Palmer Township closes Penn Pump Park to all but permit-holders because of vandalism

Palmer Township’s Penn Pump Park is closed to all but permit-holders on weekends for the rest of the summer after reports of vandalism and overcrowding, Palmer Township police said Saturday.The situation is similar to what township officials faced in 2015 when they enacted the same policy: On the weekend the park will only be open to those who have paid for permits.The policy was put in effect this weekend, and police said it will likely remain through August.“There has been damage, more or less nuisance stuff,” said police Officer Keith Border. The past two weekends saw so much garbage piled up in the park that township officials could “barely keep up with it,” he said. There are two permits available per day.A permit for the pavilion there costs $100 for residents and $175 for nonresidents. Up to 150 people are allowed at the pavilion. There is also a picnic permit for up to 50 people. The cost for residents is $50, while nonresidents pay $100, according to the township website. In 2015, Palmer Township closed the park to the public on weekends and required visitors to have a permit, after residents complained of garbage overflowing from trash cans, dirty diapers, beer bottles and plates with food littering the banks of the Bushkill Creek.Back then, township officials estimated up to 500 people were crowding the small park every weekend, many of them from out of state.The park only has about 40 paved parking spaces, which forced some visitors to park on nearby streets. There were also reports of charter buses dropping off visitors.There’s a maximum of 250 people allowed in the park at one time, according to the township website.Palmer Township has 14 parks, including Penn Pump Park, that encompass more than 400 acres. Penn Pump attracts the most attention, because it is next to Bushkill Creek, making it a good location to cool off in the summer months.Morning Call reporter Christina Tatu can be reached at 610-820-6583 or ctatu@mcall.com
Source: Morningcall