CAMBRIA —
The 108 acres of land to build the Cambria Town Park off of Upper Mountain Road was purchased in 1999 as a place for youth recreation leagues to play and for residents to enjoy.
Twelve years later, the park is moving along slowly — but surely — as the town hopes to have half of the park completed in the next three or four years, said George J. Bush, Town of Cambria Councilman, and Chairman of the Park and Recreation Committee.
With that said, Cambria Town Supervisor Wright H. Ellis noted that not one cent of Cambria tax payer money is being used on the project that is estimated at $5.5 million.
“We’ve been staying within the town budget. None of it is coming out of resident taxes — it’s all coming out of the general fund,” Ellis said.
The general fund is the largest by dollar amount the Town of Cambria has, as most of the fund is from Niagara County sales tax.
“It’ll get there,” Bush said. “We’re only allowed to use a certain amount of money through the general fund each year.”
Bush added that a majority of the costs is on paving and excavating pathways, however Cambria Contracting volunteered some time to work and lend equipment.
According to Ellis, the park’s original master plan has been OK’d a few years after the land was purchased as a 20-year project. And currently, while the park is under construction, and a second baseball diamond is being excavated and another mile-long walkway is being carved, about 35 acres is rented to a local farmer who grows corn.
“Sure, we could have had it all done maybe, but we don’t have the resources to just snap our fingers and finish it,” Ellis said. “This is one of those projects that is a multiphase and multi-year operation.”
The first thing that was completed was an almost two-mile nature trail with the addition of placards identifying plants and animals in the park, funded from a $150,000 grant by the New York State Parks Recreation & Historic Preservation. Bush said placards were installed as part of an Eagle Scout Project completed by John McIntosh. He added that the grant was given to Cambria after they found out the area was home to the endangered Western Chorus Frog.
Ellis said the next step is to finish the excavation for the southwest road and parking areas, in addition to a retention basin that has also been completed with major drainage piping and “hundreds of tons of clay and topsoil” to raise the level of the soccer fields and baseball diamonds.
In June, the first baseball diamond was completed followed by a kickoff baseball game to officially open the park’s grounds. And Ellis said the next step is to have soccer fields and more baseball diamonds finished by spring 2010, while working on building a playground nearby.
The master plan calls for two baseball diamonds on the west side of the park, four smaller baseball diamonds for younger children and two softball diamonds in addition to soccer fields, a basketball court, a playground, a small fishing lake that flows into Bergholtz Creek, nature trails and a recreation area, and a bathroom facility.
Ellis said for years before the town park was discussed, town recreation leagues would rent out space from local fire companies like the Pekin Fire Department’s baseball fields.
The Town of Cambria offers Summer Day Recreation and Baseball Programs for Cambria youth 5 to 16 at the new park. The town encourages older teens older to get involved with community recreation by volunteering or applying for leadership positions.
For more information, contact the Town of Cambria at 433-7664.
Contact reporter Britney Milazzo at 439-9222 ext. 6251.
Local News
Related Photos
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Heavy equipment stands ready to continue construction on a new ball diamond at the Cambria Town park. The project includes another ball diamond, soccer fields and a nature trail. Joe Eberle/US&J
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Mountains of dirt that will be used for a new ball diamond at the Cambria Town park. The project includes another ball diamond, soccer fields and a nature trail. Joe Eberle/US&J
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Signs describing the nature trail in the new Cambria Town Park. The project includes another ball diamond, soccer fields and a nature trail. Joe Eberle/US&J
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Cambria machine operator Pat McCoy tends to the huge water pump that is being used for irrigating the ball diamond at the recently opened park on Upper Mountain Rd. The project includes another ball diamond, soccer fields and a nature trail. Joe Eberle/US&J
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