The Borough of Fleetwood is celebrating its 150th Anniversary in 2023, and nearly every one of Isett’s departments helped with Fleetwood Park improvements to help get it ready for the occasion. As Fleetwood’s Municipal Engineer (since 2016), Isett conducts plan reviews; offers general consulting; coordinates issues with other permitting agencies; and provides support and engineering for special projects, as requested.
One such special project involved a Park Master Site Plan and significant renovations for Fleetwood Park, a community hub featuring a swimming pool, pavilion, bandshell, concession stand, restroom facilities, playgrounds, and playing fields. Initial phases of the project included renovations to the concession stand; designing new ADA-compliant restrooms; grant assistance, design, bid phase, and construction phase services for pool improvements; and the installation of new play equipment, a new safety surface, and fencing to the tot lot.
In 2020, the aging bandshell was assessed by Isett’s forensic engineers and was found to be past its usable life, resulting in the structure being condemned due to extensive decay. On top of that, a storm damaged Willow Creek and the popular pedestrian bridge that crossed it. Fleetwood Borough Council was committed to replacing both structures and the replacement project began after obtaining the necessary resources from a combination of borough funding and grants.
The latest phase (pictured below) of Fleetwood Park improvements involved replacing the pedestrian bridge and bandshell with new pre-engineered structures. Isett provided a geotechnical study, structural design, and construction materials testing for the foundation system of the pre-engineered bridge crossing Willow Creek; municipal engineering services to restore the creek; and numerous services for the new bandshell, including a feasibility study, survey, civil land development, structural engineering, project management, construction materials testing, and construction phase services.
After the 150th anniversary celebration in June, additional storms furthered the streambank erosions such that a pedestrian bridge was pushed off its abutments and an access road is damaged. Isett was able to act quickly to coordinate with the PA DEP to procure a permit for the bridge so access to the park from surrounding neighborhoods was minimized.
In addition to the technical support the team offered, Isett’s grants managers helped the Borough obtain more than $480,000 in grants for the various phases of the project. Isett is also sponsoring the Summer Concert Series, enabling the Borough to book larger, more popular bands. Fleetwood held the official ribbon cutting on June 4, prior to the first Sunday night concert under the new music pavilion.
