Lehigh County Seeks Funds For Walking Purchase Park

Illegal dumpers and other scofflaws might have more difficulty doing their dirty work at if the county is successful in getting a state grant to put automatic gates at three entrances.

Lehigh County is applying to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for a $25,000 grant for three automatic gates in the 530-acre park owned by Salisbury Township, Allentown and the county.

Two of the gates would be at either end of Pump House Road in the township and the third at another location, according to Glenn Solt, county director of operations. They would be on automatic timers to open in the morning for park-goers and close at night.

The park has had problems with people dumping trash, including construction waste, along the road and the Lehigh River. The county, city and township worked with local outdoors groups on a cleanup last fall.  

County Commissioner Glenn Eckhart, a former Salisbury commissioner, said such gates would be some protection against dumping at the park, which has many remote areas. 

“The hope is that these gates would help secure the park more effectively against dumping,” he said. “Secondly, the gates would hopefully again be a deterrent against people coming in with pickup trucks, unloading their four-wheel vehicles, three-wheelers and motorcycles and driving all over the property.”

Eckhart said as township commissioner he was on a drive-along with Salisbury police and witnessed a drug bust in the park. The gates could deter that activity as well, he said.