Fayette lands grants for recreation improvements, trail development
More than a half million dollars is coming into Fayette and Westmoreland counties for improvements to parks and recreational trails.
The grants from the Department of Conservation of Natural Resources (DCNR) were announced Thursday by state Rep. Pat Stefano, R-Bullskin, with $260,000 going to South Union Township for construction of a 2.1-mile section of the Sheepskin Trail from Hutchinson Park to Bailey Park, plus a 1.9-mile spur trail leading to Fort Gaddis, the oldest log cabin in the county. The project will also include landscaping, signage and access for those with disabilities.
Another $250,000 is going to Fayette County for improvements at three county-owned parks: Dunlap Creek Park in Menallen Township, Jacob’s Creek Park in Mount Pleasant Borough and German Masontown Park in Masontown. The grant money will go towards new playground equipment, comfort stations, landscaping, signage and accessibility.
In addition to the funding coming to Fayette County, Westmoreland County is getting a $70,000 grant to acquire an additional 28 acres adjacent to Cedar Creek Park in Rostraver Township to expand that facility.
The money is coming from the DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnership Program, which requires an equal match in finances, services, equipment or related matters.
“We can use these parks to enhance the quality of life in Fayette County,” said Vince Vicites, chairman of the Fayette County Commissioners. “We obviously have to match those funds. I’m sure we can use some ingenuity to use in-kind work.”
Vicites said county crews can handle some of the work related to the improvements, such as installing playground equipment and signage, as well as landscaping work.
South Union Township Supervisor Bob Schiffbauer said the township will also be using in-kind services for at least part of the required match.
“Our workers and our equipment will be used to do the work. We also purchased some of the property being used and the value of that property can be applied to the match,” Schiffbauer said.
Schiffbauer and Vicites have high expectations of the Sheepskin Trail.
“It’s not just a bicycle trail. A lot of people utilize the area where the trail is running. A lot of people walk and jog and the Uniontown cross country team trains on that trail. It will improve the safety on that trail. We’ve had some people hurt by cars,” Schiffbauer said.
Schiffbauer said it will also tie together two park systems: the multi-field complex at Hutchinson field with Bailey Park in Uniontown.
“That’s one of the purposes of the trail system and state funding: to tie together recreational systems in the state,” Schiffbauer said. “Hopefully, it will serve as a catalyst to other communities to do their part of the trail. On the economic development side, once this is connected with the Great Allegheny Passage, I see great things for our area. Since 1997 the trail concept has virtually exploded throughout the United States. I think we have some work to do to educate the people of Fayette County on what it can do.”
Vicites said he is a strong supporter of completing the entire 33-mile stretch of the Sheepskin Trail.
“It will go through the heart of Fayette County from Connellsville to Point Marion. We can build this trail. We just need a continuous funding source to do it,” Vicites said. “We’re trying to coordinate it and build enthusiasm in the communities where it passes through. The trail has a lot of positive virtues. We just need to extol them.”
Donna Holdorf, executive director of the National Road Heritage Corridor and facilitator for the Sheepskin Trail, said a $25,000 DCNR grant to Fairchance to prepare a master site plan for a park will also help the Sheepskin Trail project, since part of the trail runs through that park and a master plan is necessary before any other state funding is released. Holdorf said building trails can be an expensive proposition.
“If you don’t have to build a bridge or address drainage problems, you can figure $100,000 to $150,000 per mile,” Holdorf said.