Open Space Funds to Pay for Baseball Fields, Main Street Plaza

At the February 2 meeting, Souderton Borough Council approved a grant application for the acquisition of the South Front Street baseball fields. The borough has proposed to purchase the fields from Zion Mennonite Church for $640,000, contingent upon obtaining grant funding. After members of the Zion Mennonite Church accepted the borough’s proposal, Borough Council approved the filing of an acquisition grant application under the Montgomery County Green Fields/Green Towns program to provide $512,000 in funding towards this purchase. The remaining $128,000 will be funded by a state grant, which has already been approved. This purchase will be funded entirely through grant funds and is expected to be finalized in summer 2009.

Main Street Plaza

Borough Council also approved a grant for construction of the Main Street Plaza, the grassy area separating the Main Street parking lot from the street. The Green Fields/Green Towns program awarded the borough $66,452 in funding for the project; the borough will provide matching funds of $16,000. The Main Street Plaza will be transformed into a pocket park , complete with new trees, landscaping, curbing, street furniture, a sculpture, and an information kiosk. The money for this project has already been budgeted for this year; construction is expected to be complete by the end of summer 2009.