Richland seeks grants to pay for park, barn upgrades

Richland Township is seeking a pair of grants that would help pay for upgrades and improvements at the community park as well as the barn.

The township will submit a $250,000 grant application to the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County for upgrades to the concession stand and the creation of family restrooms at the park near the basketball court in close proximity to where construction has already begun on a new splash pad. The family restrooms would be ADA accessible and have a heating system. They would eliminate the existing concession stand and build a new one, with the Pine-Richland Baseball Softball Association pledging $100,000 toward the creation of the new stand. Richland Township Manager Dean Bastianini said additional money would go toward extending utilities to the stand, providing lighting and security cameras.

They will also submit a $190,000 grant to the redevelopment authority for improvements to the barn, including replacing the door and the hardware, turning the unisex bathroom on the first floor to an ADA accessible bathroom, replacing the men’s and women’s rooms in the basement, including sinks and countertops, and improving the lighting and ventilation in the restrooms.

• The board of supervisors also authorized the township to participate in the Allegheny County Wellness Program at the February meeting. Each year Richland applies to be named a Banner Community by the Allegheny League of Municipalities and this year the guidelines have changed, Bastianini said. The wellness program is one they ask communities to consider being part of. “It’s a good idea,” Bastianini said. “It’s trying to promote living well and good health.” There are a number of bullet points the township can participate in, he said, including a voluntary wellness campaign for employees, sharing wellness information with the broader community, planning and promoting healthy living and wellness events, developing walking maps, mapping trails for distances and encouraging walking and bike riding as options for commuting.

• The new traffic signal at Hardt Road/Lakeside Road and Route 910 is close to being completed, Bastianini said. The signal will blink for several days before becoming fully operational, which he expects to happen the first week in March.

• Construction has begun on the new splash pad at Richland Community Park and the township hopes the new feature will be operational by Memorial Day. Crews have already removed the old playground equipment from the area. Project updates and photos can be found at https://richland.pa.us/.