PARK & RECREATION BOARD
MINUTES – MAY 11, 2004
The regular meeting of the Park & Recreation Board of
the
Those present:
Park & Recreation Board: David
Fritchey, Chairman
Ron Smith, Vice Chairman
Patricia Bunn, Member
Henry Carpenter, Member
Richard Jutkiewicz, Member
Others: Donna Liney, Recreation Director
Frank Fazzalore, Supervisor Liaison
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Mr. Smith moved, Ms. Bunn seconded and it was unanimously carried to amend the Minutes to change page 4, fifth paragraph, third sentence to read “3,000 persons.”
Ms. Bunn moved, Mr. Smith seconded and it was unanimously carried to approve the Minutes of April 13, 2004 as amended.
SUPERVISOR LIAISON REPORT
Mr. Fazzalore stated the Park & Recreation Board received a copy of the events which
took place during the last Board of Supervisors meeting. He stated hopefully the
Township will finish the year in the “black.” He stated they will shortly begin to discuss
the Budget for next year. Mr. Fazzalore noted the Matrix discussions are continuing and
they might have a consensus with a resolution in the next month or two. If they are
unable to reach an agreement, the matter will continue in Court.
REPORT ON HAZARDOUS WASTE COLLECTION
Ms. Bunn stated the Hazardous Waste Collection will take place this Saturday from
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the
Road. Ms. Bunn reviewed the procedure which will take place at this County run
collection.
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 2 of 9
RECREATION DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Ms. Liney reported that the YMS Epic Girls Soccer Tournament held this past weekend
at
Development residents both before and following the event, as well as with other
community members and feedback has been positive with all comments complimentary.
Mr. Ralph Cleale, President of the Rivergate Homeowners Association stated he intends
to draft a letter to YMS expressing Rivergate’s appreciation for a well-controlled event.
On behalf of the Township Ms. Liney thanked all the volunteers for their efforts, and
stated she looks forward to continuing to communicate, plan, and follow the established
Township procedures enabling these tournaments to reflect well on the Township and the
YMS organization.
Ms. Liney stated the annual Pennsbury versus Conwell Egan Girls softball game is
scheduled for Wednesday, May 19 at the Township Community Pool softball field at
5 p.m. She stated this friendly rivalry is always a big draw, with close to 400 spectators
enjoying the game, and the Township is happy to be the host.
Ms. Liney stated planning is currently underway for the Nationally-recognized Pennsbury
Fastpitch Softball Tournament on Father’s Day weekend. This college showcase attracts
teams from a number of different states, and serves as a recruiting exhibition for
hundreds of college coaches.
Tournament headquarters will be the
baseball and softball complexes.
Ms. Liney noted the new Lacrosse Fundraiser is scheduled to be held at Macclesfield the
first weekend in June.
Ms. Liney stated the Lower Makefield Seniors continue to expand their program
offerings. A new activity is a Monthly Movie Matinee on Saturday afternoons in the
well received, and the seniors requested permission to continue this Saturdays through
the summer. The Seniors also recently hosted two AARP driving courses in the
Ms. Liney stated the
daily from June 1 through June 17 at the Kids Kingdom Playground with basically all
classes participating, representing upwards of 950 children enjoying the playground.
Ms. Liney reported that the Lower Makefield Community Pool Swim and Dive Teams
will hold registration this Saturday, May 15 from 9 a.m. to
12 p.m. in the
Building. Last year’s Swim and Dive Teams were the largest in Pool history, and they
anticipate another successful season. Ms. Liney stated all these activities demonstrate
the continued enjoyment and heavy utilization of Township facilities by the community and the user groups.
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 3 of 9
Ms. Liney stated the Township recently received a request from the Makefield Glen
Homeowners Association to address cracking on the bike path
on
Township crack filling machine became available, and the Park & Recreation staff were
able to address this concern in a timely fashion, crack filling the entire one mile loop in a
day. Ms. Liney stated staining at the
and the facility is scheduled to reopen on Thursday.
Ms. Liney stated the Park & Recreation office has forwarded a copy of the Township
Resolution on the User Fees and the modifications to the Park & Recreation Policy
Statement to the user groups. The Boards of Directors for PAA and YMS have
questioned whether children in the user groups who are not scheduled by the organization
to play on Township facilities are still assessed the user fee. The Resolution states the fee
is a head count fee based on participation. The fee is not based on field scheduling. She
stated the established Township Policy requires rosters to be submitted two weeks after
registration is completed, and reflect the total enrollment of both PAA and YMS. Both
organizations have been put on notice that complete rosters are due to Park & Recreation
by May 13.
