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Springettsbury to bid $2.2 million park lighting and security upgrade after $1 million grant; board weighs scope
Summary
Township staff described a park lighting and security project that combines LED lighting, underground conduit, 26 network 'traffic' boxes and cameras. The project has a $1 million grant on hand but staff estimate the total project could be $2.2 million (2026 portion) or $3.03 million overall; supervisors expressed support for cameras but raised cost and scope concerns before formal bid approval.
Township staff told supervisors the park lighting and security upgrade is ready to be bid and includes new poles set on concrete piers, underground conduit and duct banks beneath park paths, fiber backbone with network switches in 26 weatherproof traffic boxes, and Cat6 to poles to support lighting circuits and camera installations.
Denny Bukard Horn, who led design work on the project, described degraded poles and corrosion caused when dogs repeatedly urinate on low‑buried pole bases: "they urinate on the on the poles and they rust the poles out." He said the design anticipates future expansion—pull strings in pole conduits, a fiber loop to boxes, and the ability to add cameras or Wi‑Fi nodes without disruptive trenching.
Staff described the security camera element as a separate but integrated cost center: camera hardware and network components total about $357,000, with additional costs for conduit and pavement restoration. The township has a $1,000,000 grant earmarked for park lighting and security that is sitting in a separate account, and staff said the 2026 portion of the project could require about $1,200,000 from township funds with additional costs pushed into 2027; staff also gave an overall project total that varied in discussion (one figure cited was $3,030,000).
Chief King stressed public safety benefits, citing busy events and prior incidents: "This year alone at the fourth of July event, we had to search for 4 missing children in the park," and he said license‑plate readers and cameras have solved cases elsewhere. Board members supported cameras and lighting for safety but urged more cost breakdowns and cautioned about bid risk — if bids come back much higher than estimates staff recommended rejecting and rebidding rather than trimming awarded contracts.
Staff said they will request formal permission to award contracts at a future board meeting after bids are received and that, before bidding, the board should flag any components it wants removed to avoid change‑order surprises.
