SHARON, PA. Parks study committee will seek public's input

Public hearings and a mailed questionnaire will help gauge public opinion.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR SHARON BUREAU
SHARON, Pa. -- A committee set up to prepare a master recreation plan for the city wants to know what the public thinks.
The Sharon Parks and Recreation Study Committee will conduct two public hearings April 10 to find out.
Both sessions will be at 7 p.m., one in the city building and one at Musser Elementary School.
Pashek Associates of Pittsburgh, the recreational consultant hired to assist in the plan development, will conduct both meetings.
Getting opinions: The plan is to get residents to tell how they feel about programs and parks already in operation, as well as to offer suggestions on recreational needs they think should be filled.
Pashek will also distribute a random questionnaire on the topic, proposing to mail 1,800 questionnaires in mid-April.
People who don't get one in the mail can contact the city building to get one or can find one on the Pashek Web site at pashekla.com.
The city is interested in going after state grants to improve recreational facilities, but the state won't even consider an application unless the city first puts together a master recreation plan.
The state did put up $15,000 to help cover the cost of the study, and the city will match it.
Slow going: The task is going much slower than committee members first envisioned.
They had hoped to have the study done last year, concentrating on basketball, softball, soccer and baseball facilities for children, but the state insisted the city take a more deliberate, detailed approach, and that has slowed the process.
The state also insisted that the makeup of the committee be expanded to reflect a wider representation of the community, and the city followed that directive, further delaying the study.