There’s been a lot of talk over the years, albeit off and
on, about an absence of recreational activities and facilities in the greater
Chadds Ford area. More specifically, people have mentioned the lack of
facilities for kids such as ball fields and playground equipment. People
have also expressed dismay over a perceived dearth of hiking, biking and
equestrian trails.
Some of these issues are being addressed–perhaps too slowly
for some–but they are being addressed nonetheless.
The Chadds Ford Open Space Committee has been working on a
trail concept that would link Turner’s Mill, the township building, with
Brandywine River Museum. Such a trail would effectively extend an existing
trail between the Chadds Ford Historical Society and the museum. Perhaps that trail
will exist at sometime in the future but, since state money would be involved
and since there’s a waiting line for that money, and the state budget still has not been passed, one can only wonder how many adults in the township will
still be ambulatory when that trail comes
into existence.
And let’s not forget the open space acquisition from the
Toll Bros. development, an acquisition that would bring more acres of open
space to the township as negotiated by the Board of Supervisors several years
ago. But the land won’t be dedicated to the township until the development is
built out, so who knows when that would happen.
However, there is a trail in Birmingham Township at Sandy
Hollow and a second trail will officially open soon. There are also two
parks in the area, the Brandywine Battlefield Park and the Pennsbury Township
park where people can walk to their hearts’ content. True, there are no formal
ball fields in either of those locations, but the park in Pennsbury is being
used for soccer anyway.
What is absent from those sites is playground equipment.
But, as we were reminded at the Pennsbury Picnic last weekend, people take
their kids to Chadds Ford and Hillendale Elementary schools for that use.
What would be nice, but unlikely, would be the ability to
walk to these already existing facilities. They are too far away from most
residential areas and, even if closer, would still involve walking along or
crossing Route 1, something we don’t recommend.
So, know that there are facilities for people to use. The
only way to demonstrate a need for more would be for the current facilities to
be overused, and that is not the case.
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