CURWENSVILLE – With Irvin Park still closed by the governor’s order, the Curwensville Borough Council is looking to use the time wisely to make some much-needed improvements.
At Monday’s meeting, the council discussed what to do regarding repairs to the park’s two picnic pavilions and a potential project to improve fishing.
Council President Sarah Curulla said with pavilion rentals cancelled for June, the council needs to make a decision regarding what to do about the repairs.
She asked whether the council wanted to tear down the pavilions and rebuild them, or make repairs, or somewhere in between.
Council member and Code Enforcement Officer Tom Carfley said all the pavilions need is to have the 6-by-6 posts replaced. He said the roof is fine and has no rot.
Council member Harriet Carfley said the borough’s engineer recommended the pavilions be torn down.
Tom Carfley said the pavilions don’t need torn down.
“He’s an engineer, he’s not a building inspector,” Tom Carfley said. He said the borough crew could probably perform the work “with supervision.”
Harriet Carfley said if any work is done, the pavilions will need to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations.
She said the pavement in the pavilions will need to be torn up and replaced with concrete. Secretary Terri Bracken is to contact businesses for estimates for the concrete work.
“This is the time to do it,” Curulla said. “We need to figure out what to do and get it done while the park is still closed.
Although Clearfield County has moved into the governor’s “yellow phase,” Irvin Park must remain closed until the county can be moved into the “green phase.” Then the park can open with physical distancing regulations in place.
The council also discussed a proposal to remove the old dam and replace it with a more natural barrier. Harriet Carfley said she spoke with representatives from the Clearfield County Recreation and Tourism Authority, who was working with an organization who specializes in this type of work.
Carfley said the project would be no expense to the borough and would involve replacing the old dam, which is in need of repair, with a stone barrier that would allow for a more natural flow of water.
This flowing water would attract more species of fish to the area, as opposed to stagnate water. She said the project would remove the silt from the pool area beneath the dam.
The work would also include a walkway for better access and adding plants to the wetlands area to attract birds.
The council passed a motion to table a recommendation for a special exemption on the Gaspar property. The Planning Commission had recommended that a half-acre of the property be granted a special exemption to allow the owner to use the area as an inspection station.
The council would like a caveat added to the exemption, stating that the property would revert back to the original zoning if it were ever sold.
The council also tabled a request for the police officers to attend firearms training to allow the members to review information.
The council then voted to approve:
- Providing the recycling containers for the public beginning May 18.
- Cutting two dead trees from the park at a cost of $400. The borough crew will remove the trees once they’ve been cut.
- Paying the bills for April in the amount of $39,978.19.