MOUNT VERNON — Plans for Shellmar Park continue to move forward.
Dave Carpenter, parks superintendent, told city council members on Monday that Lowe’s has committed to providing picnic tables and split-rail fencing for the park located at the corner of Marion and Madison streets. The tables and fencing will be installed this summer.
Plans call for a pavilion, playground, restrooms, and basketball court on the one-acre parcel. Carpenter plans to clean up the existing parking area this summer and use it until permanent parking is completed.
Safety-service Director Joel Daniels said the city has about $15,000 in private donations available to put toward the park. Carpenter said it’s possible to install a few grills this summer as well.
Under a one-year agreement with the Foundation Park Conservancy, the city will turn over some of the park maintenance to conservancy staff. In the past, the conservancy has given the city $40,000 to maintain the park. Maintenance costs have run around $60,000. With the conservancy taking over some of the maintenance, it will no longer give the city the $40,000.
Three conservancy employees, along with some supplemental help, will take care of mowing, trimming, mulch bed maintenance, and day-to-day operations such as cleaning the restrooms and picking up trash. The city will continue to mow the terraces, stock the lakes, handle tree and vandalism issues, do most of the building maintenance, and light the Rastin Tower for events and holidays.
Carpenter said the city will leave two mowers, which the city bought specifically for Ariel-Foundation Park, in the care of the conservancy to use. The conservancy will buy the fuel and perform maintenance on the equipment.
