Aberdeen and Hoquiam have taken steps to update some city parks, including approving a bid for fencing at Garley Park for Aberdeen’s first dog park.
Parks Director Stacie Barnum told the Aberdeen City Council on Sept. 9 that LaDue Fencing was the lowest of two qualifying bids at $21,663.29. The McCleary-based company will install more than 850 feet of 6-foot chain-link fencing, two 12-foot double-swing gates and four 6-foot single swing gates.
The dog park is a portion of the updates to Garley Park, located at the corner of West Huntley Street and Coolidge Road, south and west of the Shoppes at Riverside in South Aberdeen. The existing playground will be updated as well. The project budget includes $50,000 from the Morrison Trust donated to the city for children, a $25,000 grant from the Grays Harbor Community Foundation, a $2,500 Sierra Pacific Foundation grant and $250 from the Aberdeen Lion’s Club.
Hoquiam is another step closer to putting field lights in at Gable Park next to the Hoquiam High School so fastpitch programs can play night games. Mayor Ben Winkelman on Monday told the City Council the project is about three years in the making, and the addition of lights could attract other users, with rental fees making money for the city.
City Administrator Brian Shay told the council the low bid for the lighting came in at just under $75,000 from Columbia Electric Supply in Aberdeen. The lights will be affixed to the light poles already at the park. An additional $6,550 for electrical supplies will come from Platt Electric in Aberdeen.
The bulk of the project will be paid from a $64,000 grant from the state Recreation and Conservation Office. The fastpitch league that uses the park originally pledged the additional $16,000 needed for the lighting project; however, Shay told the council that there was a change in leadership in the league and he was uncertain what amount would still be available from the league. City Finance Director Corri Schmid told the council if additional outside funds are not available the balance would be paid out of the city’s general fund.
