As plans kick into high gear for transforming a portion of the Colonial Village Clubhouse property in East Greenville into a skate park, residents who live nearby are taking their concerns before borough officials about the future activity center for local youth. The proposed action park will be surrounded by rows of private residential houses.

                Residents Robert and Maureen Gross, who live on Morris Road, told officials their concerns about the security and curfew enforcement at the future park, during the May 4 borough council meeting. Robert Gross said he is very concerned that youth could be breaking the noise ordinance at the park, disturbing neighbors.

                A similar sentiment was acknowledged last week by Jeannine Haidl, who lives on Valley Road, during the April 28 meeting.

                "There are a lot of kids right there and it can be noisy at times. Even on the basketball court when the basketball hits the rim, it gets loud," Haidl told the council members. "Sometimes those kids are there until eleven or twelve o'clock at night when we're trying to sleep." She said, although the rowdiness doesn't happen often, she was forced to call the police on several occasions in the past.

                Mayor Ryan Sloyer said that the park would be open daily from sunrise to sunset without any supervision due to limited budget and resources.  He added that the borough plans on posting signs in all corners of the clubhouse property, clearly stating that attendees will not be supervised and are at their own risk. This move would exempt the borough from all liability, the mayor noted.

                "We're all a little concerned over lack of supervision and not everything is etched in stone yet, there's still room for suggestions," Councilman Josiah Pierson said.

                Asked if cameras record or transmit live feed, Sloyer said the cameras record movements triggered by the motion sensor. He provided two recent cases of vandalism which have been captured on the security system. That footage was used as evidence in bringing the perpetrators to justice. He then advised the Grosses to notify the police department of suspicious activity, pointing out that the officers are obligated to enforce borough's curfew ordinance.

                "The goal is to try to get the kids off the streets…do I expect everything to go smooth? No. You have a same group of kids who want to cause trouble. I'm hoping that the majority will make sure that the minority doesn't destroy [the property]," Sloyer said.

                "The reason the clubhouse facility was picked was the macadam is already there and it's low-to-no-cost to the borough for the skate park." 

                Council President Timothy Huff suggested the mayor create informational flyers and hand them out to students at the local middle school. The flyer would have a message welcoming the students to the future park and encouraging them to follow park rules. 

                The former tennis court, now just an empty blacktop lot, located between Valley and Morris roads, is in the works to be outfitted with donated equipment from the Upper Perk YMCA's Kistler-Bitting Park. Heavy-duty structures including a bike rack, quarter pipes, half pipes, rails and other ramps will be professionally moved and installed once the borough council gives final okay to proceed.

                Councilman Jim Young made a motion during last week's meeting to approve the finances toward the purchase of anchors for attaching the equipment, payment to the engineering firm for services and buying liability insurance all at a cost not to exceed $3,000. That amount was subsequently changed to $2,000 during Monday's meeting after Councilman Andrew Rock motioned to remove $810.69 from unrelated clubhouse project tab and consolidate it with the new account.

                Sloyer explained that the liability insurance would be implemented once the park is ready for a public use when all the equipment has been installed and anchored properly to the ground. The borough is expected to dish out an annual fee of $750 in liability insurance which will be the only recurring cost for operating the action park.

                Sloyer said he had recently met with YMCA officials to discuss logistics in moving equipment from the YMCA Kistler-Bitting Park onto clubhouse property. It was agreed to start disassembling the equipment within two weeks, before starting the relocation process on May 16. Sloyer said he might request borough employees for assistance as well as anyone else who wishes to help.

                In other news, borough manager Jim Fry reported that he has placed an order with Waste Zero, a recycling manufacturing firm, for a year's  supply of trash collection bags in the amount of $17,635.20. The borough had budgeted a total of $18,000, bringing a cost savings of $364.80.