North Belle Vernon councilman honored for park transformation

For a guy who’s into parks and recreation, R.J. Sokol doesn’t seem to take a break.

Sokol, 62, of North Belle Vernon, has a day job as a production supervisor at the Eastman Chemical Co. in Monongahela. In his free time, he serves on North Belle Vernon Borough Council, oversees the recreation commission and volunteers for the Rostraver Central Fire Department.

In 2012, he approached borough council as a private citizen and asked that something be done about Graham Street Park, which had become a magnet for vandals and drug users. By 2014, as a newly appointed councilman, he was spearheading an effort to renovate and revitalize the park.

Three years after its grand reopening, the re-named North Belle Vernon Community Bank Park is a magnet for families, youth athletic leagues, schools and community groups, he said.

“We are the No. 1 outdoor recreation facility in the Mon Valley right now,” said Sokol, who was recently re-elected to a four-year term on council. “This isn’t just for our little area — people come from all around.”

Sokol recently received an award from the American Planning Association, Pennsylvania Chapter, for his role in breathing new life into the park, which is now used by thousands of people a year.

The APA Pennsylvania Chapter cited Sokol for leading “a mostly-volunteer community team in planning and redeveloping the park.”

The citation continued, “Planning work included research of needs, particularly for youth sports growing in interest and not being met elsewhere, developing a funding plan and obtaining approvals. Sokol managed purchases and construction, including much donated and volunteer work to reduce cost.”

Sokol is quick to point out that the park project was a community effort involving volunteers, contractors and donors.

“My skills were in the ability to raise money and find help and talk to community leaders. We had to find a way to sustain it,” he said.

An early obstacle appeared when construction bids came in at more than double the original six-figure estimate. “We had to stop and rethink,” he said.

Funding ultimately came from a state grant and matching local funds. Some contractor services were donated or provided at a significant discount. The state’s cooperative purchasing program — COSTARS — was used to achieve further cost savings, he said.

On the planning side, Sokol and his team researched youth sports that are growing in popularity — such as soccer and dek hockey — and tailored the park renovation toward them.

The dek hockey rink replaced the basketball court, and the soccer field was put where the old tennis courts were, he said.

The park also has a playground, a handicapped-accessible playground, a walking track, a pavilion and a new restroom facility. Everything is lit with new LED lighting and under the surveillance of security cameras.

Among Sokol’s supporters in borough government is longtime Mayor Craig Ambrose.

“Nobody put as many hours into that park as he did. It was all his idea to get it cleaned up and to get the turf down there and get the rink down there,” Ambrose said. “He saw the whole project through and is still working on it.”

Ambrose said the fact that the park is near Interstate 70 means a lot of travelers stop over to enjoy its amenities.

“I go past the park just about every day, and I’ve never seen as many kids in that park as I do now,” he said. “No question about it, it’s a safe park now.”