Charlestown Township Parks & Recreation Board
Great Valley Middle School
Thursday March 21, 2019

Present

Parks and Recreation:
Chris Lawrence, Chairperson, Frank Beyer via phone, and Marylou Forcine. Brian Schlorff, Jim Quay, and Bil Longua were absent.
Additional Visitors and Volunteers:
See attached sign in sheet.

Announcements

There were no announcements.

Minutes for Approval

The February minutes were approved.

Old Business

New Business

Earth Day

The official date for Earth Day is April 6th, and the rain date is the 13th. Mr. Lawrence told those present to meet at the Township Office or at a group site. There will be trash removal on Township Line Road and a few other less traveled roads. Be safe, use vests available at the Office, and please no one under 18 on roadside. Mrs. Csete has a list of some problem areas, if you are looking for a site to target. Mr. Lawrence will follow up with Mr. Findlay regarding a task list. The children are handling a lantern fly egg hunting expedition.

Trails

Mr. Beyer is trying to get some trail visits into his schedule. He is hoping April allows for drier trail walking. He said the Pickering and the Pickering Dam Trail have wash away entire segments. There is a list of chores that needs to be accomplished to bring them back to good shape. He emphasized that there is a serious commitment of time need for these two trails. In addition, there is a bridge down, and perhaps some re-routing or stone-wrapping of some segments, to help with drainage. These trails would certainly benefit from some Eagle Scout projects. He has been contacted by 2 more individuals looking to become Trail Ambassadors. The Thompson Trail is in good shape, as is Brightside. One tree still needs to come down at Brightside, and he or Chris will take care of calling Davey Tree.

Charlestown Park Report

The drain repair, being done by Melchiorre, has not been completed, probably due to the weather. Opening day for one of the clubs is March 30th, but it has been very wet and play may be pushed back.

The Eagle Scout fence project was incredibly thorough and impressive. Mr. Beyer said chicken wire is not resilient to ball strikes, and tends to break apart. He suggested something plastic or returning to the fence supplier and discussing it further. Also, the fence must withstand weed whacking. Mr. O’Brien didn’t think it was actual chicken wire and will confirm.

Mr. Lawrence said there may be a Colorsplash 5k run/walk sometime in October (19, 20, 26, or 27th). He is checking on the chemical makeup of the colors, the number of volunteers needed for parking, etc., and then it will probably move forward for approval.

PASC and PMYC Report

Mr. Maurer introduced Mr. Damon Faunce of the PASC and Mr. Bruce MacLelland of the PMYC. Mr. Maurer stated a few facts as background for tonight discussion.

  1. There was a winter meeting regarding fields.
  2. Some fields are good, but it is a continual struggle, especially due to wet weather.
  3. There is increased enrollment (a few years ago they had 4 travel teams, now 16).
  4. They do not practice on their play fields.
  5. There are about 580 PMYC players and 1000 PASC players.

    6. Mr. Maurer and Mr. O’Brien decided it was best to establish communication between the teams. Stemming from this, tonight they wanted to discuss installation of a turf field using the entire area behind the PMYC clubhouse. The goal is to have a reliable safe field for play.

  6. PASC has 4 fields.
  7. PMYC has 3 fields.
    1. A swampy lacrosse field (supposed to start play March 30th but can’t)
    2. An undersized (40’x80’) football field that cannot be expanded
    3. A field hockey field
  8. There is enough field space here for 2 full soccer fields, a regulation sized football field, a lacrosse field, plus central seating or a kicking wall.
  9. The pine trees, no where near the end of their lifespan, would need to be removed, but more trees would certainly be planted to replace them.
  10. PASC could utilize these fields, helping their grass fields receive less play and recover, and PMYC could use PASC’s fields with a new turf complex.
  11. Even if it would rain right before a game, a turf field is ready for play.
  12. Mr. Maurer and Mr. O’Brien have meet regarding tentative scheduling if a turf field was installed, and said that they could coexist. The rugby team would still fit in too.
  13. This new turf would reduce:
    1. Postponing start dates.
    2. Traveling to find turf in Chester and Montgomery Counties, and/or competing for fields that are safe and dry.
    3. Cancelations and refunding of costs for events.
    4. Aerating
    5. Line marking
    6. Cleaning the field
    7. Repairing high wear areas
    8. Mowing
    9. Irrigation
    10. Seeding
    11. Fertilizing
    12. The spraying of herbicides

    This area of the Park was chosen by the gentlemen because:

  14. It is flat
  15. It is central, which also relieves any lighting complaint issues
  16. It is a rectangular area of land
  17. It has easy access

    18. Mr. Maurer said replacement cost is about half of installment costs. Maintenance is about the same over the life of the field, with a warranty of 8-12 years depending on the grade of turf. Mr. Maurer said there are funds to kick off the project that would include an endowment for replacement. Mr. Lawrence suggested a grant search. Mr. Maurer said he realized much more information is needed, especially regarding funding.

  18. The cost is ≈a million dollars
  19. The base is crushed stone and not impervious.
  20. It covers about 80,000 square feet
  21. The turf fill is rubber and sand, although crushed coconut shells are the newest fill.
  22. There is no current plan within the Township, to add more playing fields.

    Mr. Maurer said the field would need lighting. The l.e.d. lights for athletic fields are very directional and no long a point of contention by neighbors, as they have been in the past. Trees would need to be removed, but plantings along paths would compensate for this. Ms. Dicranian suggested cameras for security on the new light poles and a centralized scheduling program for the fields and pavilions in the Park.

    The discussion ended with these points:

  23. The club offered $20,000 to launch a feasibility study. Mr. Lawrence suggested allowing Board Members time to review the minutes first.
  24. Mr. Motel instructed them to contact Mr. Wright.
  25. Mr. Lawrence suggested checking the website for instructions for introducing new projects or sketch plans to the Township.
  26. Mr. Lawrence reminded them that the Board will consider input from the residents and any impact of a installing a turf field, including environmental and stormwater impact.

PMYC Report

PMYC start date is the 30th until Memorial Day. The flag football has really taken off.

Brightside Farm

Mr. Motel walked the Brightside Trail with a rep from Backyard for Birds, Mr. Goodman, Mr. Findlay, and Alix Coleman. They found 10 spots for bluebird boxes, 2 for screech owls, one for kestrels, and one spot for a bat box. Mr. Motel displayed the boxes and said he plans on installing the bluebird boxes on Earth Day. He will work with Alix regarding placement of the boxes in consideration of the farmer. Mr. Lawrence will receive links from Mr. Motel. Mr. Lawrence said he has 3 more bat boxes that need homes. Hopefully one can be installed on Earth Day in the Park.

Charlestown Day 2019

The next Charlestown Day is September 14. Mr. Lawrence said volunteers are needed, spread the word.

Other Business

Mr. Motel introduced Mr. Dan Mount, and Ms. Melissa Dicranian. Both visitors expressed interest in joining the Parks and Recreation Board. Mr. Lawrence will be in contact with them after checking how many official openings there are on this Board. Many volunteers are needed for projects within the Township, plus there is a list of Eagle Scout projects, too.

Adjournment

Adjourned at 9:00 p.m.