WILLIAMSTOWN - While revelers marked the start of a new year, organizers in Williamstown were celebrating improvements slated for the borough park in 2014.
The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources recently announced that Williamstown Borough, Dauphin County, was approved to receive a $40,000 grant through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program. The funds will be used for the rehabilitation of Williamstown Park, located on Division Street.
Construction is tentatively slated to begin this spring.
Work will include construction of a pedestrian walkway and parking, installation of playground equipment with required safety surfacing, Americans with Disabilities Act-aproved access and landscaping.
"We needed this," said Daniel Maurer, a volunteer with the Williamstown Development Organization, who assisted with the grant writing process.
Williamstown representatives met with DCNR in March 2013 and had to submit the grant application by April 10, 2013, he said. It took 19 days of engineering drawings, Tri-County Planning approval, countless vendor quotes and narrative writing to get the process rolling.
"It's all worth it to get this done," Maurer said.
He noted there are 14 pieces of playground equipment at Williamstown Park and only four meet current safety standards.
Overall, DCNR announced more than $38 million was approved for 201 grants to communities, municipal authorities and nonprofit organizations for recreation, park and conservation planning; land conservation for parks, open space and natural areas; and park and trail rehabilitation and development.
Other locales in Dauphin County scheduled to receive funds include the Capital Area Greenbelt, Harrisburg; Friendship Center and Brightbill Park, Lower Paxton Township; and Hagy Park, Middle Paxton Township.