Franklin field finalized School district OKs subdivision plan
A long-awaited subdivision of a Lehighton Area School District elementary school property is finalized.
The school board voted this week to approve the final plan for the Franklin Elementary subdivision, which splits the property into two parcels. One parcel, totaling 13.6 acres, will remain with the district and include the school as well as the soccer field and track above it. The other parcel, 11.8 acres, will go to Franklin Township and include four baseball and softball fields used by the Franklin Township Athletic Association.
After much discussion, the district voted 6-3 in July to give the fields to the township at no cost with a clause that they revert to district ownership should they cease to be used for recreational use in the future.
At the time, Lehighton director David Bradley Sr. said he felt the district was “giving away an asset.”
“It takes six votes for this to pass,” said Kevin O’Donnell, of the Franklin Township Athletic Association, before Monday’s vote. “If we could get 7, 8 and 9 this time, that would be great.”
The final subdivision passed by a 9-0 vote without any further comment.
Carbon County and Franklin Township planning commissions both recommended approval of the subdivision plans, which township supervisors approved on Jan. 15.
The plan includes a utility easement over the lot the district will retain, allowing the township to connect a public sewer line.
In June, the Lehighton board opted to keep the soccer fields directly behind Franklin Elementary School, feeling it would add value for any interested buyers in the building, which closed at the end of the 2017-18 school year.
The school board on Monday approved a list of facility uses which included the Lehighton Area Soccer Club using the fields for soccer games and practice this spring.
Director Wayne Wentz, who wanted to also transfer the soccer fields to the township to ensure they remain available for recreational use, asked what would happen if that parcel was sold.
“The soccer club is aware that if the property is sold, it would be up to the buyer whether or not those fields would be available for use,” Lehighton Superintendent Jonathan Cleaver.
“That’s a shame,” Wentz responded, “to choose money over the kids.”
Comments
Good afternoon. Play ball! I am glad it was resolved.
Logic dictated that the best way to ensure the baseball fields stay baseball fields was for the association to buy the field, taking them out of government control. The community of donors willing to fully facilite the ownership by the association was silenced. The $55,000 pricetag presented a fantastic opportunity for this association to establish a permenant legacy of community baseball.
The ball fields and the decades of volunteerism that created them are still at risk from being lost to the whims of government spending. This Government transfer requires every future set of association members and volunteers to continually lobby the Franklin Township government for continued taxpayer support.
Whereas this transfer was a temporary solution, ownership should still be the final goal. With ownership, the association could negotiate a lease for partial township use in exchange for the same township maintenance services. Also, as owners, the association would control the scheduling and use including control of additional field improvements.
Ownership by the charitible tax-exempt FTAA would guarantee baseball stays an American pastime, blocking future insecurities including pending land developments.
Sometimes, the vision of people who makes such things happen scare those in authority. Fear often preventss the open review all options.
My actions show a strong resistance to lobby groups using government as a leverage tool or lobbyist weapon. My vote in support of those that do was geared towards the hope that once fear was removed wisdom would prevail.
My offer to help the FTAA own the fields and help them negotiate a supportive maintenance lease stands.
Sincerely,
Citizen David F. Bradley, Sr.
Sponsor of several FTAA ball teams.