Park ‘Till Dark
Find Out What’s Happening in the Park! Bethel Park Library Presentation
Save the Date!
What’s happening in South Park?
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
Have you seen the new outdoor classroom, the Restored Cascades at Stone Manse or the gorgeous Paul Riis Meadow? Did you know that the new Fairgrounds parking lot is projected to save 2.5 million gallons of rain water from going into Catfish Run? Have you heard about plans for the “Paul Riis Walking Trail? If you would like to know more about the history of South Park and all the exciting projects completed and proposed, please join Barbara Brewton, Institutional Giving and Project Manager for the Allegheny County Parks Foundation and Carolyn Savikas, Chair of the Friends of South Park at the Bethel Park Library on Wednesday, April 13, 2022, 6:30 PM at the Bethel Park Library, 5100 W. Library Avenue, Bethel Park, PA 15102.
Register on line at www.bethelparklibrary.org or call 412-835-2207
December 9th, 2021 Meeting
The first public meeting of the newly reorganized “Friends of South Park” was held on December 9, 2021 in the Silent Brook Barn. All County Friends Groups had previously been suspended pending the updating of County Council’s ordinance governing these volunteer groups.
County Parks Director, Andy Baechle, began his remarks acknowledging that the County was well aware of the issues with the new solar lights on Corrigan Drive. He is working with the engineers and the manufacturer to correct the problems. He mentioned that the Cascades restoration was complete and that the focus was historical restoration rather than to encourage swimming in the pools which would have required a fence, lifeguard and additional regulations. The green parking lot at the top of the Fairgrounds has been completed. It’s estimated that the permeable asphalt will capture 2.5 million gallons of rainwater per year and last twice as long as regular asphalt.
Thanks to Dave and Anne Oyler, the Nevin Shelter, designed by Paul Riis is being restored.
The “Friends Pond Patrol” has been working with the County to enhance the ponds at Maple Springs and the Game Preserve. Andy announced that the County has requested several proposals to prepare an ecological assessment and improvements plan for the pond on Maple Springs by the Gazebo and the Game Preserve. Proposals need to be submitted by February 21 to improve water quality, aquatic habitat, and overall aesthetics. We will keep the public updated.
Barbara Brewton, Project Manager for the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, wanted to thank everyone who contributed to the $1.2 million restoration of the Cascades. She reiterated that the Foundation is using The Allegheny County Parks Ecological Assessment and Action Plan for improvements to South Park. A plan that the Friends of South Park were instrumental in having developed. In addition to the Nevin Shelter, several foundations may be interested in restoring the Edgebrook Pavilion and Bridge,
another Paul Riis historical structure.
Fairgrounds Parking Lot
On December 21, 2021, County Executive Rich Fitzgerald along with state and county officials opened the new permeable parking lot at the Fairgrounds. The 2.5 acre lot will accommodate 125 vehicles and has 5 ADA-accessible spaces. 64,980 square feet of gravel was installed under 210,000 concrete pavers so that storm water will flow into the open joints between each paver then into the gavel bed below to avoid overflowing Catfish Run. The gravel bed can hold 89,000 gallons of water at any given time allowing it to be slowly absorbed into the ground. It’s anticipated that the parking lot will capture 95% of all rain that falls on it or about 2.5 million gallons of storm water annually.
The project also includes planting almost 100 trees and two large rain gardens. “We believe that as the trees and plants begin to grow and bloom, this parking lot will become a place where visitors will want to hangout, relax and admire the beauty”, said Rich Fitzgerald. This project was truly a collaborative effort, involving the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, four county departments and the support of local partners.