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Residents press for more public input as Somerville Park design awaits environmental clearance
Summary
Residents raised concerns that they had not been included in a promised Somerville Park committee and asked whether grant funds were reallocated. Borough staff said design is still in progress, environmental clearance is pending, and public input will be invited through the rec board and future meetings.
Brookhaven residents told council on March 2 they remain uncertain about Somerville Park’s renovation plans and said they have not been included in any promised neighborhood committee. The borough’s engineer and staff told council the project has advanced far enough to show preliminary designs but remains dependent on environmental clearance before final design and construction proceeds.
Dawn Foss, a nearby resident, said neighbors have not been informed about what will be installed in the park, how old mulch and washed-away materials will be removed, or whether the borough had shifted Somerville money to Garcia Park. "We have no committee yet," Foss said. She noted seeing a social-media post about a $159,000 grant for Garcia Park and asked whether Somerville’s funding was being reallocated.
An engineer and council members said Somerville Park was the chosen project for a county community-development grant, that the borough had received related grant approvals, and that they were waiting for environmental clearance before finalizing the design. "The design’s not far enough along where if someone wants to get changed, we can make some changes here and there," a borough engineer said, adding the rec board and the public would be able to provide input as design details are finalized.
Council acknowledged the need for clearer communications and prioritized removing old mulch and addressing resident safety concerns. Staff said they will notify the rec board and schedule future public input opportunities once environmental and design questions are resolved.
What happens next: borough staff will continue design work, await environmental clearance, and coordinate public input via the rec board and council meetings before final decisions on project elements and materials are made.
