Ferguson Township Seeks State Grant for Next Phase of Cecil Irvin Park

Ferguson Township’s Board of Supervisors on Monday gave the go-ahead on a state grant application that could help fund the next phase of Cecil Irvin Park.

Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize submitting a grant proposal for phase 2 of the park near Pine Grove Mills to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program fall funding round. Eligible projects include those that expand and rehabilitate parks to improve access to recreation, among other initiatives.

Township officials are in the process of preparing a budget for the grant submission, Township Manager Centrice Martin wrote in an email. Initial cost estimates were prepared pre-pandemic and need to be updated to account for the rise in material costs resulting from inflation and supply chain issues. If approved, the grant would require matching funds from the township.

Proposed improvements are consistent with the master plan originally approved in 2011 for the 16-acre park at 126 Cinda Drive, Assistant Township Manager Jaymes Progar said. The plan includes a driveway and parking, ADA-accessible pathways, the buildout of a walking loop trail connecting with the first phase of the park and overlooking a grass and wildflower field, new benches, bike racks, a new pavilion and a shared-use path that connects the park to Pine Grove Mills.

“The construction of this phase represents a critical step in the completion of Cecil Irvin Park, a focal point of open space for a growing community,” Progar said.

No public parks are currently located within walking distance of Pine Grove Mills, but phase 2 “will increase walkable recreational opportunities for all nearby residents of varying age groups,” Martin wrote.

Cecil Irvin Park phase 2, which would be located near Nixon Road, is “a vital, urgent need providing connectivity throughout the Pine Grove Mills village area,” Progar said, adding that the park features green infrastructure with native seed mixes and pervious paving and supports the township’s stormwater infrastructure.

“Many thanks to staff for getting this together,” Board of Supervisors Chair Laura Dininni said. “The board is very thankful, and so are the residents, I’m sure, if they knew how you really hustled and got this together to apply for that funding when we learned about it just very, very recently.”

Phase 1 of Cecil Irvin Park included playground equipment, a pergola, a half-mile walking trail, a multi-use field and a sledding hill on the former farmland north of the Westfield and Hillside Farm Estates neighborhoods. Future phases are expected to include tennis and basketball courts, sand volleyball and an additional multi-use field.

DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) last month awarded $90 million in grants to proposals submitted earlier this year for the first round of the program’s 2022 funding to create new recreational opportunities while conserving natural resources and invigorating local communities. It was the largest single investment in Pennsylvania recreation and conservation in the agency’s history. Grant funding is supported by realty transfer taxes, stewardship funds and licensing fees, among other sources.

“Pennsylvania encompasses some of the most beautiful natural areas in the nation,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a statement. “By investing in the upkeep and expansion of our recreational areas, we are not only improving the quality of life for citizens. We are making Pennsylvania an even better destination for visitors who will contribute to the economic health of communities all across the commonwealth.”

Seven Centre County initiatives received more than $2 million C2P2 funding in September, including $250,000 for the planned action sports park in State College, $75,000 for the continued development of Centre Region Parks and Recreation’s Whitehall Road Regional Park and $1.3 million for rehabilitation of Kepler Community Pool in Bellefonte.

For the first time, a fall grant application period made possible by appropriations in the 2022-23 state budget opened in September.

Applications for the fall funding round are due by Oct. 27.

StateCollege.com editor Geoff Rushton contributed to this report.