Pine Community Park master plan update unveiled

After multiple months collecting feedback on what Pine Community Park should look like following an acquisition of 18 additional acres, township manager Jason Kratsas presented an update on the park’s master plan at the May 1 board of supervisors meeting.

In December, the township started a community park review, which encompassed four workshop meetings with different groups and the public to hear the current challenges in the park and evaluate what the park should look like moving forward.

“What we’re hearing about the newly acquired acres is that it should be a space tailored for passive recreation — walking trails, environmental programs, frisbee golf,” Kratsas said.

Residents also had the opportunity to offer feedback and suggestions for the park during an open house at the Pine Community Center in February. The findings from the workshops were presented there. An online survey was available on the township website for community feedback as well.

Comments from the open house and the survey included evaluations of the current sporting facilities, amphitheaters, playground upgrades and more. The three lowest priorities from the public perspective were the winter festival space, the nature center, and the Pine Community Center.

Following the workshops, township officials generated a list of new uses and expanded current uses for the park infrastructure.

“Walking trails are the highest priority that we saw from the study,” Kratsas said.

Kratsas said that there is a desire for sport courts such as pickleball and platform tennis.