Pikeville gets grant to revamp park
By Sam Atkins
Published in News on May 28, 2004 1:57 PM
PIKEVILLE -- The town board has received a $97,000 grant to revamp Dees Memorial Park.
Town Manager Lonnie Graves said he received a call this week from the state Department of Environment and Natural Resources that the town was approved for the grant.
The town is required to match the grant. The board has already placed $97,000 in its upcoming budget for it, and it will be used to demolish the old school building.
The board applied for the state grant in February after several months of developing a three-year master plan for the park. Greg Meshaw with Municipal Engineering Service Co. used the plan when applying for the grant. The board also applied for a federal grant in March, but did not qualify for it, said Graves.
The plan includes one phase of renovations, which go through 2007. The board decided that its top priorities are demolishing the abandoned school building, improving playground equipment and having more activities for senior citizens.
Other Phase One items include landscaping; adding picnic tables, a 6-foot-wide walking path, a trail-side bench, raised standard grills, a sheltered stage, children's playground; removing overhead power lines; installing underground power lines, and resurfacing the parking lot. The board reserves the right to modify the plan in the coming years as the needs of the community shift.
Graves said the first step will be getting engineers to design a bid package for demolishing the school. Once the school is down, the rest of the park renovations will take place. He expects the overall process to be completed in a year.
State Sens. John Kerr and Fred Smith, whose districts include Wayne County, and Town Commissioner Edith McClenny helped secure the grant.