New park a hidden find for Harmony residents
JACKSON TWP — Behind a bustling plaza along Harmony’s edge stretches an expanse of grass enclosed by towering pines and burnished foliage, with soccer goals, benches and a playground.
“Welcome,” reads a sign, laying down some ground rules for children who ascend the playground’s planks.
Sipple Park debuted Oct. 22 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and the cherished Touch-a-Truck event.
Touch-a-truck gives children the chance to explore big trucks and vehicles driven by police, firefighters and other public servants. Families can spend time meeting with these professionals and learning about the work they do, with food trucks and other activities nearby.
The park’s opening marks the fulfillment of a plan started five years go to expand green space and bridge neighboring communities. It embodies a vision by township leaders to connect Harmony Trail and other Harmony businesses to Zelienople’s Main Street at the southwest end of the site.
Its understated location gives it the feel of a hidden find for residents who seek it out. Businesses around Northgate Plaza at Route 19 shield it from view, and visitors can enter the park near the plaza’s southern end.
“The point of the grand opening ... was to attract public attention,” said Chris Rearick, township manager. “Because one of our concerns, given the location, is a lot of residents or residents of the adjoining boroughs may not have been aware that it was there, frankly.”
“In terms of ongoing construction, the most immediate plans include finishing the fishing pond,” he added.
“And there’s certainly room for additional pavilions and other facilities within the park,” he said. “The township also recently obtained a grant for a formal concession stand and restrooms, which will be constructed in the park, hopefully next year.”
The new park was funded from part of a $224,400 grant Jackson Township received in September. The township received two grants for the park from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and that second grant helped cover costs for the parking lot, playground and an additional trail loop.
Rearick hopes to receive a third round of grant funding and to finish further construction of the park sometime in 2023.
“I think the township’s excited about the cooperation with the adjoining boroughs on developing a piece of property that was of some historic significance to Zelienople,” he said. “It was donated to the borough in the 1920s.”
“So the township’s excited to retain it as a public asset, to develop it,” he said. “And the overall location of the park is such that it’s connected to the public trail network that connects residential neighborhoods, commercial areas and the adjoining to a recreational area.”
The park takes its name from Harmony developer Doug Sipple, who donates funds and other resources to the site as it continues to grow.
