The city of Oneonta may allot federal American Rescue Plan Acy funding for the betterment of Wilber Park parking and handicap accessibility.
The Common Council’s Quality of Life and Infrastructure Committee met Wednesday, May 29 to speak about the ongoing projects. The committee discussed plans for the 2025 city budget, which could include using ARPA funding to expand parking in Wilber Park.
At this time, there is limited designated space for visitors to leave their vehicles and access the pool at lower Wilber Park.
City Public Works Director Chris Yacobucci spoke about the goals of the project and the necessary funding. He said that the use of funds obtained from the American Rescue Plan Act for outdoor activities.
“ARPA projects included installation of the basketball court up on upper Wilber,” he said. “We just recently had the courts lined so that project was complete.”
Yacobucci said he believes the new basketball court could cost $25,000 with the other half of the $50,000 ARPA allotment being used to provide shade for the playgrounds.
“We’re planning on purchasing a shade structure and installing the shade structure ourselves,” he said.
Yacobucci further explained the renovations by outlining a plan for a parking extension in lower Wilber Park.
“Handicap accessibility is difficult there right now,” he said. “They have to drive down that short narrow driveway to have handicap accessibility. We were thinking of expanding the parking lot, providing more parking in that area.”
This project would require the removal of about a dozen trees in the area, he said.
Council member Cecelia Walsh-Russo, unaffiliated-Second Ward, agreed with the necessity for more available parking, but also proposed some more accessible space for walkers, joggers and bikers who visit the park.
“As someone who uses Wilber Park daily, I’m just curious about, in addition to the increase in parking, if we’ve given thought about creating new pedestrian and/or bike alternative routes or ways that people can have more accessibility if they are not in a car to the pool and other parks in Wilber Park,” she said. “It’s not entirely pedestrian friendly in that area by the pool and in the lower Wilber area.”
She added that the road into Wilber Park from Spruce Street can be a difficult route for walkers.
City Administrator Greg Mattice said that part of the plan might involve the restoration of a trail in Wilber Park for walkers, but this route to the lower park had not previously been discussed in regard to the 2025 city budget.
“I would suggest that the discussion about pedestrian improvements vs vehicular improvements and whether that’s in the context of parks or elsewhere can be part of the strategic planning discussion,” he said.
Council member Scott Harrington, R-Sixth Ward, felt the decision on prioritizing sidewalks, parking lot improvement or work on both should be made by the city’s Parks and Recreation Committee.
“Maybe the best thing to do would be to let the Parks and Rec Committee do their thing with it, what they envision for that park,” said Harrington. “They can give us what they think the priority might be if we’re going to go forward with it and put it in the budget.”
The full council is scheduled to be updated on the APRA spending proposal at its meeting June 4.