NorCo Council Approves $1 Million in Open Space Grants For 10 Municipalities

At their May 20 meeting, Northampton County Council voted 8-0  (Peg Ferraro was absent) to approve $1 million in 10 different municipalities for open space grants

Dimmick Park (Hellertown) - $212,000. The money, which must be matched, will be used for a new parking lot with ADA accessible parking spaces; interior accessible path connections and sidewalks; footbridge and a new full size basketball court with fence and native plant landscape buffer. The funds will also convert and widen a rock and asphalt lined stormwater channel into a green native plant swale with base layer enhancements to manage stormwater, reduce flooding and runoff. There will also be signage.

North Catasaqua Park - $13,609. This grant, which must be matched, will be used for native trees and plants throughout the park as well as the conversion of grass into a native pollinator garden. In addition, it will be used for amenities at Tot Lot playground.

Housenick Park (Bethlehem Tp) - $200,000. - This funding, which will be matched, is for ADA accessible paved walking paths and trail markers for passive outdoor recreation; completion of the 0.59 mile long Orange Trail; access to the native grassland meadow; and closing the loop within the park’s 2.49 mile trail network.

Highlands Preserve (Bushkill Tp) - $12,500. Design for passive recreation.

Pocket Parks (Easton) - $50,000. This funding, which must be matched, is for pocket parks in the West Ward.

Hahn’s Meadow Park, 4555 Hanoverville Road, Lower Nazareth Tp - $47,118.37 (must be matched) to expand and widen the existing crushed stone parking lot with paved ADA parking; and install a paved ADA accessible trail and wooden observation deck along the Monocacy Creek

Saucon Creek Greenway Corridor Plan (Hellertown) - $40,000 (must be matched) for a greenway study between Saucon Rail Trail and Saucon Creek

D and L Trailhead (N. Catasauqua) - $75,000 (matched by $277,058 on state grants) to create a greenway and path along Main Street to improve the appearance and access to the existing D&L Trailhead adjacent to the Borough maintenance garage and complex.

Wind Gap Park - $75,000 (with another $117,480 from Wind Gap) for a multi-use trail in the lower tier of the park

Bicentennial Park (E Allen Tp) - $75,000 (plus $360,000 in state grants) to convert 24-acres area of fallow agricultural fields into passive recreation.

Polk Valley Park (Lo Saucon Tp) - $96,000 (matched by the township) to repair and replace sections of existing pervious concrete trail surface of the 2-mile trail.

Little Bushkill Stream Restoration (Plainfield Tp) - $100,000 (added to $200,000 in state grants) - To restore the Little Bushkill Creek and its tributaries at four sites along the Plainfield Township Recreation Trail.