Ownership of Stoney Ridge Park and Recreation Center came up during the public comment portion of the Lower Towamensing Township supervisors’ meeting on Tuesday night.

Resident Terry Kuehner, who is also running for a seat on the supervisor’s board, said he wants to sell the facility.

He told the current supervisors that he wants an accounting of the expenditures involving Stoney Ridge.

“I am asking the board tonight, I want a complete printout of the last three years of expenditures of what that’s costing the taxpayers to pursue what we have as a property of the township. How it began and where it ends. I need to know what this is costing these taxpayers to keep that facility open,” Kuehner said. “We’re not in the real estate business. If I make supervisor that property will be sold.”

The building, which is now used as a recreation center at Stoney Ridge, and its 27-acres were sold to the township in 2001 by the Knights of Columbus.

“We’re not selling our park,” Green said in an interview.

At the meeting, resident Steven Kuhns disagreed with Kuehner’s idea to sell the park.

“You want to know all this accounting for the park, but that’s a park for kids. To me as a taxpayer, I would rather pay to keep that open, because my kids enjoy that park,” Kuhns said.

“Our Cub Scouts, we use that park for our ceremonies, for the crossing over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. If you close that, where are we going? Where do you want these kids to go? That generates its own money by renting out.”

The township rents out the recreation center to residents and nonresidents for parties, wedding receptions and other functions. Residents pay $200 to rent the recreation center, and nonresidents pay $300. To rent the pavilion and concession stand, residents pay $100 and nonresidents pay $125.

“It’s rented almost every weekend,” Green said.

If the township did sell it, then they would have to pay back about $750,000 in grants that were used to renovate the building and the park over the years, Green said. The township received a grant of about $75,000 to redo the basketball courts, $50,000 for the playground, and another $80,000 grant to renovate the social hall.

Green said the money made from the rental fees covers the costs related to the recreation center.

“It brings in more money than we spend on a monthly basis,” he said.

Green said the township does need to upgrade the park septic system to a larger one, now that it is being used frequently.

“The park doesn’t make money. It’s not meant to be a moneymaker for us. It’s a service to our residents,” he said. “It’s a beautiful facility.