Diamond Hill Park to get a community center upgrade

drainage issues in the large park parking lot, an aspect that will be addressed in the new building’s single-story, ground-level foundation design.

A new septic system is also in the plan as are parking lot improvements in the area off Diamond Hill Road, according to Mutter.

The improvement of the parking area running out toward the park athletic facilities is part of other park update projects that are also in the works such as the park stage and reflecting pond improvements, and the MTB pump track project state Sen. Ryan Pearson obtained a $100,000 DEM grant for last summer.

The ski lodge replacement project seeks to add a more versatile community building to the park that will include updated office space for the Parks & Recreation Department, according to Mutter.

“It is a community space because it can be used as a venue if people want to have some sort of gathering or a function,” Mutter noted.

The main meeting room’s capacity of about 175 people would allow it to be rented for family and social events such as weddings or parties, but also serve community groups for functions or special programs like a senior dance group meeting.

“We still want it to be a community space, where different organizations in town can have a gathering, a breakfast or this or that, whatever that facility can be used for,” Mutter noted.

“Right now we’re building the building with some flexibility and then along

with the rec department we would decide on the actual programming later on,” the mayor added.

In addition to the new office space for the recreation department, the building would have a kitchen, bathroom facilities and utility spaces off the main meeting space.

The post and beam design would give that meeting space a connection to the old lodge but with a more modern and appealing feel to it, according to Mutter.

The slab construction and septic system updates would eliminate the building problems of the past and the new office space would allow the town to

move out of the old park home that has been used by Parks & Rec for decades.

“There is going to be an alternate in the design plan for pickleball courts to be developed in the area where the existing rec building is now,” Mutter noted.

That option would be determined as the planning stage continues, the mayor added.

With the $3 million already set aside for the lodge building update, Mutter said the town could enhance that sum with some of its available American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding or additional grants.

“We’re looking at somewhere in the ballpark of $3 million to $3.5 million for the project,” Mutter noted.

The next step will be to get a request for proposals out to see what the actual costs of the improvements might be, Mutter explained.

“We’ve got a plan, we’ve got the funding, and we are excited about that,” Mutter said.

“And we have some other projects going over there at Diamond Hill Park, so yes, we should see some big progress in the first half of 2023,” Mutter said.