Planned Hempfield park could see construction later this year

Construction on a planned park along Route 30 near Mount Pleasant Road in Hempfield might start this fall if all goes as expected.

Township supervisors committed to funding the first phase of the Weatherwood Community Park, a 14-acre park on 42 acres of land paralleling US-30 off Weatherwood Lane, for $4.2 million in January. Hempfield bought the land in 2021 from Excela Health.

The planned park is in an area of “high need,” as defined by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, meaning there isn’t a park within 10 minutes of surrounding communities. It would give residents a recreation area closer to the township’s center. Hempfield Park, a 93-acre site, borders the northern end of the township.

The park will include a splash pad and plaza area; an outdoor fitness park; a nature play area; a multi-use restroom, concession, and storage building; several pavilions; and site improvements such as parking, lighting and utilities.

Supervisors are seeking proposals for design and engineering services for the first phase. Township manager Aaron Siko said that once a designer is selected, about six months of design and planning will take place before breaking ground at the end of this year.

“I think that this project is huge,” said Marissa Haynes, interim director of parks and recreation. “I think it is a really exciting time for the township, and what better way to celebrate our 250th anniversary than honoring the needs of a community when it comes to passive and active recreation?”

Roadmap to completion

The township expects to hear later this year if it will receive a $2 million grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to support the second phase of the park’s construction.

“The timelines could work out, if we’re successful in moving the second phase forward with the grant funding, that we could have Phase 1 built in possibly 2023 into 2024,” said township manager Aaron Siko.

Phase 2 of the park is expected to cost $4.1 million and will include an artificial turf field, pickleball courts, basketball courts, additional pavilions and site improvements.

“The community has been asking for a multipurpose turf field for years at Hempfield Park, but the goal of the Board of Supervisors was to find a centralized location for township residents,” Siko said. “The six pickleball courts would supplement the existing indoor and outdoor courts at Hempfield Park, and create additional capacity for pickleball enthusiasts in central Westmoreland County.”

If the township is awarded the grant, phase 2 could break ground in spring 2025.

A center for gathering

The project will be coupled with the township’s RACP grant award for $2.1 million for the first phase of a project to improve the Hempfield Municipal Complex. That project is anticipated to cost $4.5 million and will be designed in conjunction with the new park.

“In Hempfield, we don’t have a town center, but the hope is that this park, by connecting (two) areas and being along the Route 30 corridor, will help create that center area for gathering,” Haynes said. “That’s kind of the vision for it.”

The municipal complex project will include constructing a new road connecting Weatherwood Lane to Spruce Street, utility extensions, sidewalks, and stormwater for future developments. Like the park, groundbreaking for phase 1 of the Hempfield Municipal Complex project is expected to start near the end of 2023.

Haynes hopes the park and municipal upgrades will create a gathering place for the township once completed. She cited the township’s interest in new amenities like the splash pad, sports courts, and walking trails.

Though this project centers around the Weatherwood Lane property, Haynes noted that the existing Hempfield Park is still a part of the township’s future. The ongoing Hempfield Parks Master Plan project is taking a look at how best to utilize recreation space in the township.

“We are a forward-thinking community and always looking to do what makes the most sense,” Haynes said. “I think we really have a dual focus right now, making sure we are meeting the needs of our community that are always evolving. Whether that is at Hempfield Park or Weatherwood Lane, we are here to do that.”