Hampton residents, Youth Lacrosse Association at odds over proposed sports facility

About 30 residents showed up to a Hampton Township Council meeting on Oct. 12 to express their disapproval for a proposal by the Hampton Youth Lacrosse Association to develop a multi-sport field facility on a parcel of land off Main Drive.

The association has struggled for years to find field space, according to Zach Merritt, vice president of the group. He said fields operated by the township are unavailable and Hampton Township School District fields have limited availability, forcing the group to rent out “expensive” private facilities. He added that the facilities don’t have enough space for games, only practices.

“Two years ago, we actually held no home games in Hampton, other than one game at Fridley Field,” he said about the high school field. “So our kids traveled for 12 to 15 games for that season.”

He’s requesting that the township pay for a feasibility study for the 10.5-acre property, which is adjacent to the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Orchard Drive, to determine development costs, street entrances and environmental concerns, such as a stormwater plan.

Merritt estimates that the study will cost $10,000 to $20,000. He also is asking that the council partner with his group to apply for grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

He said that the association can purchase the property, which is listed for $365,000, using money the organization generated through fundraising. But the group needs help from the township to pay for development and upkeep, which he estimates will cost about $500,000, and $10,000 to $20,000, respectively.

Merritt said the organization anticipates making an offer around Nov. 1 with a 90-day due diligence period, although it’s “amendable.”

His ultimate vision is a “township park” with one or two fields that multiple sports can use. He said he’s looked across four municipalities, and this property is a good option because it’s “relatively flat” and bordered by woods that will “provide a buffer to others” if the group ends up developing about five acres in the northwest corner, which is the current plan.

“We need to figure out, is our estimate accurate, right, or is there a rock five feet beneath the surface that we won’t be able to level?” he said. “If we come back and say, hey, this has a $20 million price tag, that’s a lot different decision for everybody.”

Some residents who live near the property aren’t pleased with the idea.

Eileen Zottola, 68, said she’s concerned about the noise and amount of traffic from games, especially if the lacrosse association goes through with its plans of partnering with other sports leagues, including Hampton Junior Football and Ultimate Frisbee.

“Maybe it’s a little selfish on my part, that where you’re going to go in and out of that complex is right in front of my friends and my houses. My house … is very close to the street,” she said. “Every car that comes out of there with lights on will be in my living room and family room, every night, 10 months a year.”

Merritt said lacrosse typically practices and has games from 5-8 p.m. during the week and from 1-8 p.m. on weekends April to June, and the organization has no plans for night games. He also said he expects 15 to 20 cars for practices, and maybe 50 cars for games.

Dr. Melina Dodd, 51, questioned why the council would consider a plan that would make nearly 100 people who live near the proposed facility “unhappy,” and she is concerned that a facility would raise property taxes, which Christopher Lochner, municipal manager, said is unlikely.

“I don’t think that you understand how in demand the athletic fields that are located within the township already are in. There is a constant battle between the different athletic organizations to be able to use the fields,” said Carolynn Johnson, council president. “So there is a benefit in having additional fields. Whether this is the correct location for it, we can’t say that at this point. But there is a benefit to having additional athletic fields available for our kids.”

Johnson reiterated that at the council’s regular meeting on Oct. 26 in the municipal building conference room, she and her colleagues will vote on only whether to move forward with a feasibility study.

On Oct. 12, council also discussed a proposal that would increase residents’ trash collection bill by about 33% from $22.84 per month to $30.51 per month — an increase Lochner said he expected, but is still disheartening.

The proposal also would dispense with unlimited service for residents, instead providing them with 96-gallon containers to fill with refuse. Residents can purchase additional containers, though. Disposing of some electronics, such as refrigerators and microwaves, also won’t be included in the monthly bill.

Lochner said the seven municipalities, including Hampton, that partner for the service received only one bid, from Waste Management, due to labor shortages and a lack of trucks. He said an unlimited contract like the township has now would have cost $64 per month, and that he’s asking Waste Management for a three-month delay in implementation so residents can be properly informed of the changes.

Council will vote on the contract Oct. 26.