EASTON, Md. - This is a glimpse of the future of Easton Point Park.
The town has been trying to beautify the area from what it used to be. Town officials say this project has been 10 years in the making. There is evidence of project progress with new trees and park benches. But, the area wasn't always a big open green space.
"This land that's now Easton Point Park used have multiple different purposes. One of them used to be the town dump for a while. It also used to be a transfer station for oil for heating the town and electrifying the town. It once was also a site of the town's public works department," says Project Manager Kody Cairo.
Rick Vanemburgh, the Town's engineer with the project, added that a fuel barge would come up the Tred Avon river to unload. He says, "There used to be big tanks where the fuel was stored and that was used for energy to power the Town of Easton."
Vanemburgh says they have done soil tests and worked with the state to ensure it is safe to be a park.
The 12-acre area will be for recreational use.
Vanemburgh says it will be used, "to put in trees, put in benches, put in trashcans, water fountains. We've built in rails to trails through town and they come across the river here at this park and were in the process of designing a boat ramp down here at the water."
The park has already brought frequent and new visitors. They say they can't wait to see the finished project.
Easton community member Jess Haberman says, "There's so much nature here and such great wildlife, with the birds especially. I think it will enhance it. It'll make it more useful for the community."
Easton town officials say they're in the design process of the project for now.
They say they've spent several hundred thousand dollars already with some previous bond dollars from the town. They're hoping to finish the project in the next few years.