$341,000 in Lindberg Park Improvements Coming

The Salisbury Board of Commissioners voted Thursday night to authorize design and engineering for the first three phases of the Lindberg Park Master Site Plan.

Commissioners want to construct a series of walking trails around the perimeter of the Lindberg Park with the main goal being an interpark trail that connects to the Little Lehigh Parkway, according to township manager Randy Soriano.

Soriano and Frank Adamcik, chairman of the township's recreational advisory committee, told commissioners Thursday night that time was of the essence in getting a 'shovel-ready' plan on the table.

"Getting a shovel-ready plan together will enhance future grant money," Adamcik told commissioners. "It's probably a good idea to move forward to avoid a negative impact."

The township has already secured a $160,000 Green Future Fund grant from Lehigh County and is in the process of applying for a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR).

The $160,000 in county money set in motion Salisbury's plan to pursue the first phase of a $2 million project to improve Lindberg Park over 10 years. The first phase is expected to cost $341,000 and includes which will connect to a trail to the Little Lehigh Parkway, native plant buffer and a chainlink fence installed along the ballfield.

"We fought hard to get the green future fund grant," Soriano told the commissioners. "We don't want to be susceptible to re-allocation of (grant) funds. It behooves us to move with that shovel-ready project ready to go.

Commissioners voted to authorize Urban Research & Development Corp. of Bethlehem for design and engineering costs on the first three phases of the project at a cost not to exceed $53,000.

Soriano told commissioners that additional grants are available and that having a shovel-ready plan makes the Lindberg Park project more attractive.

The improvements to the 40-year-old park would be phased in over time and include:

• a 3/4-mile-long bituminous walking trail around the perimeter of the park.
• cross-walks
• natural buffers and fencing
• improvements to the baseball field, including a new backstop, bullpen, batting cages and a storage shed
• renovated pavilion and restrooms
• multi-purpose lawn area
• secondary pathways, vegetated swales and rain gardens
• resting pads and benches along pathways
• nature playground
• a dedicated bike lane on the north side of Lindberg Avenue
• new signs and kiosks
• natural elements that include more native plants and the eradication of invasive species
• a drop-off area in the parking lot
• tranquility garden
• pickleball courts