PARK AND RECREATION BOARD
NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP
MINUTES OF APRIL 3, 2002
Approval of Minutes of April 3, 2002: Mrs. Sutton moved to approve the minutes of April 3, 2002. Mrs. Kelly seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
The Newtown Township Park and Recreation Board met on Wednesday, April 3, 2002. In attendance and voting were Bernard Bires, Chairman; Andrew Levine, Vice-Chairman; John Davis, Joel Grosso, Kathy Kelly, Buck O'Neil, Russell G. Strover, Susan Sutton, and Anne Marie Zambriski, members. Also in attendance were Bill Wert, Park and Recreation Director; Scott Harp and Richard Weaver, Supervisors.
Call to Order
Approval of the Minutes of March 6, 2002
Mr. Bires moved to accept the minutes of March 6, 2002. Mrs. Kelly
seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
Old Business
Hoffa Tract
As there was no representative of the Hoffa Tract present, the matter was
continued to the May 1, 2002 meeting.
Playground Sub-Committee
Mr. Levine presented the Board with updated site maps prepared by Pinnoni
Associates, which reflect the new dimensions of the playground, the corrected
trails and a proposed path to the playground. These plans were submitted to the
Planning Commission. It was suggested by the Planning Commission that a paved
trail be added to the smaller children's playground, which will have a poured
in place safety surface, thereby making it wheelchair accessible. The Planning
Commission also asked about a water fountain, but the sub-committee felt that
any work done to bring a drinking fountain to the playground would have to be
re-done at such time as restrooms are added to Roberts Ridge Park. It was
suggested that the sub-committee inquire as to possibly running a water
fountain from the alternative school. Mr. Levine agreed to make such inquiries.
The Planning Commission moved to recommend that the Board of Supervisors
approve the playground, as shown, with the addition of a handicap accessible
ramp to the poured in place safety surface area. Mr. Levine will make a
presentation to the Board of Supervisors at their April 10, 2002 meeting, and
if approved, the equipment can be ordered and site preparation can begin.
Shade Tree Commission
Mrs. Sutton reported that she has been working with Newtown Borough for
the Arbor Day celebration that they have planned, and that she is asking a few
members of the Park and Recreation Board to help her on April 26, 2002 at
Roberts Ridge Park, where Boy Scouts from Goodnoe Elementary School will plant
trees. The scouts will then walk to Linton Park on Lincoln Avenue in the
Borough to participate in the activities there, and be awarded commendation
certificates for their tree planting efforts. Later in the day a tree, donated
by Mr. Harp, will be planted along Municipal Drive.
Mr. Strover confirmed that he would be participating Arbor Day, and that
Copper Beech and Liberty Elms will be planted along the Frost Lane side of the
park.
Mr. Strover reported that he expects to hear in the summer whether the
Board has received a grant for a grove of trees to be planted at the site of
the proposed gazebo.
Mr. Strover reported that 52 people attended the seminar the Township
sponsored at Bucks County Community College with the Pennsylvania Cooperative
Extension, and that four people attended his morning workshop on tree planting,
pruning and maintenance, held on the Clark property.
Mr.Strover has begun investigating a Memorial Tree program. He is
considering a spot at Silver Lake Park for the trees. He estimates that a
memorial tree, with a plaque, would probably cost about $350.00.
Liaison Reports
Capital Planning
Mr. Wert said that he is
preparing a presentation for the Capital Planning Commission's May meeting,
where he will outline Park, Open Space and Recreation plans for the next three,
five and ten years. He would like to ask that restrooms and a band shell for
Roberts Ridge Park be added to next year's budget.
Mr. Harp said that he hoped that
this board would begin discussion of both short and long term park plans at
tonight's meeting, to help with the Capital Planning Commission's plans.
Planning Commission
There was no Planning Commission
report.
Supervisors
Mr. Harp reported that the Board of Supervisors is eager to begin
considering plans for the future use of the Clark nature preserve and Hidden
Lake, and would like to add both to this evening's agenda.
