November 1, 2023 |
Photo – Map of future park – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Never Forget Park Committee will begin requesting contractor bids today for work on Saratoga’s outdoor war memorial.
The idea for a park honoring service members originated 15 years ago when Saratoga resident Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett was killed in Iraq. Work on the park has stalled several times over the past decade and a half due to disputes over its location and scope. A section of town owned land between Veteran’s Island and the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort was chosen as the future site of the Never Forget Park.
To make the park bigger, town officials considered swapping land in the Overlook section of town for a strip of private property adjacent to Veterans Island that is owned by the Hot Springs Resort. When the swap failed, town officials returned to the park’s original design. The final plans were received in September of 2022, but no construction has begun on the park.
Last year, the Never Forget Park Committee was formed to guide the memorial space to completion. Committee member Stacy Crimmins addressed the Saratoga town council on October 17th. During the meeting, Crimmins said the park will honor every person who has served to protect the public. Crimmins said Never Forget Park needs to be finished.
Crimmins said the Never Forget Park Committee has not been able to find any grant funding for the project. However, Crimmins said thanks to generous donations and fundraising events, the Never Forget Park Committee has over a quarter of a million dollars set aside for park construction.
Construction on the Never Forget Park will be broken up into several phases. Each phase will be tackled when the committee has the money to move forward.
Crimmins said the Never Forget Park Committee has changed the design plans received in September of 2022 after receiving public comments about parking. Crimmins said financial limitations delayed paving the parking area until later in the project.
Crimmins said she will begin soliciting for contractor bids today. Later in the month, Crimmins said the Never Forget Park Committee will hold a public meeting and a site visit for interested contractors. The park committee member said construction companies must turn in their bid packages by the end of the month.
Crimmins said the committee will open the bids in December and determine if more money is needed for construction. If so, Crimmins said the committee has 30 to 60 days to raise any additional funding. The Never Forget Park Committee member said a contractor will be chosen by the end of January, with construction tentatively slated to begin in early spring.
Afterwards, Crimmins said the park committee will begin working on the next phase of the project.
At the October 17th Saratoga town council meeting, Mayor Chuck Davis asked Crimmins if she had an estimated total price for the first phase of construction. Crimmins said the committee is still approximately $53,000 short, but she’s hopeful that discounts can be found during construction.
Crimmins asked the town council to sign a resolution allowing her to apply for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant totaling $318,400. The motion was made and seconded.
A public meeting on the Never Forget Park will be held next Thursday, November 8th at 5:30 pm in the Saratoga town hall. Visit www.neverforgetpark.com for more information about the project and how to donate.
