Hawley Parks & Rec pursuing bandstand wheelchair lift, dog park pavilion

Peter Becker, Tri-County Independent
·3 min read

With the Hawley bandstand rehabilitation almost complete, the Parks & Recreation Commission is looking to see if the requested handicapped access lift can be installed this fall. At the Aug. 29 meeting, the commission also made plans to have a pavilion erected to complement the dog park at Riverside Park.

Alan Cooper is on the board of ARC of Wayne County and coaches the Hawley Challenger League, both organizations helping youths with special needs. He had presented plans for the lift at the Jan. 31 Parks & Rec meeting on behalf of ARC of Wayne County, stating there would be no cost to the borough. The matter came up after Dyberry Day Camp, hosted by ARC every summer, held their annual picnic at Bingham Park and found some of their participants could not access the bandstand. The structure is reachable only by a staircase. The proposal was first made in July 2022.

After determining that a wheelchair ramp would not be practical, the plan was approved to install an electrically operated lift. Cooper attended the August Parks & Rec meeting, where he stated that ARC presently has volunteers lined up to do the labor and would rather not wait until next spring, in case they were not still available. Costs also go up, he added. A small concrete pad would be needed, which would have to be poured before winter.

Parks & Rec agreed to arrange a meeting on-site with Northeast Med-Equip, out of Honesdale, where the lift is being purchased, with Parks & Rec representatives and Hawley Public Works Director Scott Mead.

Hawley borough councilor/Parks & Rec member Elaine Herzog said that they want the lift to be functional, while still being as visually aesthetic as possible. They discussed making a swing gate in the railing, using a portion of the wooden railing by cutting into it and installing hinges.

Now officially known as the Ellingsen Bandstand, the Hawley landmark built in 1932, is receiving a new wooden floor. A major rehabilitation commenced in June 2023. A wheelchair lift has been proposed to be installed on the side, which it was suggested may be placed to the right of the steps. The lift will be at no cost to the borough, Alan Cooper, board member of ARC of Wayne County stated. This picture was taken in late August.

Cooper said the plan is to put the lift on the right side of the steps, toward the playground, to make it less conspicuous.

Borough council approved having a lift installed, after Parks & Rec recommended it. The project was delayed due to the bandstand renovations which began in June. A permit has been issued, but Herzog said a review of final specifications and placement may be needed before proceeding.

The flooring on the 1932 bandstand is currently being replaced. The historic bandstand was re-dedicated on July 29 in honor of the late Christopher Ellingsen, the civil engineer from Hawley who designed the park.

More: Hawley bandstand renamed for Bingham Park engineer Christopher Ellingsen

Dog park pavilion

In July, a group of residents who bring their dogs to the Riverside Dog Park in Hawley asked Parks & Rec about having a pavilion constructed to help provide shade. A pavilion was first proposed in the original plans for the park, which opened in 2020. Local residents had championed the project and raised funds to put it together.

Herzog reported that after researching, she found the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) had given permission to include a pavilion when the original plans were presented. Parks & Rec needed to be certain this was the case, as the DEP restricts erection of any structures on the flood plain.

Parks & Rec member Richard Briden, a retired engineer, said that there are pavilion kits available, and believed that the project could be completed within close range of the $5,700 the borough has set aside for the park. Briden said he will bring back prices for review at the September Parks & Rec meeting.

Riverside Dog Park in Hawley is open daily, at no charge. Park rules are posted. It is accessed off Church Street near the railroad crossing, within Riverside Park. Local dog owners proposed it in 2017 and with borough's blessings, raised funds. The park opened in 2020. Dog park supporters have proposed to Hawley Parks & Recreation about the possibility of erecting a pavilion.

At the March Parks & Rec meeting, James Shook, representing the Lake Wallenpaupack Community Dock Foundation, presented $5,700 left over from the Riverside Dog Park funds to Hawley Parks & Rec. The Community Dock Foundation collected donations for the park after the plan was proposed by residents Heather Genzlinger and Sue Currier and approved by the borough in 2017.

Hawley Parks & Rec meets on the last Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m., at Borough Hall, 94 Main Ave.

For more about ARC of Wayne County PA, visit thearcwaynecountypa.org.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Hawley bandstand: Wheelchair lift could be installed this fall