Whitehall looks to public for guidance on 4.16-acre site’s future

With the former Whitehall Country Club property now owned by the municipality, borough officials are looking to residents for guidance in what to do with the 4.26-acre site off Provost Road.

“It really is an opportunity for the borough to develop a site for the public and with the public. We want their input,” Borough Manager Courtney Wertz said. “We want to ensure that the site is developed to meet the needs of the next generation of residents and set the borough up for future success.”

She and other staff members are in the early stages of planning a public engagement campaign for next year, providing residents with opportunities to attend meetings, complete surveys and participate in other activities to help determine a formal plan for the rectangular- shaped parcel.

“We put it all out there and we hope that people want to be active and engaged citizens,” she said, “because that’s what really drives the process.”

Borough council authorized an appraisal of the site in November and approved the sale agreement in April. The borough closed on the property May 8 for $135,000, which was under the appraised price, according to Whitehall solicitor Irving Firman.

Whitehall Country Club opened in 1959, selling shares of stock to members, but waning popularity caused its closure in 2008. The site operated as the Pool at Rising Sun Fitness Center for a single season in 2010 and has been vacant since.

“Council has been interested in it for some time, given the unique opportunity to add another recreational space to a built-out borough and to a built-out school district,” Wertz said. “It is the only site that could potentially fit a full-size soccer, lacrosse or football field. The only fields in Baldwin-Whitehall of that size are owned by the school district.”

The borough applied for a state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant that potentially could cover up to half the purchase cost.

Wertz credited groups of residents, particularly those focusing on athletics and environmental considerations, with supporting the overall endeavor.

“They’ve already committed to leveraging their ability to fundraise and to write grants,” she said. “They’re eligible for so many things that we, as a municipality, are not. So that’s where I think it’s really important that we have these community partners that want to assist in this process.”

Residents can expect more information through various communications outlets as 2026 approaches.

“The possibilities are endless, and I think that can sometimes be overwhelming,” Wertz said. “But I think it’s just fantastic for this community to have a say in setting up the borough for future success.”