Pond, entrance renovations planned

A fountain, a sign and benches will be added near the pond by the front entrance to the College. In addition, lighting in the area will be improved and the depth of the pond will be increased.

by Nick Luchko staff writer

There is some major outside work planned for the area around the pond on the King of Prussia Road entrance. There is to be a new Cabrini College sign, a fountain and an overhaul of the creek.

"The fence that had been in front of the pond for many years was taken down and renovations are in their early stages," said Mike Caranfa, chief facilities officer.

The fence had to be moved because it was rotted at the bottom and it was feared that it might fall into the road. Injuries were a major factor in this decision. according to Caranfa.

The pond will be getting a major overhaul. The pond has been present for many years and is only about 18 inches deep. Caranfa said that in the past it was used as an ice skating rink. Already, the pond has been dragged, and soon there will be a fountain placed there. They also had to increase the depth of the pond because of the installment of the fountain.

As of right now, construction on the fountain has not begun. The reason for this is that the college is still waiting for bids to come in from other companies. Once all the bids come in and the prices are worked out, the construction can begin.

The fountain is the smallest improvement to be done to the whole area. The biggest part will be the brand new Cabrini College sign.

The new sign will have to be moved back from where the present one is so that it can fit. Due to this move, there will be a number of trees that will be removed. Also, there will be other trees that will be removed from other areas so improvements can be implemented.

Right now, a pink ribbon marks them. "The township has approved the removal of the trees," Caranfa said.

The sign will be a carbon sign. It will be very large and new, brighter lights are scheduled to be placed in front as well. This will allow travelers to see the sign bet- ter at night.

Also, the stone for the sign will try to be matched to the pillars that are present at the front of the entrance. Caranfa is not sure whether the stone can be matched but they will try their best. There will also be a renovation of the stone wall near the creek in the front of the pond area.

The age-old bricks will be replaced by new stones that will look similar to the ones of the Dixon Center.

In addition to the lights for the sign, there will be other lights placed around the whole area. Finally, a footpath and benches are scheduled to be installed at a later date so students can enjoy the area.

"As of right now, the construction is scheduled for two months," Caranfa said. "However, the whole process will depend on the weather condition, as with any outside construction."