Businessmen trying to buy part of a ball field from Palmerton Area School District to build a Rite Aid pharmacy said they haven't given up their plans yet despite public opposition.
In fact, they say they hope to rally support by detailing plans to improve part of the Seventh Street Field in Palmerton that would remain, and funding development of at least four fields near the Palmerton Area Junior High School and Palmerton Area High School complex in Lower Towamensing Township.
Rite Aid wants to buy 1.5 acres of the 3.73-acre park to build a 15,000-square-foot store. Rite Aid has a store on Delaware Avenue in Palmerton, but it's only about 5,000 square feet in size.
Borough residents opposed to the sale noted it's one of the few ball fields in the community.
Developers would improve the remaining 2.33 acres of the Seventh Street field with lights, fencing, possibly artificial turf and others improvements suggested by the public.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
We moved to Palmerton 2 years ago and live a block away from this ballfield. Coming from a city in NJ where the kids don't really use parks for what they're intended it's great to see how often the community uses it for football, girls softball, basketball, etc. with so many parents coming out to cheer. I have two handicapped children and it's great to have this park so they can play basketball, since the courts at the pool are only open when the pool is. If anyone wants to do a fundraiser to get the improvements for the park without the help of Rite Aid I'd be glad to be on the committee.
I can tell you by experience that when corporations make promises they seldom turn out the way people think. It would be better to have a carnival or maybe a circus in the field to raise money for improvements, and I'm sure all the people in Palmerton would be glad to help out. - Maggie Dressler maggie45@ptd.net
Post a Comment