Upper Allen Township 100 Gettysburg Pike Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Phone: (717) 766-0756 Fax: (717) 796-9833 www.upperallentwp.org PARK & RECREATION REGULAR MEETING February 28, 2018 PRESENT: JEFF WILLIAMS, BEN BURDICK, AMY COOK, JOHN WALTON, LAUREN SANKER, RYAN BROWN MEMBERS; Ginnie Anderson, Township Commissioner; Paul Rigney, Township Commissioner; Scott Fraser, Assistant Township Manager; Scott Shepler, Parks Maintenance Supervisor; Julie Roth, Recording Secretary. VISITORS Jim Cochran Township Commissioner Kris Lowther - Keystone FC Josh Bull - Keystone FC Steve Anderjcak - Township Resident Tim Glessner - Township Resident Erik and Susan Weenink - Township Residents Bryce Weenink - Boy Scouts Troop 190 Chad Wenger - Pastor at Mechanicsburg Community Church Scott Steffan - Upper Allen Mechanicsburg Baseball Association CALL TO ORDER Vice Chairman Williams called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. All attendees recited the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL All present introduced themselves. APPROVAL OF MINUTES A motion was made by Ms. Cook to approve the meeting minutes from the January 24, 2018 meeting. The motion was seconded by Ms. Sanker and passed unanimously. CHAIRMAN S ANNOUNCEMENTS None.
CHAIRMAN S RECOGNITION OF VISITORS 1. Township Commissioner Ginnie Anderson/Paul Rigney Commissioner Anderson mentioned that there was a meeting last week regarding the Yellow Breeches. She stated that things have improved a slight bit but Messiah College normally closes their launch area about three times during the year. She said they debated on two items related to Messiah College. One is to possibly start charging to park and the second is to close the launch area. She said the College has decided to close it more often when they have events happening on campus. She said the dates have already been given to the Police Department and will be placed in the Township newsletter. She noted one difficult time will be during the 4 th of July. Commissioner Anderson continued that they are trying to get together with all of the interested parties and the other areas that are bordering the Yellow Breeches, as it does affect them as well. She said there are calls in to Representative Delozier and Senator Regan to see if there is any kind of financial aid or help to do a study of the entire area, from South Middleton to New Cumberland. She said they feel it is needed as the Yellow Breeches is not only an area for tubing and kayaking, but also for fishing since it is a really good trout area. She mentioned that they want people to understand that they are working on resolving the issues and that the Police did a great job last year dealing with issues that happen along the creek. She said Messiah College will be hosting a gettogether to explain that everyone should call the Police right away while problems are occurring rather than waiting until later. Ms. Cook stated that she is glad to hear that they are pursuing it and she feels it is in line with what the comprehensive plan says needs to be done. Commissioner Rigney distributed handouts and asked the Park and Recreation Board to look through the items. The information included the park ordinance, which does not address hours of operation in the parks, and with baseball using lights for their games this is a good time to review it and come up with some suggestions. He also included the ordnance establishing the Park and Recreation Board and what their responsibilities and authorities are. He asked members to let him know if they feel anything should be changed. Commissioner Rigney stated that at the last Board of Commissioner s meeting, Commissioner Cochran asked if the Township could charge outside organizations or organizations that have a majority of outside residents using our fields. He said the Solicitor stated that if they are organizations that are predominately from outside the Township then we could charge them. Commissioner Rigney mentioned that a suggestion was made to ask for the names and area of residence of everyone who participates in the sports, to give the Township a starting point for a reasonable fee. He said he is not talking about Upper Allen Mechanicsburg Baseball Association as Mechanicsburg only makes up about one third of the kids in that group. He said there was a men s softball league that was using a Winding Hills Park field and they are a West Shore group, so he is not sure how many of them are from Upper Allen Township. Commissioner Cochran stated that other municipalities charge tiered rates for use of their facilities, where non-profits are charged something and for-profits get charged even more. He suggested that the board looking into that option. Commissioner Cochran also requested that the Township start now to grandfather existing organized groups in the Township and once a year get a roster to find out who is playing on the fields. He said it isn t fair to the taxpayers to pay for groups that are mainly non-residents. He said he s
