EAST PALESTINE, Ohio – Two years after the Norfolk Southern train derailment in the village, small amounts of contamination are still being found and East Palestine City Park is torn asunder.
The park, which is located 2 miles from the Feb. 3, 2023, fiery crash site, was later used to store large containers of contaminated materials. And two streams where contamination was found, Sulphur Run and Leslie Run, both merge near the park.
As part of Norfolk Southern’s “Making It Right” campaign, the railroad offered to put $25 million into renovating the park, the crown jewel of the village.
With only a memorandum of understanding between the village and the railroad, disappointment and concern for the future of the park project is already being expressed. And Norfolk Southern’s contractor, Michael Baker International, has let the village know the project is already more than $3 million over budget.
Members of the community have taken to social media to challenge the slow pace of the project and question why there was no contract, only an MOU signed by former Village Manager Chad Edwards and containing a clause allowing either side to back out.
“The park board and council are frustrated,” said Jess Rocco, councilwoman and chair of the Village Council’s parks committee. “We started off with one promise and it continues to change. We vote on this concept and this concept, and then that continues to change.”
The village and Norfolk Southern announced they had reached a settlement in late January, which included an agreement that the park project would not exceed $25 million and that the parties would continue to work together, making the modifications necessary to keep the project under budget.
Then the contractor came to a Village Council meeting last week to talk about the overruns and design fees not being included in the original estimate, Rocco said.
“It felt disappointing to learn about those costs after the village made all their settlements,” said Melissa Smith, founder and owner of the 1820 Candle Co. and a Community Improvement Corporation board member. “It felt dishonest.”
The Village Council has asked why the project doesn’t seem to be moving at all, stuck in the first phase of multiple phases. Mayor Trent Conaway said the contractor is waiting on a paving plant to reopen for the season, and then the basketball, tennis, pickleball and volleyball courts can be completed.
Plans for the park project include an amphitheater stage, a new pool house and pool, new prefabricated restrooms, a new playground and patio for playground observation, improvements to the brick pavilion, a softball field, additional parking and resurfacing of the roadway around the park.
Council members believe the second phase hasn’t even been bid yet, and council again has asked for a detailed breakdown of estimates for the project so the village and those in the surrounding area who use the park can make decisions if changes must be made.
Michael Baker International is expected to meet with the council again March 10.
The Swimming Pool
When the park project was announced, addressing the aging swimming pool was at the top of the list.
“We made it abundantly clear that the pool was critical,” Rocco said, adding there were things on the list the village didn’t recommend. “The pool was the most important piece of the project.”
The pool was supposed to be completed by Memorial Day, but as months passed, Rocco said, it became clear the target was moving.
“And now there is no target,” she said. “The one thing that was most important is not even on the radar at this point.”
Misti Martin, village clerk and administrative assistant, who has been serving as interim manager for the past four months, said there have been “a lot of whammies this year” when it comes to the park renovation, including that the pool would not be done in time, the new tennis courts may not be ready for the high school tennis team this spring and the fireworks show on the Fourth of July has been canceled.
Martin said many have talked about just renovating the pool, which has both historical and sentimental value to the community. But there are challenges in renovating the 85-year-old pool, she said.
“We just keep putting Band-Aids on it every year, and every year it costs a lot of money to do that,” Martin said, adding the electrical issues in the same pit where the pump is housed are now a safety hazard for employees. She thinks there are ways to incorporate parts of the former pool into the new pool.
“It was 100% a safety thing,” Conaway said of the decision to close the pool early last summer.
Conaway points out the pool is not a money maker, and on a good year it just breaks even.
Potential Cuts and Changes
As Village Council talks about what is cut, Rocco questions the validity of $1 million for a baseball field, although she believes it’s more important than landscaping. She also believes both could be done by local contractors and at a much lower cost.
“I don’t feel like the village entity has had its hand out,” Rocco said. “I don’t feel it has been unreasonable in requests. The village has been fair. [Norfolk] offered a gift; we accepted a gift. And now it seems like it’s at the mercy of someone else.”
Conaway said while what they’ve seen “looks pretty on paper,” the village will have to make repairs and cover the costs of what is done once the project is complete. He is against, for instance, extensive landscaping that the village would have to pay to have maintained. He also questioned bringing in pavers from outside the area when less expensive ones can be found locally.
“We definitely want to use local contractors on this,” Conaway said. “And I think if we take control, we can try to use local contractors and work with them.”
Conaway said he is in favor of the village hiring its own manager to oversee the project full time. Norfolk’s project manager reportedly is in the village once a month.
“This isn’t a bash Norfolk or bash Michael Baker thing,” Conaway said. “It’s just getting to the bottom of it and getting it fixed.”
In the meantime, Conaway said the village will keep as much of the park open as possible as the project continues. Rentals for the pavilions, the brick cabin, the Girl Scout cabin and the Community Center will be honored, although there is some work scheduled to be done around the community center. Fencing will be added to keep people away from any work sites.
“We still want people to be able to enjoy the park,” Conaway said. “We don’t want to close the park, and it sounds like it wouldn’t help if we did. So, as of right now, we’re going to leave the park open.”
Pictured at top: The pool at East Palestine City Park.