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Infrastructure committee recommends removing deteriorating baseball bleachers and nearby pines
Summary
On March 24 the Narberth Infrastructure Committee voted 2-0 to recommend council approve a capital project to remove unsafe wooden bleachers and adjacent white pines, then regrade the area as a sloped lawn and plant native trees in a later phase.
Vice Chair Mike Madi chaired the Narberth Infrastructure Committee meeting on March 24 and said the panel would consider a recommendation to remove the baseball bleachers and nearby white pines at a borough park.
Public works director Jeff Elden told the committee the wooden bleachers and a stand of white pines had deteriorated and posed safety risks because the trees had been dropping lower limbs. Elden said a certified arborist recommended removal and outlined the work sequence: crane-assisted tree removal, staff dismantling of wooden bleachers, recycling of metal components, removal of roughly "about 25 yards of concrete" supporting the bleacher bases, backfill and regrading to create a sloped lawn area intended for informal spectating and passive use.
Elden said the metal from the bleachers will be scrapped to offset disposal costs and that the initial phase is intentionally limited to tree and bleacher removal to address immediate safety concerns. He described the broader master parks plan as the roadmap for later phases such as ADA access, connecting pathways and additional planting.
A Shade Tree Commission representative at the meeting asked whether a certified arborist had judged the trees unhealthy. Elden confirmed the arborist’s finding and emphasized that safety to spectators was the primary basis for removal. Committee members and staff said the Narberth Athletic Association and primary users had been briefed on the plan.
Vice Chair Madi moved to recommend approval of the capital project to council; the committee recorded a 2-0 recommendation with one member absent.
Next steps: the committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to borough council for final approval, and staff said future phases for plantings and park connections will be developed after permitting and further design work.
