PERRYVILLE — The Town of Perryville’s mayor and commissioners agreed Tuesday night to move forward with the concept plan to re-imagine and revitalize Ice House Park into a recreational destination along the Susquehanna River.
Representatives from Underwood & Associates and SCAPE gave the elected body a presentation showing where changes had been made to the previous design to reflect comments and suggestions made at a July public meeting.
“We kept the project goals in mind but it’s more intimate, more interactive with an interactive cove and more fishing access,” Ellie Chetelat, an Ecological landscape Designer with Underwood & Associates, said of the final concept plan. “It’s a more interactive and accessible shoreline.”
Perryville purchased the property from the Meck family in 2008 using Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space money. Several years ago the town decided to use the living shoreline concept and make Ice House Park a place where people can hike, wade into shallow waters, launch a kayak, explore nature, picnic, fish and more. Chetelet said this is the perfect location.
“The cover is kind of a unique feature we offer here ... so you can access this beautiful riverfront you have here,” she said.
Stretching along the shoreline from the existing boat launch off of Roundhouse Drive, under the Hatem Bridge and to the Owens Landing Condominiums, Ice House Park will have trails matching the existing Greenways and will offer several fishing piers and vegetative headlands.
“You can also fish off the headlands but we’re proposing two fishing pier structures,” she said, adding one of those will have a fish cleaning station.
George Patchell, Perryville Town Administrator, reminded the board that the clock is ticking on a $75,000 grant the town received for engineering and design.
“Then we’ll need grant money for piers, a kayak launch and other facilities,” Patchell said. “This project will be done in stages ... as amenities are added.
Chris Becraft, a partner with Underwood & Associates, once this concept plan is adopted then the conversation will turn to what materials to use, which brings up a new funding issue.
“I think the current proposal we have is not ADA compliant,” Becraft said. “As we move toward the permitting process we can make certain levels more ADA compliant.”
Current construction and design funding did not factor into the Americans with Disabilities Act, Becraft noted, suggesting that there is grant funding for that available.
“I would like to see people be able to get on the fishing pier,” said Mayor Michelle Linkey. “That would be a priority.”
Patchell suggested that the trails and the piers be ADA compliant. Becraft said a lot of that depends on the grade and the materials used. With the board’s approval, Becraft said work can begin on the construction level and digital drawings.
There was also a discussion on parking, which Patchell noted that Roundhouse Drive could handle parallel parking for those coming to Ice House Park.
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