Salisbury to accept $500,000 DNR grant to remediate Lake Street brownfield for North Prong Park

Travis Huff, project engineer, told the City Council the Department of Natural Resources awarded a $500,000 parks and playground infrastructure grant earmarked for remediation work on Lake Street as part of the North Prong Park project. Huff said the site had contamination from an oil spill and that remediation work would remove about two feet of soil, replace it with clean soil and install a soil cap to prevent migration and make the site safe for recreation and a playground.

Huff said project materials (narrative, boundary survey, annexation plat and aerial images) are available on the city website under the Department of Infrastructure and Development, "Brownfields." He also said the Army Corps of Engineers installed monitoring wells and a bulkhead and has deemed the site safe at present.

Residents raised health concerns about historical contamination in the neighborhood, citing cancer clusters and long-standing exposure. A councilmember urged the project team to publish budget details and a design timeline; a resident and a parks advocate asked that the Lake Street community be central to the design process. Project proponents noted a larger brownfield remediation figure was included in the DNR grant application and requested further clarity on total project budgeting.

Why it matters: The grant addresses environmental contamination and creates new park and playground space in a historically industrial neighborhood. Councilmembers asked for a fuller budget and design schedule so residents can evaluate scope and restoration goals.

Next steps: Staff said information is posted on the city website and agreed to provide additional budget detail to the parks committee and neighborhood stakeholders.