Northam Park prepares for summer construction
By Alex Keller, ’14
The Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation Department has made plans to rebuild the UAPL parking lot starting June 8.
Assistant Director of the UAPL Kate Porter is one of many excited to see the new parking lot.
“We receive daily complaints about the condition of the parking lot from our patrons,” Porter said. “The condition of the lot has really deteriorated this past year and has turned into a safety issue not only for our patrons but for those using the park and school as well.”
Parks and Recreation Department Director Tim Moloney has received numerous complaints about the state of the parking lot. The plans to remodel the parking lot even appeared in the 2007 Parks and Recreation strategic plan, however, the city did not approved money for the project until this year.
“This parking lot is at a point of no repair, there are dozens and dozens, if not hundreds of potholes,” Moloney said. “The potholes can’t even be patched because the base is gone so even when we go in to put in a patch it sits there until the next time it rains and then the base moves a little bit then the patch falls out.”
With these issues at hand, Moloney plans to have holes drilled into the pavement to test the soil to check which sections will need more stabilization. Moloney hopes rebuilding the parking lot from the base will allow the new parking lot a lifespan of at least 50 years.
On top of rebuilding the base, the parking lot will be replacing the Tremont kiddie pool.
“In order to fill the parking needs, to build the parking lot in the right shape, to worry about traffic patterns with people getting in and out of Tremont School during pick up and drop off, we squared this lot off,” Moloney said.
A new fence will be put up on the opposite side of the kiddie pool in order to block it off from the rest of the construction.
While only a small portion of the kiddie pool is in the way of squaring off the parking lot, the whole area will be taken out in order to have enough room to suffice the need for a new sidewalk and fence.
Moloney has no intention of replacing the kiddie pool, which will result in the loss of one needed lifeguard for the Tremont Pool staff for future pool seasons.
Senior Abbey Janes is a lifeguard who plans to work at Tremont Pool this summer during the construction.
“I think it’ll make the pool less enjoyable and parents with younger kids won’t go as much,” Janes said.
According to Moloney, while there are no official plans, he hopes to rebuild the parking lot in phases starting with the north poolside. Moloney believes this will limit problems with parking.
While the construction will involve an adjustment for the surrounding businesses, Moloney is excited to see the project take place.
“This plan really captures what is going on at this park today,” Moloney said. “This is going to allow people to get to it better [and] it’s going to really create a much more useable space.”
Image Caption: As Upper Arlington Parks and Recreation plans to rebuild the UAPL parking lot, sketches are are continuing to be drawn. To increase the size and efficiency of the parking lot, the Tremont Kiddie pool is scheduled to be taken out.