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PRESS RELEASE ISSUED: 12/18/12 County Green Future Grant Funds To Fund Lindberg Park Connection Trail In Jeopardy Township residents are asked to make their presence known at the Lehigh County Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, December 19, 2012. The meeting begins at 7:30 PM in the Lehigh County Government Center at 17 South 7th Street in Allentown. The meeting will determine the fate of a $160,000 Lehigh County Green Futures grant requested by the Township to fund Phase I of the Lindberg Park Master Site Plan and Neighborhood Connection Trail project. Other communities such as Upper Saucon, Emmaus and Lower Macungie have also applied for recreation projects. These are also in jeopardy. The Lindberg Park Master Site Plan and Neighborhood Connection Trail project is expected to begin in 2013. Salisbury Township has applied for a $160,419 grant from the Lehigh County Green Futures Fund program to fund Phase I of the Lindberg Park Master Site Plan and Connection Trail. The first phase of the project involves the creation of a perimeter trail around the park and a trail connecting the park to the Lehigh Parkway in Allentown. In addition to trail creation, Phase 1 also updates existing trails through the addition and modification of trail shoulders. Addressing safety concerns, the first phase also includes the creation of new cross walks and curb ramps. Phase 1 is projected to cost roughly $310,000 with the county grant providing over half of the funds. Salisbury Township made a formal application and presentation to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners on November 20, 2012 to request their budgeted allocation of grant funds, and received a positive response. At their December 12th meeting, some Commissioners discussed the possibility of withdrawing funding for this project (and projects of other municipalities as well), despite the allocations having been approved in the 2012 Lehigh County budget and the requisite revenues having been received. Back in May 2002, by a 70% (2-to-1) margin, Lehigh County voters approved borrowing $30 million to be used over 10 years to preserve open space, farmland, and improve parks and recreational facilities (collectively called the Green Futures Fund). Furthermore, these same Commissioners discussed ending the Green Futures Fund program all together, leaving local municipalities without millions of dollars of allocated grant funds for recreation and open space projects. If the grant funds are not awarded to Salisbury Township and other communities, then Phase I of the Lindberg Park Master Site Plan and Neighborhood Connection Trail project may be pushed back indefinitely. Salisbury Township needs your support to preserve the funding for the project. You can show your support in the following ways: Come to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners Meeting:
Contact your local County Commissioner (610-782-3050):
Contact Information: Randy Soriano, Township Manager, 610-797-4000, ext. 5813
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