Township Takes Over Green Hills Park

Upper Macungie Supervisors voted unanimously Thursday night to take ownership of Green Hills Park from the Kay Brook Green Hills Association after months of prickly meetings and talks.

The issue drew a packed crowd concerned about the park's fate.

The Kay Brook Green Hills Association, former owners of the park, dissolved as of Jan. 1, and ownership of the Russet Road park is in the final legal process of being transferred from the association to the township, as per the terms of its deed.

Supervisors, after voting affimatively, immediately authorized the Public Works Department to move a swing set from Grange Road Park to Green Hills Park for safety reasons.

Green Hills' current playground equipment is more than 40 years old and deemed as unsafe.

"It's a win-win situation," said township supervisor Sam Ashmar. "It's not a perfect world. We'll revisit some of the issues and schedule a time with [the Kay Brook Green Hills Swim Club] to discuss the lease and other issues, such as defraying costs. We want to keep the park open for community residents."

The Kay Brook Green Hills Association and the Kay Brook Green Hills Swim Club are separate entities.

The swim club had a seven-year lease with the community association to use an area of the park for automobile parking. Additional parking on the paved tennis courts helped with the overflow of cars from the swim club when it hosts swim meets between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

The park has a playground, a baseball field, a basketball court and a tennis court that has been paved over.  The land was given over to the community association in 1971 by the Jaindl Turkey Hatchery.

Upper Macungie Township has a large, regional park system and residents said rumors were rampant that supervisors didn't want to take ownership of a small so-called "pocket park."

"I agree [with the decision]," said supervisor Kathy Rader. "I'm not in favor of pocket parks going forward, but the outpouring of community support for this is large."

Supervisors held a special one-hour meeting prior to their regularly scheduled agenda meeting in front of a standing-room-only gathering to hear passionate citizen concerns about the park's fate.

Several citizens spoke about of how generations of children have utilized the park and come back to visit.

Kay Brook Green Hills Board member Sally Scott told supervisors the residents of the association wanted to see the final transfer the 2.7-acre park to the township and not a third party.

"We do not want a private entity to own the park," Scott said. "The park is valuable green space and residents want free access to community green space."

Scott said the association would donate its remaining funds of approximately $600 to the township for park care.

Mike Sicinski, president of the swim club, again stated that the club's intention is to see the park flourish.

"That park is part of the community," he said. "We'd be happy to have the township take ownership of the land. We're happy to stay with the status quo."

Last month, the swim club told the township that it would agree to replace playground equipment as long as the township took over maintenance.

Ashmar said talks will continue between the township and the swim club concerning a fence that slightly encroaches on the park.

"There are open issues like that and we want to get a better handle on what works for everyone," Ashmar said.

The board drew applause from the crowd after announcing its decision.