New Northcliff Neighborhood Park gets equipment

The City of Shelton's new neighborhood park is 1.8 acres with playground equipment, a disc golf basket, a field and trees on Northcliff Road.

Contractors for the city erected the playground equipment Dec. 7 and 8, and about 30 volunteers Dec. 9 worked on the park.

The park is designed for the residents of Terrace Heights, Barnhard Street, Joyce Street and Northcliff Road. Because it is a neighborhood park and not a community park, no public parking is available for vehicles. Unlike the community parks, space cannot be rented for events.

"It probably won't be open right away, particularly with this weather," City Manager Mark Ziegler said at the Dec. 5 Shelton City Council meeting. "We have some restoration to do outside to play out some of the roots, getting the concrete cured. It's a great project, a monumental project for the Northcliff neighborhood, having a neighborhood park developed up there after that property was dedicated for park uses back in the '70s. We're trying to meet the parks and recreation comprehensive plan's action steps, and that is to provide neighborhood parks throughout our community, and that standard is a half-mile radius, and that's one more step in that positive direction."

Ziegler - who was the city's director of parks and recreation before becoming city manager - thanked the groups and people who donated materials and labor to help pay for the project, including the Shelton Kiwanis Club, the Kristmas Town Kiwanis Club, Sierra Pacific Industries and Mayor Eric Onisko.

"It's cool that it's come to fruition, to build a park," said City Council member Joe Schmit. "I mean, how many parks have you built in Shelton in your career?"

"From scratch?" Ziegler replied. "Really, none." The city in recent years has renovated Callanan and Kneeland parks and a couple trails, he added.

"This is kind of the first one in 30 years," Ziegler said. "As I said, it's monumental."

"It is exciting," Onisko said. "That is my neighborhood. and I'm excited for that."