By Betsy Brewer Brantner
Contributing Writer

The Oxford Area Recreation Authority Park is located at 900 W. Locust Street in Oxford. The park already holds numerous events including holiday events, their recent Haunted Park and Hayride and the Harvest Festival hosted by the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Oxford Area Recreation Authority (OARA) is a Pennsylvania municipal authority incorporated in 2003 to provide shared recreation facilities for a population of over 30,000 residents of East Nottingham Township, Elk Township, Lower Oxford Township, Oxford Borough, and West Nottingham Township. 

OARA recently held a public meeting to highlight aspects of the master plan for the park. While it was disappointing to see that the meeting was not well-attended by the public, that did nothing to curb the enthusiasm for the park’s future because the plans are truly amazing.

Chuck Strodosky, the landscape architect at YSM, unveiled the Master Plan for the OARA Park at the regular meeting. It has at times been an uphill climb for the park, but that has never slowed the dedicated volunteers who have constantly moved forward with their work. They have raised money by providing entertainment, picturesque hiking trails, baseball fields, picnic areas, playgrounds and a dog park for residents in the area to enjoy. The variety of entertainment has always pulled in a diverse group of attendees from the surrounding area, and the Master Plan is going to move that attendance forward tremendously. 

There are three parcels of over 20 acres each. Parcel one contains the dog park, athletic fields and picnic areas. An amphitheater is proposed for this parcel in the near future with handicapped-accessible viewing proposed for the amphitheater area, too. There will also be 47 more parking spaces and a restroom proposed for this area.

Parcel two currently has 116 parking spaces, but will also get 10 more at the bottom of the hill. Pickle Ball enthusiasts will be happy to know that Pickle Ball courts are planned for this area. Already located there are athletic fields for adults and children. Also exciting for those persons who are physical challenged will be an inclusive fitness area. Handicapped-accessible parking will be located there and the area will be completely accessible to wheelchairs and electric scooters.

Another small picnic area and setups for horseshoes and corn hole games will also be located there along with trails and a crosswalk.

Skateboarders and golf enthusiasts will be excited to see the plans for parcel three which not only includes space for those activities, but also 112 parking spaces and a multipurpose building with an office and restrooms.

In addition to dedicated volunteers, the OARA needs continued donations and funding for the plan to move forward. This park will ultimately serve the needs and wants of the municipalities that help support it.

It also solves an age-old problem that has long-plagued all municipalities—by providing a place for activities such as skateboarding for the youth in the area. The park will continue to provide activities for all ages with playgrounds, dog parks, hiking trails, sports fields, picnic areas and an amphitheater.

These plans will ignite even more opportunities for the Oxford Area to bring people into a town that is coming back better than ever from a devastating fire. The park is the icing on the cake and has the potential to bring in pickle ball and softball tournaments and skateboarding competitions, while also hosting concerts and other community activities. The park will also serve an ever-increasing and diverse population.

If you would like to be a volunteer or donate to move this plan forward, you can reach OARA by mail at P.O. Box 254, Oxford, PA 19363, or view them on Facebook at Facebook.com/RecAuthority or on their website at Oxford Area Recreation Authority.