Doylestown Township To Launch Capital Campaign In May For New Center

DOYLESTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — Doylestown Township is scheduled to kick off its capital campaign in May to raise funds for the construction of the township's new Community Recreation Center to be built next to the municipal building at Central Park.

The 18,000 square foot center will feature multi-use spaces that can be used year round for everything from basketball and fitness classes to community events for all ages and private events and parties. Key amenities will include a full-sized gym, three multi-purpose rooms, a warming kitchen, and a large patio overlooking Central Park.

The project also will include the construction of six pickelball courts, two basketball courts and four tennis courts.

"In addition to the new center, we will also be building a family cottage (restrooms and a water station) that will serve Kids Castle and the amphitheater," said Barbara Lyons, the chair of the board of supervisors and head of the capital campaign committee.

The committee, which formally met for the first time in March via Zoom and includes Lyons, Dan Wood, Mary Lou Parry and Joe Salvati, has set an ambitious goal - $1.5 million - as a match to the $1.5 million in grants received from the state for the project.

"We have that as our goal, but we don't want to be restricted by that," said Lyons. "We are going to set up a mechanism yet to be determined where we can keep going. The initial goal is $1.5 million without limitation."

At the March board of supervisors meeting, Lyons announced the initial members of the township's Honorary Campaign Committee. They include Karen LaSorda, Carol Shelly, James Brexler, Marvin Woodall, Jim Baldassari, Tom Maclin and Michelle Pederson.

"We are off to a good start. We have a group of hard working folks. With the staff's excellent help we're going to be able to put together a pretty fluent and robust capital campaign," said Lyons

In other business, the supervisors voted to apply for a $250,000 grant through the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources toward the construction of four new tennis courts at Central Park. The grant would require a 50 percent match from the township.

Assistant Township Manager Stacy Crandell also announced that the police department and the township are now using the free app, Neighbors, to report safety tips, information on community events and to let residents know when crime is occurring in certain areas of the township.

"If the police notice a lot of car thefts in a certain part of the township they can put that out there. They can ask for people who might have security videos or photos. It's another level of assisting the police with their investigations and keeping our community safe," said Crandell.

In other action, the supervisors voted to join the Bucks County Municipal Consortium, which is working on legislation - specifically Act 12 - to address the sale of public water and sewer entities to private, for-profit organizations in Pennsylvania.

Last year, the municipalities served by the Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority were blindsided by a move by Aqua Pennsylvania to purchase the public system for $1 Billion. After mounting pressure from municipalities against privatization, the authority announced it would not be entertaining the bid.

The township will be required to pay an annual $250 fee for membership in the consortium..

"It's also expected that each municipality will contribute their fair share of the cost of whatever action is taken," said Chair Barbara Lyons. "If they hire a lawyer, if they hire an investigator, we will probably be asked to contribute at that point."

Lyons noted that the Bucks County Association of Township Officials has funds set aside in its budget for lobbying. "So some of that would be used if lobbying is necessary. Those funds exist. That's why we pay funds every year."