The Windham Parks and Recreation Department is seeking a $28,000 grant from the Maine Division of Parks and Public Lands in order to fund new construction at Donnabeth Lippman Park.

On Tuesday night, the Town Council unanimously approved a letter in support of the application. If the state awards the grant, the town will contribute about $7,000 in matching funds “either in cash or in-kind services,” according to Parks and Recreation Director Brian Ross toward the renovations of the 123-acre park on Route 302.

If the grant money is delivered, the Parks and Recreation Department will authorize a new 250-foot boardwalk, a new trail, and several benches along Chaffin Pond, Ross said, as well as a handicapped-accessible path from the pond to the parking lot.

Ross expects to hear back from the state in early spring. If the grant application is successful, the town will have two years to spend the money. The construction would likely begin next summer, Ross said.

The town is working on other projects at Lippman Park, such as widening the access road by 10 feet, clearing trees for a 3-acre recreation area, and paving a new 30-car parking lot. Ross said his department’s overarching vision for Lippman Park is guided by a concept called “the power of 10” – the notion that if the park offers 10 different activities, it will become a more popular destination.

“I think we’re close,” he said, acknowledging that the park had not yet achieved “the power of 10.”