The location of a baseball batting cage for use by the Salisbury Youth Association is not yet a home run in Franko Farm Park.

Frank Adamcik, vice chair of the Salisbury Township Recreation Advisory Committee, brought the matter to the attention of the township board of commissioners at the March 9 meeting.

The location is in question because it may have to be moved when improvements are made as part of the William H. Laubach Memorial Park and Franko Farm Recreation Area Park Master Site Development Plan.

Adamcik said he met with Leonard J. Policelli, landscape architect, project manager, Urban Research & Development Corp., Bethlehem, consultant for the master plan, at the park along Black River Road.

Adamcik displayed a drawing of the planned location for the batting cage. He shared copies of the sketch with commissioners.

Adamcik told commissioners the recreation committee had some concerns. “It’s all in close proximity,” Adamcik said, referring to the proximity of the approximate 20 feet by 14 feet batting cage and an approximate 25 feet by 20 feet area needed for the cage.

A soccer field is about 25 feet from the batting cage. A volleyball court is about 15 feet from the cage. A storage shed is about 130 feet from the volleyball court.

Adamcik said a sloping area where a tree is located is not suitable for the batting cage. “We don’t want to do any excavating,” Adamcik said.

“It seemed the recreation committee’s concern was people swinging bats on deck,” Commissioner Vice President Robert Martucci, Jr., said.

Commissioner James Seagreaves asked about the distance of the batting cage to the bleachers.

“It will be enclosed so there won’t be any balls going out,” Adamcik said. “The safety aspect will be emphasized with coaches.”

Adamcik said the location of the batting cage “will be temporary because it will interfere with walking areas” in the master plan.

Commissioners President James A. Brown and Commissioner Debra Brinton said they want the recreation committee to again review the proposed location of the batting cage.

“I think they need to go up there and look at it,” Brinton said.

“I think this is where it should be temporarily,” Adamcik said.

Joel Schware, Lehigh Valley League baseball director for the Salisbury Youth Association, said the association would pay for the cost and maintenance of the batting cage.

“I’m hoping to move on this as quickly as possible in order for use in April,” Adamcik said.

In another recreation matter, Adamcik said, “the grass is very poor” on the field at Laubach Park. “We would like that field aerated and seeded by one of the township landscapers.”

Salisbury Township Director of Public Works John Andreas said, “We’ve done that in the past.”

Noted Adamcik, “One thing, there’s not a lot of geese stuff on it.”

“I saw one [goose] there,” Martucci said.

“I saw two [geese] there,” Seagraves said.

Martucci, who lives across the street from Laubach, spearheaded a program to get rid of Canada geese that were plaguing the park.

Township commissioners have agreed to continue the geese eradication program.

In 2009, commissioners approved a $9,300 contract with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Service to reduce a flock then estimated at 50 Canada geese at the park at Lehigh Avenue and Fairview Road.

The eradication maintenance program is estimated to cost $2,000.

Goose guano is a health hazard for those using the park, especially participants in SYA sports contests on playing fields and spectators attending the games.

There’s a ban on feeding geese in the 14.25-acre park, which includes a pond stocked for youth fishing.