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West Chester seeks state and county grants for John O'Green Park work as chair outlines contamination history
Summary
Parks director said the borough will pursue DCNR and county grants that could combine to about $350,000 toward John O'Green Phase 2 (estimated $450'$500k), while the committee chair described historic contamination at the John O'Green site (arsenic and PCBs) under an EPA covenant.
West Chester's parks director, Keith Krauski, told the Public Works Committee the borough will apply for multiple grants, including a DCNR application and a county grant, to fund rehabilitation of John O'Green Park and other park projects. "We're gonna be applying for 2 state grants," Krauski said, and combining state and county grants could yield up to $350,000 in grant funding for the John O'Green Phase 2 scope.
Krauski estimated Phase 2 (not including a splash pad) at roughly $450 to $500 thousand, with the borough's share around $150,000. He also discussed a separate, larger Hoops Park project he estimated at $750,000 to $800,000, with roughly $350,000 in grant funding covering about 44% and the borough covering the remainder. Krauski said grants can be awarded and spent over multiple years and that he is working with consultants and a grant specialist (Megan Todaro) to prepare applications.
Chair Bernie Flynn provided historical context for John O'Green Park, explaining the parcel was formerly used for gas and electric utilities from the mid-1800s until 1929 and that industrial byproducts (noted in the meeting as arsenic and PCBs) contaminated soils. "The biggest contaminant that we can come up with right now... is arsenic," Flynn said, and he described the site's history of coal tar and other byproducts leaching into the ground.
Krauski and staff said they are coordinating required environmental and covenant obligations before construction. Committee members asked about required monitoring and annual reports to DEP; Krauski and engineering consultants said those obligations have been or will be addressed in plans before ground disturbance.
What remains unresolved: the transcript documents the motion to adopt a resolution to apply for the DCNR grant (up to $250,000) and related county grant coordination, but the meeting transcript does not include a formal roll-call vote on the resolution in the recorded excerpts. Staff said grant awards and timing will determine final scope and funding needs.