not saying that non-residents shouldn t be playing, but they should be paying for use of the fields. Mr. Burdick stated that the over-30 baseball team that he plays for does not pay for the use of the field at Fisher Park but they pay approximately $350 for a field in Lower Allen Township. Ms. Sanker stated that she feels it s a good thing as it seems to be a standard for other Townships and she would like to see how they build the tiered system. Mr. Williams added that this is something he has wanted to see since he joined the board. 2. Assistant Township Manager Scott Fraser None. 3. Park Maintenance Supervisor Scott Shepler Mr. Shepler mentioned that he has only known it to happen twice but people have rented a pavilion and when they arrived there were people already using the pavilion. He stated that one of them called the Police, and they said they couldn t do anything about it as there is no ordinance that covers it. Mr. Shepler added that if people are paying money then there should be an ordinance saying that they have the right to use the facility. 4. Mechanicsburg Recreation Department Josh Green Mr. Green mentioned that the winter programs are wrapping up and the family dance will be held this Saturday at the Mechanicsburg High School with a masquerade theme. He added that they have a recreation basketball tournament coming up and this season they had 14 recreation basketball teams and 6 travel basketball teams. He said the next event coming up is the Eggztreme Egg Hunt for ages 8-14 on March 23 rd. He added that they are always looking for volunteers for that event if anyone wants to help out. Mr. Green stated that the summer brochure is at the printer and will be out soon and that the Summer Adventure Camp and Playground Program registration opens next week. Mr. Williams asked how the Middle School after-school program is going, and Mr. Green said the numbers are steady but this time of the year it is competing with the school musical and sports programs. He added that the next session starts on April 3 rd and he is hoping the numbers will be higher for that group. PARK ASSIGNMENTS Mr. Williams mentioned that Country Estates Park looks how you would expect it to look in the spring thaw. He said one swing has a chain that needs looked at for a safety issue. He suggested a get-together with Ms. Brown from the Recreation Department to do a playground safety inspection. He also added that when he visited McCormick Park there were two picnics taking place. Mr. Walton mentioned that Aspen Park had a few pieces of trash lying around but Spring Run Park looked really good. He asked if the parking lot was finished at Mt. Allen Park and Mr. Fraser replied that it will be done in the spring. He stated that they will install a little under 20 spaces that will be paved and lined with a walkway into Messiah Lifeways. Mr. Fraser added that there will also be some landscaping done around the park. Mr. Burdick said Miller s Crest Park looks pretty good but Fisher Park has a couple big branches down and a lot of leaves. Ms. Cook mentioned that the Winding Hills Parks were filled with people using both sides in many ways; however, she did not see any organized activities yet. She said everything looked good. Mr. Fraser stated that the Township did award the bid for the stormwater back behind the
park and it will look more like a pond with some plantings. He added that the work for that should start in late March to early April, so there may be some heavy equipment moving in for that project. Mr. Brown mentioned that he visited Rosegarden Park earlier this week and everything looked good. Ms. Sanker said the parking lot at Grantham Park has a bunch of holes that need filled in. She added that there are deep tracks in the grass that seem fresh as well. Mr. Shepler said he will look into it. Ms. Sanker mentioned that the picnic table is back on the path along with another one that is moved behind the pavilion. She added that the brick sidewalk that leads to the pond fills up with puddles anytime it rains. She said there was some trash and natural debris lying around along with another large branch in the pond that is blocking the path. PUBLIC INPUT Bryce Weenink stated that he made three alternate maps for the proposed areas for a disc golf layout. He said he wanted to utilize the free space at Winding Hills Park East. Mr. Burdick mentioned that he feels they are too close to the baseball fields and the soccer fields. Mr. Weenink said it looks very narrow on the map, but that it is a scale of 1 inch to 100 feet. Mr. Burdick said his concern is the Frisbees flying over the fences. Mr. Williams thanked Mr. Weenink for spending the time on the maps. He added that he shares the concern with how close they are to the athletic fields. He said he has experience with a disc golf course, and even people that know what they are doing can have a wayward disc. He said he is concerned that no matter where they are placed they will interfere with play and spectators. Mr. Weenink asked what the multi-purpose fields on the map will be used for and when they will go into play, and Mr. Fraser said they are sized for both soccer and lacrosse and will be ready for use this fall. Mr. Fraser added that the lower part of the park will be rough-graded and grass planted, but there are no plans for that yet. Mr. Walton asked if other parks were looked at and Mr. Weenink stated that the other parks he looked at were either too small or had too many trees. Commissioner