Fairview Township plans park upgrades

FAIRVIEW TWP. – Township supervisors met again with engineers and residents Tuesday to discuss improvements at the township’s Memorial Park.

The township matched a state grant for a total of $16,000 to be used for park renovations and contracted the Allentown firm, Barry Issett & Associates, to oversee its application.

The firm sent out 400 questionnaires to randomly selected township addresses to gauge residents’ interests. The three-page questionnaire allowed for suggestions such as improved tennis and basketball courts, wall-ball courts or a skatepark. It also asked residents their opinions of the park’s security, cleanliness and maintenance.

About 11 percent of the questionnaires were returned completed, said Board Chairman Mike Iorio. “Which is good,” he said. “We needed at least 10 percent to continue the grant process.”

Responses tended to favor a nature trail and expanded parking areas, Iorio said. Also, a fenced-in dog park and modernized playground equipment are on the table, he said.

The supervisors will meet with the firm again to review plan revisions at 7 p.m. April 30. After that, he said they will see if they need more grant money to fulfill their plans.

“We’re going to do this in a way that doesn’t impact taxes,” Iorio said, adding that if a grant requires a 50 percent township match like the first one, they would search elsewhere.

In other business:

• Supervisors adopted a new fee schedule for land developers. Iorio said their previous fee schedule was outdated.