Public hearing to address Peters Township aquatic center
Peters Township residents will have the opportunity to express their opinions about an aquatic center proposed for Rolling Hills Park.
Township council is holding a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. April 29 at Peters Township Middle School to address a key component to the development of half the former Rolling Hills Country Club property as a municipal park.
The hearing will feature a brief overview of the aquatic center project. Consultant Ted Wallover, whose architectural firm specializes in the design of such facilities, will make a presentation during the hearing along with Dave Hutner, recreations programs manager for Cranberry Township, who will discuss the operation of the municipal pool in that community.
“More important is to solicit input from residents concerning whether or not this is the right time to build that facility,” Peters Township manager Paul Lauer said.
A master plan for the Rolling Hills site incorporates a set of guiding principles established by council.
“One of the things that council committed to was that we would reserve space in this park for eventually building an outdoor aquatic center,” Lauer said.
“I’ve been here for a really long time, and every time we survey the community and ask them the question, ‘What is the one facility that you would like to see in your community,’ outdoor pool always comes to the top of the list,” he added. “The reason why the township has never pursued that is they never had a piece of property that was suitable.”
The municipality and Peters Township School District purchased the country club property in 2016, and the district has a new high school under construction on the western half of the site. The township’s 90-plus acres is to be developed as a park, with construction estimates topping $16 million, according to information provided on the municipal website.
Nearly $10.8 million is estimated for the aquatic center, which would feature numerous amenities for revenue-generating opportunities to help cover operational and maintenance costs.
“The parks and recreation board discussed this on multiple occasions and came back with the same recommendation each time, indicating that they feel the aquatic facility should be included in the first phase of development in the park. They feel that it’s been the No. 1 request in the township and they should do that for the residents,” said Michele Harmel, parks and recreation director. “That’s the goal, provide them with something that they want. We feel that this is what that is, but we’re looking for input.”
Lauer said council members welcome input, as well.
“One of the things I’ve always liked about Peters Township is that these people actually care about what the residents think,” he said. “So they very much value transparency in their decision-making process.”
Council members hope to make a decision about proceeding with the aquatic center by May or early June in conjunction with other Rolling Hills-related projects in the pipeline such as construction of an access road and picnic area, according to Lauer.
Residents who plan to speak at the public hearing are asked to register by emailing project coordinator Tom Gromek at TGromek@peterstownship.com or by phone at 724-941-4180.