Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Townships get money for park upgrades, infrastructure
State lawmakers have announced a series of grant awards this week, meant to fund infrastructure projects across Montgomery County.
Kohler Park, Horsham
State Rep. Todd Stephens, R151st, has announced two grants totaling $750,000 for upgrades to improve the turf surface at Kohler Park in Horsham Township and for flood mitigation in Upper Dublin, both from the state’s Commonwealth Financing Authority.
“Kohler Park is located in a flood plain rendering the soccer fields unusable for days following rain events due to safety concerns. Adding turf soccer fields will allow young athletes to safely participate in soccer and other activities,” Stephens said in a statement.
“I’m proud to have helped secure these funds so our young athletes can pursue their love of soccer,” he said.
The improvements will be made to the existing field by installing a new synthetic turf surface, according to Stephens’s office, and the project will include installing two new turf fields for soccer games and small side games. There will also be installation of yard drains and pipes installed to improve drainage. These funds will supplement the $700,000 Horsham Soccer has raised for the project and allow them to move forward.
Upper Dublin
In a separate grant award, Upper Dublin Township received $500,000 to upgrade the existing Bodenstein Channel culvert below Commerce Drive.
“Addressing flooding in the
office park has been a top priority over the years. This grant will reduce pressure on local taxpayers who would otherwise be forced to carry the burden of upgrading pipes needed to reduce flood risk,” Stephens said.
The project will replace two metal pipes with a concrete box culvert to match the capacity of the downstream box culvert that sends water out to Sandy Run. This will reduce flooding and a deteriorated corrugated metal pipe culvert will be replaced with a prefabricated concrete culvert. The culvert will also be realigned to reduce the sharp turn the channel water follows to enter the culvert.
Wentz Run Park, Whitpain
State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-148th, similarly announced that she secured $131,669 in state grants to install parking lot solar lights in Wentz Run Park in Whitpain Township.
The grants were awarded by the Commonwealth Financing Authority’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation Program.
“This funding will help improve safety and reduce energy costs in Whitpain’s Wentz Run Park by installing parking lot solar lights,” Daley said in a statement. “By increasing safety, more people will take advantage of this wonderful community resource.”
The funds will be used to replace the existing wooden light poles and lights at the Wentz Run Park parking lot with 18 new aluminum poles and solar LED lights. The new solar lights will reduce energy costs and improve safety at the park through adequate and reliable lighting.
The Horsham, Upper Dublin and Whitpain projects were among a list of awards also announced by state Sen. Maria Collett, D12th, along with three others in her district:
Upper Moreland, Lower Gwynedd
Upper Moreland Hatboro Joint Sewer Authority was awarded $116,360 for its Wastewater Treatment Plant Flood Protection; Lower Gwynedd Township received $75,000 for the Oxford and Pen-Ambler Parks Master Plan; and Montgomery Township secured $125,000 for Whistlestop Park
“With the proliferation of extreme weather events in our district and beyond, Act 13 and the projects it supports are more important than ever,” said Collett in a statement. “The grants announced today will create new recreation opportunities, support our water infrastructure, and remediate and prevent flood damage and erosion, all while bringing new jobs to our region. I’m excited to see how these projects make our district an even more attractive place to live, work, shop and play.”
Whistlestop Park
State Rep. Steve Malagari, D-53rd, also noted the funding for Whistlestop Park, which is located in Hatfield but operated by Montgomery Township, and said the funds will go toward rehabilitation and re-use of an old playground area as a picnic grove, in addition to improvements to trails, pedestrian walkways, parking areas, stormwater management measures, and playground equipment with required safety surfacing.
“Public spaces are the heart of community. The renovations made to this park will make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to gather together,” Malagari said.