McCandless seeks residents to help plan 175th anniversary, provide input on parks study

There are two ways to help with planning in the Town of McCandless this month, including applying to be part of the committee for the upcoming 175th anniversary celebration and participating in an open house on the town’s parks on June 19.

Residents have until June 15 to submit applications to be a part of the committee to plan for McCandless’ 175th anniversary, which will take place in 2026.

“The McCandless175 Committee will plan, fundraise, advertise and implement community events and programs to commemorate this momentous occasion,” said Abby Lucostic, director of parks and recreation. “We’re looking for community members who represent an array of community interests and organizations.”

Council members will review and select candidates for the board.

“The 175th anniversary is an exciting time for the community to celebrate our history as well as think about where our future will take us. We are thrilled to expand community offerings during the year to enhance the celebration. But it’s vital to get resident input in order for us to make the yearlong celebration as meaningful as possible,” borough Manager John Schwend said.

Additionally, an open house meeting on the town’s parks master plan is scheduled from 6 to 7:30 p.m. June 19 at the pavilion in Devlin Park, located behind Town Hall off Grubbs Road.

The meeting is part of the town’s ongoing Comprehensive Parks Master Plan process.

In 2024, McCandless hired Pashek+MTR, a Pittsburgh-based Landscape Planning Firm, to develop master site plans for the five community parks, and analyze existing and future connections, programs and future green space initiatives, according to Lucostic.

“Developing master plans for the town’s existing and future parks is about understanding the sites, the needs and desires of the community, and the capacity and capability of the town and its partners,” Lucostic said.

There will be stations set up to discuss the topics of connections, programs and input on existing and future park initiatives.

“Public engagement is an essential component of the planning process as it helps us answer three main questions: ‘Where are we now? Where do we want to be? And how do we get there?’ ” she said.

In this parks study process, public participation was obtained through community events such as April’s roadside cleanup and the Easter egg hunt. A community questionnaire survey was open from February through April, and opinion boards were available in the Town Hall lobby, Lucostic said.

“One common theme we’ve heard from residents is that they want to have a voice in the future of our park system. The best way to do this currently is to participate in the open house meeting on June 19th,” Schwend said. “Come and visit with town council, administration and professional consultants who will be gathering all of the information we can in order to make sure that future offerings are what the people want and need.”

All ages are welcome to attend, and light refreshments will be provided.

For details about the parks study, contact Heather Cuyler at hcuyler@pashekmtr.com or 724-272-9144. Information also is available on the town’s website at townofmccandless.org.