A master site development plan shaping the future of McCandless’ parks and recreation programs for the next decade was approved by council members on Dec. 15.
Pashek MTR, a Pittsburgh-based Landscape Planning Firm, was hired by the town’s council in August 2024 to lead the development of master site plans for five community parks in McCandless. The firm was tasked with analyzing existing and future connections, programs and green space initiatives, as noted in the document.
The plan will have implementable recommendations largely based on community input, said Heather Cuyler of Pashek MTR, who presented an update Oct. 27.
“We’re aiming for, not pie in the sky, (but) what can really come to fruition. Identifying the opportunities and restraints are important and sometimes complicated initiatives. Transparency through public engagement and devoted feasibility to identify realistic opportunities,” she said.
Community input was a major driver in the plan’s development, including forming a steering committee, holding focus groups, open houses, key-person interviews and other community-input opportunities. A questionnaire and online survey on parks was conducted in the spring for residents, which had more than 800 responses, according to Cuyler.
Getting feedback from residents and stakeholders was a major component of the study, said Abby Lucostic, parks and recreation director for McCandless.
“With the parks plan nearing its completion after a yearlong process, we’ve been able to hear from many residents about what they need and want from our town parks and green spaces. The final plan will give us implementable objectives to improve upon the recreational opportunities we provide to better meet the needs of our community,” Lucostic said.
The plan details pros and cons of five parks.
These include the 23-acre Devlin Park along Grubbs Road, 77-acre Wall Park along Sloop Road, 14-acre Vestal Park off Pine Creek Road and Route 19, 11-acre Potter Park with adjacent property off Harmony Road and 18-acre Vincentian Park along Peebles Road. Vincentian Park is in a 100-year, long-term lease agreement between the town, the McCandless Athletic Association and the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, the property’s owner.
The plan also identified potential playground areas for families, including developing 2-acre Pontiac Park, a former public works storage site, near Route 19.
Key recommendations include improving facilities, preservation of green space, existing trails, parking and circulation, and accessibility.
More trail connections to neighborhoods and other parks and preservation of passive recreation areas were important to residents, the latter a significant attribute for Potter Park.
Connectivity and walkability also are important to residents, with three development strategies along Pine Creek, in the Babcock Boulevard Kummer Road area, and in the Harmony Trail corridor between Wall Park to the south and the Pine Township line to the north.
Improving parking at Wall Park, which also is the trailhead to Brandt Trail, could be a possible connection to Orchard Park located in Franklin Park.
Ideas for Potter Park, which has a 1-acre pond and two walking trails but no facilities or paved surfaces, include a boardwalk trail, benches and improved parking. Overall, residents have expressed interest in keeping that area undeveloped and passive.
Cost estimates, sustainable maintenance practices and suggestions for finding resources to finance and support the parks are included in the plan. Having the plan will be advantageous when applying for funding or grants for the parks, Cuyler said.
Current and future demographics could shape decisions. McCandless has about 29,700 residents, with a median age of 40, and nearly 25% are younger than 19. There are more than 12,000 households, according to the plan.
There was a 2.4% population increase from 2010 to 2020 but a 1.5% decrease in the past five years, reflecting a presumed reduction in population which economists see as a trend throughout Allegheny County, the plan noted.
The population of those older than 64 increased, as did the population of those younger than 19, the latter indicating a rise in younger families moving into the area.
Town Manager John Schwend acknowledged the time that residents, organizations and volunteers put into the study process.
“A study like this is only as good as the input that is given from those who chose to participate in it. I think we received an exceptional amount of public comment and am excited to work on improving recreational opportunities in the town in the future,” Schwend said.
The Parks Master Site Plan to Pashek MTR was approved during the Aug. 26 council meeting in an amount not to exceed $116,390, according to online council minutes.
The town also received a state grant last year of nearly $100,000 to use toward the study, Schwend said.
A copy of the plan is available on the town’s website at townofmccandless.org.