Dingman park will be coming in spring

MILFORDD - Dingman took a big step forward toward the creation of a municipal park Tuesday night when township supervisors granted final approval for a subdivision providing the last 43 acres needed to develop a multi-use park off Log Tavern Road. The land came from a tract of some 600 acres which is owned by the Ramagosa family's, Sunrise Ventures company. Township Secretary Karen Kleist said the land, appraised at over $5,000 per acre, was sold to the township for some $3,800 per acre. Less the township property, the remainder was divided into five lots, each over 100 acres. Supervisors Chair Tom Mincer said the first $1.3 million segment of the park's development, construction of a dual access loop drive and interior roads, should begin in the spring. One entrance will be opposite the Dingman Township fire station and the other near the township's branch of the Pike County Library. Initial recreational development on the 103-acre park will include the construction of two ballfields, concession buildings, parking areas and a large, multi-use meadow area for those not involved in organized sports, Mincer said. Kleist and Mincer said that Dingman has been saving money toward the park project since a 1999 when a survey, done during revision of the township comprehensive plan, determined that recreational facilities were a high public priority. Mincer said Dingman would use savings and grant funding for the majority of the costs and borrow prudently for any additional costs. "I want to emphasize that this will be done without any increase in taxes," Mincer said. Future segments of the development now include an additional ball field, separate football and soccer fields, several playgrounds, and additional parking areas. A series of basketball courts, which appear on a project plan for the park, may or may not be in the final plans. "We're still looking at it ," Mincer said. Several satellite parking areas, including a total of over 100 spaces have been planned. "We already know that we're going to need a lot more parking," Mincer said. By design, the park will not feature a roller-boarding area, he said, partly because of insurance concerns and partly because, "we didn't want it to be a hang-out. We want it to be a facility for families."