As a taxpayer in Upper Dublin Township, I sign this petition to urge the Upper Dublin School District and the Upper Dublin Township to keep the Field of Dreams and look to relocate the bus garage to an existing impervious area of land away from neighborhoods.

The Field of Dreams is listed as an UD township park that houses athletic fields and picnic tables.  It is part of the 2005 Open Space and Environmental Resource Protection Plan organized by the Upper Dublin Township Commissioners.  The Field of Dreams was built partially from fundraising efforts from hundreds of local families.  It houses soccer fields with lighting, baseball fields and bathroom facilities as well as batting cages and picnic areas.  The Upper Dublin Soccer Club and The Upper Dublin Junior Athletic Association use these fields throughout the year for practices, games and the Jack Walsh Memorial Soccer Tournament.  

The Open Space located off of Loch Alsh Ave is acres of impervious land, collecting rain water to reduce flooding on our community. The FWES field adjacent to the FOD is consistently wet and muddy throughout the school year.  Staff and students from FWES utilize these fields since the fields located on the lower playground are often hazardous.  In discussion at board meetings, the UDSD board indicated that "landfill materials" are located on this area. 

I understand that you are looking to remove the Field of Dreams and proposing to  build a Bus Garage Facility to house UDSD buses. These buses would potentially utilize the entrance off of Highland Ave right behind Fort Washington Elementary School.  Dozens of gas guzzling buses will be driving in and out of this entrance not only through morning and afternoon hours, but throughout the day for field trips and sports trips.   Many parents who walk and drive to Fort Washington Elementary School to pick up their children already have to battle heavy traffic at the intersection of Highland Ave. and Fort Washington Ave.   This will raise safety concerns for the hundreds walkers, bikers and commuters in that area.

I understand that UDSD currently rents space off of Pennsylvania Ave to hold the UDSD buses.  If Upper Dublin is working towards a more walk-able township, we ask you to consider moving the bus depot to an already impervious plot of land, potentially in the office park, away from neighborhoods and an elementary school with a large amount of walkers and car line students.  

Please keep the Field of Dreams, as it is a treasured open space in our township for our community, our students and our environment. 

Thank you.