Sex, Drugs at Church Road Park Addressed by Skippack Board

Alcohol, marijuana, drugs, sex and foul language were a few of the words that Skippack residents – and township supervisors - used when describing the teen activity in the Church Road Park on Thursday, after a group of nearly 40 residents attended the township's monthly meeting to voice concerns regarding a proposed walking trail connecting the park with Fort Bevon Road in the Fairhills section of the township.

Two Fort Bevon Road residents presented a petition to the board, requesting that it rethink the proposed walking that would connect the oft-vandalized park to Fort Bevon Road, which was included in a plan that increases the size of the parking lot, adds new lanscaping and creates new basketball and tennis courts.

According to resident Joyce Grunklee, most of the park's illegal activities see m to occur in the culverts on the end of basins behind homes on Fort Bevon Road, which the walking path would pass.

Grunklee's concerns for the walking trail include maintenance, privacy for residents whose homes abut to the trail, a waste of taxpayer money, financial burden for homeowners who would have to erect fences, loss of aesthetics and enforcement of Skippack Township Park Rules.

“If there are real concerns about it, consider it gone,” said Skippack Township Engineer Tim Woodrow of the trail plan, which was initially thought to be a continued link of the township's trail system that might make it more desirable for users.

While resident concern over the walking trail was subsided when supervisors agreed that there has been no commitment to the trail, it led to a larger conversation regarding cleaning up the park.

Supervisor Paul Fox, who served on the township's parks board before becoming a supervisor, asked for the patience of residents regarding the Church Road Park fixes.

“What you suggest might be totally in contention with what your neighbors want,” Fox said, referring to shrubbery that some residents showed support for removing, but other nearby homeowners wanted to keep it for privacy.

One thing that Fox and the other supervisors agreed on is that surveillance needs to be the first step in keeping illegal activities out of the park, citing issues at Palmer Park that were resolved after cameras were installed.

“Phase one, as far as I’m concerned, will include cameras,” Fox said.

Residents also suggested removing the shrubs from the top of the culverts, which they believe to hide the illegal activities. According to Woodrow, that wouldn’t be difficult to do.

Fox reminded residents that they have to take some responsibility for reporting activity to the Pennsylvania State Police as it occurs, not calling the township offices to report illegal activities after the fact.

Cameras, which will be controlled by Skippack Township, will help to catch those who break park rules that aren't necessarily emergency situations, Fox said.

“We can catch someone in real time,” said board chairman Franco D’Angelo, who, when questioned by a resident on enforcing the rules, said that those who break them will be held accountable.

“We’re trying to be a deterrent; we’re trying to give you your park back,” said D’Angelo.