Park planning continues

The namesake for Hudson Family Park wants the city to find a way to fund both the remaining park work and a new pool.

Barry Hudson, who donated the land to the city for the park, asked Tuesday if some aspects of the park could be cut to save money for the pool.

Earlier during the Portland Park Board meeting, engineers revealed plans for the amphitheater, which is one of the features Hudson required. The amphitheater will have sandstone walls and steps, which will cost about $200,000.

"Would you want a pool or stones at the amphitheater?" Hudson asked the park board. "I want a pool."

"But (cutting) the stone (is) not going to pay for the pool," said park board president Neil Medler.

"But you're going to get some landscaping and stones, but maybe no pool," Hudson said, getting upset. "So I ask you to do it all in one phase. You need to know how much everything costs. You can't do this and not have a pool. We've gotta do some long-range thinking."

"You've got to realize, that the last meeting was the first time we'd heard of the pool," said board member Sharon Bubp. A new pool was included in the drawings of Hudson Family Park presented to board members Tuesday night.

A new pool is expected to cost about $1.7 million, while this phase of the park project is expected to cost $1.5 million.

City officials are considering bonding for both phase IV of the park project and a new pool. Hudson presented the pool idea at the Feb. 2 park board meeting.

He would like community members to raise $1 million for the pool.

Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, said bonding for the pool and park will be discussed at the April 19 meeting of the Portland City Council.

In a related matter, board members agreed that they would like to move the new pool to the northwest corner of the park, so it wouldn't be so close to the sledding hill. Current plans call for the pool and bathhouse to be located near the bottom of the sledding hill, on the southwest side of a parking lot.

Nola Albrecht, landscape architect for The Schneider Corporation, said that if the pool is moved, more engineering work would have to be done to configure the addition of parking and running electricity to the area. Also, part of that area is in a floodplain, and there is a wetlands area.

Hudson said he didn't understand why so much engineering has been needed for the park project.

Hosier said he feels Schneider's fees have been reasonable, and that the engineering work was necessary to complete the park project.

Albrecht was clearly upset about Hudson's comments. "We don't base our fees on the (size of) the design of the project."

Hudson also questioned whose responsibility it is to make decisions about the park project.

Members of the Portland Board of Works met on March 4. During that meeting, board members voted to pay Schneider $85,500 to design phase IV. It was announced at the board of works meeting that the park would include Quadrozzi Memorial Plaza - a tribute to the late Bob Quadrozzi, who had served as director of Jay County Development Corporation.

Hosier said the park board makes the final decision about what is included in the park project. "It's clearly stated in your packet that the Quadrozzi Memorial Plaza has been changed" to just a memorial plaza, Hosier said to the park board members. "If you want to blame someone for the Bob Quadrozzi thing, blame me. It's been altered."

After the meeting, Medler said he contacted Hosier after the March 4 board of works meeting and told him that the board did not want the plaza. The board members learned of the proposed plaza through reading about it in The Commercial Review.

In a related matter, park board members reviewed more detailed plans for phase IV.

Michael Krosschell, landscape architect for Schneider, said that if the park board members want to make any changes to the plans, they should let him know as soon as possible. Other than moving the pool, no other changes were suggested by the board. Schneider officials expect bid letting to be held this summer.

This phase will include extensive work to the amphitheater - including adding a wooden pergola at the entrance, trees to outline the edges of the amphitheater, stone walls and steps, a restroom building and a small, shaded area.

Near the center of the park will be a playground area, a shelter and a gazebo. There will be another gazebo or picnic area near the southeast portion of the park.

There also will be additional trails and signs added to the park, and a small memorial plaza and a Frisbee golf course at the west end of the park. Trees, shrubs and perennials will be added to the park.

Also Tuesday, park board members:

•Gave Rachel McKee permission to have the Portland Pool open three evenings a week while school is still in session.

Normally the pool opens on Memorial Day weekend, and is then only open on weekends until school is out. However, the last day of school this year is much later than normal - June 15. She said having the pool open three nights a week will give students more time to enjoy it.

The pool will be open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 5 to 8 p.m., until school is out. It also will be open May 30 and 31, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Board members also approved admission prices and regular hours for the pool, which will remain the same as last summer.

Day passes are $3, and evening passes are $2. Family passes for four or more will be $100. The pool will be open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Monday and Wednesday from 7 to 9 p.m. It will be open Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m., and 7 to 9 p.m.

•Voted to allow Portland Street and Park Superintendent Jeff Harker to replace two signs at Portland Memorial Park, and to add a sign to the nature trail at Hudson Family Park. The sign at the nature trail will recognize local volunteer Kelly Baggs and all of the work he did on the trail.

•Gave Harker permission to get quotes for a new tractor for the park department. Harker said he wants one with 90 horsepower so it can pull a pull behind mower.

•Voted to have Cook's Nursery and Trim, Portland, apply fertilizer and weed killer near the river path and at Hudson Family Park at a cost of $596.[[In-content Ad]]