Eaton Park to House Public Works

The Hatboro Borough Council is looking to trade green space for equipment storage as part of a projected $2.8 million plan to upgrade and expand aging and cramped borough-owned facilities. 

Under “adaptive reuse” plans that town planner and landscape architect Thomas J. Comitta recommended to the council in February, a 3,760-square-foot public works annex would be added to Eaton Park where tennis courts had previously been located.

In addition, the West Moreland Avenue park could also house an 800-square-foot amphitheater for park entertainment such as plays and concerts.

During a borough council facilities meeting Monday, Councilwoman Patty Fleming said she did not like the fact that the plan, as conceptually sketched, “takes up the whole park” and said she’d like to see what changes can be made.

The council acknowledged without taking a formal vote, that removing public works equipment from the Hatboro Police Department and into a new structure is priority among four borough-owned facility upgrades. 

To achieve that goal without buying additional real estate, the council seemed to overwhelmingly agree that using the park space was the best and most cost-effective approach.

As it stands now, approximately one-third to one-half of the police station is comprised of public works equipment, according to Hatboro Borough Council President John Zygmont.

And while some may think the roughly 60-year-old police station should be first in line for renovations, Borough Manager Fred Zollers, who also serves as the borough’s public works superintendent, said, “There’s no place to put the stuff … even temporarily.”

Funding the renovations

Based on figures that Comitta provided, the public works annex would cost an estimated $564,000 plus a projected $37,058 to add 1,830 square feet of paving, $7,800 for trees, $3,200 for grading, $4,000 for stormwater and an approximate $163,365 for architect and engineering fees, based on figures provided on a spreadsheet during the meeting.

In all, the public works annex could come with a $779,423 price tag.

The amphitheater is expected to cost $185,668, which is comprised of $120,000 for the bandshell itself, $14,400 for benches, $12,353 for paving and $38,915 for architect and engineering fees. 

The council has not yet determined how the nearly $1 million project would be funded.

The best alternative, according to Zygmont, is to secure grants.

Aside from that, the second-best choice is to borrow money from the Hatboro Borough Authority-provided the entity tasked with overseeing the borough’s $5 million proceeds from the sale of its water company allows it. If it does, Zygmont said the borough would repay the money, along with 3 or 4 percent interest, in a time frame amenable to both parties.

“We’d be paying interest to ourselves to the authority, who in turn would then be giving us the money to do further capital projects,” Zygmont said. “It seems that it works.”

Barring help from the borough authority, Zygmont said the borough would consider bonds, which, unlike interest repaid for authority funding, would not benefit future Hatboro projects.

Fleming asked if Hatboro–which operates under a $5 million annual budget–had a “plan” for repaying its debt.

“It’s one thing to borrow the funds,” Fleming said. “How are we going to pay them back?”

After mulling the question for a few seconds, Zygmont said, “debt service and real estate taxes and whatever grants we can get.”

Next steps

Zygmont, who gave most of the governing body its direction during Monday’s meeting, said that the projects planned for Eaton Park would be carried out first, followed by a police department expansion and then either borough hall renovations, or adding more space to the public works existing facility on Oakdale Avenue.

“They’re the massive projects,” Zygmont said of the Eaton Park and police station plans, adding that the remaining two could “meander in over the course of three to five years.”

Zygmont suggested that Councilmen David Rich and Mark Sheedy serve on separate committees, along with residents, to offer insight on each of the facility upgrades, including the Eaton Park project; police station renovation; existing public works facility expansion; and borough hall renovations. In sum, the four projects are expected to cost roughly $2.8 million.

“It gives the appearance that there’s nothing to hide because there’s nothing to hide,” Zygmont said of residents’ involvement. “Wherever we can, it would be good to have public input.”

But, Zygmont pointed out that while community involvement is key, “you really don’t want to end up with these people who have a hatchet or an agenda.”

“You’re not here to stop something,” Zygmont said. “We’re not looking for people to sit on committees and say ‘I advise against doing it altogether.’ ”

Once committees are formed, Zygmont said he expects committees to engage in discussion with Comitta and arrive at subsequent recommendations by early fall. Financing could be determined by winter and work could potentially begin at Eaton Park in spring, Zygmont said.

To get involved

If interested in serving on a committee for Hatboro’s facility upgrade projects, drop off a resume and letter of interest at the municipal building, 414 S. York Road, or email it to Diane Hegele at DHegele@hatborogov.org.