Limerick Township Hears Sports Field Plans

Gabe Betancourt, owner of The Far Post in Oaks, presented his plans for a new soccer facility located on Airport Road in Linfield at Tuesday's Limerick Township Board of Supervisors meeting. 

Betancourt was represented by his attorney, Rob Lewis of Kaplan Stewart, and engineer Nick Feola of Bursich Associates.

Feola and Lewis told the board that the plan includes a 57,800-square-foot building with two indoor soccer fields, and three lit outdoor fields with parking. Two of the outdoor fields will be synthetic turf and one will be grass.

The public hearing at the meeting was held in order for Betancourt to secure approval to use the 18-acre property as a sports facility. The property is currently zoned Office/Light Industrial and requires a Conditional Use permit, so the township was required to hold a public hearing on the matter.

Betancourt has secured the necessary permits and has agreed to suggestions made by the township, the Zoning Hearing Board and the Planning Commission. No one in the audience objected to the plan.

The board took the matter under advisement.

In Other News

The board approved awarding a contract (contingent on the township receiving all necessary paperwork) to replace the Sewer Department building's roof. The winning bid was from Banes Roofing, Inc., in the amount of $37,495.

The board also approved several change orders for the Lewis Road Corridor Improvement Project. 

Two of the orders involve excavation near the plant. The additional excavations are needed because plans supplied by utility companies had incorrect locations for a 12-inch water line and a four-inch gas line. 

Township manager Dan Kerr said the staff would be looking to pursue reimbursement from the companies that supplied the incorrect plans. 

Finally, the board approved three proposals totaling $49,055 for new playground equipment in the 2- to 5-year-old and 5- to 12-year-old play areas in the . The Parks and Recreation committee obtained a $30,000 grant and the township matched $20,000 in funds. 

During the public comment period, Jackie Schlichthernlein, a board member, publicly thanked the township board, Solicitor Joseph McGrory and township engineer for all their help with the Villas' issues with their builder. 

According to a post from HOA president Frank Burstein on the Villas at Linfield website: 

"It’s been a long time coming, but McGrath is finally back. I’ve had a number of phone and in-person conversations and meetings this past week, on-site here in the Villas and at the Township Building. Inspectors have been out at the “stick house” quad, which will shortly have new construction begin. The “flapping Tyvec” has been removed, and the Township is inspecting the existing structure so that McGrath’s contractor can hopefully finish the units by end of this summer."

"Hopefully [builder] McGrath is back in our community, and in the next year or two years we look for the community to be completed," Schlichthernlein said.