A pitch by a Bowmanstown organization to create a multi-use park along Railroad Street near the post office has failed.

Resident Sharon Krebs, a member of Bowmanstown Area Residents Concerned, brought the matter to the table during Tuesday’s borough council meeting.

Councilwoman Kara Scott, who also serves as president of BARC, said the group applied for a RecTap grant, which would cover the cost of the survey and concept plan, but didn’t receive the grant.

Scott said she followed up this year and was told the grant needed to come from the municipality, because the borough is the landholder.

She said the grant is administered through the Pennsylvania Parks and Recreation Society.

“We put it together,” Scott said. “It will be BARC’s responsibility to do it.”

Councilman William Ravert said that if council were to approve the concept, the borough would need a location to dump its snow.

Scott said that several years ago BARC approached council, which requested a concept design, and that the only purpose of the grant is to get the concept design that the borough requested.

Scott said all the borough would be responsible for would be sending the grant application through their office, on their letterhead, and added there would be no cost burden to the borough, as BARC has been raising money for this purpose.

Ravert questioned why spend money on a concept plan if the borough’s not going to go through with it.

Resident Sharon Krebs blurted, “Nobody wants to better the community?”

Councilman Darren Thomas said he looks at the community as having 850 people, and added the borough already has two parks.

“There might not be any up-front costs, but there will be maintenance,” Thomas said.

Afterward, the motion died for a lack of a second.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, Scott said the land is just shy of 2 acres, and is a grassy field with no purpose that has been used to dump refuge.

Scott said the borough cannot sell the land, and that BARC would like to make it a functional park, with trees, perennials, benches, a walking trail around the perimeter, and a pavilion. She added that BARC has already put in two benches and a bike rack.

“Our hope is to provide an area where our residents can commune together outdoors, and provide health and wellness opportunities that currently don’t exist in our community,” Scott said. “BARC has done surveys of our residents, and this project has received a lot of love. We also have been collecting petition signatures for several years.”

Scott added that the grant would cover the majority of the cost, and that BARC would be responsible if there is an overage.

“Basically, BARC wants to make this happen with no cost to our already strapped borough,” Scott said. “A gift to the residents, from the residents.”