Quakertown officials narrow softball options after heated public input
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
After a lengthy public exchange, the Quakertown Community SD facilities committee narrowed softball-rebuild options to a campus site and a Veterans Park renovation, with community speakers urging natural infields over full synthetic turf and asking the board to weigh JV/varsity access and drainage risks.
The Quakertown Community School District facilities committee on Feb. 17 moved to recommend two options for board consideration to address long-standing softball-field concerns: a campus-location rebuild near 5th Street and a renovated natural-infield/grass-outfield at Veterans Park.
The decision followed more than an hour of public comment and staff presentation of four conceptual options prepared by CHA, including three alternatives at Veterans Park and a fourth on district property behind the high school. Rob (district facilities) presented the sketches and noted the options vary in surface (natural infield, synthetic turf partial, or full synthetic turf) and features such as dugouts, lighting and warning tracks.
Community members urged prioritizing safe playing surfaces and fair access for girls programs. "I think I heard Lisa say 2 or 3 times during that meeting, girls have not been treated fairly," longtime coach and resident Ray Fox said, arguing the district should prioritize equal facilities. Bill Cobelance of the Richland Area Softball Association told the committee that "the natural dirt infield is really where the game is played," and warned that a single turf field could concentrate use and create scheduling and safety issues for JV and varsity teams.
Speakers also raised technical and site-specific concerns. Committee members and residents flagged the geothermal infrastructure under two proposed sites and noted portions of the Veterans Park option lie in the 100- and 500-year floodplain and would require elevation and permitting. Several people recommended building or preserving two adjacent fields (or a close JV/varsity pairing) to avoid long doubleheader travel times and to keep play equitable.
The committee indicated it would forward a narrowed choice to the full board in March, recommending the campus 5th-Street option and the natural-infield option at RASA (Veterans Park) for further budget and engineering study. Staff were asked to prepare cost comparisons, consider drainage/floodplain mitigation and explore whether a JV practice field could be developed on the geothermal area as a temporary compromise.
Next steps: the facilities committee will pass a recommendation to the board in March with refined cost and site details; final design and permitting decisions remain subject to board approval and potential bidding.