The Coplay Parks and Recreation Board has ambitious goals.

The board members hope to have several large projects completed in time for the borough's 150th anniversary in 2019.

"Our job is to make Coplay a better place," said parks and rec Chairman Steve Burker. "They trust us to do that. That's why they elected us. They want to see results."

The board has split the projects into phases.

In Phase I, the borough plans to replace the lights at Balliet Stadium.

"We need to ... restore Balliet Stadium back to its glory days," he said.

The second part of Phase I includes refurbishing a park located behind the fire department building on Cherry Street. Tennis courts are to be removed and replaced with new basketball courts and a volleyball court. Lights, a mini pavilion and parking, also will be added.

"It's going to be like a small family sports complex," he said.

This month, council is applying for grants to fund the $250,000 project at Balliet and the $120,000 project on Cherry Street.

"Chances are we're not going to get both these grants," Burker said. "But we're rolling the dice and putting two separate grant applications in."

Another newspaper did a feature on the Balliet Stadium project which Burker said gave the impression Balliet is the group's only project. He wants to emphasize it is not.

In addition to Cherry Street, the board has earmarked as Phase II a civic plaza and the replacement of the kiddie pool at the parkway with a spray park.

The plaza is especially important.

"It's the first thing you're going to see coming across the Coplay-Northampton Bridge," Burker said.

The spray park may be a luxury, he said, but it something residents want.

Grants for these projects also will be sought. Burker said the borough will apply for grants for these projects in April.

"To get the grants you have to have a board and that board had to produce a plan," Burker said.

"We're playing catch up. We are. Make no mistake about that. Everything's going to cost us twice what it would have cost if it was done five or 10 years ago."

The borough always had a parks and rec board but it wasn't very active. Members met sometimes as little as three times a year.

Burker, also a borough councilman, said when he became chairman of council's parks and rec committee, parks and rec board member Bill Loy approached him and suggested they revive the board.

"Once I got the board together we met twice or three times a month to put the plan together," Burker said.

Members of borough council met with the rec board to show their support, Burker said.

This was good because council must approve the parks and rec board's plans.

"So why not get to know each other?" he said.

Burker said it's important to get these projects done now. The longer the borough waits, the higher the costs. Had some of these projects been done years ago, the cost would have been less than it is today.

"If you don't fix it now, it's going to be too late," he said.