Pine Hill development rolls along

May 24, 1999|By RICHARD F. BELISLE, Waynesboro

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - The master plan for the 150-acre Pine Hill Recreation Area off Mentzer Gap Road in Washington Township should be completed in June, and construction of the township's new park is rolling along, Township Zoning Officer Jerry Zeigler said Monday.

Planners hope to create an area that will become a hub of community activity from family picnics and reunions to organized league sports, hiking, biking, jogging and cross-country skiing. The park also will feature long, steep hills for winter sledding.

On Monday, Washington Township workers were placing wooden picnic tables at strategic spots around the park for the summer season. Work on the 44-by-68-foot pavilion will begin this summer, Zeigler said.

Water, sewer and electric lines have been installed. Cost estimates to build the pavilion run as high as $80,000, he said.

Pony and Little League fields are already in use at the park, and the first layer of the pavement on the entrance road has been laid down, Zeigler said.

"We're finally getting things done," he said.

The master plan, which is costing the township about $23,000 to draft, says its design focuses on two main activity centers. A large open community lawn area will be built near the woods and will be ringed by family-size picnic areas.

The plan calls for three sand volleyball courts, two basketball courts, two soccer fields, a 200-by-350-foot multi-purpose field, in-line hockey rink, in-line skating loop, a skateboard park, a teen hangout area, playgrounds, a labyrinth of hiking trails covering 3 1/2 miles, and a total of nine pavilions, from small ones covering picnic tables for family use up to the large year-round facility.

Ample parking will be built into the park, according to the plan.

The township bought the land for the park in 1992 for $130,000 and has added 10 contiguous acres, Zeigler said. The park abuts the 22-acre Red Run Park, which also is owned by the township.

According to the master plan, the park is being developed to take care of the recreational needs of an increasing population.

Washington Township surrounds the Borough of Waynesboro and has seen a steady increase in population over the last 40 years.

The 1990 census listed the population at 11,119. By 2010 the population is projected to exceed 13,200, according to the master plan.

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