Politics & Government

Schuylkill Township Sends Ticket Booth Restoration to Bid

The township budgeted $20,000 to restore a wall and roof on a historic ticket booth.

A former ticket booth on the Pasquale tract moved closer to being restored.

At its meeting Wednesday, the board of supervisors in Schuylkill Township voted 4-1 to advertise for bids to reconstruct the roof and wall in the booth. The ticket booth sits on 16 acres of land purchased by the township in 2009 for $685,000. Schuylkill Township received a $150,000 grant from the Municipal Parks Grant Program through the county for the purchase.

The ticket booth was once part of Valley Park, an amusement park that could be reached by trolley.

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“In August 1912 an amusement park, known as Valley Park—whence the present name of Valley Park Road—was inaugurated, with a ceremony featuring the Valley Forge Military Band,” according to a history article on the township’s Web site.

However, after families began purchasing cars, the park went under in 1923.

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Schuylkill Township owned land adjacent to the former park space and then purchased the two parcels, known as the Pasquale tract, in 2009. A year prior, at a meeting discussion, there was talk of having volunteers do the work for the restoration of the booth, but at that time the township did not own the land.

The 2011 budget set aside $20,000 for the restoration work. When Supervisor Laurie Williams questioned why the former owner did not maintain or improve the land, Chairwoman Barbara Cohen said it’s the township’s responsibility, despite what went on prior to the purchase.

“It is an historic resource that the township owns, whether or not whatever occurred prior to this time,” Cohen said. “The township owns this property. That is reality.”

Resident Kevin Handforth said private funds should be used for the work. Cohen, he noted, worked to get The Foundry Building in Phoenixville restored, and she could do something similar with the ticket booth, raising money rather than township funds.

“We don’t have the money,” Handforth said. “Let’s not spend the money.”

Cohen confirmed with Fred Parry, board treasurer, that $20,000 was in the budget and slated to go toward the work. The motion passed 4-1, with Williams opposing.

Township Manager Mary Bird noted after the meeting that while the $20,000 is budgeted, bids for the work may come in at a lower cost.

In other news, Schuylkill Township will stay just that. A motion to consider a referendum changing its name to Valley Forge Township fell flat. Williams, who asked for the item to be placed on the agenda, said she was not making the motion at this time because she learned of the costs the township would incur.

Letterhead, police cars, signs and more would have to be changed if the referendum passed. In addition, Supervisor James Morrisson said the township took its one shot at that back in 1966. He said a “sharp lawyer” might be able to beat the name change in court, even if the referendum passed.

The next Schuylkill Township meeting will be held Wed., May 4 at 7:30 p.m.


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