KENNEDY TOWNSHIP, Pa. \u2014 UPDATE 11:45 p.m.: The board voted to reject the letters of intent and bids.<\/p>\n
More than 1,000 people signed a petition to stop the proposed sale of nearly 20 acres of land near Fairhaven Park in Kennedy Township. The Board of Commissioners recently accepted four bids from developers.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Kennedy Township manager Greg Clarke told Channel 11 the decision to accept bids from developers for plans to build nearly three dozen homes is part of a master plan and commitment to renovate Fairhaven Park, but the final decision on whether or not that plan comes to fruition is up to commissioners.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s wonderful now because there are amenities, but we recognize that it\u2019s served itself in its life. Now it\u2019s time to completely redo it, and we\u2019re taking responsible measures to do it right,\u201d Clarke said.<\/p>\n
Clarke said the property was appraised at $750,000 and believes it could potentially bring in $40,000-$50,000 in revenue a year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a process, and the only way to start the process was to do this request for proposal,\u201d Clarke said.<\/p>\n
But members of \u201cFriends of Fairhaven Park,\u201d a community group started to stop a potential sale, want to preserve the green space, raising nearly $5,000 through a GoFundMe account. Channel 11 spoke with community members, who agree with that mission.<\/p>\n
\u201ci just wish they would leave it alone and go do it somewhere else,\u201d said Rich Poliziani,who walks his dog, Rusty, in the park every day. \u201cThey\u2019re going to get what they want because, you know, money talks. But we\u2019re all hoping the petitions work and they change their mind and keep the park as it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know the passion. I respect the passion,\u201d Clarke said. \u201cBut there\u2019s no winners or losers. It\u2019s the ability to put the best opportunity for the residents and those who will never even use the park to maybe even have financial opportunities for the school district, the township, and the county.<\/p>\n
The original deed from 1951 states the property is to be used for township park purposes and that any future sale would have to be approved by Allegheny County and school district officials. Clarke says the property *would be used for park purposes to help with renovations, upkeep and maintenance, but community members said they\u2019ll believe it when they see it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are wonderful things that are talked about, but yet we still don\u2019t we don\u2019t see any movement,\u201d said Charlene Cheroke, Kennedy Twp. Parks and Recreation board member.<\/p>\n
Clarke said commissioners planned to discuss the bids in an executive session before Thursday\u2019s Board of Commissioners meeting at 6 p.m.<\/p>\n
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