Mr. Carpenter stated his wife was involved in scheduling the
picnics at
on behalf of
Ms. Liney and her office.
Mr. Smith stated they recently completed the EPIC Tournament, and Ms. Liney and her
staff were of assistance and took a very hands-on approach. He thanked Mr. Copson and
all the other members of the Park & Recreation staff who helped with the Tournament.
Mr. Smith stated YMS took a proactive approach, and he thanked Joanne Berger who
was the point person for YMS for making sure that the communication between YMS
and Rivergate was handled properly.
Ms. Bunn stated the Environmental Advisory Council has asked why there are no
recycling cans at any of the Township Parks and asked if Ms. Liney would look into this.
Ms. Liney stated she will take care of placing these cans in the Parks.
LEAGUE REPORTS
Mr. Jutkiewicz noted the upcoming fundraiser for Lower Bucks Lacrosse which will be
held in June. They will host a tournament and have dealer representatives present. They
feel this will be a fun-filled weekend.
Mr. Smith reporting on behalf of YMS stated there are some issues regarding the user fees and they will continue to address these with the Township in a proper way. He noted there were some issues with baseball with regard to the EPIC Tournament, and the two
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 4 of 9
organizations did work this out to make sure baseball and soccer had their interests
served.
Mr. Smith noted they had a team come in from
from different areas of Pennsylvanian,
and boys tournaments bring people to the community and when they see the fine facilities
that we have in the Township, he feels this is one factor that makes the Township such a
good place to live and resulted in the high ranking recently received in a national
publication.
Mr. Fazzalore stated PAA was authorized to install signs on the fences, and asked if
anything has been done about this. No one was aware of what was happening with this
project.
SNIPES SUBCOMMITTEE PRESENTATION
Mr. Smith stated the opportunity to participate in athletics helps make the Township a
wonderful place to live. He stated that one of the problems that has been growing over
the years is the lack of soccer facilities. The existing facilities are overused and more
children and adults are looking to be able to participate in these activities. He stated they
need the opportunity at some point in time to provide facilities at the northern end of the
Township. He stated the Snipes Tract has been used in the past on a limited basis.
He stated the parcel is near Elm Lowne and the
the Township does own this property.
Mr. Smith stated a Subcommittee was formed including people from a variety of
organizations including the Township engineer, YMS, and Elm Lowne. They feel use of
this facility will have a minimal impact on the surrounding
residents. He stated
the parking at this location. This tract will meet the need for additional soccer fields in
the Township.
Mr. Smith stated some people have asked if there will be tennis courts on this tract, and
while there are not, there are tennis courts proposed for Memorial Park which is in the
area.
Mr. Smith stated they feel the funds needed to develop this Park will be minimal as
compared to the cost of other facilities. They hope the Township will find the money to
develop this Park. Mr. Smith showed on the Plan the location of the future Fire Station.
He also noted the location of a variety of soccer fields to be developed on the tract.
These can be built in phases. There will be a space for parking as well. He stated the
fields can be rotated and shaped differently to prevent overuse in one particular area.
Mr. Smith reviewed the size of the fields proposed for the tract.
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 5 of 9
Mr. Fritchey stated basically they will have a grassy flat area that can be lined out with
moveable goals. Mr. Fritchey stated they have also proposed a few pavilions, a small
skatepark, and a small playground.
Mr. Fazzalore stated the Township bought the property for a future recreation area. The
trees on the property will eventually have to be taken down to provide for these facilities.
Mr. John Bingley,
stated there will be a restroom facility and a maintenance building. There will not be
lights other than for security lighting. It will be similar to the Park at
Valley/Roelofs Road. Mr. Bingley asked if the parking could be pushed back to the I-95
area. Ms. Bunn stated they tried to keep the paving in one area because the longer the
drive, the more it would cost. She stated if they were to come in off
they would need a permit from PennDOT. She stated the line of sight was also not as
good on
elevation, and he asked if this will be changed. Mr. Fazzalore stated no engineering has
been done yet. He stated they must go through a detailed land plan. The engineer will
have to determine the best way to develop the tract. Mr. Fazzalore stated they will make
sure that there are no water problems after development. Mr. Bingley asked if the
residents will be invited to the future meetings, and Mr. Fazzalore stated they will all be
public meetings, and the residents will be notified.
