Parks committee recommends borrowing $2 million to finish JR Smith Park

Sunbury's parks and recreation committee recommended Jan. 8 that the city borrow $2 million to complete the JR Smith Park renovation, closing a stated $2 million funding gap on a project estimated at about $3 million.

At a committee meeting before the council session, staff presented project scope and cost estimates and said $1 million is already budgeted. The committee recommended moving forward with engineering work by CT Consultants to produce firm cost estimates and bid-ready documents, then borrowing to fund the remainder of construction.

Council members said timing is favorable because the Safe Streets for All program work and Route 36/37 improvements will coincide with park improvements. Committee members and staff said impact fees will be applied to debt service and that staff will return with bid documents and a formal borrowing plan once engineering yields a final cost estimate.

Parks staff also described smaller ongoing initiatives, including a proposed ‘‘math walk’’ developed with a middle-school teacher and student volunteers to place math‑themed markers on park paths for a May service day, and upcoming community events such as a regional disc‑golf fundraiser. The parks committee emphasized that the project has been discussed for several years and that public outreach and prior open houses informed the current design.

Next steps: CT Consultants will be asked to prepare engineering plans and a final cost estimate; staff will then proceed to competitive bidding and bring a borrowing plan back to council for approval.