Some community conservation grant money is coming to Centre County.
State Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, recently announced Bellefonte Borough and Ferguson Township were recipients of the grants. Bellefonte was awarded $55,000 and Ferguson Township will receive $52,200. Both municipalities will use the funding to construct and improve accessibility in public areas for people with disabilities, as well as other update projects.
Brown Township in Mifflin County also was awarded grant money for improvements related to the Americans with Disabilities Act.
‘I am always pleased to bring tax dollars back to Centre and Mifflin counties,’ said Benninghoff. ‘These projects will benefit all residents of the district by encouraging tourism and continuing to improve the quality of life in our communities.’
The grants came through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program and are administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
According to Ferguson Township manager Mark Kunkle, the $55,000 awarded to the community will be used for rehabilitation of the Louis E. Silvi Baseball Complex off Airport Road.
‘This money is, for the most part, going to be used for ADA improvement at the fields,’ said Kunkle. ‘Right now there is marginal ADA accessibility and this money will be used for improved access for disabled people, and there will be changes made to the concession area and the picnic area.’
In addition, grant money will be used for the construction of an access drive, construction of sidewalks, landscaping, project signage and other related site improvements.
‘We’re happy we received this grant and it will definitely be put to good use,’ Kunkle said. ‘The township has been pretty successful getting these kinds of grants and we’re fortunate to get this one.’
Kunkle said visitors to the park should not expect to see the improvements in place for the start of the diamond sport season.
‘We probably won’t get going on this until the fall,’ he said. ‘The area has to be studied then the projects need to be designed to certain specifications. And, we’ll need to get all the approvals and permits necessary for the work. It will take some time to get through all that.’
The upgrades will piggyback upgrades made at the park earlier this year. These improvements included new field lighting, expanded fencing to meet league baseball standards and the construction of a new warning track.
Bellefonte Borough will receive $55,000 for the rehabilitation and further development of Talleyrand Park, said borough assistant manager Don Holderman.
‘I’m extremely excited we received this grant,’ said Holderman. ‘With the pledges from the Talleyrand Park Committee, our borough and about $7,000 of in-kind money, as well as this grant money, we’re going to be able to tackle three very important projects in the park. It’s one of the most utilized parks in the area, and we want to preserve it the best we can. This is going to be a great help.’
Holderman said a large portion of the funding will be used for erosion control and bank stabilization along Spring Creek.
‘Erosion is already affecting the stream’s banks and we want to get it under control,’ Holderman said. ‘The timing of this couldn’t be better. By the time we get through all the paperwork and those kinds of things, the weather will be nice enough to do the work.’
The grant will also cover the costs of dismantling the current pergola and the construction of a new one.
‘The pergola is a very important part of Talleyrand Park,’ he said. ‘The current one is made of wood and deteriorating and we need to get rid of it. We’re looking to replace it with a wrought iron structure … something that will have more longevity.’
Other money will be directed to an ADA-compliant entrance walkway and ramp to gain entry to the park, landscaping, project signage and other related site improvements.
The CCPP program provides financial and technical assistance to local governments, river and trail organizations, land trusts and other nonprofits for planning, acquisition and development of park, recreation conservation and greenway projects. The program is funded with state and federal dollars.