Mr. Bill Roberts,
recreation on this property, but it must be designed properly and not overused. He stated
when the fire house was being considered, they did not want to put the fire house near
I-95 because of the slope and now they are proposing soccer fields. He stated there is a
huge vertical rise off
He stated if they had the soccer fields up near I-95, it would be a problem because of the
noise coming from I-95. He stated there is a huge congestion problem developing in this
northern area. He stated this is the primary road to McCaffrey’s and I-95. He added that
the Golf Course will also be in this area. He feels for a facility like this, it is important
that pedestrian and bicycle access be provided. He feels the parking should be next to
I-95. He also feels too many fields are proposed. He stated people travel very quickly in
this area, and the speed limit should be lowered. Mr. Roberts stated he would not be in
favor of any lights. He is also concerned with the air pollution because of the increased
traffic. He stated he feels the specimen trees should be preserved at some location on the
tract. Mr. Fazzalore stated they have made inquiries about taking the trees out. They
have found that the trees are not shaped properly and it would be more expensive to use
them than to buy new ones. Ms. Bunn stated it would cost $100 per tree to move them.
Mr. Roberts stated there will be a huge water problem and they will flood out their fields
and the school.
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 6 of 9
Mr. Tom May, 1242 Quarry Hill, stated he does not feel it would be good to consider
parking at this tract by the School for overflow parking as it is dangerous to cross this
street.
Mr. Michael DiMaio,
are other possible ways they could design the Park to solve different concerns. He stated
he feels there is a need for a Park in this area. He stated there is also a need for
additional fields in the Township because of the number of children coming out for
sports.
Ms. Joanne Berger,
Water Company and there are lights on for security reasons post 9-11 and she is thankful
that there are lights. She stated if there were a Park in this area, there are a number of
people in her area who would be very much in favor of it and would like to have the
ability to ride a bike to the Park. She stated she feels a soccer field is the best recreation
area to have because it gives children a place to play, and once the season is over, you are
overlooking an open field.
Mr. Rob Henderson,
to be handled appropriately. He stated he has not yet heard how much it will cost to
develop this and when it would be developed. Mr. Smith stated no start date has been
given as this is just a proposed lay out of this tract of land. He noted the proposed
Memorial Park is also planned for the northern area, and at this point the only portion
proposed to be constructed in the near future is the 9-11 Memorial. Mr. Smith stated this
is only a plan at this point and he feels this is the proper way to proceed. He stated the
cost has not yet been determined, although he feels sit will be much less than other
facilities that could be put in of a recreation nature. He noted the Oxford Valley/Roelofs
Road facility cost much more than what this facility will cost because other than leveling,
etc. there is no carving of diamonds or installing of fencing needed. Mr. Smith stated he heard a number of these arguments when they were discussing the plan for Oxford Valley/Roelofs Road from the surrounding neighbors, and he does not f eel any of those houses have lost value since the development of the Park.
Mr. Michael Mathieson,
purchased his property he was happy that the property under discussion was a Christmas
tree farm; and when the Township purchased it, he was glad that it would not be
developed into housing. He does feel the parking should be moved. He stated the speed
limit should be changed to 25 miles per hour regardless of whether this Park goes in or
not because of the School in the area. He stated it would be very difficult to have a
soccer game if the fields were adjacent to I-95 because of the noises from I-95. He stated
when I-95 is expanded, hopefully, they will install sound barriers which should help this
situation. Mr. Fazzalore stated with the representatives came in to discuss the expansion
of I-95 they stated that they would consider sound barriers but indicated they would be
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 7 of 9
installed adjacent to the homes, and they did not discuss installing them adjacent to open
space. It was also noted that there are four homes in this area. Mr. Mathieson stated he
would also be in favor of tennis courts at this location.
Mr. Paul McKenzie,
no place for children to go and no place to go in a safe manner. He stated they need bike
paths in this area as well. He stated he moved from Doylestown and lived adjacent to a
Park similar to what is being proposed and when it was built, it raised the value of the
adjacent homes. He feels a Park in this area will pull the community together.
Mr. Roberts stated if they do construct the parking in the area adjacent to I-95, they could
piggyback with the Fire House and double up on the reservoir.
Mr. Mathieson asked if changes will be made to
goes in so that it will come straight into Creamery with a light. Mr. Fazzalore stated this
is not part of that deal. Mr. Matheson stated he feels an accident will happen that will
force them to correct this problem. Mr. Fazzalore stated they hope that PennDOT will
“T” it at some time.
Mr. John Bingley stated there are existing gullies which have formed because of water
run off. Mr.
