Spring City Explores Options for Wall Street Baseball Fields

Spring City's borough council spent some time at Monday's council meeting discussing the possibility of annexing the baseball fields on Wall Street, behind Spring City Elementary School, and what the process might be to accomplish that.

Because the fields are owned by Spring City Borough but located in East Vincent Township, the Spring-Ford Youth Athletic League has to go before both councils to request permission to make any improvements to the fields.

Recently, according to borough council president Louis DiGuiseppe, East Vincent Township denied requests for lights on the field and for a press box, despite approval from Spring City as the property owner.

Council asked solicitor Robert Romain to look at whether an annexation of the land was possible. 

Romain researched the legal procedures and advised council that in the past, the borough could have annexed the land without a long process.

However, current law states that land can be annexed, but it has to be done by referendum.

This means petitions must be signed in both municipalities—East Vincent and Spring City—to put the matter on the next election ballot. Five percent of the people who voted in the last gubernatorial election would have to sign the petition. 

DiGuiseppe suggested that council present the idea to SFYAL president Scott Smiley and see if he'd be willing to spearhead the petition effort.

"He's in the best position to get the petition signed. It's the parents of his teams that he needs," DiGuiseppe said.

While the matter did not require a vote, it was evident from the discussion that council felt that process should go forward with trying to get petitions signed.