Bensalem High School Gym Opening to Public Sept. 28

After a year-and-a-half of making arrangements to make good on an agreement made with the township, the Bensalem Township School District has targeted Sept. 28 as the date when the general public can begin using the high school gymnasium as a community center.

School Board President Ralph Douglass made the announcement during an informal meeting with community members that gathered Monday night to get the lowdown on how the arrangement will work between the school and township.

"We're here tonight to get a better understanding of the interest for using this facility and get an idea of what kind of activities would be hosted here," said Douglass.

Some logistical issues remain up in the air, but Douglass did provide some basic guidelines for the gymnasium's usage. Bensalem residents will be able to use the practice courts, basically two basketball courts that can also be converted into indoor volleyball, and the running track that surrounds the indoor perimeter. The spectator section of the facility will be off-limits.

The plan is to charge residents an annual $25 registration fee, but that plan needs state approval because the facility cannot generate a profit, Douglass said. Checks will be made out to the Bensalem Township School District, and proceeds will go back to maintaining the gymnasium. Once approved, Douglass would like to hold a registration night prior to the Sept. 28 opening to expedite the process.

The public can access the facility between 6 and 9 p.m. on weekdays and between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturdays. It will be closed to all visitors on Sundays. The facility will not be available during snow and emergency closings or holidays. They will also not be accessible during strikes by security or custodial personnel.

The current plan is to have the usage work as an open gym, first come first serve model. Depending on the interest and demands from the public, the district may work out a method for organized groups to block out time for their activities.

Judging by the low turnout for Monday night's meeting, there may not be too many scheduling conflicts. However, one well-represented group could have Tuesdays already wrapped up.

Members of the informal Bensalem Volleyball & Wallyball club showed strong interest in using the gymnasium for the rest of the fall. The group spent the summer playing each week at Bensalem Park on Richlieu Road between 7 and 10 p.m., but the shorter days are putting an end to that.

"This is an excellent opportunity for us to continue playing," said Mark Holomamy. "We get a lot of great exercise, plus we meet so many wonderful people who joined the group."

With anywhere between 25 and 30 players showing up to play impromptu volleyball games each week, the group usually sets up two nets. However, the gymnasium plan is to have one court used for volleyball, the other for basketball.

The district will have to determine if the group can just reserve the courts for Tuesdays, keep them as open game and let the users work it out or find another compromise.

Another issue is allowing access to non-residents. Douglass said the district could either charge a guest fee per usage, or allow outside residents to pay a larger registration fee.

The school district began construction of the facility in 2010. Original plans called for a $10 million budget, but the developing project increased the price tag to $14 million. The district approached the township government to work out an agreement where Bensalem contributed $4 million in taxpayer money and a state grant in return for allowing limited use to the community center for residents.

The high school opened the gymnasium a year-and-a-half ago, but the district did not want to grant access to the general public until reimbursements for water damage caused by faulty HVAC systems had been resolved, Douglass said.