Rendering of Hunter’s proposed turf field at Penbryn.
In 2019, Hunter Soccer Club reached out with an interesting question- “if we pay to install a turf field in Penbryn Park, would the Township allow us to do it?” The answer was a resounding YES from me! After seeing a washout soccer season in 2018, it was clear that the fields could use some work in order to maintain some partial utilization in future years that are sure to be rainy. My fellow commissioners… well… they needed a little more convincing.
At issue- what happens if Hunter Soccer Club cannot afford the bill? It was clear that a development agreement would need to be established that both allowed Hunter to move forward with their desired installation on Township property, while ensuring that risk to taxpayers is mitigated. The agreement was crafted, and there was plenty of negotiating behind the scenes, but what really pushed the project forward was the use of social media. I put together a poll to gauge public interest in installing a turf field in Penbryn, and the results were pretty clear- our residents wanted it!
The question landed on the May, 2019 Board of Commissioners agenda. After a few meetings, an agreement was in place. The next step for Hunter was to submit a Land Development application. In Abington Township, the Board of Commissioners have final say on land developments, and this project fell under the Board’s purview. Hunter appeared before the Planning Commission in January of 2021, and their application was overwhelmingly well received.
After Planning, it was back to the full board of Commissioners for a vote in the February agenda. After presenting what I considered one of the most comprehensive Land Development applications that I recalled seeing, the vote was unanimous, and Hunter Soccer Club was granted its approvals to move forward with the project.
Unfortunately, the post-Covid world has triggered a number of shortages in the construction industry, some of which have affected this particular project. However, I’ve been reassured by Hunter that the project is due to move forward.
