NORWICH - It’s time to “get off the dime,” City of Norwich Supervisor Linda E. Natoli told her fellow lawmakers this week during a discussion of a project that would make renovations to East and West Park in downtown Norwich.
“There are some things that I like and some I don’t, but we at least need to see the revised plan,” said the Ward 4, 5 and 6 supervisor.
Natoli’s comments followed a lengthy debate between Chenango County Agriculture, Buildings and Grounds Committee members who were for and against the now five-year old project that was initiated by a group of community volunteers. The primary discussion revolved around either approving the revised plan before committing to funding or in-kind services, or vice versa.
The full Board of Supervisors unanimously backed the Friends of the Park’s conceptual plan in 2005 and, the following year, gave the go-ahead to the City of Norwich to apply for a grant that helped afford the design phase of the originally estimated $1 million project.
Plans include a performance staging area, new sidewalk configurations, updated electrical and sound systems, benches and garbage cans. About 30 countywide organizations were consulted in the design process.
The project has been backed by in-kind commitments from the City of Norwich, local contractors and a letter of commitment from NBT Bank. Friends of the Park volunteers Eric Larsen and Pegi LoPresti, director of the Norwich Business Improvement District, were on hand at the meeting Tuesday to find out how next to proceed.
“We are here to find out the order of things in order to get final approval of the plan. We would like to know what you need to see to improve the project and if there is any possibility for funding or in-kind services from the county, whether it would be county crews or prisoners working on projects,” Larsen asked.
“We want to know if the county wants the plan. If the county doesn’t want to commit money, we can go on knowing that,” Larsen said, “but we can’t proceed to raise money for something that the county hasn’t approved.”
The most outspoken opponent to seeing a revised plan before committing to funding was Town of Pharsalia Supervisor Dennis Brown, who said the project had “a political edge.”
“Why should the county put any money into a park in the city?” he asked, despite knowing that West Park is owned by the county. “It’s not helping our political edge. It’s Norwich getting what Norwich wants,” he said.
“The board has to make a decision about agreeing to finance the plan, an agreement to offer assistance. We can commit to the concept until the cows come home.”
Town of Preston Supervisors Peter C. Flanagan disapproved. “It’s our committee that approves ‘grounds’ (issues). We are leap-frogging the first step. We should approve or disapprove of the revisions. I don’t care about the money right now, we need to approve the revisions.”
Committee Chairman Robert D. Briggs said he would like to know “the concept and the cost.” Town of Coventry Supervisor Janice O’Shea said the committee could approve the concept “before saying we can provide in kind or anything else.”
Except for some electrical upgrades completed last year, Larsen told the committee that neither the city nor the county has ever invested funds into improvements at either park. “Not with the gazebo nor the sidewalks,” he said.
“There will be some yes votes on this from towns,” Natoli said. “Many people come into the county seat for events.”
Both Brown and Natoli questioned the validity of a 1992 contract between the City of Norwich and Chenango County regarding upkeep and maintenance at both parks. Natoli suggested updating the agreement, and asked the Friends’ volunteers for a revised plan with “target” amounts attached to modifications.
Larsen said he would return with the information requested in one month.