A Hellertown borough park will be improved with pedestrian pathways and other amenities thanks to a $280,000 state grant.
State Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-18) announced the award for Main Street’s Tumminello Park in a news release last week, in which she highlighted other local projects that will also receive funding from the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program (C2P2).
“The Lehigh Valley is blessed with an extensive network of community parks, trails and open space that improve the quality of life of our region,” Boscola said. “Through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, the Commonwealth is able to partner with local governments and conservation organizations to further enhance our community parks, trails and open space.”
Tumminello Park is located on Main Street near the south end of Hellertown borough (FILE PHOTO)
The Tumminello Park grant will also be used for the construction of a pedestrian bridge, ADA accessibility upgrades, signage, landscaping and other site improvements.
Other grants that will benefit municipalities in the Saucon Valley and Bethlehem areas include:
• A $250,000 award to the City of Bethlehem for further development of the South Bethlehem Greenway. The funding will be used to construct a .10 mile extrension from South New Street to West Third Street; to build an amphitheater and rain garden; and to add ADA access, lighting, signage and landscaping to the trail. The news release noted that with this grant the city will have received over $3 million in state funding for the popular Greenway, which will eventually connect to the Saucon Rail Trail.
• A $120,300 award to the Emmaus-based Wildlands Conservancy to help restore the Black River in Lower Saucon Township. The scope of the work will include removal of a dam, streambank stabilization, installation of a riparian forest buffer, landscaping, signage and other improvements.
• A $160,000 award to Wildlands Conservancy to restore 2,000 feet of three unnamed tributaries of the Lehigh River watershed in Northampton and Lehigh counties. This work will include installation of in-stream habitat structures.
The C2P2 program is administered by DCNR’s Bureau of Recreation and Conservation to provide financial and technical assistance to local governments, rail and trail organizations, land trusts and other nonprofits for park, recreation, conservation and greenway projects.