Alisher Aminov
LEBANON, Pa.— Members of the Community of Lebanon met at City Hall Monday to review and give feedback to the Coleman Memorial Park Master Site Plan Update.
The Lebanon City Government along with Coleman Memorial Park have contracted Simone Collins Landscape Architecture to conduct an updated Master Site Plan of the park so that the City can apply for future grant funding from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Department of Community and Economic Development.
Simone Collins originally developed a Master Site Plan of the Coleman Memorial Park in 2011, but that design has since become outdated and needed to be updated for future grant applications.
The purpose of the Monday meeting was to present the current plans and gain feedback from the public as Simone Collins develops their final proposal.
At the beginning of the public meeting, Peter Simone, along with his associates, presented the current outline of the park in addition to the outlines of their original proposal in 2011, a list of implemented/developing changes since the 2011 site plan, and a list of proposals for the new 2023 update.
Notable changes which were proposed include, the implementation of additional parking/streamlined traffic, the removal of the mini golf course and addition of a frisbee golf course, the addition of a splash park and skatepark in the area where the old Coleman pool was located, the addition of a small and large dog park, the addition of an education/activities center or pro shop for the disk golf course, and a native plant garden.
The Landscape Engineers then presented their findings from community polling that they have conducted. As of the meeting date, the group had received responses from approximately 500 area residents in a seven-day period (the poll will continue to be live until March 6th). Collins noted that while this figure may seem small, it is actually quite impressive in comparison with other projects they have completed.
Notable data from the polling include the community’s desire for a new pool to replace the now removed Coleman pool, their desire for the park to maintain its historical heritage, their fear of potential vandalism, and the need for additional parking.
Approximately 70% of individuals who responded either said that the park does very well, well, or average as serving their needs for outdoor recreational and open space.
After completing the presentation section of the meeting, the group opened the floor up for community comments. They created four sections to classify the nature of community member’s comments: Goals (what they aim to accomplish), Facts (factors of the project), Concepts (idea for obtaining goals), and Partners (who can help to accomplish the goals).
Of the roughly 34 attendees to the meeting, several people took the time to ask questions about the park.
Former City Council Member, Cornell Wilson, asked about ways the park could advertise the services that it currently has (such as use of the parks amphitheater) better. Additionally, he asked about how the 2011 survey was completed and why they chose to remove the original Coleman pool in that plan.
Cornwall Lebanon resident, Diana Carpenter, asked about how people can volunteer at the park once some of the project begins to be implemented.
Annville Township resident, Michael Schroeder, asked about how the survey was being advertised and whether it was translated into Spanish.
North Lebanon Resident, Steve Wolf, asked if the park intends to continue doing annual fireworks with the proposed changes.
Simone Collins responded that the pool was primarily removed for infrastructure reasons along with low usage (additionally the cost to build a new pool could reach $3-$4 million); Coleman Park Representatives said that people can volunteer through the park’s website; Simone Collins said that the survey is being advertised via social media and is not currently in Spanish; and the City said that they do intend to continue having an annual firework display at the park.
Multiple attendees of the meeting said that they believe the city should build a new pool in the park. Those who spoke on the issue said that the city does not currently have a pool and desperately needs one. They said that children in the area need more options for activities in the summer and that they do not believe a splash pad would adequately fill this need.
Other notable suggestions from attendees include:
The implementation of trash cans throughout the park in order to keep the space clean.
A Nature Center for summer programs.
A history walk for those who enjoy the historical value of the area.
A Community Garden for native plants.
An additional entrance for greater access.
Greater accessibility for elderly.
The Landscape Architects at Simone Collins will now use this information as the continue developing the Master Site Plan, an they will continue to implement suggestions that they receive from the survey as they do so.
If you would like to participate in the survey please click here.
Author: Amaury Abreu
