Orleans Gets One Bid for Eldridge Park Design Firm as Grant Outcome Remains Uncertain

ORLEANS -- February 19, 2026, Orleans Recreation Committee receives sole Eldridge Park design bid as state grant remains unresolved. The committee, meeting February 19, heard from Recreation Director Jamie that the bid period for the Eldridge Park renovation design contract closed February 11 with one submission received, from engineering firm Weston and Sampson, and that staff will verify deliverables before awarding the contract. A state grant application supporting the project, which carries up to $3.8 million in existing funding, faces two unresolved compliance questions: whether prior public comment at a CPC meeting and a Select Board session qualifies as sufficient outreach under grant rules, and whether estimated rather than final costs are acceptable to the state. Jamie said a PARC grant opportunity in May remains an alternative if the current application is denied. A public input meeting on the design is targeted for late May, with a construction groundbreaking window of late August to early September. Spring program registrations opened Tuesday and have drawn 224 sign-ups, approximately 190 of them since Tuesday's launch.