CRANBERRY TWP — Supervisors approved an agreement with Armstrong on Thursday, Sept. 28, to sponsor the construction of the municipal center’s anticipated Great Lawn Project.

“I’ll make the motion to authorize the execution of the agreement for naming rights and sponsorship of the Great Lawn,” said vice chairman Bruce Hezlep, supervisor, “and recognizing the name as the ‘Armstrong Great Lawn.’”

The Great Lawn project was identified as Cranberry Township Community Chest’s Project of the Year this summer and is seeking to convert the front of the community center into a green gathering space.

“Through the construction of a green gathering space, an expansion of pedestrian connections and upgrades to the building itself, the project will create a traditional town center in which the community can gather and grow together,” the project’s website reads.

Supervisors Bruce Mazzoni and Karen Newpol, respectively the president and a member of CTCC’s board of directors, abstained from the vote.

According to township manager Dan Santoro, the project remains in its early stages.

“In terms of design, we’re not ready yet,” Santoro said. “I would say stay tuned: We’re talking about building it next year, so we hope to have that design over the winter.”

Supervisors also will be asked at next week’s meeting to approve a planning committee for a 150-year-old farm acquired by the township in spring.

“It’s an interim, ad hoc committee to work through recommendations to the board as to what are the kinds of things that we should be doing on the farm,” Santoro said.

The township was gifted the 71-acre Powell Farm in March, promising to honor its late owner, Denton Powell, and his wish that it be preserved as a public agricultural center.

Santoro said the committee would help develop a clearer picture of how best to do that for Powell and the community.

“When we acquired the farm, we had hundreds of ideas pour in that the township should ‘do this’ or we should ‘do that,’” Santoro said. “This is really a way of working through all of those opportunities, because there’s lots of opportunities, and with stakeholders in that area, make recommendations to the board.”

As of Thursday, Santoro said the makeup of the committee was yet to be determined.

“This will at least establish the committee and set the charge,” he said. “We’re hoping to have names and recommendations by next week, but I’m not sure that it will be there.”

And while there was no immediate timeline for the project, Santoro did say the planning phase was expected to take the better part of a year.

“I think we would expect to come back to the board about this time next year, maybe a little earlier, to start thinking about improvements in 2025 and beyond,” he said.