Infrastructure panel recommends removal of village baseball bleachers and hazardous pines

The Infrastructure Committee voted 2–0 on March 24 to recommend that borough council approve a capital project to remove the aging wooden baseball bleachers and several nearby white pines that staff say are dropping limbs and creating a spectator‑safety hazard. Vice Chair Mike Madi, who presided at the meeting in Chair Mike Samson’s absence, asked the committee to take public comment before finalizing a recommendation to council.

Public Works Director Jeff Elden, who presented the item, said an arborist had advised removal of the white pines because branches were failing. Elden described the demolition work slated for the site: “the pines would be taken out,” the wooden bleachers would be dismantled and the metal components scrapped, and contractors would remove roughly “about 25 yards of concrete” from the bleacher footings before regrading and backfilling the area to create a sloped lawn.

Elden said the scope was narrowed from a larger master‑plan concept for cost reasons to address immediate safety and tree‑health concerns first. He told the committee the work is part of the borough’s master parks plan and that the Narberth Athletic Association, the primary users of the bleacher area, has been consulted. Committee members asked whether the project will include new plantings; staff said new native trees are planned in later phases once the final park layout is determined.

Carson, a member of the Shade Tree Commission, asked whether a certified arborist had examined the trees; Elden confirmed an arborist report supported removal because the pines were shedding lower limbs and creating hazards for spectators. A resident during public comment said she appreciated native replanting plans but asked whether the preserved oaks would be affected; staff said the current iteration focuses only on the pines and bleachers and that routine maintenance of other shade trees (including oaks near the war memorial) is handled outside this capital project.

The committee recorded the recommendation as passed by voice: two in favor, none opposed, with one member absent. No mover or seconder was recorded by name in the meeting transcript. The committee will forward the recommendation to the full borough council for a final decision and scheduling of construction.

What’s next: staff will finalize specifications for demolition and concrete removal, confirm a planting plan consistent with the master parks plan, and notify neighbors before work begins.