Connellsville redevelopment authority to seek bids for East Park project
?CONNELLSVILLE — The Connellsville Redevelopment Authority board signed off Thursday on a plan to restore the historic East Park castle lookout.
The work, said Glenn Wolfe, engineer for Widmer Engineering Inc, is necessary due to erosion causing the base of the stone structure to disintegrate.
“It is going to be a challenging project,” he said.
The park, constructed by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, includes a number of stone structures, such as its entrance pillars, a fountain and the lookout that resembles a castle overlooking the park.
“The stone masons that built the park did a tremendous job,” said Wolfe.
Due to the historic significance, the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DCED) is requiring the city to recreate the outlook if it plans to utilize state Community Development Block Grant money to fund the project.
The DCED requirements include that each stone is separately removed, photographed and numbered during the dismantling and then returned to its original location using similar mortar used in the original construction.
“It has to be done in a historically, sensitive way,” said Paula Grubach, authority executive assistant, who has been working with the DCED historic preservationist to comply with the guidelines.
The stone work must be removed, said Wolfe, in order to construct a new foundation and add a drainage system to preserve the stonework.
“The site has become a safety issue,” said Councilman Greg Ritch, who attended the meeting. “However, it is a part of our heritage and we want to keep it in place.”
Wolfe was directed to proceed with preparing bid documents for the project.
In a related issue, the board authorized a payment of $9,400 to the firm for the preparation of the bid documents, historic research, technical services and other related work.
Turning to other matters, the board also conducted the following business:
n Authorized a payment of $2,055 to the city for code enforcement costs.
n Approved a payment of $1,000 to Widmer Engineering Inc. for the preparation of bid documents for the Green and 12th streets storm sewer project.
n Learned that the Hometown Streets project is scheduled to soon start. The improvement project includes some sidewalk replacement along South Pittsburgh Street and the installation of new trees, benches, planters and trash receptacles along North Pittsburgh Street.
n Agreed to reimburse the city $4,331 for the purchase of a light pole and lamps for Woodruff Park.
n Discussed the purchase of playground equipment for Austin Park. Approximately $15,000 has been set aside by the city for park improvements along with about $9,000 through the Grace B. Turner Fund to defray costs for the upgrades.
n Authorized a payment of $4,000 to Staley Communications Inc. of Greensburg for the purchase of emergency communication equipment and $4,490 Witmer Public Safety Group of Maryland for breathing apparatus and other miscellaneous equipment.