia, have been well-received by residents.

Germantown community members who want to learn more and get involved in improvements at Bringhurst should attend the April 4 meeting for a conversation and feedback session exploring future designs for Bringhurst Park.

As this project and others planned for the neighborhood continue and move to the engineering and design process, we will continue to hold meetings and make presentations so we can get feedback from the community.

See more projects coming to the area here and learn more on the Germantown Green City, Clean Waters page.