Contract awarded for rec center architect
The township had included $40,000 for developing the recreation center plans in its 2017 budget.
Upper Gwynedd is now one big step closer to developing plans for a township recreation center.
The township’s commissioners voted Monday to award a contract to Philadelphia architectural firm Buell Kratzer Powell to begin developing formal plans for that building.
“We have a very active parks and recreation program, with two full-time parks and rec people, and we currently share a building” with a local Boy Scout troop, said Commissioner Clare Edelmayer.
“They do a lot of programming, we do a lot of programming, so often there are conflicts in scheduling,” she said.
In late 2015 the township started talks on a possible rec center, and established a Needs Advisory Committee to gather feedback from the public through a resident survey, and find an architect by seeking and vetting proposals.
“The architects would do a sketch plan for us, and some cost estimates on what a building, with all of the footage and everything in it, what it would cost,” Edelmayer said.
After cutting a list of 13 interested firms down to a top three, the Needs Advisory Committee suggested the Philadelphia-based BKP, citing their experience in designing and building similar centers across the country.
“They’re going to pro-
pose three alternatives with costs, so that we’ll have an opportunity to see what’s the best, and the trade-offs necessary,” said committee member Gil Silverman.
“It’s really a wonderful package, and we recommend wholeheartedly that the board do it,” he said.
BKP’s proposal included a cost not to exceed $29,350, and the township had included $40,000 for developing the recreation center plans in its 2017 budget. The proposal was approved unanimously by the commissioners Monday, and Edelmayer thanked the Needs Advisory Committee members and said more details will be announced on the process as the plans are developed.
Other approvals from the board included formal adoption of the articles of incorporation meant to start a township nonprofit, which Edelmayer said will be called the “Upper Gwynedd Community Association,” and will allow local businesses to make donations to the township and its programs.
“We are engaged in fundraising for the parks and recreation department, and they have come across certain situations where some of the corporations we talk to, either cannot provide a gift or donation to the township, or there are areas where it’s difficult for them” due to the lack of a nonprofit, Edelmayer said.
The nonprofit will have five board members and be based at the township administration building, according to Edelmayer and
solicitor David Onorato, and once the nonprofit is approved by the state, it will begin holding meetings and developing rules and regulations for how donations are handled.
Other approvals included votes to advertise two upcoming ordinances: one would exclude townshipowned facilities from certain zoning ordinances when new infrastructure is installed, and the other would clarify regulations for property owners who intend to merge adjacent properties that don’t conform with current codes. Both will be posted for public review and could
be formally adopted at the board’s April 24 meeting, according to Onorato.
The board authorized traffic engineer Andy Heinrich to review a traffic study prepared by the developers planning to build roughly two dozen homes on the Martin Tract, a property located near Allentown Road, Green Street and Whites Road Park. A driveway entrance to the development would link to the current traffic signal at Allentown Road and Oxford Circle, so a traffic study detailing those changes has been submitted by the developer and must now be vetted by the township.
Two upcoming events were also approved: the Broad Street Re-Run five mile race on May 20, with proceeds going to the PennSuburban Foundation for Literacy and Wellness, and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association’s “Walk the Wissahickon” event on Sept. 24. Upper Gwynedd’s commissioners next meet at 7:30 p.m. on April 18 at the township administration building, 1 Parkside Place. For more information or meeting agendas and materials visit www. UpperGwynedd.org.