Archive for category: Parks & Recreation

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Category: Parks and Recreation

Karen Whitney, Director

The Township’s Recreation Services Division provides numerous year-round special events and community services. With the changes to our programming initiatives in 2015, the Parks & Recreation Department has begun rebuilding many of our educational programs and creating new activities.  Due to the limited size our building, we have partnered with many local facilities to outsource some of our programs.  While many are free, all programs and special events require registration. Feel free to call the office at 215-443-5428 or use the online registration: www.warminstertownship.org/specialevents if you need more information.

The Department also oversees and maintains 420 acres of active and passive recreation areas in 13 parks. Warminster Community Park is the largest, 240 acres, with over 5 miles of trails. Many of our other parks are pocket parks located in neighborhoods. We encourage residents to take time to enjoy nature use this website to find local parks: https://goodforpa.com. Sport organizations such as soccer, football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, kickball, baseball, and softball are offered by various adult and youth sport organizations throughout the seasons.

PARKS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE DURING THE PANDEMIC

Covid-19 continues to create challenges for everyone, but the one saving grace is that our municipal park system remains available to all area residents throughout the pandemic.  It has brought to light just how important recreation opportunities and the natural environment are to the health and wellbeing of all our park users.  We have observed a dramatic increase in the use of parks, trails and recreation facilities.  Parks have become places where people can enjoy the natural environment to reduce anxiety and stress and burn off excess energy if gyms are closed.  With more than 410 municipal acres, which includes neighborhood parks as well as regional destinations, residents have been able to social distance while enjoying nature and getting exercise.  “The National Recreation and Park Association surveyed Americans to see how essential they felt parks, trails and open spaces are during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey revealed that 83% of U.S. adults agreed that visiting their local parks, trails and open spaces is essential for their mental and physical well-being during the COVID-19 ordeal”.

As we move through the seasons with so many unknowns, we will continue to try to offer our most popular programs and events, but restrictions may cause some additional cancellations.  Some of our events have gone virtual and others have moved outside.  To stay up to date and explore more options, we recommend that you subscribe to the township email.  Also, check out the websites for Warminster Free Library, Doylestown Health and the PSU Extension Service (https://extension.psu.edu) as they provide many virtual educational and free webinar programs.  Please be assured that we will continue to keep the members of the community active, happy and healthy. To prevent the spread of coronavirus, and for the protection of yourself, your family and others, please wear a mask while using the park, stay home if you feel ill, wash hands and continue to social distance while visiting township offices and parks and take care to properly dispose of trash.  We greatly appreciate the continued support of area residents during these challenging times.

WARMINSTER COMMUNITY PARK IMPROVEMENTS UNDERWAY

Work has begun on the new facilities at Warminster Community Park! Meco Constructors, the contractor for the project, is making good progress, in spite of the winter weather. Most of the work completed so far has involved earth moving for stormwater and future sport fields, and preparation of the runway for the paving of the new driveways and parking lots, so it might not look as though much is going on, but a lot is happening. Probably the most dramatic change in the park so far has been the replacement of the 6’ chain link fence along Bristol Road and Newtown Road near Munro Park with a white equestrian-style PVC fence.

As with all public improvement projects, there will be some inconvenience to the public during construction. But as they say, good things come to those who wait! When construction is completed, the park will have a new pavilion with rest rooms; a new playground; two new baseball fields; a new soccer field; a multipurpose field; new basketball courts, including a Bankshot inclusive court; a permanent entrance at Bristol/Hatboro Roads with the new fencing along Bristol and Newtown Roads; expanded driveways and parking; and landscaped areas on the runway. Most of the work is taking place on and west of the runway (across from Munro Park), and those areas of the park have been temporarily closed to keep park visitors safe. We ask that all park users follow the signs and observe the closed areas so that we can keep the rest of the park open during construction. The basketball courts, Safety Town, much of the runway, and the interior trails, including the crossover trail, are blocked or closed. However, the perimeter trail and the interior trails on the east side of the runway are open for walking, jogging, and cycling. The pavilion and playground are open, as is the Bark Park, which can be accessed by walking on the grass to the left of the orange construction fence.

This project is made possible with grant funding from the Bucks County Municipal Open Space program, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Community Conservation Partnership Program (C2P2), Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) and donations from developers, community organizations and individuals. If you have any questions regarding the park project, please contact the Parks and Recreation Department at 215-443-5428 or email us at recreation@warminsterpa.org.
We look forward to opening these new facilities this summer!

