Clearfield Borough Parks and Riverwalk Master Site Plan Approved, Concerns Raised

CLEARFIELD – A public hearing was held unveiling the borough parks and riverwalk master site plan at a special public hearing Thursday night at the Clearfield Borough building.

Dave McConnell of Hughes Engineering presented the wish lists for Upper and Lower Witmer Parks, Rebecca Park and Kurtz Park as well as the proposed riverwalk.

“We did incorporate historical elements in the final designs,” said McConnell.

He added that the parks were inventoried and safety inspections were done on all of the equipment.

The plan for Upper Witmer Park is to make it more an activity-oriented park. All of the playground equipment would be removed and replaced with safer equipment. The playground equipment would be grouped according to age-appropriateness. A rock or “pebble” beach would line the river bank. The volleyball court would be updated. A handicap accessible path as well as parking would be added. The two picnic areas would be replaced with a larger one. A reading area and gazebo would be added. The chain link fence would be removed and replaced with wrought iron fencing and gates and a 1:3 scale replica of the anniversary river raft would put in the park for children to play on.

In Lower Witmer Park, the boat launch would get an upgrade, the old skating ring would be covered, parking would be off of Locust Street and possibly Water Street, the gazebo may be retrofitted or rebuilt, and public restroom is also on the list.

“I have a problem with that,” said Jim Leitzinger, borough council president.

Leitzinger said that in the past when the borough had public restrooms, they were vandalized.

McConnell said that if the borough went through with the restroom it would cost around $50,000 and would be very maintenance intensive, with the borough having to commit to it.

Other topics included in the Lower Witmer Park wish list included replacing the gazebo near the river and an area that connected more people to the river, among others.

The parking issue was discussed by Steve Biancuzzo of the streets department and council member Fred Wisor. According to the plan as presented, people could park perpendicular along Locust Street.

That would allow three vehicles with boat trailers to park there, according to McConnell. Wisor questioned upgrading the boat launch when only three vehicles could be parked after launching.

Biancuzzo suggested turning Water Street and Locust Street into one-way streets. He added that more parking would be available through that route.

The consensus for Rebecca Park is to keep a neighborhood park. The existing pavilion would be replaced, two play structures, grouped age-appropriately, would be installed. A swing set and a reading area that would double as a human sundial would also be placed within the park. The sundial would create an educational aspect to the park, according to one engineer.

At Kurtz Park the basketball would be updated and new playground equipment would be installed.

“The play equipment at Kurtz Park is the worst,” said McConnell.

Parking would be added, as would a fitness trail up the hillside, along with hiking trails and sled riding path.

For the riverwalk, McConnell discussed two options the borough could take; a pathway along the riverside or above the bank.

McConnell noted that the committee recommended a combination of boardwalk and concrete. The boardwalk, he stated would require more maintenance.

The path would run from west side Market Street Bridge to Nichols Street Bridge then loop around to the east side and back to Market Street Bridge.

McConnell stated that with the potential fish ladder that’s in the works the riverwalk would extend below the Nichols Street Bridge.

“The fish ladder would be an attraction,” said McConnell. “Attaching the riverwalk to it would be logical.”

Biancuzzo questioned who would maintain not only the walk, but the bushes around if it were built along the riverbank.

He stated that he did not have the manpower to commit to maintaining the walk.

Clearfield Borough Mayor Patty Gilliland indicated that she hoped to see volunteers step up to help with the maintenance of the walk.

Wisor questioned placing a boardwalk along a flood zone. He noted that after the spring thaw ice also travels down the river and would damage the riverwalk.

“It seems like it will be a great expense to the borough,” said Wisor, who also indicated that he liked the idea of a riverwalk, but that he saw a lot of problems.

“This is just a master plan,” Gilliland said earlier in the hearing. “A big dream, a wish list.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean we’re going to do it.”

She noted that if there was anything in the plan that the borough wanted to implement, certain agencies would look over the master site plan to see if the item was there. This could then help the borough gain grant funding.

“There’s more planning to go into this,” said John Naddeo, council member.

Leitzinger added that the master site plan does not lock the borough into any specific project or action.

“It’s a living, breathing plan,” said Leitzinger.

Leitzinger thanked Hughes Engineering and the steering committee for donating their time and resources toward the master site plan and riverwalk. Leitzinger said the work Hughes Engineering donated would have cost the borough $16,000.

Later in the evening at their regular meeting Cleafield Borough Council approved the parks and riverwalk master site plan.