CHARLESTOWN TOWNSHIP PARKS & RECREATION BOARD Charlestown Township Office 11 General Warren Blvd. Suite 1, in Malvern, PA Thursday, January 18, 2024, 7 p.m.

Present

Announcements

Standing Items

Minutes

Mr. Ammerman moved to approve the minutes for December with a minor edit, and Mr. Mount seconded. Mr. Mount called for discussion and there being none called the vote. All were in favor.

Youth Sport Reports

The seasons are over and no reports are expected until spring.

Trails Reports

The McDevitt Trail will be discussed in New Business.

Charlestown Township Park and Brightside Farm Update

Please see Old Business.

EAC Report

Ms. Fox is in communication with the EAC as the liaison, she had no update to share for tonight. In the November EAC meeting, the EAC agreed to further pursue investigating a proposal to use organic/non-hazardous chemicals on public lands. Next, Ms. Armstrong, the EAC Chairperson, appeared at the December P&R meeting.

Old Business

Charlestown Park To-Do List

The Charlestown Township Park “to-do list” is a work in progress and may be on the next agenda.

New Business

McDevitt Trail Signage and Repair

After Ms. Kane reported some trees down, some trash being dumped, and the absence of blaze marks, Mr. Mount reported that the trail had been anonymously marked. Marking included the PECO area and clear blazes for visitors to follow. Discussion followed:

• Ms. Kane wants a trailhead near the school parking lot.
• Members agreed to begin marking all trails with new branded posts or kiosks.
• GPS pins should be dropped at heads. This may be done by Ms. Fox. The current pins no longer have a viable link but Mr. Mount will try them again.
• The website trail information will be updated by Ms. Fox and Mr. Ammerman.
• Ms. Fox will obtain quotes for the trailhead posts.
• Mr. Ammerman will obtain plans for kiosks and form a budget for all the improvements.
• An eBike policy for Township trails should be drafted first per Mr. Mount.
• Ms. Kane and Ms. Fox will work together on signage for the spring. Once they obtain BOS approval, they will begin in the summer and rotate through the Township parks.
• An easily removable tree is down and there are still two tires on the trail.

Pickering Trail Repair

The dumping on the Pickering Trail roadside has been corrected. Mr. Ammerman will visit the eroded area of the trail. It may require a stone burrito or scout work.

Wild Flower Walk and Increasing Communication

Ms. Fox discussed an attempt to present scheduled events for the Township that will help the P&R, Historical Commission, and the EAC, attract more volunteers. Ms. Fox and Ms. Kane are streamlining events and have given Mrs. Csete a Calendar of Events that will appear in the next newsletter and on the website. 16 events are scheduled so far including Memorial Day, trail walks, six concerts, Earth Day, and movie nights.

Next, Ms. Fox will provide a year-end analysis, a marketing update, and then the events will begin arriving. Her vision for 2025 is to work with some ideas suggested by residents for “not-so-typical” summer camps.

Miscellaneous

Mr. Mount stated that the Valley Forge Audobon Society held a session at Brightside Park called Birding for Beginners at Brightside. Although it was not a Township-sponsored event, Ms. Fox would like events such as this to be advertised in a more impactful way and added to the Township’s event calendar.

Members discussed the future of Swiss Pines vs Charlestown Township and how it may influence the Park and Recreation Board. Mr. Mount stated that at the last Board Meeting, it was stated that the Township Manager was obtaining proposals on eradicating the bamboo and deciding what to do about the deteriorating fence.

The next Parks and Recreation Board meeting is scheduled for February 15, 2024.

Adjournment was at 7:45 p.m.