BERLIN – A $99,000 grant is expected to help the town install permanent restrooms at Stephen Decatur Park.
Berlin has received a $99,000 Community Parks and Playgrounds grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for permanent restrooms at Stephen Decatur Park.
“It’s a really big win for Stephen Decatur Park,” Mayor Zack Tyndall said.
Tyndall announced the grant last Friday, noting that the grant award came six years after the town’s initial application for the project was denied. Following that initial denial, the town sought funding for other projects and was successful in receiving funding to help with Henry Park restrooms and the resurfacing of the tennis courts at Stephen Decatur Park. In 2020, officials agreed to again seek funding for permanent restrooms at Stephen Decatur Park. Tyndall said the Board of Public Works approved the town’s application for $99,000 in funding last week. The mayor praised the Community Parks and Playgrounds program.
“This grant funding has helped fund quite a bit in Berlin,” he said. “It’s definitely a good grant to pursue and I don’t think Berlin’s short of projects.”
The municipality applied for $99,000 with a town match of $11,000, according to Deputy Town Administrator Mary Bohlen. She said the total project estimate was $110,000 at that time the application was submitted.
“Of course, as everyone is aware, construction costs have been seriously inflated since the application was submitted,” she said. “This is one of the disadvantages of such a long application process. That said, we are hopeful that we will be able to complete the project within budget as those prices seem to be coming down.”
Though pre-fabricated restrooms were installed at Henry Park, Tyndall said staff would be considering all options in an effort to find the most cost effective option for Stephen Decatur Park.
