When Coplay Borough Council approved the renovation plan for Saylor Park, it did so with the understanding that the park would be opened in 2018, in time for the borough’s 150-year celebration.

The renovations will be funded by both the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the borough. DCNR’s funding is a significant part of the overall project.

Township Engineer Daniel Witczak, of Acela Engineering, promised to move the project forward at a fast clip. At council’s meeting Sept. 12, he reiterated his commitment to the 2018 completion date. Councilmen Charles Sodl and Stephen Burker, under the impression the project was approved at the county level, were disappointed to learn the approval was only preliminary and based on necessary changes to the plan.

“Our commitment was to have the park ready in the spring,” Sodl said. “We still want to stay with that time frame.”

Witczak assured Sodl that Acela had shaved weeks off the standard plan.

“We should have changes they requested back to them by the end of the month. We received everything last week, and we are working on revisions now,” he said.

In other business, the Front Street project is moving closer to completion.

“We need to pulverize concrete to use for fill and make a few repairs,” Witczak said.

The final restoration of the roadway is out for bids. Coplay-Whitehall Sewer Authority will review the bids and make the award.

Council is anxious that the base asphalt coat is installed before winter.

“We will have plenty of problems trying to plow Front Street unless we get it repaired,” Council President Louis Bodish said.

Part of the bid process includes an underdrain for Front Street. The underdrain will divert water from the roadway bed and extend the life of the pavement. When questioned about the necessity of the under- drain, Bodish defended the expense.

“The borough will need to pay for it. By the time we are done, we will have close to a million dollars in Front Street,” Bodish said. “We put the under- drain in the section we completed earlier in the year, and we need it in this section also.”

Bodish received consensus to move forward with the expense.

A Community Development Block Grant project at Second Street has hit a snag. To complete the project, UGI needs to officially abandon an old 10-inch gas line. To get the grant funds, the project needed to be completed by Sept. 15. The borough does not want to foot the bill if the grant is terminated.

Witczak said he is confident he can get an extension for the grant completion.

A request by Coplay Sports for an Oct. 14 bonfire, at the last softball game of the season, prompted a discussion of whether a bonfire was permitted. Burker said he will meet with fire department and Coplay Sports officials to determine the details. Council could give a consensus ruling at its workshop session Oct. 3.