Kimberling City Center
PICP Update to Aging Parking Lot Protects Ozarks’ Lake and Improves Retail Center
Every Project Starts with a Purpose
Table Rock Lake spans the Ozarks primarily in Missouri, extending into Arkansas, and features 856 miles of shoreline that support recreation, tourism and local businesses throughout the region.
Kimberling City, Missouri, is one of the active lakeside communities along Table Rock Lake, offering scenic views and amenities across the town. The Kimberling City Center parking lot, a three-acre, 30-year-old facility, required resurfacing. The lot serves a range of community uses, including the post office, a hotel, a church, condominiums, retailers and restaurants, making the need for a durable, long-term solution especially important.
Gopala Borchelt, Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Table Rock Lake Water Quality, Inc., played a key leadership role in the project. She conducted extensive research, including visiting comparable projects throughout the region.
“Water quality is a very important issue,” Borchelt said. “People live here, visit here and move here for the White River Valley. We didn’t want to just talk about it. We wanted to do something that would protect the lake better than it had been in the past.”
Borchelt evaluated a range of alternative surface options. “We didn’t want to use porous asphalt or pervious pavement because of the labor and equipment needed for installation, and both are high maintenance,” she explained.
The Solution
Solving for Style, Function, and Durability
Borchelt convened the ownership group and the team at Belgard® Hardscapes, who recommended a permeable interlocking concrete pavement (PICP) solution. Belgard representatives met with the owners to explain how PICP functions as a system of pavers over layers of aggregate that filter stormwater as it moves between the pavers and through varying sizes of stone. The aggregate cleans the water, which can be temporarily stored in an underground basin before being released to natural aquifers or, in the case of Table Rock Lake, returned directly to the lake. Unlike porous asphalt or pervious pavement, which often require repair or replacement every four years, Belgard PICP supports a 50-year pavement design.
Based on studies of similar projects, the PICP system at Kimberling City Center was estimated to capture approximately eight pounds of nitrogen, 1.5 pounds of phosphorus, four pounds of metals and 125 pounds of soil and minerals annually—materials that otherwise would compromise the lake’s water quality.
“Needless to say, we were impressed with permeable pavers and said ‘yes’ unanimously on the spot,” said Layne Morrill, co-owner of Kimberling City Center. “Anything that improves water quality, fixes the parking lot and showcases our property is a winning solution.”
“A permeable paver system ensures fewer contaminants enter the water than when runoff flows from asphalt, and the water enters the lake at a cooler temperature,” said Dave Farrero, field superintendent with Aqua-Paving Construction. Elevated stormwater temperatures from asphalt surfaces can be harmful to aquatic life. In the late 1990s, Table Rock Lake experienced an algae bloom attributed in part to stormwater runoff, and water quality remains a top concern for residents. A public survey by Ozarks Water Watch identified stormwater from development as the leading concern in the Upper White River Basin. By discharging runoff at reduced temperatures, the Kimberling City Center project took a proactive step in protecting the lake.
Another benefit of using PICP was the ability to keep the parking lot accessible during construction so tenants could remain open for business. Aqua-Paving Construction installed more than 1,000 square feet of pavers per hour using mechanical installation methods. The surface was compacted with a 7,000-pound plate compactor, and chips were swept into the joints to allow water infiltration.
The aggregate system included a three-inch stone layer beneath four inches of washed three-quarter stone, which helps water pass through, removes contaminants and returns clean water to the groundwater. A two-inch setting bed of 3/8-inch chips was placed before installing the pavers. The final design incorporated Belgard Aqualine L-Stone pavers in Gascony Tan and Red, complemented by Belgard Holland pavers in the same colors for crosswalks, curbs, islands and bioswales.
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The Result
A Lasting Impression:
The Final Transformation
“We used this highly visible location to not only help protect water quality and improve the overall appearance of the community center, but also as a demonstration site for other local businesses and municipalities to learn from,” said Borchelt. “So, developers have the option of replacing old, worn-out pavement areas or creating new areas in a way that reduces the negative impacts on surrounding hydrology and water quality.” The plans to retrofit an existing infrastructure with newer, best management practices for stormwater management helped the Kimberling City Center project qualify for an EPA 319 Grant from the Missouri State Department of Natural Resources, making the project more cost effective for the owners. The owners also gained the benefit of a parking lot that is as beautiful as it is functional.
“I knew I had seen permeable pavers before but had no idea what they did until we sat down to talk about renovating our parking lot,” said Morrill. “It’s just gorgeous! One of the best things about the new parking lot is the mental attitude—how proud we are to have done something that no one else around here has done.”
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