Forum planned for tonight on Stoney Creek grant effort
By Kenneth Fine
Published in News on December 7, 2010 1:46 PM
Before submitting an application for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant, members of the Stoney Creek Park Alliance want the public to weigh in on their vision for the future of the Ash Street site.
And this evening at City Hall, local residents will have an opportunity to do just that.
Dr. Peter Roethling and Parks and Recreation Director Ruben Wall promoted tonight's public forum at the City Council's pre-meeting work session Monday.
But they also wanted to make sure elected officials had a clear image of all that has been done since the Alliance was formed several years ago.
"We've really been able to expand the park," Roethling said, referencing land acquisitions, installation of climbing rocks and a butterfly garden, and creation of improved trails and a disc golf course. "And there's a lot more potential. ... We're even more excited about the future."
That future, he added, hinges, in part, on whether or not the city is awarded the PARTF grant -- some $125,000 that could be used to construct, among other things, an amphitheater, bathrooms, beach volleyball court and horse shoe pit.
After Roethling's presentation -- one he will make again in the second-floor conference room inside City Hall at 6 p.m. this evening -- Wall urged the council to recognize his -- and the Alliance's -- passion for, and efforts at, a park that was once considered an eyesore.
"Dr. Roethling has been working very hard. I can't say that enough," Wall said. "He's been above and beyond ... and he's doing this just because he cares about his city."