Township applies for $382K grant to upgrade Sangree Park

Ross commissioners have decided to focus their attention this year on Sangree Park.

Commissioners voted 7-1 on Monday to apply for a $382,330 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to fund half of the first phase of the Sangree improvement project.

The first phase involves new playground equipment and rebuilding a land bridge. The grant, if received, would fundhalf of the cost.

Eloise Peet, parks and recreation director, said the playground equipment at the park had not been upgraded in at least 20 years.

Nearby residents continued to protest the park’s master plan, which moves the basketball courts from the back to the front, and the playground from the front to the back. A larger playground will not fit in the current location, which is too close to busy Sangree Road, Ms. Peet said.

Resident Joe Bartlett said the park is fine as is.

“You’ve heard the saying, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ “he said. “There is no justifiable reason to move the basketball court.”

“It doesn’t make any sense to put those kids back there,” said resident Jodie Feigel. “Keep them on the street and upgrade that.”

During one of the public meetings on the park plan, police Chief Joe Ley said the department always prefers to have smaller children away from the road and teenagers where they can be seen by patrol cars, Ms. Peet said.

“I would not support putting a playground on the road because it is not safe. It needs to be back away from theroad,” she said.

Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer voted against seeking the grant, saying he thinks the township should do the second phase of Denny Park instead.

“In good conscience, I think this is a terrible waste of taxpayer money, to spend $3 million in one park,” he said.

Other commissioners noted that other township parks have been upgraded in recent years, but Sangree has not been touched.

“I want the park to get improved,” said commission President Steve Korbel, whose ward includes Sangree. “There is overwhelming support to make improvements this park.”

The master plan also included a splash pad, but that was deleted because of the cost.

In other business, commissioners hired P.J. Murray as solicitor at a rate of $105 an hour.