BROWNSTOWN

The town council recently paved the way for a $53,979.54 project to give visitors to the Brownstown Park a smoother drive through the parking lots.

That work will include new asphalt for the lower parking lot at the park at 709-799 W. Bridge St. Cracks in two other parking lots will be filled before they are stripped and sealcoated.

The lower parking lot, generally used by Brownstown Baseball Association for youth baseball games in the spring and summer, is crumbled asphalt. That asphalt will be cleared to make way for the new asphalt. The lot was last paved 11 years ago.

That work has a $45,592 price tag.

The cost of redoing the parking lot near the volleyball court, softball field, playgrounds and shelter houses is $5,395.50, while the cost of redoing a third parking lot, which mainly serves the swimming pool, is $2,992.04.

Councilwoman Sharon Koch, who serves as a liaison to the park board, said the parking in the lots serving the baseball diamonds, playgrounds, volleyball courts and shelter house will be striped a different way to improve traffic flow.

All Star Paving of Seymour, the only bidder, won the contract for the work to be completed this fall.

That contract was approved by a 3-0 vote during the Oct. 7 town council meeting at town hall. All Star paving also is doing paving projects for the town this fall.

About four years ago, the lower parking lot became wavy, presenting a hazard, so the asphalt was broken up and smoothed out.

Years ago before the area became a park, it was a dumping ground for items like old trees, which were dropped in and covered up. That led to the uneven pavement.

As part of the park board’s five-year plan, recently approved by the state, more parking will be added. In 2021, one of the projects involves adding a parking lot left of the park entrance. Right now, there is a gravel area for people to use as parking.

Clerk-treasurer David Willey said funding for the work will likely come from the cumulative capital development fund.