Phase three of construction is underway at Patty Bowker Park and rapidly approaching the finishing line.
A $65,000 Community Development Block Grant is being used to improve Patty Bowker Park for residents with special needs or physical challenges, and $4,000 is being paid from the current municipal budget that is not covered by the grant.
To apply for the Community Development Block Grant program, the township had to meet a qualifying requirement with the Americans with Disabilities Act for improvement of special needs and physical handicap accessibility to the Patty Bowker Park. Douglas A. Cramer, the township administrator, is pleased that the majority of both parks in Tabernacle have met the ADA standards.
Looking ahead for the township, “I would like to get covered areas over the dugouts and picnic areas at both parks,” he said.
Karen Trommelen, the county’s division head of Community Development and Housing, commented on the application process Tabernacle Township needed to complete to apply for the Community Development Block Grant.
“They had to remove barriers for residents with special needs or physical handicaps,” she said.
To achieve the grant, the township needed to upgrade the park with accessible seating by the bleachers and trails for residents with special needs or physical challenges.
The project is wrapping up phase three of construction and is ahead of schedule.
There are four concrete pads for bleachers that will now improve the access to seating. Asphalt trails are being added to connect to the existing trails at fields one and two to improve access.
Frank S. Morris, the township engineer, seems very confident the contractors are well ahead of schedule and should be wrapping up construction before the end of August, if not sooner, he said.
“Construction is going good right now, and we are really hoping it will be done well before the end of the month,” said Stanley Morrison, president of Morrison Excavation LLC.
Jim Pronchick and his son, Joe, 10, practiced baseball at Patty Bowker Park, as phase three of construction is under way.
“I think what they are doing is wonderful. A lot of people come to see games from all over when all the fields are being used. The access is good for everyone,” Joe said.
Cramer is currently working on funding for upgrading new bleachers and hopes to have them for the start of next season.
The concession stand is also going to be wrapping up construction by late fall, with improvements that include bathroom facilities, upstairs storage for the athletic association, storage for the grounds and maintenance for the athletic association in the back. Cramer is hopeful to see the concession stand open next spring. Patty Bowker Park is located at 112 Patty Bowker Road in Tabernacle.
