Memorandum

To: Berks County Commissioners

From: Berks County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
CC: Cathy Wegener, Director
Date: March 29, 2019
Re: The Beidler House / Allegheny Aqueduct Property

The Berks County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board would like to make the following
recommendation to the Commissioners regarding the above referenced property.
It has become clear to the Advisory Board that, simply stated, the property purchased along
Route 724 in Gibraltar is underutilized by residents of Berks County. The board has discussed
various options regarding the future use and/or disposition of this property, but has not been able
to reach a consensus as to whether or not the property should remain a part of the Berks County
Parks System or should be sold. The board members do agree to the following statements:
1) The Parks Department is currently spending money on the maintenance of this property
that would be better spent on other Parks Department properties or activities. That fact is
unlikely to change in the future. The estimated expense to the department for
maintenance, utilities and insurance is between $30,000 and $35,000 per year with
additional expenses for larger projects expected in the coming years.

2) If this property were available now, we would likely not recommend that we take
ownership of the property due to the lack of utilization and the maintenance expenses.

3) However, since we are the owner of the property, the mission of the parks department is
such that we feel we have responsibility to protect the historic resources within the
property.
With that being said, the board would like to pass along the following suggestions to the
commissioners for their consideration.
First—if another public organization were willing to take over the ownership and maintenance of
the property, the Parks Board would be supportive of turning the property over to that
organization. It may be necessary for the problems with the Aqueduct to be ameliorated before
such a transfer, and the board would support making those repairs before a transfer if necessary.
A thorough and energetic attempt to identify a public or otherwise responsible owner for the
property may result in a disposition of the property beneficial to the residents of the County and
the local area.
Second—the historical value of the Aqueduct is significantly higher than the historical or
recreational value of the Beidler House. The board is concerned that the majority of the future
repair costs for the property will be required by the Beidler House, and as such the board
considers the transfer of the Beidler House to another public entity, should one be found, to be a
higher priority than the remainder of the property.