Agan Park reopens after yearlong closure

Agan Park has reopened after being closed for the past year over concerns about the safety of a gravel road leading to the park.

Agan Park is in Springdale Township, but responsibility for the facility switches each year between Springdale and Cheswick boroughs. The park was given to the local communities by Cheswick resident Martin Agan in 1939 for use as a recreational site.

Springdale Council decided last summer to close the park indefinitely until the gravel road leading to the 100-acre park could be repaired.

Most of Agan Park, which is off Riddle Run Road, is wooded. There are ballfields, a pavilion, concession stand and bleachers, as well as a parking area. There are also hiking trails.

Some repairs have been made to the road, and Cheswick reopened the park this month. But officials from both boroughs are hoping to work together this summer to make more improvements so the park is more usable for residents.

“There’s so much potential to get something going up there,” said Bob Kristof of Cheswick’s parks and recreation committee.

Kristof said he’d like to see a committee formed of interested residents who want to help develop and maintain the park.

“Springdale owns it and Cheswick owns it, but the people should be running it,” Kristof said.

Frank Forbes of Springdale’s parks and recreation committee said he knows residents would like to get the park in better shape. He said he met with a group of Springdale residents after the park closed last year.

“We had some feedback,” he said. “Everybody wants to get the park up and running.”

Forbes said, despite the improvements, he still has concerns about the road and coming up with the money to fix it.

The two boroughs work with a joint account that has about $40,000 in it right now. There isn’t any new revenue going into the account.

“When it’s gone, it’s gone,” Kristof said.

They previously received money from Huntley & Huntley after the natural gas company placed two wells on the property in 2006, but officials believe the wells aren’t producing much anymore, if at all.

Both Forbes and Kristof said, if they are receiving any revenue, it’s very little. Exact figures weren’t available this week.

Paul Burke, general counsel for Huntley & Huntley, confirmed Tuesday the wells are active and production royalties are paid to the municipalities. He couldn’t immediately provide specific numbers.

Forbes said he hopes they can apply for some grant money to help fund the improvements.

“We’re moving forward,” he said.