YMCA Coming to North Strabane?

walked past a half-dozen pieces of excavation equipment scattered across the work-in-progress known as ’s Municipal Park, stopping to point out a yardstick protruding from a pile of dirt.

“That’s the pitcher’s mound,” he said with a smile before walking over to check out progress made on two nearby dugouts.

Sulc, chairman of the North Strabane Township Board of Supervisors, said earlier this week he has high hopes not only for the debut of the $8 million park project, but also for a pending partnership with the YMCA to bring a facility to this northern Washington County community.

He said he’s been working with the organization for nearly eight months, and that two possible sites for such a facility have been identified in the township — one at Municipal Park and the other on nearby Lindley Road.

“All the stars are aligning,” Sulc said.

A in January to survey residents is ongoing — and he said that between 2,000 and 3,000 homes will be called.

“They want a 600-home survey,” he said.

The township expects the preliminary results of the feasibility study by mid-April, with a public presentation to follow in May.

That information, Sulc said, will give supervisors and YMCA officials a barometer for what type of recreational facilities would be included in a possible building project.

The culmination of this study, he said, could be the construction of a $12 million to $15 million building — one he said could be erected within the next 18 to 24 months.

Sulc said a YMCA in North Strabane would be more than an amenity for its residents, but also a regional asset, drawing in folks from nearby Cecil, Canonsburg, Nottingham and Washington.

Township Manager Frank Siffrinn agreed.

"This is the icing on the cake, really. It will complement the park itself," he said. "There's going to be something for everybody — from toddlers to senior citizens."

Siffrinn added that the township is working to see if discounted membership fees could be offered specifically to its residents.

While Sulc said no money from the township coffers would go toward the construction of such a facility, he did say supervisors are considering donating the land where it would be erected.

“It’s going to be a tremendous opportunity for residents,” Sulc said of the prospects of a YMCA in the township. “That’s where I learned to swim. And my kids are going to have an even better opportunity than I did.”

Municipal Park is expected to be unveiled in the spring of 2012, complete with three new, lighted fields — including a $1 million turf field for football, lacrosse and soccer.

“I can’t wait until I’m out in the middle of this field,” he said before driving home.