By MICHAEL HIRSCH

Special to The Press

South Whitehall Township presented the first of three Park, Recreation, Open Space and Trails master plan meetings on April 28.

According to a mailing sent to South Whitehall Township residents, “The last plan was completed in 2009 and a lot has changed and evolved since then.

A PROT plan is typically done every 10 years and is an official document that helps our local leaders and staff make decisions regarding land use, programming, events, and future park improvements.”

The public was encouraged to participate in making the plans.

Bryan Smith, chief landscape architect, Lindsay Taylor, certified park and recreation planner, and Ashley Eichlin, project technician, all with Barry Isset & Associates, led the presentation.

Mike Kukitz, manager, South Whitehall Township Parks and Recreation, introduced them.

The presentation started with an introduction and explanation of PROT.

“A park system that is vital to the health, equality, and resiliency of a community, and is an indicator of a resident’s quality of life,” was defined in the slide presentation.

There was a period of “Fun Facts” where attendees were requested to text a code to access an app and could answer the multiple-choice questions on the screen.

One question asked how many parks there are in South Whitehall Township? Are there 8, 10, 18 or 26? The correct answer is 26.

The group covered the process and a schedule for the plan.

Near the end of the presentation there was another Q&A and some interactive boards, which were set toward the back of the room.

Residents could choose yellow, green, or red dots and were encouraged to place them on the boards.

There were questions like, “Where do you live?” and “Which parks are closest to your house?”

The next meetings will be June 23 and Sept. 29.

There will be an option to participate virtually.

Call the township at 610-349-0401 or southwhitehall.com for more information.