Hidden Lake
Mr. Weaver explained to the Board that Newtown Township owns open space
located between Washington Crossing Road and Eagle Road, just north of the high
tension wires. Bucks County has certain easements and restrictions concerning a
dam on the property. He is scheduled to meet with a representative of the
County to discuss these easements next week. He presented a plan, prepared by
Pinnoni Associates, to add parking spaces along the access road into the park.
Mr. Jeff Marshall and Mr. Charles Sutton, owners of the properties on
either side of the entrance to the park on Washington Crossing Road, were
present. Mr. Marshall said that he owns the land to the south of the entrance
road, and that the proposed parking spaces are on land that belongs to him. He
is reluctant to allow the Township to use his land, as there is a creek with a
steep incline, just beyond the parking area, and he is concerned about his
liability. He has considered deeding the land to the Township, but he must
maintain 10 acres of land to retain his current tax status. He has spoken to
representatives of DeLuca Builders, who own the land on the other side of his
property, about acquiring land on that side to compensate for the land he would
deed to the Township, but DeLuca is not in a position to deed him the land, as
it now belongs to the Lakeview Estates Homeowners Association.
Mr. Sutton expressed his concerns regarding his own liability, as his
property directly adjoins the other side of the park entrance. He is also
concerned about the maintenance of the property, should it be developed as a
passive park. He said that the lake is used sometimes for fishing, and he finds
garbage there all the time, and he is afraid this will increase. He also
speculated that because it is a secluded spot, it could become a hangout for
older children, and he questioned whether the police would patrol the area in
the evening. There are also ATV trails along the property now. He is concerned
that ATV activity will also increase if parking is provided.
Mr. Wert explained that the Township owns the park, and that the County
has easements for the road and the dam. The dam area is deed restricted, and
the Township cannot put in a fence along the border with the private property
on the other side of the lake. It has also been suggested by the Township
insurance carrier that police patrol the park daily. The police department
should be notified that the Board is considering plans to open the park.
Mr. Weaver said that he would discuss these matters with Joe Bush of the
County Park Department when they meet next week. As he understands it,
currently the County does not allow walking on the dam or hunting, although
fishing and boating are allowed.
Mr. Levine stated that he was not aware of this park at all, and that he
was unprepared to discuss future use of the park at this time.
Mr. Harp said that the Board of Supervisors wanted this Board to begin
discussions of future use of all of the Township's parkland, and that tonight
was the beginning of such discussion.
Mr. Levine said that he thought that there are questions regarding the
County easements and police patrols that the Board could not address at this
time. He thought the discussion should be tabled until a representative of the
County and a representative of the police department were present.
Mr. Bires agreed with Mr. Levine that the Board was not prepared to
discuss any plans for Hidden Lake at this time. He asked if Mr.Wert could
invite Bill Mitchell of Bucks County
Park Department, and Mr. Harp could invite Chief Duffy of the Newtown Police
Department to the May 1, 2002 meeting to continue the discussion. He also asked
that Mr. Marshall and Mr. Sutton return at that time.
Clark Nature Preserve
Mr. Weaver told the Board that he, Mr.Strover and Mr. Snipes had recently
walked the trails on this property, located on Durham Road. Mr. Snipes
identified many of the trees, including rare hybrid rhododendrons, but also
found many very rare specimens he was not able to identify. Currently there is
access to the property through a narrow driveway with a turn-around area behind
the house.
Mr. Weaver presented plans prepared by Pinnoni Associates that would
expand the width of the driveway, increase the turn-around area, and provide
nine gravel parking spaces. He said that PennDot requires that the driveway
entrance be paved and widened. Because there is a swale in the road at the
property, moving the entrance would not afford the minimum required visibility.
Mr. Weaver said that by limiting the parking to only nine spaces the
access is limited, and by limiting access there is no PennDot requirement that
a deceleration lane added to the road at the entrance. By putting in nine
spaces, there would be some additional public access, such as for scout troops.
Mr. Harp said that this would be a low cost project that he hoped the
Board would consider bringing to the Planning Commission. He asked that Mr.
Strover outline a few walking trails.
