Township to Prepare for Adventure Grove Park Use
Adventure Grove Secretary Pam Ball, (at top, left) and President Patti Grimm were among those making a presentation Thursday to Lower Pottsgrove commissioners
LOWER POTTSGROVE PA – Talk about a surprise. Members of the Adventure Grove Inclusive Playground Inc. committee, which is working toward creation of local playgrounds that accommodate people of all ages and abilities, received an unexpected gift Thursday (Feb. 23, 2023) from the Lower Pottsgrove Board of Commissioners.
Board members authorized Solicitor Jamie Ottaviano to draft a memorandum of understanding that would give the committee access to plan for one such playground at the upper level of Sanatoga Park, off Park Road. An aging children’s play area exists there now, and the committee intends to raise funds and seek grants that would kick off its redesign and provide new equipment for expanded use.
The committee’s “angel” in the decision was Commissioner Michael McGroarty. He serves on the Pottsgrove Recreation Board with Pottsgrove school director Patti Grimm, who helped found the Adventure Grove project several years ago. The more McGroarty learned about it and its goals, he said, the more he believed Lower Pottsgrove “could make a good partner.”
Sanatoga Park “is an under-utilized park” for the township, McGroarty explained. “There’s some park equipment up there but there’s a lot of room,” he said. “I felt, being on the Rec Board, that this was a worthwhile endeavor, and they’re working hard to get this done. Why not use it? … To me it was a no-brainer to partner up with Adventure Grove.”
There’s precedent for the cooperation, too. West Pottsgrove commissioners have already signed a similar memorandum for Adventure Grove’s use of township property that once was home to its swimming pool, committee Treasurer and West Pottsgrove board member Charlie Valentine said. Upper Pottsgrove also is contemplating an agreement, but has pushed earlier considerations further into the future.
The committee has grant money in hand, thanks to support from the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation. Although its grant initially was intended for use at Upper Pottsgrove, committee members indicated the foundation will allow funds to be used for planning at any of the possible sites.
Grimm, Valentine, committee Co-Vice President Annique Ruiz-Brown, and Secretary Pam Ball all participated in Adventure Grove’s presentation to the Lower Pottsgrove board. They asked commissioners to give the idea some thought.
Appreciative board President Ray Lopez thanked them for their time, and congratulated them on their success so far. “I think you’ve accomplished a lot. You really have,” Lopez said. He also explained McGroarty and township Manager Ed Wagner had prepared the board for this discussion months earlier. It had information on the project, he said, and knew the role McGroarty hoped the township might play.
All that was needed, Lopez said after conferring with Ottaviano, was to “entertain a motion to move this forward and create” the agreement. The motion offered by Commissioner William Keohane, also an enthusiastic parks supporter, passed unanimously.
Photo by The Post
Coverage of the Lower Pottsgrove commissioners’ Feb. 23 meeting:
Township to Prepare for an Adventure Grove Park
Lower Pottsgrove’s Board of Commissioners agreed Thursday to work with the Adventure Grove inclusive playground committee to plan for a future installation at Sanatoga Park. Their board ally and guiding “angel” was member Michael McGroarty.
‘All Options Considered’ for Municipal Office Needs
Lower Pottsgrove commissioners don’t yet have a solution for new municipal offices for the township’s administrative or police units. They’re reportedly still looking at options, although they can’t say much about them.
Five Township Roads Scheduled for Spring Repaving
Property owners on Heather Lane, Bradley Way, and Heritage, Medical, and Industrial drives, all in Lower Pottsgrove, can enjoy a smoother ride later this spring. All are scheduled to be partially or fully repaved.
Is Township Closer to its Municipal Campus Solution?
An update is anticipated Thursday on activities by the Lower Pottsgrove Infrastructure Committee, which continues to explore the township’s options in expanding its administrative and police quarters.
Earlier coverage of Adventure Grove Park Inc.:
Local Adventure Grove Hopes to Follow ‘QuiNBy’ Success
The Bucks County borough of Quakertown, 22 miles northeast of Sanatoga, on Friday officially opened QuiNBy’s Playground, an inclusive play area for kids of all abilities. Efforts to create a similar space in the Pottstown area are making progress too.
