26-05-2025
MONDAY UPDATE: County taps firm for Merli-Sarnoski facilities design, engineering
Lackawanna County commissioners recently approved a contract for design and engineering work related to a planned improvement project targeting the dilapidated lakefront facilities at Merli-Sarnoski Park.
Commissioners Bill Gaughan and Chris Chermak voted unanimously last week to authorize a $113,500 professional services agreement with BDA Architects LLC, which has an office in Clarks Summit and previously designed pavilions for the county's Aylesworth and Covington parks. The scope of services includes the preparation of schematic designs and construction documents, as well as the provision of bidding, negotiation and construction-administration services, according to the firm's proposal.
It was one of several the county received in response to a request for proposals officials issued late last year. They articulated at the time a goal of replacing the bath house and other aging facilities and amenities bordering the lake at Merli-Sarnoski to bolster the beach area of the park in Fell Twp. Originally named Finch Hill Park when it opened in 1977, the 840-acre park features a stocked lake for swimming and fishing, a beach for sunbathing, mountain biking and hiking trails and athletic fields.
The building that houses the restrooms and lifeguard station at Merli-Sarnoski Park along the shore in Fell Twp. on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
Merli-Sarnoski got its current name in 1978 when commissioners renamed it to honor World War II veterans and Medal of Honor recipients Gino Merli and Joseph R. Sarnoski. Along with Aylesworth, Covington and McDade parks, its one of four in the county parks system and a popular place for recreation in the Upvalley region.
That's in part why officials are prioritizing replacing the lakefront facilities that Gaughan said have outlived their useful life. The beach area currently features a deteriorated bath house with restrooms and an attached pavilion abutting a playground near the parking area.
'Merli-Sarnoski Park has been since (its) inception a cornerstone of outdoor recreation in our county, providing a peaceful, natural space for families, sportsmen and visitors to enjoy,' Gaughan said. 'As a county we recognize the need to modernize the facilities, especially the aging bath house. … So we want to ensure safety, accessibility and long-term usability.'
The county will use federal American Rescue Plan Act funding for the design and engineering work, and hopes to then use a combination of ARPA and potential grant funding for the construction of the new facilities. The BDA Architects element of the broader project will provide construction concepts and accurate costs estimates for that work, as well as an assessment informing potential utility system upgrades that may be required.
'This is just basically a road map for us on how we make this project become a reality,' Gaughan said.
THEN: Officials announced in November a goal of replacing beach-area facilities at Merli-Sarnoski Park
NOW: The county hired a firm for the design and engineering work
