After estimated spending at over $400,000 to improve the road at Civic Center Park, Orion Township will spend another $39,000 to cap off the parking lot and roadway with a final coat of asphalt, in the event the final phases of the project are not completed in the near future.
Trustees wrestled with the issue at their board meeting on Oct. 6, and finally came to the decision to cap at their Oct. 20 meeting. Jim Stevens of township engineers Orchard, Hiltz and McCliment said the board had several options for parking facilities at the park near township hall off Joslyn Road.
“Phase three parking provides approximately 200 spaces,” he said. “Those are farthest from the athletic fields. Phase four is 60 spaces, closest to the fields.
“I did contact the contractor and I asked him if he’d be willing to hold his contract prices to construct a gravel area (for parking),” Stevens said. “He couldn’t give me a definite answer. It is recommended to proceed with phase four.”
Stevens said the phase four parking would be the smallest number of sites but would get the most use being closest to the fields.
“The original site plan had five phases and we’ve done phases one and two,” he told the board. “Phase five was to put a top coat over all four phases of the project.”
The cost to put gravel over phase three would be $60,000, and $30,000 for the smaller area in phase four.
Trustee Richard Tomczak said the board had already spent “well over” $400,000 doing the road.
“That doesn’t mean we’ve spent that, completely,” corrected parks and recreation director Rock Blanchard. “That’s an estimate. In September it was around $350,000, but we’ve done a lot of work since then.”
Trustee Michael Gingell wondered where the additional $40,000 for the project would come from.
“You can say from the surplus, but that pains me and it’s not fair (to the other township departments),” he said.
“It’s not that we’re sitting here saying we don’t want to do anything…it’s that the process is flawed and it wasn’t budgeted for,” said supervisor Jerry Dywasuk.
According to Blanchard, the project was budgeted in 2002, but bids did not go out until the following year and the project was not re-budgeted for in 2003.
“The money wasn’t protected,” he said. “I don’t think legally you could do that without a contract.”
Trustee Will Wilsher, also a soccer coach, said the couldn’t deny there was a problem with the current parking situation at the park.
“I personally have a problem with doing something kinda halfway,” he said. “I would not want that (area) graveled…I’d rather have it like it is and do it right.”