Pine Township Invests in New Athletic Fields for Pine Community Park

What looks like plain, graded dirt in moved closer to becoming with parking Tuesday when Pine supervisors agreed to spend about $136,220 for improvements.

A $9,350 contract was awarded to A. Liberoni of Plum for fine grading, raking and hydro-seeding for the 90,000-square-foot area bordered by Pearce Mill Road, close to the park's entrance.

The supervisors also approved a $126,870 change order to allow El Grande Industries to extend an access road and build a parking lot by the new athletic fields.

El Grande Industries contracted in May with the township to improve local roads. Tuesday's change order allows them to add the park work to their list of road improvements.

The township got a break on the first phase of developing the property into ballfields in June when contractor Joseph B. Fay Co. of Russellton offered to donate fill dirt and his services if the township did prep work on the property.

The supervisors approved nearly $24,000 in contracts to clear and prepare the two-acre site on the southeast edge of the park on Pearce Mill Road. 

The supervisors approved three contracts in June:

• $9,800 for Dan Dietrich Tree Service of Butler to clear trees and underbrush;
• $7,800 for MMC Land Management of Gibsonia to install erosion and sediment controls;
• $6,150 for Walsh Equipment of Prospect to supply piping for J.B. Fay Co. to install for stormwater drainage from the field to the detention pond.

In January, the supervisors received a $1 million estimate as the cost for fully developing the property into ballfields.

At the supervisors' January meeting, Engineer Kevin A. Brett of Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering Inc. outlined a to develop the two-acre Vacco-White property [named for the previous owners] into multipurpose fields for soccer, lacrosse and football. A 62-space parking lot and landscaping also would be added.

The township acquired the Vacco property last year for between $80,000 and $90,000, Township Manager Cheryl Fischer said in January. The White acreage was acquired years ago, she said.

The 105-acre Pine Community Park already has a Pony League field/soccer field, Colt League field/soccer field, two Little League fields/soccer fields, two other soccer fields, two sand volleyball courts, playgrounds, a fishing lake, nature trail, hiking trails, a basketball court and bocce court. It also has a concession stand with restrooms and two pavilions.