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American Legion and staff press forward on WCP veterans garden; grant and donation campaign underway
Summary
Town staff and trustees discussed site design, an upcoming grant application and donor levels for a veterans memorial at WCP; the American Legion offered to create and donate a memorial element and volunteered historical support.
Town staff updated the PROS advisory board on June 11 about plans for a veterans garden at Wellington Community Park (referred to in materials as the WCP memorial project), reporting recent outreach to the American Legion and a pending grant application intended to fund construction and site improvements.
The update is significant because the memorial project includes public fundraising, volunteer contributions and a grant application that could determine whether construction occurs this fiscal cycle. Staff said the current project estimate sits “around 96” (in the packet) with approximately $38,000 shown as in-kind or town-donated work; staff said additional funding sources will be needed if the grant does not fully cover the budget gap.
Staff said Daryl, the American Legion commander, visited the town to review plans and volunteered an in-kind contribution: a member will design and donate a memorial element, and the post can provide a war historian to draft explanatory text and commemorative plaques. Staff described several possible memorial components discussed with the Legion, including placement of plaques under flags, branch-specific recognition, space for the traveling "moving wall," and a prospective Eagle Scout-built flag retirement pit.
On funding, staff said Town staffer Kelly had worked to assemble a grant packet that the town planned to submit that week; staff said the grant application closed June 30 and that award decisions are expected in roughly 30–60 days after submission. Staff also presented donation “levels” (bronze/silver/gold) to allow community fundraising and asked the PROS advisory board to help vet outreach language and donor materials. Donations would be recorded as town project revenue and applied to the memorial construction budget.
Board members emphasized careful naming and messaging: one trustee cautioned against using the word “memorial” in all public materials because the town previously opted not to name the site that way in formal documents; staff agreed to coordinate messaging with the Legion and the PROS advisory board. Staff also said they would identify a suitable boulder and coordinate location and landscape details with the Legion before finalizing site plans.
Staff outlined implementation caveats: some landscape and hardscape work may be done in subsequent phases depending on funding and contractor availability, and in-kind contributions from Public Works were included in the project cost estimate. Staff said construction could be timed to align with next year’s Memorial Day if funding and scheduling permit. No formal vote was taken; staff said the grant would be submitted and the board would receive grant materials and a project expense list for review after submission.
Short-term next steps described by staff: submit the grant by June 30, circulate the grant packet and project expense list to the board, coordinate with the American Legion on design and a donated memorial element, and establish donation materials and a site sign with QR code for online contributions.