EV CHARGING STATION NOW AVAILABLE IN WCP
Warminster has gone green with a new Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Warminster Community Park (WCP)!  Thanks to a grant from the PA DEP Driving PA Forward Funding Program, and donations from Renk Electric and the Friends of Warminster Parks, this ChargePoint EV station is available to any resident with an electric vehicle. EV designated parking spaces are located by the Park & Rec office in WCP’s main parking lot and ChargePoint cards are available for distribution during office hours. The EV station is available during park hours for a fee. Come enjoy the park while charging your vehicle!

Charging fee: $0.15/kWh (Estimated around $1.95 for 2 hours of charging)
Station Parking fee: is free for the first 3 hours, after that $5.00/hour
Payment: Once you have an account with ChargePoint, Credit Cards, Apple and Samsung Pay are accepted.  Warminster Township / Parks and Recreation cannot accept any money onsite for charging.
Accounts: An account will be needed with ChargePoint (at no fee) to pay/use the charging station. You can pick up an account card in the Parks and Recreation office during regular business hours, or you can create a free account at www.ChargePoint.com.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
For our events to be successful, we are seeking volunteers who wish to assist. No worries about the time commitment – it can be as little as a half hour to multiple hours and on a flexible schedule. Let us know if you are interested by contacting the Parks & Rec office at 215-443-5428. Please be aware.

DISCOUNT TICKETS
Although Covid-19 has greatly reduced the options, Warminster Township Parks and Recreation Department offers discount tickets to various amusement parks, attractions, and ski resorts, click here to view price list and availability. Tickets are sold Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 4 PM at the WREC@WCP. No refunds or returns – while supplies last.

Discount Movie Tickets for Regal Entertainment Group
Movie Tickets are sold for $9.50 each at the Parks & Recreation office, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. These are Premiere tickets for Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theaters and may have some restrictions for 3D or IMAX movies.

SAFETY TOWN OPEN FOR BUSINESS:
There are still a few facades available in Warminster Parks & Recreation’s Safety Town at Warminster Community Park for a 5-year lease period. Business sponsorship is also being sought for recyclable benches, a shed for big-wheel/trike storage and a sunshade. If interested, contact the Parks & Recreation Department for more information.

Dog License and Bark Park Paw Passes
Annual Dog Licenses and Bark Park Paw Passes are available for purchase in the Parks & Recreation office, Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM. Bark Park classes are now forming for new members and are available online until we can meet again in person. Check on line for more information: www.warminstertownship.org/barkpark.

Memorial Bench & Memorial Tree Programs
Warminster Parks & Recreation recognizes the value of commemorating life experience. In response to many resident requests, the Township is proud to promote our memorial bench and tree programs. Throughout our community parks, newly planted trees and benches made from recycled plastics are being installed to provide comfort to park visitors to enjoy not only the shade but various views of our parks.  Click here to download the memorial tree form.

Today, many people buy a memorial gift of a bench to honor the memory of a lost relative, pet or fallen soldier or to celebrate a joyous occasion, accomplishment, family milestone or new addition.  Often they are placed in a park where relatives and friends can visit. If you enjoy a particular park and wish to place a lasting memorial, consider donating a bench or tree to the community. Click here to download the memorial bench form.

Weather Cancellations
For weather closings and program cancellations at the WREC, listen to KYW News Radio, 1060 AM, Fox 29 News or check Channels 22 or 45, or the Township website at www.warminstertownship.org. Just listen or watch for our name and message! We are unable to give refunds or credit for emergency or weather-related cancellations, or other circumstances beyond our control. However, we will make every possible attempt to reschedule the event.

Accessibility
Warminster Parks & Recreation recognizes the importance of recreation for everyone. Many of our facilities are barrier free. We will, to the best of our ability, adapt our parks, trips, and special events to make them accessible to persons with special needs. We invite physically challenged persons to let us know what kinds of adaptations we can make so that as many people as possible can enjoy quality leisure services.

• TDD for the Hearing & Speech Impaired: We can be reached by contacting the Pennsylvania telephone relay service at (800) 654-5984.
• Sports for Individuals with Disabilities – Information on organizations serving physically challenged athletes is available at these websites: www.dsusa.org: www.disabled-world.com/sports; www.dasasports.org; www.mageerehab.org: www.wheelchairnet.org: or search: Disabled Sports.
• Outdoor Safety and Health: www.safehome.org