Fazzalore stated
and whenever they do construction, they do try to address the water problems. He stated
they will make sure that the water is addressed.
Mr. Fazzalore stated he understands that these are to be scheduled fields. He stated the
only place where there are proposed to be non-scheduled fields for spontaneous
recreation is at Memorial Park. He stated at the current time it is not possible for people
to just have a pick-up game. He stated he is also concerned that there is not a permanent
home for the Senior Citizens in the Township, and he has made it clear he will not vote
for another Park until they take care of the Senior Citizens. He stated the Township does
not have any additional funds to develop Parks. He stated there are some bonds that will
be coming due, and at that time, they will most likely borrow again. He stated they are
trying hard not to raise taxes. He stated they cannot raise the General Fund because those
funds are capped. He stated they must determine how they can get additional funds. He
is in favor of continuing to work on planning for the Park. He stated while the Leagues
in
Park because it will make fields available for non-League play.
Mr. Roberts asked about use of the School parking lot. Ms. Bunn stated the Schools
would not allow them to use their parking lot. Mr. Fazzalore stated there are liability
concerns. Mr. Roberts asked about hours of operation. He asked if people can use the
fields if they are empty, and it was noted that they are available to the public when there
is not scheduled play. Mr. Roberts asked how they will secure the area. Ms. Berger
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 8 of 9
stated this should not be a problem because the children on the various teams are taken
home after dark. Mr. Carpenter stated there will not be lights. Ms. Bunn stated the
Police do patrol the Parks. Mr. Fritchey stated this has not really been a serious problem
in the Township at the various Parks.
Mr. Smith stated the purpose of the meeting this evening was to get input from the
surrounding residents. He stated they are interested in working with the residents to get
something good constructed. He stated he also sat on the Senior Center/Community
Center Sub-Committee and he fought to get that Plan approved.
Mr. Roberts stated they appreciate being contacted by the Township. He stated they are
concerned because when the Fire Station was being considered ,they were not advised
when the location was changed. Mr. Fazzalore stated the Park & Recreation Board is
excellent at communicating with the residents. He stated when Memorial Park was being
planned, they met almost one year with the adjacent residents; and they were able to get a
concept plan approved that was acceptable to the Park & Recreation Board and the
residents.
Mr. Tom May stated he would like to see a resident represented on the Sub-Committee as
well. Mr. Smith stated they do have a Sub-Committee which has been formed and they
would be interested in having a few residents from the area be involved. He suggested
those interested contact Ms. Liney.
Ms. Liney stated she will notify everyone whenever the Snipes Tract is on the Park & Recreation Board Agenda. She stated she would be willing to notify them when the Sub-Committee meets as well.
Mr. Rob Henderson stated while he is not an engineer, he does not feel the Plan proposed
makes sense since it involves entering the site at a location where you have to go up an
elevation when you could go around and place the parking lot in an area where it would
make sense and not impact the adjoining residents. He asked if there is a determination
on the cost. Mr. Fazzalore stated at Memorial Park, the Township is only putting in a
road to the 9-11 Memorial and the utilities associated with it and it is costing them $1
million.
Ms. Cynthia Threet,
Park for the entire community rather than just for playing soccer. Mr. Smith stated they
did not consider this at this location because there is a facility less than one mile away
called Memorial Park which will address many of the concerns for a non-athletic facility.
Mr. Henderson stated he assumes that studies have been done to insure that there is a
need for these facilities, and Mr. Fritchey stated studies have been done. Mr. Smith
stated soccer, Lacrosse and football are all booming. Mr. Fazzalore stated the Township
May 11, 2004 Park & Recreation Board – page 9 of 9
is basically built out since there are only approximately three farms left. He stated the
Township Supervisors were farsighted in purchasing as much open space as they did.
Mr. Fritchey stated a Municipal study was done in the early 90’s to determine the
recreation needs at the time of build out, and certain recommendations where made. They
are basically following those recommendations. He stated in recent years there has also
been the development of new sports such as Lacrosse and skateboarding for which they
need to find space so that these activities can be conducted safely.
Mr. Fritchey stated the Sub-Committee will consider this proposal again in the future,
and the residents will be advised when this matter will be discussed again. Mr. Fazzalore
stated if they want to proceed with this, they should make sure that this is included in the
Budget and make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors about borrowing the
money.
There being no further business, Mr. Smith moved, Ms. Bunn seconded and it was unanimously carried to adjourn the meeting at 9:15 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
David Fritchey, Chairman