The Recreation Advisory Committee held its meeting March 21 to discuss and plan the many projects and events slated for township residents.

The committee welcomed new member Tammy Campbell who will represent the township’s Second Ward replacing outgoing member Tricia Dickert.

Currently, the committee is seeking two new members to replace founding member Frank McCoullough in Ward 5 and Kim Ringhoffer in Ward 1. If interested in serving your community as part of the recreation advisory committee, you can apply online through the Salisbury Township website.

Spring is in the air and the parks in the township are starting to blossom with activity.

A stormwater improvement project at Laubach Park has been approved to mitigate water runoff issues. The project should commence in late March or April and will last six to eight weeks.

In other park news, work has begun at Green Acres Park to make way for the addition of four new pickleball courts as well as new fencing.

Laubach Park tennis courts will be relined this spring to accommodate both pickleball and tennis and the courts at

Devonshire will be resurfaced and relined for tennis only.

According to Jim Levernier, director of public works, all materials for the projects have been ordered and the re-striping of all the courts will be completed at the same time.

Committee members have been hard at work planning several community events. The first event to be held is the egg hunt which will take place at Franko Park 10 a.m. April 9. The egg hunt is open to all children ages 3-10. There is no rain date scheduled for this event as the next weekend falls on Easter.

A community IronPigs game is in the works for July and Franko Park will again host the band AM Radio for a night of music from the 60s and 70s. The concert will take place 4 p.m. Sept. 24. The committee is still in need of a food truck to accompany this event.

Plans for a Christmas tree lighting at Franko Park have been tabled for this year due to the rising cost of other projects in the township. Purchasing a large tree and running electricity to light it would be costly so it will be budgeted for next year.

Recreation Director Genny Baillie reported the township’s summer playground program is still in need of counselors. Individuals at least 16 years of age with a driver’s license who are interested in working as a counselor for the summer program can pick up an application at the municipal building. Completed applications are due no later than April 8.

During the public comment portion of the meeting two residents raised questions about a proposed firing range for township police officers located on Franko Park property. Resident Bruce Burchard asked the committee if they were aware of the plans and questioned how this fits in with what was initially proposed as a nature park. He remarked his residence is close to the proposed site which has already been cleared and he objects to the noise which he feels will be disruptive. He expressed concern the range will eventually be used by others for purposes other than firearms qualification for township police. He asked whether other sites had been considered and suggested Walking Purchase Park as a possible site as well as equipping the large pole building on the Franko site to contain the range inside the building.

Resident Karin Holliday also voiced concern for the use of Franko as a firing range. She walks the trails twice a day and has talked to many residents who said they will not be comfortable using the trails with their children and pets if the firing range goes in.

Holliday stated if you are driving by the park it would appear that the firing range is in a secluded area but if you are walking, the trails are next to the proposed site. She noted $50,000 has already been approved for the range and wondered how they chose the Franko site and the committee was not aware?

Baillie responded by saying that as far as she knew the firing range is in the preliminary planning stages and it will be brought to the public when plans are completed.

Baillie also noted it was her understanding police have been having a difficult time scheduling at other facilities and need a place for local officers to maintain firing skills. Walking Purchase Park was considered as a possible site but it is jointly owned by Allentown and Bethlehem and they did not want the firing range at that site.

The next meeting of the Recreation Advisory Committee will be held 7:30 p.m. May 16 in the municipal building, 2900 S. Pike Ave., Allentown.