Township Looks To Spruce Up Spring Valley Farm

Middletown is looking to spruce up the Spring Valley Farm property.

The Board of Supervisors last week agreed to seek bids to take down a long-buried fence, clear dead trees and underbrush, and help keep an old tree healthy.

Middletown received a Bucks County Municipal Open Space grant for $142,500 and the township will have to put up $47,500 to complete an estimated $190,000 worth of work at the 10.7 acre public space that lies in Middletown but on the border of Penndel Borough abutting the Penndel Memorial Baseball Fields, Middletown Parks and Recreation Department Director Paul Kopera said.

The idea is to remove a wire and mesh fence that is overgrown and covered with invasive plants and other growth. The fence separates the passive park property that features an old farm house.

Kopera said the work to remove about 15 to 20 “sizable” dead trees will not only make the area look better and also add a layer of protection to the players on the nearby baseball field.

“This is going to be a messy job,” he said.

Some work to keep a 300-year-old sycamore tree near the farm house healthy for a long time to come will also be completed.

“I don’t want to be the park and rec director that kills George Washington’s tree, so we’re going to take a couple extra steps to take care of this and give it another 300 years of life,” Kopera said.

Kopera said he has been in touch with Penndel Borough and Penndel Wildcats officials about the planned work.

A master plan for the Spring Valley Farm property was completed in 2016. It including improving access, adding a small parking area, creating a loop trail system, and keeping the majority of the property open space. The long-term plan for the site is expected to be completed in phases.