Mr. Davis asked if other materials than gravel had been considered for
the parking area. He said that he has seen other pervious materials in other
parks, and thought that might be a better idea.
Mr. Strover said that he would like to see the plan make better use of
the existing turn-around area, with a minimum disruption of the trees on the
property. He thought the current proposal required that too many trees at the
entrance be removed.
Mr. Weaver suggested that he could ask the engineers to redesign the plan
to make better use of the existing driveway and turn-around area, and make
recommendations for other materials for the pervious parking area.
Mr. Levine said that if Mr. Strover and Mr. Weaver were satisfied with
the redesigned plans, that he would support their bringing such plans to the
Planning Commission's next meeting.
Mr. Wert said that the Board can visit the property at any time. The
Milner family currently supervises access to the property, but anyone wishing
to visit can just let Bill know and he would inform the Milners.
Mr. Weaver said that if the new design was completed to his and Mr. Strover's
satisfaction that they could present it to the Planning Commission at the April
16, 2002 meeting.
Mr. Levine moved to authorize
the engineers to revise the design for the Clark Nature Preserve entrance and
driveway to minimize disruption of trees, and to explore alternatives to gravel
for pervious paving, and for Mr. Weaver and Mr. Strover to present the plan to
the Planning Commission. Mrs. Kelly seconded and the motion passed unanimously.
Park and Recreation Director's
Report
Mr. Wert presented his current financial
report, which shows that the summer camp registration is down from last year.
Enrollment had been 200 in 2001, but he has only received 169 registrants for
2002. The Camp Beechtree, 4-5 year old camp has 15 registered, but there is
room for 50 children, the teen camp has 37 registered with openings for 70, and
Camp Newtown has 117 with room for 150. He suspected that, because he had
reconfigured the age groups and had been unable to include camp information in
the winter brochure, registration suffered. He has included camp information in
the spring brochure, and has begun separate camp mailings to last year's
attendees, and flyers to the elementary schools. The camps will also be
featured in newspaper press releases.
Mr. Wert said that at the State Conference he
had spoken to a vendor who books musical acts for municipal concerts. He was
thinking that the Board may want to consider sponsoring a concert at Roberts
Ridge Park using the Bucks County Showmobile, a truck equipped with a stage,
lights and a sound system.
Mr. Bires said that he had attended a Big Band
concert last summer in Newtown Borough and it had been very successful. He
would like to see the Township sponsor a similar concert.
Mrs. Sutton suggested that a Sunday evening in
August might be a good time for a concert. She thought that if a concert began
at 6:30 PM, it would not be too hot and it would be over before it became too
dark.
Mr. Wert said that he would begin looking at
possible plans for getting the showmobile, the entertainment and the funding
for a concert.
Mr. Wert said that he was including the NFL
flag football registration information in his spring brochure, and would be
sending flyers through the schools. The league would be organized over the
summer, with orientation clinics to train the volunteer coaches.
Mr. O'Neil said that he would discuss the NFL
program with the Newtown Athletic Association.
Mr. O'Neil reported that Little League opening
day would be Saturday, April 6, 2002. Girls softball begins in May. All the
fields are ready, and they have begun installing the fence toppers, purchased
by the Township, on the fields. May 4, 2002 is World Wide Little League
Hometown Hero Day.
Member Comments
Mrs. Sutton mentioned that the exterior of the alternative school has not been cleaned up. There are still large piles of dirt in the yard.
Mrs. Sutton also asked when the PennDot trailers would be removed from Swamp
Road Park.
Mr. Wert said that he did not think that the
work on the traffic lights on the By-Pass had been completed yet.
Mr. Bires expressed the Board's
congratulations to Mr. Strover and Mr. Wert for their awards, presented at the
PRPS banquet.
Mr. Bires suggested that the Board begin their
meetings at 7:00, as the meetings are running until past 10:00 PM. The rest of
the Board agreed to meet in May at 7:00PM
Mr. Bires moved to adjourn at 10:10PM. Mr. Davis seconded and the motion
passed unanimously.
Respectfully Submitted
______________________________
Mary Donaldson, Recording Secretary