HAWLEY, PA — It was all basically positive news at May 14th’s Hawley Borough Council meeting. From rebuilding the park to planning for future events to making moves toward removing any unsightly and unsafe structures, steps are being taken to make the town an inviting and attractive place to live and visit.

Plans for a new playground have previously been approved by the parks commission and were presented to the board for approval at the meeting. The plans call for some major changes to Bingham Park as it has previously existed. The playground will be moved to an area where it is less likely to interfere with those utilizing the existing ball fields. Two units of the playground are to be relocated.

The playground is Phase One of improvements that will be made to Bingham Park over time. As of now, after approval of the plans, the manufacturing plant requires eight weeks to customize and produce the pieces for the playground, which can then be assembled. The new plans incorporate rubberized flooring underneath and around the play area. This area will not only protect users of the apparatus, but also provides a surface suitable for strollers, tricycles and any other small, wheeled objects. It also makes the park exceptionally wheelchair accessible. The parks commission plans on having the project completed by the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year. The plan was met with unanimous approval by both the board and those present for the meeting. Phase II will involve building new bathrooms, plans for which have already undergone initial approval.

The park will be the scene of a variety of activities for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday. Between the annual parade and fireworks at dusk, local musician Jason Merrill will be heading a public jam at the bandstand from 1 to 4 p.m. All musicians of any age and skill level are welcome to come and contribute their talents to the event. This event will be family friendly. Plans call for the event to be held in combination with a carnival on the park grounds supplied by an independent contractor. However, many details with the contractor remain unresolved such as insurance, security, bathroom facilities, hours of operation and handling of garbage.

In other business, a number of residents voiced concern regarding some unsafe and unsightly structures within the borough. Among them are a house that burned over four years ago and another that sustained considerable damage after a dump truck ran off the road. Many of these structures have a long history with the borough and lawsuits pending. Now, however, the board will be taking steps toward formally establishing these as unsafe structures and making their demolition mandatory. Some other property owners in the borough may be forced to clean their properties under a visual nuisance ordinance.

With the floods of last spring now closing in on their one-year anniversary, work is in its final stages of fixing what was damaged during the deluge. The town has secured a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant to help fund the repairs. The decision was reached to replace a damaged grate with a stainless steel one for the price of $1,500. The aluminum one originally agreed upon in last month’s meeting was priced at $1,296, but the steel one will have a longer lifespan and was deemed to be the wiser choice.