Middletown approves $1.05 million LED retrofit for Community Park fields

MIDDLETOWN — Middletown Township’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to authorize purchase and installation of Musco LED lighting for 10 athletic fields at Middletown Community Park, a project the township estimates will cost $1,050,000.

The park and recreation director, Paul Capara, told the board the project would replace existing fixtures on 38 poles across the park and install Musco’s targeted LED housings and control hardware. “The project is coming in as $1,050,000,” Capara said, and added that the township has been awarded a $1,000,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to cover most of the cost.

The board approved a motion to purchase LED structures from Musco Sports Lighting for $710,000 and to contract Armour & Sons Electric (Langhorne) for installation and retrofit work, with the total project amount set at $1,050,000. Capara said the work would be scheduled in July and August to avoid the primary organized-sports season. “This will reduce our operating cost by $15,000 a year,” he said, projecting the energy and maintenance savings would recover the township share within a few years.

Capara described scope details during the presentation: the retrofit will remove older fixtures, replace wiring and pole harnesses where needed, and install Musco control boxes and new hardware. He said the system offers more targeted lighting with less off-site ambient light; the township’s prior Musco installations at other parks informed the estimate and phasing.

Funding includes the $1,000,000 DCED grant awarded in October 2024; Capara said Middletown has also applied for a PECO green region grant that, if awarded, would cover the remaining approximately $50,000. If PECO funding is not awarded, the township would cover that portion from capital funds. He noted the project was originally projected in a 2024 five-year plan at about $1.5 million if staged over multiple years, and that doing all fields at once yielded savings through single mobilization.

Motion and vote: The motion to execute the Musco purchase and Armour & Sons installation contract was made by Supervisor Hannah, seconded by Supervisor Corporal, and approved 5–0.

The board and staff said the LED upgrade aligns with Middletown’s 2021 climate action plan goal to reduce the township’s carbon footprint. Installation, if permitted and scheduled as planned, will occur in the summer months to limit disruption to organized activities.

Costs, grant sources, vendor names, schedule and the 5–0 vote were recorded in the public meeting minutes.