PARK RIDGE—Council president John Ferguson says some residents have expressed concerns since voters in November defeated the $15.5 million non-binding referendum to dredge Mill Pond.
“We are exhausting all possible options, whether it be recreation or filling it in—we are going through everything possible,” he said at the Feb. 27 meeting of the governing body.
He said the council did agree to hire a special grants writer, contingent on a few things, “that is going to hopefully get us some big money. We’re looking for big money.”
Referring to a recent county Open Space grant, Ferguson said the borough was planning a kick-off meeting on Feb. 29 for a renovation project on the town’s historic train station. The project was approved for a $412,150 county Open Space historical preservation grant in December 2023.
Train station preservation work on track
On March 1, Mayor Keith Misciagna advised that on Feb. 29 he met with members of the borough’s Train Station Preservation Committee, which includes borough historian Ralph Donnell, council president John Ferguson, Terry and Eileen Maguire, and Tammy Levinson.
“Everyone got a history lesson from Ralph and viewed photos of our historic train station among other parts of our borough,” the mayor said.
He said that in the next several weeks the borough will undertake an engineer survey to review the exterior and interior conditions of the train station as well as design plans for the restoration.
“Our history is very important in Park Ridge, and we have a lot to be proud of so we need to be good stewards of our history so that the next generation can enjoy and understand where we all came from,” he said.
Pool opens May 25
The Park Ridge Municipal Pool will open on Saturday, May 25. Pool memberships will be open to all Park Ridge residents, previous years’ pool members, non-resident employees of the Borough of Park Ridge, and the Board of Education.
A limited number of memberships will be offered to non-residents, so ensure you get your registrations in early once they are available.
Registration is available at parkridgeboro.com. Register and pay by May 24 to avoid a $40 late fee. If electronic signup is not possible, registration forms can be picked up at the pool office on weekends from noon to 3 p.m. from May 4.