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Council debates using DCED amphitheater grant for park walkways versus stage infrastructure
Summary
Engineer and staff reported DCED could reallocate amphitheater grant funds for trail, parking and seating but not the stage; council members expressed competing priorities, with several favoring urgent replacement of deteriorated park walkways for safety over immediate stage construction.
Council members and the borough engineer debated how to spend DCED amphitheater grant funds during the June 10 meeting, with safety-related walkway repairs emerging as a central concern.
Engineer Jeff Shue told Council that DCED indicated willingness to reallocate grant funds to build a trail through the park, parking and seating but would not include a stage structure in that allocation. Shue said if the stage were included in the bid, the project would approach the total available grant amount; a temporary stage could be added later. He and staff noted the park’s walkway system is in significant disrepair and has become a safety hazard for adults, children and pets.
Some council members argued the priority should be replacing the walkway and creating safe circulation throughout the park, while others favored bidding infrastructure now to preserve the option of a permanent stage later. Jeff recommended bidding the infrastructure work this year for a Spring 2025 project so grant funds would be spent within DCED timelines.
What happens next: Council did not adopt a final construction scope at the meeting but discussed options and timing. Staff and the engineer will prepare bid specifications and cost estimates for Council consideration at a future meeting. The conversation highlighted a trade-off between immediate safety repairs and long-term amenity development.
