CLEARFIELD – A public meeting for the development of local parks and a proposed river walk was held Monday night at the Clearfield Borough building.
Clearfield Borough was granted funds from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to do a study on updating and enhancing Upper Witmer, Kurtz and Rebecca Parks.
Public figures and private people showed up to see what he steering committee has planned for the parks and walk. The public meeting also gave people the chance to voice their concerns or opinions on the proposed projects.
The committee is broken up into five subcommittees, one for each of the four parks in Clearfield Borough and one for the riverfront. Those subcommittees are the tasked with preparing what role each park will play in the overall park system.
Stations were set up at the borough building with information on different phases of the study and ideas for the project as well as a survey for the public to fill out. Members of the steering committee and members of the Hughes Engineering design team were in attendance to answer questions.
“We want to hear suggestions by the public,” said Rob Swales, member of the steering committee. “We’ve been hearing quite a bit from different groups and organizations.”
Swales said that the group has heard suggestions about putting fishing piers in the river, lighting on the bridges as well as other ideas.
Swales said that the idea is for each park to retain their identities but to tie them together somehow. There have also been discussions about public restrooms.
Cara Artiola, who works in youth services at the Shaw Public Library, liked the idea of restrooms in the parks.
“I think they do need a public restroom,” said Artiola.
Artiola also said expressed concerns over the maintenance of the upgrades.
“If all of this money is going to be spent what are they going to do to maintain it,” asked Artiola.
She also expressed concerns over lighting in the Witmer parks, as well as vandalism. She stated that there is obscene graffiti in Lower Witmer Park. She stated that it was reported to officials at an earlier date but that it is still there. Artiola also recommended the placement of a phone in the parks.
The next steps the steering committee has to take are getting conceptual designs, holding a public hearing, getting final conceptual designs, funding and implementation.