Franklin ball fields in question Lehighton school director says ball fields should be sold

Franklin Elementary is one of four schools in the Lehighton Area School District closing at the end of the 2017-18 school year. Should the district sell the school, the question then becomes what happens to the four baseball and softball fields to the north of it.

To date, the district’s school board has authorized an appraisal on the 25-acre property, including the fields and the school, and a survey that could be used if a future subdivision were to occur.

The district currently leases the fields to Franklin Township for $1 per year, an agreement that has been in place for over 30 years, and the township allows the Franklin Township Athletic Association to use them for many of its events. In turn, the FTAA helps maintain the property and pays for utilities such as the field lights and appliances in the concession stands.

“Franklin Township may have an interest in Christman Field,” said William Schwab, who is the solicitor for both the district and the township. “It could be transferred to the township via municipal agreement if the board would decide to do that. In the past, a softball field was donated when the Franklin Heights school closed with condition that if the field ever left the municipality, it would revert back to district ownership.”

The board hasn’t made a decision on if it would subdivide out the fields or how it would sell the school.

East Penn and Mahoning schools were sold for $350,000 each at a public auction last year.

Aside from a public auction, the district could go the route of a private sale, which would require an additional appraisal.

Schwab said Monday night that Behavioral Health Associates, which purchased Mahoning Elementary, and at least one individual had expressed interest in the Franklin school.

The Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 previously showed interest in the school, but those talks have diminished,” board President Larry Stern said.

Director David Bradley Sr. expressed his opposition this week about giving the fields to Franklin Township, saying he felt they should be sold by private sale.

“Sell it to highest bidder and give FTAA the opportunity to control their own destiny and not be controlled by another government entity,” Bradley said. “They should have the chance to buy it outright.”

Bradley used the example of the Pool Pals organization in Lehighton.

“That was a private entity that went to the public and burdened only those willing to be burdened, much like FTAA has the opportunity to do as well,” he said. “Give them opportunity to control that field forever instead of having it dangled in front of them.”

The Pool Pals heavily support the pool, Stern pointed out, but do not own the property. That land belongs to Lehighton Borough.

Ron Steigerwalt, Franklin Township Athletic Association president, said Wednesday the group is happy with its current relationship with Franklin Township and doesn’t want to see anything change.

“We’ve never had a problem with them,” Steigerwalt of the township. “We’re an all-volunteer organization and have worked really well with them and hope to continue that.”

Since Monday’s meeting, Steigerwalt said the future of the fields has been a hot topic among the association volunteers.

“We have a group planning on going to the next board meeting,” he said.

Bradley initially also proposed votes to advertise both Franklin and Shull-David elementary schools for sale.

“We should start advertising them as soon as possible, and to the largest area possible, to get the best opportunity for a buyer rather than through a private sale,” he said.

Fellow Director Richard Beltz concurred adding, “I think we should get as much money as we can.”

A unanimous vote was eventually taken to table any decisions until a clearer plan for the sale of the schools is developed.

Assessment challenge discussed

Bradley asked if the district could face lawsuits from residents in the municipalities where the elementary schools are being closed due to any adverse impact on property values.

“We are covered under sovereign immunity,” Schwab answered. “We as a taxing entity could also say the neighborhood has improved because it no longer has a school, but instead has a senior living center in East Penn, for example. It may increase the value of properties. We don’t know and that isn’t our responsibility.”

See the video of this segment of the meeting at www.tnonline.com.