At the North Hudson Yacht Club (NHYC) Marina in Edgewater, New Jersey, E2PM helped to redesign and permit the redevelopment of the waterfront after the marina experienced significant damage from the flooding and winter storm events in 2009. The NHYC has operated as a marina on the Hudson River, since the late 1950s; however, during the winter of 2009, the marina’s clubhouse, which stood on a barge rested in the river, and its surrounding wood decking and boat slips were severely damages by high flood waters and river ice, rendering them structurally unsound and irreparable.

E2PM was contracted to perform the initial geotechnical and structural assessment of the damaged structures and develop complete reconstruction plans for the marina, including its bulkheads and upland property. Since the site area is located along a New Jersey Waterfront and within the FEMA Flood Hazard Area of the Hudson River, the reconstruction plans must comply with the requirements set forth in the NJDEP Coastal Permit Program Rules, Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Rules and Flood Hazard Area Act Rules. As such, complying with the Rules has presented unique circumstances for this waterfront redevelopment project. For instance, the proposed reconstruction activities trigger the Hudson River Waterfront Area Rule, requiring the development of a Waterfront Walkway or similar conservation restriction in favor of the NJDEP.

On behalf of NHYC, E2PM obtained an Emergency Permit from the NJDEP that authorized the reconstruction of the bulkheads, so as to protect and stabilize the property from the ongoing erosion, while the reconstruction plans were being finalized. E2PM prepared a NJDEP Waterfront Development Permit (WDP) application in accordance with State and Local regulations, and the WDP was issued to NHYC, legalizing the proposed work. A US Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) permit was also submitted.

Initial reconstruction plans involved replacing the existing barge-supported clubhouse with a two story structure, supported on timber piles driven into the river bottom. Through a geotechnical investigation, involving pile testing of the Hudson River substrate and land borings, and a structural analysis given the proposed loads, E2PM determined a cost estimate of the proposed redesign. E2PM also carried out regular correspondences with the local Borough Engineer and Land Use Official, county officials and NJDEP Case Manager. With the aid of E2PM’s engineering and regulatory knowledge of waterfront development, NHYC was able to successfully reconstruct their unique marina property that has existed along the Hudson River for over 60 years.