Adams Twp. approves agreement with aquatic center
Adams Township supervisors entered into a memorandum of understanding Monday, Sept. 11, with the proposed Adams Township Training and Aquatics Community Center.
“It was basically with the understanding that the township would have property available for them to move forward with the project,” township manager Gary Peaco said.
The agreement with the nonprofit group seeking to build the center outlines the donation of a long-term lease of land in the township’s community park “subject to terms and conditions to be negotiated at length.”
“The park property shall remain the property of Adams Township subject to the lease,” the memorandum reads.
Peaco said the group is in the process of a feasibility study for the center and that the agreement was part of the township’s “due diligence.”
“They’re hoping to have the feasibility study done probably late winter, early spring of 2024,” he said. “And then we’ll figure out what the next steps are.”
The project aligns with a 2018 survey conducted by the township in which a majority of residents requested a community pool, according to Peaco.
“The Mars Area swim team does not have a pool to use, they use either Pine-Richland’s or they use the Y, so there’ll be a number of different entities that would be able to use it,” he said. “Plus, it’s an amenity for the township residents, like any community center, so it’s something that’s been on the radar for quite a few years.”
Peaco said the township has two different areas in the park available to donate to the center, one measuring about 6 acres and one about 11 acres.
“And that’s part of the feasibility study, those two different areas,” he said. “It’s basically seeing what kind of acreage you’re going to need and where it’s going to fit the best.”
Funds for the study and the construction of the facility will be raised entirely by the organization, according to Peaco, with the township simply providing the property.
“If they can come up with the financing to build it, it could be a huge, huge win for Adams Township,” he said.
As part of Monday’s meeting and in recognition of 9/11, UPMC Passavant honored seven local emergency services for their response to a crash last month in the township.
“It was a cooperation of all the first responders,” said Conrad Pfeifer, executive director of Quality EMS. “The weather wouldn’t let us fly a helicopter, fire departments controlled traffic, our medics treated the two injured on the motorcycle and the driver of the car, and the police took care of the vehicle because there was probably some criminal activity involved.”
The Aug. 30 crash, at the intersection of Mars-Evans City and Marburger roads, saw one Forward Township man accused of driving under the influence after hitting a motorcycle and its two riders.
“It’s something that could have been a fatal accident, so it had some serious traffic control and investigation,” Pfiefer said. “It was the whole combination of everything an unusually bad accident could be.”
Honored Monday for responding to the incident were the Adams Township Police Department, Mars Borough Police Department, Evans City-Seven Fields Regional Police Department, Adams Area Fire District, Callery Volunteer Fire Company, Evans City Volunteer Fire Department and Quality EMS.
“They gave a certificate of recognition for everybody,” Pfiefer said.
Peaco said the incident represented the cooperation and coordination the township has “come to expect.”
“Especially in our area,” he said. “When there’s an accident, everybody pulls together and does a great job and we get a positive outcome.”
