435 Hamilton Street  
Allentown, Pa. 18101  
Allentown  
Minutes - Final  
Parks and Recreation Committee  
Wednesday, February 19, 2025  
6:00 PM  
Council Chambers  
Roll Call: Chair Gerlach, Santos, Affa  
15-7471  
Bill 11  
Amending the 2025 Capital Fund Budget to provide for a supplemental  
appropriation of One Hundred Seventy-Five Thousand ($175,000.00)  
Dollars from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic  
Development (DCED) to support design of MLK Trail Phase 2 (LP East to  
Cedar Park).  
Attachments: Bill 11 MLK Trail Phase 2 DCED Grant  
Ordinance #16104.pdf  
Ms. Ce Ce Gerlach stated alright, great, Ms. Tolino.  
Ms. Mandy Tolino stated yes, thank you. She stated that this is a grant from  
DCED from the state to do design documents to connect the MLK trail from  
Lehigh Parkway through Union Terrace to Cedar. It will be a safe travel  
route from Fountain Park all they way to Cedar Beach. She stated that this  
is money just for the design portion of that.  
Ms. Ce Ce Gerlach stated ok. She asked if there were any questions from  
her colleagues or any questions from anyone on the dais. She asked if  
there were any questions from anyone in the public. She stated real simple  
question, we are talking about a trail, like a sidewalk. What is there to  
design.  
Ms. Mandy Tolino stated that it is not a sidewalk. If you are picturing the  
D&L Trail, a gravel trail. She stated that a lot of the design is for  
elevation and materials and stormwater. It is a little more complicated then  
just a flat sidewalk.  
Ms. Ce Ce Gerlach stated ok, alright. She stated that if there is money left  
over, it would not be able to be used for something else because it is just  
for this design.  
Ms. Mandy Tolino stated that since this is a grant, it will not be able to go to  
a different project, but if it is cheaper to do the design and also when they  
say design, it is design in permitting. Permitting includes all the  
stormwater, like state permitting becomes expensive because you are  
hiring engineers that have to do that. If there is money left over, it goes to  
another piece of this project, like construction or design of Phase 3 which  
is the trial that travels east to connect to the D&L at Bucky Boyle Park.  
If there is additional funding, she is sure they can ask them, the awarding  
agency if they can just move it to a different Phase of this Project. They will  
likely be ok. She stated ok, thank you.  
Ms. Candida Affa stated she is sorry, she did not ask since Ms. Gerlach  
brought something up. She asked about the design and how friendly is this  
for biking.  
Ms. Mandy Tolino stated that it will be definitely friendly for biking. It would  
be a 10 to 12 foot wide gravel path so it is meant for biking a gravel path.  
She stated that it would be either gravel or paved, depending on what the  
costs are. She stated that many of the trails that are these longer regional  
trails are crushed gravel and functions almost as well as, in some instances  
it is better than a paved trail. In the Parkway, most of those trails are crush  
stones, compacted trails so they work as well as pavement.  
Ms. Candida Affa thanked Ms. Tolino. She stated that she is picturing  
gravel because gravel is gravel. She stated that is not easy to bike on.  
Ms. Mandy Tolino stated no, it will be designed to accommodate. She  
stated wheelchairs, strollers, bikes, all those things.  
Ms. Candida Affa thanked Ms. Tolino.  
Ms. Ce Ce Gerlach asked if there is anyone else. She asked if there are  
any updates or anything else you would like to share.  
Ms. Mandy Tolino thanked Ms. Gerlach for the chance and stated just a few  
quick updates on some upcoming events in the Recreation Programs. She  
stated next week on the 26th, they will be at Franklin Park for the next public  
meeting for the Comprehensive Plan. She stated so they will be there from  
6:00 to 8:00. She stated on the 8th and 9th, they are also going to have the  
All Star Basketball games. Right now, they are in the middle of the Winter  
League. Basketball season as well as PAL so the 8th and the 9th on the  
weekend it will be a really exciting weekend with a lot of kids and a lot of  
families at the All Star Game. Finally, on April 19th, they are planning an  
Egg Hunt. With the Egg Hunt, there will be other Egg Hunts for that day as  
well. It should be a good day to get ready for the Easter Holiday the next  
day. She stated that is all she has.  
Ms. Ce Ce Gerlach stated alight, cool. Thank you so much.  
A motion was made by Natalie Santos, seconded by Candida Affa, that this Bill  
be forwarded to the full Council.  
3 - Ce-Ce Gerlach, Natalie Santos and Candida Affa  
Yes:  
Adjournment