- An abandoned quarry being explored for development in a divisive community
- Through the telling of a Story of Place™ and community engagement facilitation, an understanding of the quarry’s role in the watershed and the potential for regenerating the surrounding ecosystem through development
Project Description and Client Aspirations
Millington Quarry is a large industrial site located in New Jersey. A controversial site with the local community due to noise and pollution, the landowners were looking to sell to a developer. This site represents one of the few large areas of undeveloped land in the area, and is located at the neck of a watershed that feeds the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge. The site is therefore of significant importance in terms of watershed and ecosystem health.
Revealing a Common Understanding
Regenesis was brought in to help with community engagement, a challenging task considering the understandably alienated and frustrated state of community members. Through conversations and workshops, Regenesis was able to understand what these community members felt was at stake; what their connection is to this Place. After acknowledging this, it was possible for the development question to be re-arranged such that the community could rally behind a question of: “How can we use this site to turn around all of the environmental degradation and irresponsible development that has occurred in this area?”
Considering the site’s location within the watershed and its proximity to the Great Swamp, it became evident to the community how vital it was that this project be undertaken with the focus of regenerating the surrounding ecosystem.
This project is ongoing, and the community members are pushing the new developers to undertake a project that addresses the quarry’s role in the surrounding watershed.