Doylestown Supervisors To Vote On Community Recreation Center Bids

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — The Doylestown Township Board of Supervisors during a special meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3 is expected to vote on whether to move forward with its plans for a Community Recreation Center.

During the 4:30 p.m. meeting at the township building, Director of Operations Dave Tomko is expected to recommend bid awards for the project, including general construction, HVAC, electrical, and plumbing construction.

The supervisors will then vote on whether to move forward with the recreation center and award the bids, said chairwoman Barbara Lyons at the board's Sept. 19 work session.

In September 2021 the supervisors voted unanimously to move forward with the building project, which would be constructed next to the municipal building where the current tennis and basketball courts are located. Currently, the township has no indoor public recreation facility.

Renderings of the proposed building show a gym, three multi-purpose rooms, and a large patio that overlooks Central Park.

The project also includes new outdoor sports courts (basketball, bocce, pickleball and tennis) at Central Park and permanent and accessible restrooms near the amphitheater and Kids Castle.

In June 2022, State Sen. Steve Santarsiero announced $1 million for the first phase of the project. And in October, he announced that $500,000 in additional funds from the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) will be used to remove outdated outdoor activity courts and construct new, contemporary sports courts on the site. Funds will also go toward the construction of indoor classrooms in the community center building.

A number of residents, including supervisor Nancy Santacecilia, have voiced concern with the cost of the project, which has increased from $6 million to $13.9 million over the past year. At least one resident has launched a petition drive against the project.

"I do not know if anything can be done to put this project on hold but I am hopeful that enough collective voices will encourage our board of supervisors to reconsider this massive, unnecessary expense," wrote resident Jason Showmaker in creating an online petition drive against the center.

Supervisor Dan Wood defended his support of the project at a September board of supervisors meeting comparing the decision to the 1991 transformational vote of the supervisors to purchase Central Park.

"We have a chance to make a new investment in Central Park for another 30 years and not just in Central Park, but our community," said Wood.

"Despite some characterizations, this project is not just constructing a building for parks and recreation. It's much more than that," he said. "It's renovating our courts for future games of tennis, basketball, pickleball, and whatever new sports might be invented in the next decade. It's putting bathrooms next to Kids Castle. And to have facilities close to our summer concert series and festivals. It's about improving infrastructure for electricity and security.

"And the building is more than a generic building with a gym. It's a place for children to learn new activities, hobbies, and hopefully lifetime passions," said Wood. "It's a place for our senior citizens to come and participate in activities they might not have access to otherwise. It's a place for families to rent for celebrations in Central Park and at Kids Castle. It's a place where we can host educational seminars. And of course, there's a gym that is open to more than just league sports.

"None of this is to say I'm dismissing the cost of this project and the impact on the residents. I'm well aware of that," said Wood. "In fact, I'm proud of my record trying to keep cost down," he said noting that he voted against adding the gym and additional court space to the project. "Both of these votes weren't because I didn't see a value, but in an effort to balance the cost of the project.

"Even though there are additions to the project I don't agree with I still see this overall project as a worthwhile investment for our community with the expressed needs of our residents at the forefront," he said.