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- Aug 19, 2007
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SILVER SPRING TWP.
Park projects await source of money
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Willow Mill Park could one day have a boat launch, a fixed-up mill and other improvements.
But Silver Spring Twp. doesn't have the money to implement those plans.
Despite receiving more than $110,000 in grants for improvements planned for this year at the 18-acre park that sits alongside the Conodoguinet Creek, the township's recreation department is scrambling to figure out how to complete those projects.
"I'd have paid for some things if I'd have hit that Powerball. I'd have donated some money," said Marie Daubert, the township's director of parks and recreation.
But Daubert didn't buy that $314 million winning ticket for last week's drawing, so she will have to find other ways to make up shortfalls caused by higher than anticipated bids on a boat launch project and deterioration of the historic Huston Mill.
Grants covered the cost of a disc golf course that is being built. Another grant -- $25,000 from the state Fish and Boat Commission -- was earmarked to pay for a boat launch and an adjacent parking area. Construction bids for the boat ramp part of the project came about $5,000 above estimates, leaving Daubert trying to keep the project within budget.
"I'm still looking at the numbers," Daubert said. "We'll have to see what we have to take out to make up that $5,000 difference."
The only certainty seems to be that the $5,000 won't come out of the township's general fund budget. On the heels of last year's completion of a $2 million project at Stony Ridge Park, the township has only $12,000 budgeted for capital improvements to its six parks -- $2,000 each.
The situation with the mill, which was built in the 1790s, is worse. A $50,000 grant from the state Historical and Museum Commission is more than enough to cover the estimated $35,000 cost to replace the rook on the 21/2-story stone structure. The remainder was intended to pay for the cleanup of pigeon droppings inside the building.
The problem is that the foundation might not be strong enough to support a new roof, and unless holes in the building are sealed to keep out birds and animals, cleaning up the droppings will be futile. Even if the building is sealed, the floor inside is in such bad shape that there are safety concerns for anyone involved in a cleanup.
An estimate put the price of rehabilitating the mill at $400,000, Daubert told the township supervisors last week.
"It is a lovely structure, but we don't have $400,000 to throw at this thing," supervisor Chris Latta told Daubert during last week's meeting.
"We need to verify what can be done for $50,000," supervisor Mary Lou Pierce McLain said.
The rest of the project will have to wait until grant money is available.
"We will have to see if we can continue to get grants that can be used to piece this thing back together," supervisor Vince DiFilippo said.
Facilities at the park include gardens, a gazebo, a creekside picnic pavilion and an asphalt oval race track for radio controlled cars, which was constructed by a local club. Additional benches and picnic tables are to be installed this summer.
Plans also include turning the bumper car pavilion from the amusement park that once occupied the site into a large picnic and events pavilion, a small playground and building permanent rest rooms.
Park projects await source of money
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Willow Mill Park could one day have a boat launch, a fixed-up mill and other improvements.
But Silver Spring Twp. doesn't have the money to implement those plans.
Despite receiving more than $110,000 in grants for improvements planned for this year at the 18-acre park that sits alongside the Conodoguinet Creek, the township's recreation department is scrambling to figure out how to complete those projects.
"I'd have paid for some things if I'd have hit that Powerball. I'd have donated some money," said Marie Daubert, the township's director of parks and recreation.
But Daubert didn't buy that $314 million winning ticket for last week's drawing, so she will have to find other ways to make up shortfalls caused by higher than anticipated bids on a boat launch project and deterioration of the historic Huston Mill.
Grants covered the cost of a disc golf course that is being built. Another grant -- $25,000 from the state Fish and Boat Commission -- was earmarked to pay for a boat launch and an adjacent parking area. Construction bids for the boat ramp part of the project came about $5,000 above estimates, leaving Daubert trying to keep the project within budget.
"I'm still looking at the numbers," Daubert said. "We'll have to see what we have to take out to make up that $5,000 difference."
The only certainty seems to be that the $5,000 won't come out of the township's general fund budget. On the heels of last year's completion of a $2 million project at Stony Ridge Park, the township has only $12,000 budgeted for capital improvements to its six parks -- $2,000 each.
The situation with the mill, which was built in the 1790s, is worse. A $50,000 grant from the state Historical and Museum Commission is more than enough to cover the estimated $35,000 cost to replace the rook on the 21/2-story stone structure. The remainder was intended to pay for the cleanup of pigeon droppings inside the building.
The problem is that the foundation might not be strong enough to support a new roof, and unless holes in the building are sealed to keep out birds and animals, cleaning up the droppings will be futile. Even if the building is sealed, the floor inside is in such bad shape that there are safety concerns for anyone involved in a cleanup.
An estimate put the price of rehabilitating the mill at $400,000, Daubert told the township supervisors last week.
"It is a lovely structure, but we don't have $400,000 to throw at this thing," supervisor Chris Latta told Daubert during last week's meeting.
"We need to verify what can be done for $50,000," supervisor Mary Lou Pierce McLain said.
The rest of the project will have to wait until grant money is available.
"We will have to see if we can continue to get grants that can be used to piece this thing back together," supervisor Vince DiFilippo said.
Facilities at the park include gardens, a gazebo, a creekside picnic pavilion and an asphalt oval race track for radio controlled cars, which was constructed by a local club. Additional benches and picnic tables are to be installed this summer.
Plans also include turning the bumper car pavilion from the amusement park that once occupied the site into a large picnic and events pavilion, a small playground and building permanent rest rooms.
