Washington’s City Council wants the first phase of the proposed Havens Gardens improvement project split into two components as the city seeks grant funding to pay for the project.

The Washington City Council, during its meeting last week, unanimously authorized the city to apply for a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund Grant funds to help pay for improvements to Havens Gardens. The Recreation Advisory Committee recommends the city seek the funding. The council also returned the project to the committee so it could split it into two phases for funding purposes.

The city will apply for the grant funding in two consecutive grant-funding cycles.

If a grant were awarded to the city, the grant would reimburse the city up to 50 percent of the cost to implement the first phase of the Havens Gardens master plan. The cost do implement the first phase is just over $800,000, according to a city document. The maximum grant the city could receive during any funding cycle is $500,000. If the city applied for grant funding in just one grant cycle, that would mean the city would need additional money from other grant sources to complete first phase, according to the document, or the project would need to be scaled back to “fit the grant.”

Councilman Doug Mercer suggested seeking grant funding for the project over two grant-funding cycles. That suggestion came after City Manager Brian Alligood gave a brief overview of the project cost.

“Mr. Manager, why don’t we look at splitting this thing into multiple phases? You could drop a couple of items out of this that would get you to the $500,000 limit … in this year’s (budget) process, hold the other until next year and apply for the second phase of the project in the next year’s budget,” Mercer said.

Mercer said by splitting the first phase into two parts, the city could possibly receive $500,000 in each of two consecutive grant-funding cycles.

In October, the council approved spending up to $7,200 for Susan Suggs to develop a site-specific master plan for improvements and changes to the waterfront park on the city’s east side. The plan would be an updated version of the plan adopted by the council March 9, 2009.

Suggs suggests moving the Havens Gardens parking lot south of N.C. Highway 32 westward to provide more open area at the east end of the park. She also recommends adding a loop walking trail west of the parking lot. Other suggestions include building a shelter on the west end of Havens Gardens so it overlooks the Pamlico River, provide a fenced-in play area for small children and adding facilities for a splash park, bocce and beach volleyball.

Councilman Bobby Roberson asked the council to consider asking the Recreation Advisory Committee to revisit the idea of building a new pier at Havens Gardens.

The application deadline for grant funding in the upcoming grant cycle is Feb. 2, 2015. The city is seeking $500,000 during that cycle.