Doug Sprankle, owner of nearly 40 rural acres he has named Sprankle Woods, has ambitious plans for his property, including an event on May 4 and his Octoberfest in September.

Because the bulk of the property is in Winfield and Jefferson townships, officials from those municipalities are interested in meeting with Sprankle to flesh out his intentions for the parcel and to apprise him of the requirements in developing the land.

Winfield supervisor Matt Klabnik said he has had many conversations with Sprankle regarding the property.

A “Sprankle Woods” youtube.com video, where Sprankle, his contractors and others describe work ongoing on the property, intentions for use and other subjects, saw a contractor who appears with Sprankle state that he worked with Winfield Township in digging trenches and laying drainage pipe along Riemer Road at the property.

The videos, among other things, show trees being cleared, a house on the property being renovated, and a shop being set up in an existing outbuilding on the land as Sprankle and his contractors engage in amusing banter.

Klabnik said he has invited Sprankle to supervisors meetings since he began working on the property, but Sprankle has not attended.

Klabnik said he understands the portion of the property in Winfield, which is zoned commercial, will be used for driveways and parking for events.

Lois Rankin, vice chairwoman of the Jefferson Township supervisors, said she is eager to arrange a meeting with Winfield Township, Sprankle and even Buffalo and Clinton townships, where a small part of Sprankle Woods property lies.

“He’s touching on four townships, and we want to know what is going on in all four townships,” said Rankin, who added that Jefferson Township does not have a zoning ordinance.

She said neighbors of Sprankle Woods are concerned because they don’t know what to expect at the property once activities are up and running.

“He needs to come in and sit down with all of us,” Rankin said.

She also wants to ensure Sprankle meets all state code and Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, and that he understands he must bring any construction plans before the planning commission and supervisors.

“There’s a lot to iron out and a lot to talk about,” she said.

Klabnik also looks forward to a meeting between townships, and hopes Sprankle will attend.

“It’s my opinion that we should not treat Mr. Sprankle differently than we treat any other landowner,” he said.

Klabnik is not keen to embrace a mindset that Sprankle’s ideas for the property should be shot down because they are different or innovative.

“Doug is an idea man,” Klabnik said. “He has a lot of energy to make things happen, and sometimes people just can’t handle new ideas.”

He said Sprankle does plan to attend the meeting with Winfield solicitor Mike Hnath to discuss the property on a legal basis.

Klabnik said the Dollar General on Route 356 near Lernerville Speedway sits in both Winfield and Buffalo townships, which he feels sets a precedent that would require Sprankle to bring any construction plans to both Winfield and Jefferson townships.

Sprankle on Saturday said he hasn’t attended any township meetings with his plans for a few reasons.

First, he hasn’t locked down final layout plans yet, as he works on the property when he has time away from his grocery store, Sprankle’s Neighborhood Market in Saxonburg, and his young family.

Second, he has placed his focus on improving the property by renovating the existing house and other outbuildings there, in which he saw historical value.

“I wanted to clean up the neighborhood, so I’ve been focused on financial resources and spending time on (renovating) the house,” Sprankle said.

He understands the municipalities are curious about his plans for the property, but said he only bought the acreage on Nov. 1.

“Traditionally, when someone moves into a new area, they don’t experience this type of scrutiny,” Sprankle said. “We are working through our plan, as would anybody who bought property. That takes time.”

He said once his plans are in place, he will bring them to township officials.

Regarding concerns about traffic, noise and other issues, Sprankle plans to work with township officials “on a daily basis” if necessary to mitigate those concerns.

He pointed out he has invested significant time and money in the area through his store and various festivals and activities he has initiated or supported.

Sprankle hopes to be treated like anyone else who has purchased property in the municipalities when the time comes to build, which he said will not happen for at least one year.

“We have the right to own and operate our property as we see fit,” Sprankle said.

Sprankle said he will try to attend the meeting between municipal officials if he can.

This article was updated Jan. 29 to reflect the date of the first event held at this location as May 4. A previous article said the start date was May 5.