At its May 8 meeting, Hawley Borough Council approved having the borough engineer, Riley Associates, design a preliminary plan for a pavilion meeting Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act standards, proposed for Bingham Park.
Councilor Michele Rojas said that the Wayne County commissioners need the application by May 31 to seek $160,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding for the project.
The concept, as Rojas explained, is to erect the pavilion near the swing set, alongside the earthen "hump" that is a rim portion of the old canal basin. The pavilion would be near third base of the Michael J. Grady ball field and offer a more secluded area, not interfering with the bandstand. The public could rent the pavilion for get-togethers, or anyone could go there to watch a ball game under shelter.
Previously:Grant sources sought to build handicap-accessible pavilion in Hawley's Bingham Park
This would be an alternative to an earlier proposal to install a wheelchair lift on the side of the bandstand, which the ARC of Wayne County had offered to fund. This would have allowed handicapped accessibility on the recently renovated and historic bandstand. Various misgivings were voiced about that plan, however, including cutting into the bandstand railing; the impact on the bandstand's historical integrity and appearance; misuse of the lift; securing a key; and the danger of having a wheelchair on the bandstand floor, with the steps on one side.
Rojas said that the Hawley Parks & Recreation Commission recommended the pavilion for the CDBG application. The scope of the project includes the pavilion and a path suitable for persons with disabilities, and if funds allow, designated handicapped parking.
Riley Associates advised having the path to the pavilion come in from the playground pathway, rather than from Park Place on the other side due to the slope.
Councilor Michael Dougherty, however, expressed misgiving about the potential for people with disabilities to have difficulty on the existing paver pathway stones. The pavers, many of which have been sponsored and engraved, can be hard for someone using a cane, he said.
Dougherty suggested putting the pavilion along the Route 6 sidewalk near the crosswalk instead.
Council President Ann Monaghan said she favors the area Rojas described, as it does not take away aesthetically from the bandstand. Rojas said that the site is near third base and offers more usability, as well as being quieter.
Rojas said that the surface of the pathway has not been decided yet. The engineer can look at the viability of the paver pathway as part of the preliminary design, she advised.
An option for the pavilion design, Rojas added, is to include smooth river stones for the foundation, in keeping with the bandstand and other historic structures in the park. If needed, this could be added as a second phase to the project.
As proposed, the path would connect with the path encircling the Caleb J. Regenski Memorial Playground. This facility, dedicated in November 2014, is mostly designed for handicapped accessibility.
A thought for future planning and another grant, Rojas offered, is to also install outdoor exercise equipment that is ADA compliant and suitable for youth as well as adults.
The motion passed to have Riley Associates design the basic plan and specifications, with Dougherty having the sole dissenting vote.
Police citations
Police Chief Daniel Drake said they are seriously looking at switching to computer-generated citations, currently a costly option for the borough that could become mandatory.
Councilor Joseph Faubel, who chairs the Finance Committee, said the cost would be about $7,000 for each police car; they have a proposal for $25,000.
Other municipal police departments are making the switch now, Drake said. "We already had to switch citations because the old citations are no longer any good," he said. "The company we used to get them from no longer does it. So, all the municipalities around had to scramble to find a new citation company. We did find one and we did get some."
Rojas said she would research grant sources.
In the first four months of 2024, Hawley Borough Police issued 20 traffic citations, two non-traffic citations and eight traffic warnings. Thirteen of the traffic citations were issued in April alone. In 2023, police issued 52 traffic citations, 12 non-traffic citations and 43 traffic warnings.
A donation of $2,500 towards police vests was presented by Commander Joseph Majesky, American Legion Wilson-Kelch Post 311, to Drake.
Hawley council meets on the second Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall, 94 Main Ave.
Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.
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