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Lebanon City Council heard updates on Jan. 27 regarding the Coleman Memorial Park connector project, which is under construction now and expected to be completed this spring.
Chair of the Coleman Memorial Park Board of Trustees David Funk went through the various events they held at the park in 2024 and what residents can expect in 2025.
“The connector trail to Union Canal (Tunnel) Park is under construction now,” Funk said to the council. “There’s two 100-acre parks within walking distance of each other and it’ll be great to get them connected. Then from Union Canal, that connects to the Rail Trail, so there’s a really fabulous recreational area on that side of our town.”
He said it will be paid for with $150,000 Resilient Engaged Active Community Health, or REACH, funds.
The part of the trail that still needs to be completed is about a quarter of a mile, according to Funk.
“The trail is roughed in, so I think they’ll get it graded hopefully over the winter, and then when the paving plants open this spring, we should be able to get the portion that gets paved done,” he said. “We’re hoping to see it be finished before the baseball season starts.”
He said the specific timing for construction will depend on the weather.
Lebanon resident feedback requested
Mayor Sherry Capello said the city is asking residents, homeowners, business owners, and anyone involved in the city to fill out a community needs survey.
The survey’s results will help the city decide on what projects they should put money toward if it becomes available in the future.
It requires people to rank five categories — housing, public services, economic development, community facilities, and public improvements — based on importance. It then gives specific examples of improvements in each category to be ranked and provides space for people to include their own project ideas.
The form is available online through the city website. There are also print copies available at City Hall for anyone who does not have access to the internet.
The deadline to fill out the survey is March 7.
In other business, council unanimously approved an amendment to the city’s stormwater management regulations. Engineer Stephen Sherk said the recent edits are mostly minor wording changes.
Councilman Brian Martin said residents won’t see any changes to their daily lives, and they amended the regulations to better align with updated state guidelines.
Council’s next pre-council planning meeting will be on Feb. 20 at 4:45 p.m. The next regular monthly meeting will be on Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public and will be held in the City Hall multi-purpose room, 735 Cumberland St., first floor, Lebanon.
Meetings are also streamed live on the Lebanon PA City Council YouTube page.
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