ZELIENOPLE — The borough is on the verge of adopting a master plan for both its community park and pool facilities with visions of adding a number of amenities over the next 10 to 15 years.

Land architect Vince Rozzi of Pashek Associates of Pittsburgh presented to borough council Monday what is expected to become the final plan that will guide improvements at the park.

The plan covers 10- to 15-years and is designed to be completed in five phases.

The 37.5-acre park is near Connoquenessing Valley Elementary School along Beaver and Pittsburgh streets. The borough also leases 5.6 acres from the Seneca Valley School District as part of the park.

"I think it (the park master plan) meets the overall recreational needs and priorities after talking with the primary stakeholders," said borough manager Donald Pepe.

"Does it meet all the needs? No, but it probably meets the majority. There was a little give and take, but I think everybody gets a piece of the pie."

The most immediate needs, said Rozzi, include additional parking, which is proposed in several areas for 150 to 200 more spaces, more restroom facilities and the removal of the smaller shelters to be replaced with larger ones that have kitchen facilities.

Other improvements in the plan's future phases include playground upgrades, an amphitheater, skate park, work on tennis courts and relocation of the existing basketball court, ballfield improvements and a new maintenance facility.

Improvements at the pool include the rehabilitation of the filtration system and deck along with adding a zero-depth entry, spray and slide features and several designated lap lanes.

Spray features would be added to the existing kiddie pool.

The master plan now will be presented to the state Department of Conservation and National Resources for its final review.

The borough council will vote later this fall to make the architectural drawings the official master plan for the park.

"This is a financing tool. It sets forth recommendations that will better meet the recreation (needs) with the Zelienople area," Rozzi said.

The park feasibility study, which spawned the master plan, was developed by Pashek Associates.

The company has done a variety of recreational projects in Western Pennsylvania, including helping Cranberry Township develop a plan for its North Boundary Park.

The park study was paid for through a $26,000 state grant and a matching $26,000 contribution from the borough.

Following the adoption of the master plan, the next move for the borough and its parks board will be to look for funding via grants and private donations to get projects funded and constructed.

The overall cost of all the proposed upgrades is $3.5 million.

The separate upgrades to the pool are estimated at $1 million.

Rozzi said that despite the proposed upgrades and added features, the existing Community Park cannot support all of the projected recreational needs of the community.

Councilman Russ Robertson said the borough cannot afford just to look at its current park to serve its overall park needs and will have to look at the west side of the borough and the potential opportunities that may be a part of the Glade Run development.

The borough faces a future 33 percent increase in population with the Glade Run mixed residential and commercial development along Route 68. The architectural renderings did provide for several public recreational areas.

Formal land development plans are expected to be submitted to the borough soon.