When Marshall bought part of the former Altmyer farm in 2014, keeping the old barn on the site and using the land for a township park were among the conditions of the sale.
The barn not only will remain standing on the 8.2-acre site, it could become the centerpiece of a new recreation area.
Township officials want residents to chime in on how best to utilize the repurposed barn.
“We've had a number of public outreach meetings and surveys during the past two years,” said Heather Jerry, the township's director of parks and recreation. “But before we ask the Board of Supervisors to allocate funds to renovate the barn, we wanted to give the public another opportunity to discuss how we want to use that money.”
A meeting to discuss the project is scheduled for 7 p.m. Sept. 13 at the municipal building.
Plans developed by EPM Architecture of Bradford Woods call for turning the barn into a “four seasons” or year-round facility that includes heating, air conditioning, a kitchen, restrooms and a 24-foot addition leading to an outdoor patio.
Jerry said some ideas for how to use the barn include before- and after-school programs, summer camps, holiday events, dances, cooking classes for children and adults, parties and other activities.
“Residents may have some other ideas that we haven't thought of,” she said. “So we're hoping they will share them with us as we move forward with this project.”
Although the barn would be renovated extensively, attention would be paid to maintaining its “integrity and feel.”
“This barn is such a landmark in our town, so we want to make sure that doesn't change,” Jerry said. “We plan to put a metal roof on it, but want to keep the interior wood beams, posts and floor.”
The farm dates to 1893, when Peter Altmyer bought 70 acres from Frank Cole for $4,350, according to a historical account of the township's development. It is located on the north side of Route 910, or Wexford-Bayne Road, where it intersects with Cole Road.
The new park would have a playground for older children and a tot lot, a lawn area, trails, an open meadow and a stormwater management system consisting of boulders, native plants and dry-bottom river rock.
A wooden observation deck and parking at the site also are planned.
The township bought the property for $300,000 after a comprehensive recreation plan determined that the southern portion of the municipality is underserved.
Revenue from residential and commercial development that has occurred in Marshall over the past several years means the township will not have to increase taxes or borrow to pay for the estimated $2.5 million project.
If township supervisors approve the work, it will take an estimated two to three years to complete.
Tentative plans call for work to be done this year to improve the entranceway to the park and plant buffer trees along Route 910. Restoration and expansion of the barn and construction of the playgrounds likely would be done in 2017 and early 2018, with completion slated for later that year.
Marshall has two other parks — including one with a barn.
Warrendale Park is an 8-acre area off Mt. Pleasant Road that has a baseball field, lighted basketball court, a pavilion with fireplace, horseshoe pits, a tot lot and lighted public tennis courts.
Knob Hill Park is a 157-acre area on Knob Road with pavilions, the Elias Fry Barn, baseball fields, a sand volleyball court, horseshoe pits, a nature trail, a playground and an 18-hole disc golf course. The barn at Knob Hill is not heated.
Tony LaRussa is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-772-6368 or tlarussa@tribweb.com.
