SOUTH ABINGTON TWP. - A popular park in the Abingtons will be closed for nearly three months in the summer as construction kicks off on the township's major sewer line project.
At a supervisors meeting Monday, Township Manager David O'Neill said South Abington Park will be closed from June 17 until Aug. 10, though weather could push the end date back by as much as 20 days.
The park's closure comes as the result of an estimated $2 million project to reroute the township's sewer line, which will start behind South Abington Elementary School and continue through the park to the intersection of Edella and Venard roads.
Officials said it's an alternative to purchasing two new pump stations at $400,000 apiece and replacing them every 10 to 15 years. The new line, a gravity sewer system that relies on a downhill slope to move the effluent, can last 150 years, Mr. O'Neill said.
"The school district is requesting that - because it runs through their property - we work on the property away from school times, so in the summer," Mr. O'Neill said. "Our engineer recommended we close the park during construction, so that there is no risk of anyone getting injured. We thought that was the best idea."
While the park will be closed to the public, contractors hired by the supervisors will be there working on other park renovations, which Supervisor Mark Dougherty said could move the park ahead 10 years.
"I'd like to turn this into an opportunity for us to address some of the items we've been looking at for a while," Mr. Dougherty said. "There's a lot we can do now that we couldn't before because of the park's usage.
"The park being closed is a bad thing, but it's also a good thing."
Among the items listed on the supervisors' to-do list are a new pavilion, refurbishing two basketball courts and enhancing the playground area - a portion of which will be paid for by the township's recreation funds.
Years ago, Mr. O'Neill said, township residents voted on a referendum that allowed the township to tax residents 1 mill for park and recreation purposes. Since then, that money has been used toward park maintenance, enhancements and the purchase of 70 acres of green space.
This year's recreation funds, however, will go toward park upgrades. Supervisors said they didn't know how much funding is budgeted for recreation, as the 2013 budget will be first made public on Nov. 26.
Mr. O'Neill said the township plans to apply for a grant through the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to help fund the upgrades.
"If we take a good look at everything that needs to be done, and get it done at the same time as this construction, we can put the park way ahead," Mr. Dougherty said. "Though it's an inconvenience to have the park closed for several months, it will be beneficial in the long term."
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