NORTH SMITHFIELD – The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management has approved a request from the town for $500,000 to fund improvements at Pacheco Park, in a project now expected to begin late this summer.
The grant will be used to replace existing equipment with a new ADA-compliant playground, install a walking path and widen the entrance to the facility. The town is expected to contribute 25 percent in matching funds, according to a grant application approved by the Town Council in November.
The “Phase 1” improvements to the Slatersville park are expected to span two years – and are long overdue. It’s been ten years since the town began efforts to widen the entrance to the popular facility, purchasing the property immediately adjacent to the narrow passage in 2016.
And last year, the Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust warned the town about potential liability issues with the aging playground equipment.
According to discussion of the project in November, the new playground is expected to cost around $374,000 and will feature surface materials that meet ADA standards, such as rubber or wood chips.
The walking path, a trail to surround the entire complex of the Main Street park, was estimated to cost around $158,000.
Improvements to the entrance, expected to include a reconfiguration of the parking and access areas for increased safety, were estimated around $362,000.
The $500,000 award was the most the town could receive through the grant program, with similar grants going to 15 Rhode Island municipalities. According to a release on the awards last month, RIDEM received 50 applications in the current cycle, ultimately approving a total of $5.7 million in funding.
In November, Town Planner Mark Carruolo noted that the town has $139,440 in reserve funds to use toward the matching contribution.
Announcing approval of the grant this week, Town Administrator Scott Gibbs said the town contribution will total $350,000.
“DEM’s stewardship of this very popular matching grant program continues to increase opportunities for Rhode Islanders to get outdoors and recreate, which improves mental well-being, public health, and quality of life,” said Gov. Dan McKee in a release announcing the awards. “Green spaces, playgrounds, sports fields, and other recreational assets anchor communities and provide a sense of identity.”
In the town newsletter this week, Gibbs noted that North Smithfield has also requested around $2 million in federal funding for the park and surrounding area.
“The town has taken bold moves to position Pacheco Park/Scouters Hall and surrounding area as a central social hub in the town,” noted Gibbs. “Leveraging the RIDEM grant, the Town has requested Congressional earmarks to make infrastructure improvements in the Pacheco Park, Scouters Hall, and abutting commercial area.”
The announcement comes as Scouter’s Hall continues to serve as a space for seniors in North Smithfield, and efforts to build an alternative multi-generational center at the former Halliwell School property seem largely stalled since the announcement last year that the project would cost more than $7 million.
Gibbs noted that envisioned improvements at the park include expanded and enhanced parking, stormwater management systems, signage, landscaping, and period lighting along the entrance road and Main Street, and that the town plans to engage the public to create a vision for the area.
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