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By MITCH MORRISON; Times Leader Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 04, 1992 Page: 1D QUICK WORDS: NESBITT-KIRBY PARK
WILKES-BARRE — Scientific experiments. Herb gardens. Bird watching.
Sitting by the flood plain of the Susquehanna River, Nesbitt-Kirby Park
represents a potential gem to environmentalists, sports activists and
scientists alike, says the mayor’s Nesbitt-Kirby Riverfront Park Advisory
Council.
The group is applying for a $25,000 state grant from the Department of
Community Affairs to establish a master plan for the 90-acre natural site. The
city would have to match the $25,000 to get the grant and city officials said
the local money would be raised through private donations.
Today, the park is a mixed bag of beauty and debris. Frequently a haven for
vandals and vagrants, the park often resembles a beer party, cans and bottles
strewn across yellow-orange leaves.
“The park is like an art piece that we’re starting to fix up,” said council
member Gerald Reisinger.
The council plans to meet next week with the Philadelphia-based Adropogon
Associates, which maps out suitable ecological uses for natural sites. The
firm serves as management planner of New York City’s Central Park.
“We want to reclaim the land,” said Adropogon partner Jose Alminana. “What
types of uses and recreation will ultimately be defined by the community which
will be instrumental in making the final decisions.”
“We want a park that has interaction with the community,” he added.
For instance, Wilkes University and King’s College both expect to cultivate
unique plants. Reisinger hopes to develop an herb garden that could
commercially support itself by selling plants and natural herbs to the public.
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“Since everyone on the advisory council has their own idea of what they
want, we decided we needed a master plan by a neutral party,” said Amy Swan,
the mayor’s liaison to the council.
The state won’t award the grant until next spring.