City Planner Lee Pouliot (right) and Parks and Recreation Superintendent Ben Strepka (left) meet with the City Council at its Oct. 20 meeting to discuss a $1 million grant for Szot Park improvements.
Photo credit: ChicopeeTV
CHICOPEE — Improvements to Szot Park will begin soon after the City Council approved a $1 million grant and bond authorization at its Oct. 20 meeting.
The awarded grant, from the Executive Officer of Energy and Environmental Affairs, will support the Szot Park Master Plan Implementation Project by funding a new splash pad, new accessible restrooms, reconstruction of the park entrance (including the parking facility) and improvements to the picnic grove.
The order also highlights other proposed work including formalization and reconstruction of paths, green infrastructure for stormwater management, installation of park amenities and enhancement of the park’s natural areas through new plantings.
“We’re really excited to receive this grant as we continue to implement the plan to holistically renovate and upgrade our crown jewel park, Szot,” Vieau stated.
Pouliot explained that the grant is part of a federal program known as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which the city has received before for the Post 9/11 and Service Dog Memorial Park.
Pouliot said this grant will help support phase one of the project, and he and the city will look back to the program in the future to help with the next phases. Not only did Pouliot say that this is a competitive program, but $1 million is the maximum award that the LWCF will make for any project
“This is an extremely competitive program,” Pouliot stated. “We’re not only competing against other programs in Massachusetts but then at the federal level we are competing against every project that every state submitted.”
Pouliot said the Szot Park Master Plan is viewed as a priority in the city’s Open Space and Recreation Plan, which was adopted a couple of years ago. The Szot Park master plan advanced with the help of an outside developer, Ray Dunetz Landscape Architecture, and an appropriation of American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The proposed initial work for phase one will start on the Abbey Memorial Drive side of the park and work its way towards Front Street. Future phases of the master plan will address other areas of the park.
Vieau also presented another order to the City Council that looked to authorize a $5.86 million bond and appropriate $149,500 in local government funds to advance the construction of Szot Park Master Plan Phase I Improvements Project.
He said that to accept the grant, the city has to bond for the entire amount for this phase of the project.
The $149,500 will be transferred from the stabliziation fund to Planning Special account for Szot Park Phase Implementation Project.
Pouliot said the LCWF program is like many other grant programs in that it offers a reimbursement structure, so Chicopee must prefund and expend funds before it can ask for reimbursement.
In addition, Pouliot said his team and the city will look for any other funding resources that may support this phase of the work. Chicopee’s Office of Community Development will supply $250,000 to support some of the accessibility related improvements.
“That is not reflected in the overall bond authorization. That will be an interdepartmental agreement that will reduce what we actually have to borrow when we get there,” Pouliot stated.
Pouliot said the design will be completed through the winter months before going out for bid in spring. He added that the city will not have to borrow for the construction until April/May when construction may begin.
The City Council unanimously approved the mayor’s orders, which now allow Chicopee to execute the federal grant contract.