Rigney mentioned that there aren t any ball fields at Simpson Park that would interfere and the trees are around the perimeter. He said he feels there is already so much going on at Winding Hills Park East that he s afraid it would interfere. He said if Miller s Crest Park is large enough then that would be a good park to look at. Mr. Weenink mentioned the open area at Winding Hills East Park and Mr. Williams asked if the rough grade is scheduled for that area. Mr. Shepler said he is hoping to have it done this spring. Mr. Williams mentioned that it might fit in that area with some switchbacks. Mr. Walton added that he really likes the idea of the disc golf course and if it would fit in that area it would be off to the side. Mr. Williams commended Mr. Weenink on his presentation and asked if the board was in consensus that the course would not work at Winding Hills East Park. Ms. Sanker said she would like to see the idea at another park. Mr. Weenink said he is open to finding another park that the disc golf course would work at. Ms. Cook said she feels it would be a great activity to fit in at Simpson Park, although the parking can be an issue during the summer months. Mr. Weenink thanked everyone and said hopefully at next month s meeting he would be back with new plans. Chris Lowther from Keystone Football Club introduced herself and some of the Keystone U12 soccer players and said their team decided they wanted to give back to the community this year, and did a fundraiser that raised almost $3,000 to provide 2 AEDs for to be kept at Friendship Park and Winding Hill s Parks concession stands. The players presented them to the Park and Recreation Board. Steve Anderjcak, a resident of the Township, stated that he lives near Spring Run Drive, which is right by Aspen Park, and he is asking for a garbage can and dog waste bags dispenser to be put in
at the park. He also asked that the grass be looked at as it needs fixed. Mr. Fraser asked Mr. Shepler to look into the grass issue and said that a trash can and dog waste bags will be put in as well. Mr Anderjcak mentioned that the park gets flooded out, and asked that it be looked into as well. Mr. Fraser stated that he will pass it along to the Engineer and the Public Improvement Committee. Look at grass at Aspen Park and add a garbage can and dog waste bag dispenser at the park (Action: Mr. Shepler) Mention Aspen Park flooding to the Township Engineer and the Public Improvement Committee (Action: Mr. Fraser) Tim Glessner, a resident of the Township, stated that he also lives near Spring Run Park and he has lived there for 30 years. He said every time something new is built in the area it causes more water runoff into the park and homes near the park. He said it is getting so bad that when a thunderstorm comes through it causes a river to form in the backyards. Mr. Williams mentioned that it is good for the board to know about this as it is affecting one of the Township parks. Commissioner Rigney stated that a hydrology study of the entire Spring Run watershed is starting this spring. Commissioner Cochran added that unfortunately, that area does not really have a stormwater runoff system in place, and that it is not going to be a quick fix. Mr. Anderjcak mentioned that they added boulders, and all it did was slow the water down and now it comes down into his yard since it has nowhere to go. Commissioner Rigney said the study is due to start in March and Commissioner Cochran mentioned that they wanted to do the study during the rainy season. Chad Wenger, Pastor of Mechanicsburg Community Church, stated that his church has held free movie nights and would like to do a free community event this year instead. It would involve free food, a bounce house, face painting and things like that. He would like to have it held at a Township park. He said the church would provide the staff and pay for everything. They just need the land for it. Mr. Williams mentioned that he personally loves the idea as he spent a large part of his career doing large events, and the value to the community is tremendous. He asked if he had talked to Mrs. Brown at the Recreation Department. Mr. Wenger said he worked with them to promote the previous events. Mr. Shepler said July to early August is a good time. Mr. Fraser asked how much space he would need and Mr. Wenger stated that they would see 350 to 400 people come out for their movie night. Mr. Steffan, from Upper Allen Mechanicsburg Baseball, mentioned that Fisher Park would be perfect as it has a lit parking lot and lit fields if it would be during the evening. Mr. Wenger said it would be more of a carnival-type event during the day. Commissioner Anderson noted that last year the fire company had a one day event and they had a tremendous turnout, and she feels it would be good for the community. OLD BUSINESS 1. Off-Leash Dog Park Committee Update Ms. Cook stated that the committee had a meeting on February 12 th and they discussed the registration process, pricing, sponsorships, and ordinances. She added that two Eagle Scout parents came and they are considering partnering with them for some of the projects. She also mentioned that the committee discussed plans for the grand opening and they are hoping to have the event on May 19 th, but it is very dependent on the weather and construction. The public safety day will be happening that same day at Daybreak Church. Ms. Cook said they had a meeting yesterday with the members of the church as well as Purina and that meeting focused on the construction plans and the grand opening. She said the next meetings will be held on March 13 th at 6 p.m. and March 27 th
