ADAMS TWP — Deciding to move the supervisors' meeting outside Monday night to accommodate the large number of people who opted to attend was fortuitous: A few items discussed during the meeting pertained specifically to township parks and recreation.

Headlining those talks was an update on the township's destination playground.

“The new destination playground is open,” said Russell Ford, board chairman. “We are very close to finalizing the plans for the ADA sidewalk.”

In July, the township had the concrete pad poured for the playground's benches and tables.

The area, which is in the park by the lower ball fields, was closed after being temporarily opened in June. The supervisors determined last month to keep the playground closed while the concrete work and ADA-compliant elements were finalized.

Those elements are close enough to being completed that the area is now open to children.

“I brought my grandkids here last weekend,” said Tina Wilson, a resident. “They loved it. It's fantastic.”

Wilson specifically praised parks and recreation director Haley Geyer and her department for the work they're putting into the project.

One of the things Wilson said she particularly liked was the ground material used at the base of the playground.

“We had more fun just jumping on it,” Wilson said.

Ford said the ADA sidewalk should be installed over the next few weeks.

“We are going to continue to keep the fence up until we get some grass growing around there,” Ford said. “So that we don't make a mess of it.”

Park expansion

Ford also discussed progress being made on purchasing the Wygal property, situated near the public works building along Hutchman Road.

Ford said Monday the family property would add 212 acres to Adams Township Community Park.

In January, township officials said talks about expanding the park with the Wygal property have been ongoing for years.

An approved resolution Jan. 27 allowed the township to officially begin the purchasing process of the property, which has an $800,000 price tag.

As announced by township leaders earlier this year, the township secured a $425,000 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant in December 2019.

The DCNR award is expected to cover 50 percent of the sale of the property. The additional $25,000 in the grant will cover 50 percent of administrative fees and costs associated with engineering studies or solicitor services.

The Wygal acquisition was identified as a major 2020 objective by township supervisors.

But the path to buying the land hasn't been easy, according to Ford.

Property owner Jane Wygal died during the process, naming her attorney, Wesley Hamilton, the trustee. Hamilton died six months into negotiations with the township.

“Now, we have our third executor that has been part of the negotiations for this property,” Ford said.

Former supervisor Chairman Thomas Franceschina, who had been leading negotiations on the township side of things, retired last December.

Between the changes in negotiators and the pandemic, talks stalled.

But now they're starting up again. “We have set up (Zoom) meetings over the last two weeks,” Ford said.

Ford cited some “major bones of contention” when it comes to reaching an agreement on the property purchase.

The first concerns repairs to the barn and house attached to the property.

“We have agreed to continue to leave it historical,” Ford said. “We are now getting bids to get that work done.”

Secondly, Ford said the township faced restrictions when it came to use of the property for things like cutting the grass.

“A lot of them, we agreed to,” Ford said. “Some of them, we did not.”

Ford said working through the details of the agreement is the next step.

“We're hoping by the end of the year — if not sooner or later — we will see that 212 beautiful acres ... attached right to our park,” Ford said.

The board Monday night approved the restrictions already agreed to on the Wygal side, contingent on township solicitor Michael Gallagher's review and ongoing discussion about property repairs.

“Restrictions (are) no longer,” Ford said. “Done.”