N. Lebanon Twp. officials work with volunteers on park disc golf course improvements

Volunteers reached out to North Lebanon Township supervisors Monday night for help with improvements to a disc golf course at Lenni Lenape Park.

Dave Dunkle told supervisors that after several years of use, the disc golf course at Lenni Lenape Park is showing some wear. Dunkle, a local disc golf pioneer, along with Charlie Greco, have designed and built a dozen disc golf courses, including South Hills and Coleman Memorial Park.

Dunkle and Ben Appel asked supervisors to make improvements to the disc golf course, including pay for new equipment, signs and material from donations received from 150 low-cost sponsor opportunities.

Sponsors' names would be placed on signs at each hole as well as on a structure on the course.

Disc golf, or frisbee golf, as some people call it, has only been around in its modern form for a handful of decades. It was invented shortly after the Wham-O toy company began selling the Frisbee. The sport, much like traditional golf, involves players going through courses of 9 or 18 holes trying to throw a disc into a hoop in as few turns as possible.

Disc golf continues to be an increasingly popular sport in Lebanon County, Appel said. An amateur disc golf tournament was held at South Hills Park this past weekend, sanctioned by the Professional Disc Golf Association.

An average of 50 to 60 members of the Lebanon County Disc Golf League play on county courses on Wednesday evenings, according to Appel. An estimated 500 rounds have been played at Lanni Lenape this past year.

"I was doubtful that disc golf would ever take off when I first learned about this activity," said Supervisor Ed Brensinger, "but I will admit I was wrong about that."

Supervisors agreed to provide township equipment and an operator to use to haul mulch and other materials as needed. Township officials also thanked Appel and Dunkle for their willingness to make the improvements to the park.

Township improvements

Supervisors also approved a preliminary subdivision plan for a new 120-lot residential development being planned for the township. The development, called Estates at Hearthside, would be located north of Jay Street at Horizon Boulevard.

Ethan Gehenio, representing Steckbeck Engineering, reviewed eight waivers from the township zoning ordinance requested for the development plan. All waivers were approved by supervisors, including one that will allow developer Mt. Pleasant Ventures to place sidewalks on only one side of the streets.

Public works director Jared Balsbaugh reported that the lot on the northeast corner of Route North Seventh Street (Route 343) and Kimmerlings Road, where a house was recently demolished, has been cleared. Officials plan to have topsoil and grass seed placed there.

Supervisors decided to purchase and remove the house when it became available to help make the hazardous intersection safer.  Coincidentally, the clearance of the corner and the much-improved sight distance was well-timed since Route 343 became a detour route for heavy traffic when PennDOT closed State Route 72 on April 22 for a 7-month bridge repair on that road.

A safety audit on Route 343 is being done from the border line of the city and North Lebanon Township to enable PennDOT to decide what improvements need to be made to the state route, Brensinger said.

Other business

• Supervisors authorized township manager Lori Books to contract Steve Sherk, of Steckbeck Engineering, to design a plan to repair a large sinkhole in the northbound lane of Narrows Drive. Brensinger said the project is complicated by various fuel and utility lines in the vicinity of the sinkhole, including an 18-inch gas line. "I think this sinkhole will make a fool of us, just as the one along Route 422 in Palmyra did years ago," he said.
• Township solicitor Amy Leonard was asked to draft an ordinance that will require owners of private fire hydrants to be tested.  The City of Lebanon Authority tests all the public hydrants in the township by flushing them once a year, but there are 49 private hydrants that might not be tested by the owners of the properties where they are located, such as Wal-Mart and at least one mobile home park.
• Supervisor Gary Heisey recently met with the township fire chiefs, who expressed their concern about the detriment it would present to firefighters if a privately owned hydrant failed when they attempt to use it.
• Also at the meeting, supervisors approved the Lebanon city officials use of the North Lebanon Township fire police for special events, awarded a $30,670 contract to Meyer Oil to supply diesel fuel, and gave approval to the "Girls on the Run" youth organization to use a pavilion at Lenni Lenape Park for a 5K run event on April 24.

Lebanon Daily News Reporter Matthew Toth contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: N. Lebanon Twp. officials work with volunteers on park disc golf course improvements