Whitemarsh Township invited residents to weigh in on the future of local parks, trails and green space at a public listening session Monday evening at the Miles Park Building.

The 6:30 p.m. session in the building's Main Room kicked off the community engagement phase of a new Comprehensive Recreation, Parks, Open Space, Greenways and Trails Plan. The effort will consolidate four separate township plans, covering parks and recreation (2007), open space (2006), greenways (2007) and the pedestrian and bicycle network (2009), into a single document meant to guide decisions for the next 20 to 25 years.

Thomas J. Blomstrom, director of parks and recreation, and Jon Walker, recreation superintendent, are leading the project for the township. The consulting team is Gilmore and Associates, Inc., whose staff includes landscape architects Adrienne Blank and Rebecca Giordon and senior project manager Judith Stern Goldstein.

$60,000 state grant funds the work

The plan is backed by a $60,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Community Conservation Partnerships Program. State Rep. Mary Jo Daley, D-Montgomery, announced the award on Tuesday, November 12, 2024, calling it "a significant win for Montgomery County, empowering us to enhance and protect our natural resources for all to enjoy."

Whitemarsh submitted its grant application in April 2024, according to the township's project page.

Why a new plan?

The existing plans are all at least 15 years old. None addresses ADA guidelines adopted in 2010, current township-owned properties such as Abolition Hall, or planned trail locations like the future Miracle-Nature Trail. The township says a unified plan is needed to coordinate work across the Parks and Recreation Board, the Environmental Advisory Board, the Open Space Committee and the Board of Supervisors.

Key stakeholder interviews are part of the process. Interviewees include John Ferro, conservation director for Wissahickon Trails; Joanne Crawford, chair of the Parks and Recreation Board; Jacy Toll, chair of the Board of Supervisors; and Donna Fabry, principal trails and open space planner for the Montgomery County Planning Commission.

How residents can still participate

Monday's listening session was one piece of a broader engagement effort. The township is also conducting an online community survey, available at surveymonkey.com/r/J56WLN5, and plans to hold focus group meetings. No date has been announced for the next public session; the township's project page notes the 2026 timeline is fluid and will be updated.

Residents can reach the Parks and Recreation Department at (610) 828-7276 or [email protected]. The administrative office is at Koontz Park, 2391 Harts Lane, Lafayette Hill.