Park advisory panel formed (11/10/04)

Portland Park Board members announced Tuesday evening that a citizens advisory committee had been formed for the Hudson Family Park project.

Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said the group will generate ideas for funding and other aspects of the project, then present them to the board. Hosier said the committee is made up of a diverse group of people interested in seeing the project move forward. The advisory group met for the first time about 10 days ago, Hosier said.

“(The park board) appreciates all the feedback it will get from the citizens,” said board president Neil Medler.

Hosier also said he is looking at alternative ways to fund the park project. But he added he did not want to discuss them in detail yet.

The park board has been turned down twice for a $1.2 million grant through the Indiana Department of Transportation for the project.

“All the funding options fell flat on their face,” said Medler.

Also Tuesday, the board voted to make the restrooms at Haynes Park handicapped accessible.

Street and park department assistant superintendent Randy Mann said the work on the estimated $5,500 to $6,000 project would be done by Aker-Taylor Plumbing and Heating of Portland.

The remodeling involves replacing the plumbing, building new walls and installing new stalls. The women’s restroom on the southwest end of the shelter building will stay in the same location, but the men’s restroom will be moved to the southeast end. A storage area is currently located where the new men’s room will be placed.

Also, plans call for the entrance to the women’s room to be widened, and the door to be replaced. The old door to the men’s room will be sealed shut.

Mann said he would like the work to start in January 2005. Money for the remodeling will come out of the department’s budget, street and park department superintendent Jeff Harker said this morning.

In other business, Harker said he and Hosier recently met with Butler, Fairman & Seufert Inc., an engineering company from Indianapolis, and Jay County engineer Dan Watson about the walking bridge which will connect Weiler-Wilson and Hudson Family parks.

The company made a preliminary drawing of where the bridge will be and what it might look like. Harker said plans call for an iron bridge currently located in Knox Township to be disassembled, repaired, then put back together. It will cross the Salamonie River and be located adjacent to Weiler-Wilson Park. Circular concrete blocks will be at each end of the bridge. Harker suggested putting benches and decorative lighting around the blocks.

Work on the bridge probably won’t begin for about a year, Harker added.

Board members learned last December that a $339,2000 Indiana Department of Transportation enhancement grant had been awarded for the bridge repairs and relocation.[[In-content Ad]]