Damascus Twp. adds playgrounds, amphitheater, walkways to park
Damascus Township in northern Wayne County has completed the first phase of upgrades to its 78-acre recreation park next to the municipal building at 60 Conklin Hill Road. A ribbon cutting was held Monday, Aug. 14.
Along with two playgrounds (one for ages 2 to 5 years and the other for 5 to 12), an amphitheater was built for outdoor seating and performances, overlooking the ball field. Around the playgrounds are ADA-compliant walkways, accessible by people with disabilities.
Memorial benches honoring William Gager, past supervisor, and Jack (John) Joyce, founder of Equinunk Volunteer Fire Company, were donated. Calkins Ag 4-H Club is donating a third bench.
The second phase of the project will include a new baseball field and a nature trail that is ADA-compliant. The trail will have a stone surface, leading to a proposed bald eagle observation area overlooking the Delaware River basin.
The current field is over 30 years old. The park has an existing blazed trail system, which does not meet ADA standards. The new playgrounds replace a version that was described as out of date and substandard.
The public is free to use the park daily from dawn to dusk. The park also includes a lighted picnic pavilion available for rentals, horseshoe pits, heritage barn and a volleyball court. The barn was built in 1998 using vintage construction methods to educate the public about the area's heritage.
The project was made possible with grant funding from Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED), Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR) and Upper Delaware Council (UDC). Dan Rutledge, chairperson of the township Parks & Recreation Committee, thanked all the funding sources and supporters for the park, which has a value of $570,000.
The UDC contributed toward the purchase of new playground equipment by approving $15,000 in 2021 from a DCED grant secured by Sen. Lisa Baker, Rep. Jonathan Fritz and former Rep. Mike Peifer. The UDC was awarded a $100,000 "Townships, Technology & Sustainability" grant, which it used to provide shares for project proposals from its member municipalities in the Upper Delaware Corridor.
The township ordered $75,226 worth of durable playgrounds sets to accommodate children of all ages and abilities.
Rutledge said that the process started with a master plan study, which entire township was asked to participate in. Next to trail improvements, a new playground was the second-most-requested amenity by the public during the 2016-2019 master site planning process for the park.
Local state legislators, state agency representatives and the three county commissioners were among those who joined the festivities.
"The work that the Parks & Rec team and the supervisors have done with a combined group of people and agencies has resulted in an incredibly beautiful park up there for kids and families, and I encourage everyone to use it," Commissioner Joceyln Cramer said. "It's really quite lovely."
"The park has been very busy since completion, and we expect it to be busier when more people find out about this recreation resource in our community," Rutledge said. "Our community is rural with limited public venues and recreational opportunities. The park has something for everyone to enjoy from dawn to dusk, seven days a week."
The Parks & Recreation Committee is planning a community grand opening for phase one this fall; the date and time will be announced.
The committee consists of Dan Rutledge, Jeff Dexter, Linda Dexter, John Tucci, Maureen Tucci, Joe Canfield, Steve Adams, Marty Kuntzman and Rachel Lopez.
For more information about the Damascus Township Park, visit damascustwp.org/facilities.html#park.
This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Damascus Township upgrades park; ballfield and nature trail to come
