Published: March 27, 2008 09:27 am         

Sure Sign of Spring

Park projects putting grant money to work

CUMBERLAND - It's one of the first signs of spring.

Nope, it's not the robins who have returned from their winter nests or the daffodils and hyacinths that have started to bloom.

It's the sound of bulldozers and Bobcats moving dirt for the unofficial start of the construction season.

The former Springdale Street Playground is being turned into a "passive park" and the craft house at Constitution Park is doubling in size, all thanks to a couple of grants.

Diane Johnson, director of the city's parks and recreation department, said Springdale last was staffed in 2004. Following that summer, all play equipment considered "unsafe and dangerous" was removed. One, maybe two, pieces remained until recently, she said.

The Chapel Hill West Neighborhood Association Inc. also demolished a building that was on-site.

Kathy McKenney, the city's historic planner/preservation coordinator, said the Springdale work is possible through a $100,000 Community Parks and Playgrounds grant. The concept of the park came from the Virginia Avenue Corridor Revitalization Plan.

The basketball hoops won't return but the land will become a grassy site with pathways and park benches. While the plan calls for some nonmoving play equipment, possibly a climbing wall, and older adult activities, such as a checker board, those items haven't been determined.

"It should be finished by later this summer and maybe even a lot faster, because they're making a lot of progress," McKenney said.

Shaffer Brothers of Ellerslie was awarded the contract, which includes Springdale as well as work at Constitution Park.

State Program Open Space funds have made an addition to the park's craft house possible. The year before, the craft house, which once served as the family home to the park superintendent, was renovated. POS monies in the amount of $201,906 funded both projects.

"Last year we were working around the opening day of day camp still putting the finishing touches on it," Johnson said.

This project, however, is "moving fast," and she doesn't expect workers to be there this year when 100 to 125 youngsters show up June 16 for the first day of the nine-week camp.

Staff has decided to play it by ear when it comes to possible uses.

"It will give us, definitely, an indoor space to take the kids inside during inclement weather or instead of sitting out in the blazing sun," Johnson said, noting the addition will have heat and air conditioning, two rest rooms and storage space. "But we don't want to take away the outdoor experiences of day camp."

The area will be a place for speakers and activities and may be a community space in the future.

Reuben Lease of parks and rec said the addition is a 40-by-50-foot, wood-framed building. The short wall near the craft house has been torn down and the concrete footer and block work have started. Once that's complete, the new building will be brought in and nearly double the size of the current space.

In addition to Shaffer, D&D Masonry of Meyersdale, Pa., is the subcontractor there.

Dirt from that work is being reused at the park's duck pond in Grove 3 and at Springdale.

The work at the duck pond is funded through another Community Parks and Playgrounds grant of a little more than $125,000, McKenney said.

McKenney said that work will include improvements to the duck pond, bicentennial fountain and a pavilion as well as wetlands plantings.

For the seventh time in a row, the city has been awarded money from the state's Community Legacy program.

McKenney said the $325,000 will go toward three projects, with two in the Virginia Avenue corridor. The breakdown puts $125,000 toward the area's infrastructure work and $100,000 for the Allegany County Human Resources Development Commission's green roof on its new building to be constructed.

The Cumberland Neighborhood Housing Services will receive the remaining $100,000 for its corridor revitalization plan along North Centre and Mechanic streets.

Contact Maria Smith at msmith@times-news.com.



For more photos, click here.