at Daybreak Church to meet with Purina again. She added that the area is staked out if anyone wants to see it and that as of today they have 263 followers on the Facebook page. 2. Winding Hills Park East- Central Hub Update Mr. Fraser stated that the bids should be awarded by the second Board of Commissioners meeting in March. He mentioned that the bid is for the actual finalized grading, hardscaping, and the poured-in-place surfacing. Mr. Fraser added that there is an alternate for the actual installation of the equipment. He said the manufacturer does installation but it is very expensive and it could end up being cheaper if a contractor does it instead. He is hoping that the playground will be completed by the end of the summer. NEW BUSINESS 1. Fisher Park Path Discussion Scott Steffan, from Upper Allen Mechanicsburg Baseball Association, stated that in one week it will be spring cleanup and they will be preparing for practice to start on March 12 th. Mr. Steffan said he was here to give an update from the last meeting. He said the association would like to recommend that the money for the top field outfield fence and back stop be moved to resurfacing the walking path along the front side of the park. He said the front part is not as wide as the back and it would make sense to widen it to match the rest of the path. Mr. Fraser said the reason why this is still being discussed is that between the Park and Recreation Board and the Commissioners, they felt there should be more discussion on using the money designated for the Teener fence at Fisher Park to possibly resurface more of the path around the park. Mr. Steffan said the baseball association does not want the money taken away from the Teener fence project. Mr. Fraser said the estimate is roughly $38 per square yard for resurfacing. He said there is more damage at the lower front end of the path where the equipment has gone across and broken it up. He said 6 feet is not a standard size anymore and it needs to be widened. Mr. Steffan commented that resurfacing, from the concession stand down to where the path was cut by the water fountain, is what should be done, as below that the walk is in great condition. Mr. Fraser said about 415 feet could be replaced with what was allotted for top field. He added that they would have to call out for estimates to see specifically what could be done and it would be nice to get as much done as possible at one time, but if it needs to be phased, then it can be. He added that the earliest it would be done is the fall as it would need to be after the heavy equipment is done from the changes at west field and the tennis courts. Mr. Steffan said he is proposing to get the Teener fence done as soon as possible so it is in place before the season starts. Mr. Burdick asked what the final distance is for the fencing and Mr. Steffan said several people met on site the night before. They measured out the entire field and they agreed on 310 down the line and 340 out in the center field. He added that they checked with the high school coach and the junior varsity coach, and after much discussion they confirmed that 340 is a good length. Commissioner Rigney mentioned that he was there and he felt the numbers were good and he feels that there is a need for the fence there. He added that it is using some open space, but there is now more open space at other parks and Fisher Park is mainly dedicated to baseball, basketball, and tennis. Mr. Burdick said he feels it is way too short. Doug Marsico, from Upper Allen Mechanicsburg Baseball Association, said he spoke with the over-30 league representative and they felt that it was a good length. He added that it is a Teener field and is mainly for use by the kids. He said that with rotating west field, they need to put
up the fence as the 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds that will be playing on west field will be much closer to the outfield of the Teener field so, it becomes a safety issue. Mr. Williams said it seems like there would be not enough money to do the entire pathway around Fisher Park but there would be if just the front of the path is done. Mr. Fraser said he will get some estimates to see what would be able to be resurfaced with the money from the top field project. A motion was made by Ms. Sanker to reallocate the top field project money to resurfacing part of the path at Fisher Park. The motion was seconded by Ms. Cook and passed unanimously. Mr. Steffan questioned if it was clear to move forward with the Teener field outfield fence, and Mr. Fraser stated that it was just approved to move forward. ADJOURNMENT The next meeting will be held on March 28, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. With no further business to discuss, Chairman Burch adjourned the meeting at 8:09 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Julie Roth Recording Secretary