Werner Park Lights Bid Awarded In Warminster

WARMINSTER, PA —Werner Park got the green light as the first township park to be considered for lighting improvements.

At its meeting last week, Warminster Township Supervisors awarded a bid of $729,250 to Carr and Duff, LCC, to make the lighting upgrades.

Township officials said the bid is subject to verification that the form meets the requirements of the township's responsible contractor ordinance.

Township Engineer Craig Kennard said that the township received two bids on April 25 and that the Carr and Duff bid came in $220,000 less than the other bid. Township officials had anticipated spending just under $1 million on the project.

The project involves the removal of the existing lighting, upgrading electrical service, and installing new outdoor sports lighting at Werner Park on 101 Kirk Rd.

In late December, Warminster Parks and Recreation Director Jessica Fox presented supervisors with lighting plan options for the township's five main parks: Werner, Munro, Syzmanek, Log College, and Warminster Community Park.

Werner Park was the first park supervisors approved for the upgrades during a meeting in early March.

The lighting was first installed in 1956.

"This is going to be really nice," Supervisors Chairman Kenneth Hayes said. "I had looked at the Band-Aid on these lights and said, 'This is ridiculous.' Now we'll have lights there for the next 30 years."

Hayes said the funding is also coming from the American Recovery Act.

"I'm happy the federal government gave us this money," Hayes said.

The original proposal called for the football practice field to have four wooden light poles that are 35 feet in height replaced with one pole that would be raised to 70 feet for the best lighting usage.

Additionally, the 10 poles at the football and softball fields that are 50 feet high would be replaced with seven poles that are 70 feet high.

But resident feedback might have poles between 40 feet and 70 feet.

Hayes said the timetable for construction is still uncertain and is being worked out with Jessica Fox, the township's director of parks and recreation.

Township officials had hoped to begin construction in October but that with the upcoming football season, work might have to wait until December.

Officials estimated the entire park project could cost between $3-5 million, but that the upgrades would be spread out over time since the township can't afford to tackle such an expense in one shot.