Hamiltonban Township receives DCNR grant

(4/19) The Hamiltonban Township and Fairfield Borough Joint Parks and Recreation Commission received a Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2) grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in the amount of $53,000 for a Community Park. This grant was submitted in 2015, and has now been awarded to the Commission. The approval of this grant will allow the Parks and Recreation Committee to move forward with phase one of the Community Park project.

The $53,000 DCNR grant will be matched by the township, totaling a monetary value of $106,000 for phase one of the project. Funding for the grant comes from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund (Key 93), the Environmental Stewardship Fund (Growing Greener 1), and federal funding sources.The Commission submitted an additional DCNR grant application on April 13th for phase two. This cost estimation for this phase is roughly $86,000, split between the township and the grant, if received.

The C2P2 grant will be used for the first phase of a three acre handicap accessible/multigenerational neighborhood park located at 4020 Bullfrog Road in Hamiltonban Township. The projected outcome of the park includes a walking path, a play area, a pavilion and all-purpose playing field. Some special features being included within the park are senior exercise stations, play stations for physically challenged children and cultural and heritage interpretative panels. The design of the park is geared toward meeting wellness goals for the entire community and community members of all ages.

DCNR is the primary source of state support for Pennsylvania recreation, parks, and conservation initiatives. Grant funding from DCNR assists hundreds of communities and organizations across Pennsylvania to plan, acquire, and develop recreation and park facilities as well as create trails and conserve open space.

"Pennsylvania's local parks, trails, and natural areas create many opportunities to be active outdoors. They define our communities and make them places where people want to live, work and play," said Lauren Imgrund, director of DCNR's Bureau of Recreation and Conservation. "Our grants help our local partners meet the vision they have for their communities and regions."

The community park was originally introduced in 2007 and phase one of the three phase project may finally begin now that funding has been received. Parks and Recreation Commission members are extremely excited to receive the grant and move forward with the park as planning for this project has involved years of work from dedicated volunteers in the community. Commission members are pleased to bring grant/tax money back to the citizens of Hamiltonban Township and Fairfield Borough to promote healthy exercise and recreation.