Furness Park Project

Furness                                               Capture

This 17-acre park, located behind the Wallingford Train Station at the intersection of Turner Road and Possum Hollow Road, was formerly known as the Duer Tract.  The land belonged to Dr. Horace H. Furness and his family.  It was acquired by the township in 1996 through a state grant to preserve it as open space. Recently the township applied for a grant from PECO Energy to fund development of a comprehensive plan to guide the park’s use in the years ahead.  Walking trails and other passive recreational activities are envisioned for the site.

The Township has applied for funding through the PA Department of Community and Economic Development to establish paths, develop trails, and construct bridges over three stream crossings. The project would have two phases. The first phase would create a central loop through the park, and this is the phase for which the Township is applying for funding. The second phase would provide a trail along Turner Road, which would ultimately serve to connect the northern and southern parts of the community and provide access to the Media-Elwyn Regional Rail train line, which travels through the neighboring communities and into Center City Philadelphia.

The total cost of the project is estimated, by the Township Engineer, to be $388,300, with phase 1 costing $249,950, and phase 2 costing $138,350. The proposed project will include a trail made of stone subbase. The creation of the trail will involve grading of the earth, three stream crossings, materials for the trail, and picnic areas. The stream crossings are an expensive but necessary part of the trail, costing $63,000 for phase 1.

Furness Park is a Township owned property which is centrally located, but currently is unusable and acts as a barrier between the northern and southern portions of the township and the train station. Furthermore, no similar open space for passive recreation currently exists within the Township, especially near the seven immediate neighborhoods. The intention is to preserve the park’s environment, but still provide a sanctuary through which people can walk, run, picnic, and enjoy and learn about nature.

Please click here for a sketch of the plans: Furness Sketch

Eagle Scout Project

As part of his capstone project to become an Eagle Scout, Jake McGough and several other scouts performed a great deal of work improving and beautifying one of the entrances to Furness Park. They spent several hours on Saturday, November 14, 2015 putting in some hard work. Additionally, Jake spent many hours leading up to the event in planning and designing the site.

Eagle Project 3

Eagle Project 2

TRAILS AND TRASH CLEAN-UP DAY

On October 31st, about 25-30 volunteers gathered to “reclaim” Furness Park. The project was organized by Ben Pickup, a member of Nether Providence’s Parks Commission. The cleanup was a major success, and some preliminary trails were created. Please see some of the pictures below:

Trails and Trash Trails and Trash Trails and TrashTrails and Trash

The public works garage will be open Saturday April 6th from 8-noon for residents to drop off yard waste. Limbs and branches must not be greater than 3-4" in diameter and no longer than 4'. They must be bundled together with twine. Residents can request pick up by calling 610-566-4516.
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