Chartiers Township advances park project
Chartiers Township residents are one step closer to enjoying an updated Arnold Community Park.
The township board of supervisors discussed the project during its monthly workshop meeting on Tuesday, where Chartiers officials detailed its status.
According to township Manager Jodi Noble, the township is working with engineers from Gateway Engineers to revise the scope of work to cut costs.
The township recently received a $240,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to install a new baseball field, trails and parking at Arnold Community Park, which would represent a substantial facilities upgrade.
According to Noble, the upgrades would make the upper hill area of the park more ADA-accessible, and would add at least one more handicap-designated parking space.
The grant award requires a one to one match from the township, meaning that the total available funding is around $480,000, without having to tap the township’s capital reserve.
Noble said the township is working with Gateway to rescope the extent of the paving work necessary to bring the estimated project cost down by around $80,000 to $90,000 to a total between $300,000 and $400,000, in order to keep it within budget.
According to Noble, the township is still waiting for final design documents from Gateway before it can put the project out to bid.
Supervisor Chairman Harlan Shober said that ball field, trail and parking work is only one phase of the total planned project, and that the township hopes to build additional walking trails around the park in a future phase.
“We’re at a point where we are pretty sure where we are close to where we want to be,” he said.
According to Shober, roughly 13 acres of the 50-acre park are still not utilized, representing a large space to add further amenities for residents to enjoy.
“So what we’re trying to do is to keep on expanding our parks and recreation assets,” he said.
The board also authorized Noble to submit a letter of support for Canonsburg Borough’s Washington County Local Share Account grant program application to fix flood vulnerabilities near McBurney Road and West Pike Street.
The two municipalities recently agreed to a joint project to fix several culvert and drain issues in the area to address persistent flooding concerns.
Four flash floods in August and September damaged several homes and businesses spanning the border between the two municipalities, prompting a renewed effort to address the issue.
Canonsburg committed $15,000 of matching funds toward the $210,000 grant application, with Chartiers set to contribute matching funds in kind.
Noble said the township still needs to review its budget before committing to a specific amount in matching capital.
The total project will cost between $700,000 and a million dollars, according to an estimate from Canonsburg Borough Manager Jennifer Foster.