Friday's Internet Edition, July 25, 2008.
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| Sterling Greback and Olivia Chilson take center stage during the Lewisville Elementary School Christmas program. |
With council’s stamp of approval in place, the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Development Board can begin finalizing the grant proposal, which must be submitted by January 31, 2007. Jim Pryor, Kernersville’s Parks and Recreation director, is serving as a consultant to aid them in the grant process. Pryor has written three PARTF grants for Kernserville, and all three received approval from the North Carolina Parks and Recreation Authority.
“The PARTF application process is very sophisticated,” Pryor stated. “There are 30 different criteria for awarding points [to projects]. The most points a project can receive is 157, but there is no way anyone can get all those points. For example, a project receives 20 points if it is a town’s first public park, but not everyone is eligible for those points.”
Warren Park’s point total is projected at 65, and Pryor said that figure was “a very respectable score.”
“Normally a project with a score of 85 to 90 will be the top-ranked project in the state. A score of 65 points will put you anywhere from number 25 to 30 on the list. The major factor working against you is the absence of a Parks and Recreation Department in Lewisville.”
Pryor added that, from his experience, the PARTF board has a “soft spot” for smaller communities like Lewisville. “I think Warren Park stands a good chance of securing maximum funding for both phases,” he said. “The park will be a great asset to the quality of life here.”
The maximum grant available from PARTF is $500,000. PARTF is set up as a matching program, which means Lewisville will have to pay all the costs of each phase up front and then be reimbursed for the grant amount. The town will have three years to complete the project from the time the grant is received.
The total cost for Warren Park is estimated at $1.9 million. By splitting the job into two phases, the town will be eligible for two grants. Cost estimates are $1 million for Phase I and $952,560 for Phase II.
While the PARTF grant will be an enormous help, the town must still appropriate almost $1 million for its share of the costs. Several residents have voiced concerns that the council will raise the property tax rate in order to fund the park.
“From the conversations I’ve had with town staff and our architects, I believe our plan at this time is to build the park under the current tax structure,” said Mike Showalter, chairman of Lewisville’s Parks and Rec. Board.
Town Manager Cecil Wood confirmed this, adding that the park “has been planned and budgeted for by the council. We are also making provisions for the maintenance costs.”
Pryor said the park should be relatively low-maintenance because of its passive nature. There will be walking trails, picnic areas, swings, a bocce ball court, a disc golf course, and a multi-purpose athletic field, but no fields designated for sports such as softball, basketball or soccer. This is because Mary Alice Warren, who donated the park land to the town, requested that its uses be quiet and passive.
“The operating hours of the park will be dawn to dusk. The entrance will be gated but there will not be an attendant, much like Joanie Moser Park. There will be security lights at the parking area, driveways and trails, and our deputies will ride through at night as they can,” said Showalter.
Phase I of the park will include paved walking trails; a 150-person pavilion; a nine-hole disc golf course; a playground village; a 300’x150’ multi-purpose athletic field; a large restroom facility; roads, parking and sidewalks.
Construction on Phase I of the park is tentatively scheduled to begin in late summer or early fall of 2007.