Aug 28, 2008 By Christine Haines 3 min read

LUZERNE TWP. – The rough draft of the master site plan for Patsy Hillman Park was delivered to Luzerne Township Wednesday. Township Supervisor Greg Downer said Pennoni and Associates dropped off the thick planning document in the afternoon and he hadn’t even looked at it prior to the park board meeting in the evening.

“It’s pretty much a done deal unless there are corrections to be made,” Downer said.

The board members are reviewing the document for possible final approval at the September meeting. The master site plan is required for most state grant programs.

Downer praised the new security lighting at the park. No new vandalism was reported in the past month, though Downer said someone did try to steal the park’s large tractor one night when it wasn’t locked up in the garage. Downer said the ignition was ripped out and the wiring harness was burned, but the would-be thieves failed to start the tractor. Downer said township supervisor Ted Kollar repaired the wiring and the tractor is working well.

Park board member Dave Polvinale, who works for a security firm, will review the security tapes from the night of the attempted theft.

Treasurer Gary Rable reported that someone paid for a pavilion rental with a bad check, but the deficiency wasn’t known until after the renter’s security deposit had been returned. The board voted to pursue the matter, filing charges at the magisterial district justice’s office if necessary.

Rable said he returned the deposit for someone who rented the Luzerne pavilion even though there was a problem with garbage at the site following the rental. Rable said the renter complained about the condition of the restrooms near the Luzerne pavilion. The board voted to focus on improvements to the restroom near the Luzerne pavilion for next summer, noting that it isn’t fair to rent a pavilion if restrooms are not available nearby.

Park employee Sam Yeardie reported that inmates from the State Correctional Institute-Fayette have provided labor at the park twice in the past month, trimming trees and weeds, painting picnic tables and digging the ditch for a wiring conduit for lighting. In addition, Jeff Maund of Maund Construction in California donated 30 feet of 12-inch plastic pipe to be used for drainage near the park concession stand.

Downer reported that a gas well company that earlier this year had intended to dig new wells in the park is now saying it only wants to replace old gas lines going through the park. Downer said the line will reported travel about 2,500 feet through the park. The township solicitor is looking into the matter, including any right-of-way fees that should be paid to the park.