Township clarifies discussions about future of game lands
>> The intersecting discussions about a plan for development in Linfield and another for open space has led to some misunderstandings about the future of the two game land preserves in town.
Perhaps spearheading the confusion is the fact that both of the game lands parcels in Limerick — the more than 230 acres off Game Farm Road and the more than 100 acres in Linfield along the Schuylkill River — carry the same designation: No. 234.
Both are overseen by the Pennsylvania Game Lands Commission and the township has little say in their management, said Township Manager Dan Kerr.
Further, both sites are potentially affected by two different township planning studies underway. And both those studies are being undertaken by the same firm, Simone Collins.
Linfield
The first planning effort is the Linfield Village Master Plan, the most recent meeting for which was March 3. It was there that Kerr said he heard some questions indicating people
may not be clear about what is being discussed in terms of the game lands.
Tim Hendricks, a developer, has presented a concept to township supervisors that calls for as many as 1,200 housing units, and some retail and commercial, on 200 acres at the former Publicker industrial site in Linfield, which is adjacent to the game lands.
The zoning for that property is heavy industrial, so if Hendricks’ plan is to be built, the supervisors must agree to change the zoning, which is one reason for the Linfield Village Master Plan exercise.
“Regardless of what that development ultimately
looks like, it is going to have an impact on the adjacent game lands and the ability to hunt in Linfield will be diminished due to the game commission setbacks,” Kerr explained.
Further, Kerr said Hendricks has been in touch with the game commission about potential rightof-way ownership of the abandoned Pennhurst Road, which runs through the property and could be used as a second access off Main Street to a developed Publicker site.
To Kerr’s understanding, the game commission is not in favor of opening up the abandoned Pennhurst Road.
However if the legal
road rights are borne out, there has been discussion about a “swap,” by which the developer would swap some acreage near the river from the Publicker site, where the hunting and setbacks are better, for some more land in the northern section of the game lands, where development would be more practical.
But nothing’s official or decided.
“Remember, no one has
even put anything to paper. This is just a discussion about what might happen and us reviewing all opportunities to preserve the integrity of the game lands as we know it,” Kerr said.
Open Space
The second study underway is the township open space study for the entire township.
One of the items under discussion for the new
open space study is identifying parcels to “add to the game lands on Game Farm Road,” said Kerr. “It’s completely separate from anything going on in Linfield.”
Kerr said the township supervisors hope to put a question on the ballot this fall, asking residents if they are willing to pay an increased earned income tax to help pay for open space preservation.