Bethel Park buys parcel to expand Simmons Park
Simmons Park will nearly double in size after Bethel Park Council approved a land purchase Oct. 9.
The municipality will pay $350,000 for 24 acres next to the park on Clifton Road. Municipal officials said they have no immediate plans for the land, but the municipality is in the midst of a multi-year plan to improve all the municipality’s parks.
The parcel is a wooded hillside. Municipal manager Shawn Arbaugh said many people may have viewed that land as part of Simmons Park already.
Vinreid LLC of McDonald owns the land. The company purchased it for $115,000 in 2014 but the land has remained undeveloped.
Bethel Park will pay a lot more for the land, but the municipality ordered two separate appraisals and $350,000 is within range of both of those appraisals, Arbaugh said.
Council members also approved a change to the zoning ordinance for off-street commercial parking that will relax parking space requirements and allow tandem parking for some businesses.