Uniontown gets Bailey Park grant, but officials still disagree on field
Uniontown officials still haven’t decided if the larger ball field at Bailey Park will be ready for baseball next year, but the city received a $102,000 state grant to put toward the effort.
Mayor Ed Fike, Uniontown Redevelopment Authority officials, recreation board members and the city engineer met on the field Friday morning to try to resolve their differences on how much work the field needs to play host to the Uniontown Area High School baseball team next year.
The matter wasn’t settled, but city engineer Terry McMillen agreed to present options and recommendations at an upcoming recreation board meeting, said Mark Yauger, redevelopment authority executive director. The meeting hasn’t been scheduled yet.
Fike said he returned to City Hall after the meeting and found the grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in the mail.
“I think it’s a godsend,” Fike said.
He said the city will use in-kind services for the required grant match.
Recreation board chairman Steven Cooper, who attended the meeting Friday, said the work that the field needs can’t be done over the winter and has to be done next summer, so it won’t be ready for baseball until 2013.
The field needs better drainage, special dirt for the infield, new fencing and a backstop have to be installed and the outfield needs new dirt and leveling, Cooper said after the meeting.
“We’ll do it over the course of the summer to make sure we do it right,” Cooper said.
The outfield needs aerated, seeded with grass and leveled with a roller, said John Oris, redevelopment authority chairman. In addition, a few low spots have to be filled with dirt, he said.
The infield needs to be cleaned up and a layer of special dirt and all the work can be done in time for next year’s baseball season, he said.
Redevelopment authority board member James Sileo said the outfield appeared to be in good condition and the infield only needs to be cleaned up so the field can be used next year.
“This is a beautiful field,” Sileo said.
“This field could be played on,” Fike said. “I’ve seen a whole lot worse.”
The city and authority directed about $100,000 in Community Development Block Grant money toward the field and the park this year.
The lights at both fields were refurbished and the light standards and bleachers around the larger field were relocated so the field could be enlarged to meet WPIAL standards.
A bid for the fencing and backstop was accepted, but that work was not done.
Those projects are part of a park renovation plan that calls for new restrooms, concession stand, press box and walking trail.