Lansford Borough Council awarded contracts for wheelchair ramps at Ashton Park and an island adjacent to the Panther Valley Football Stadium last week.

Heim Construction of Orwigsburg was awarded a $42,323 contract for the ramps in the park. The project is funded by a 2021 gaming grant, council President Bruce Markovich said.

“This makes the entire four corners of the park handicapped accessible,” he said.

Council also awarded a contract for two ramps on the island across from Ashton Park heading to the Panther Valley Stadium.

Heim Construction also received that contract with $9,677 paid from the 2021 gaming grant, and $5,086 paid by the borough. Council discussed taking the borough’s share out its COVID-relief funds.

Markovich explained the work will allow someone in a wheelchair to leave the park using a ramp, cross the road to the island, and have a place to stop for traffic before continuing to the stadium.

“We can give them a safe place to stop and continue their journey,” he said. “I think we really need to get this done.”

There is no sidewalk or wheelchair ramp on the side of the stadium near the park or island, Markovich said.

The borough will be adding a sidewalk on the east side of the park once the wheelchair ramps are installed, he said.

Council will also be setting up a meeting with the school district to resolve issues regarding sidewalks surrounding the stadium.

The district is in violation of the borough’s sidewalk ordinance, Markovich said, and would be in violation of the stormwater ordinance if it paves much of the area behind the stadium where there also are no sidewalks.

The borough has met with the district regarding the issues, and a sticking point is a letter from a previous council, saying they didn’t have to pave that lot within any definite time and did not have to put in sidewalks, Markovich said.

Some of council’s angst was directed toward former councilwoman Rose Mary Cannon, who quickly pointed out she did not sit alone on council at the time the letter was penned.

Residents asked if other solutions had been suggested, such as concrete parking blocks.

Markovich said they have discussed other options, including having borough crews assist district maintenance in putting in sidewalks.

“They turned that down,” he said.

“We will meet with them again.”