Franklin Township has taken the next steps for the Christman Ball Field project.

Supervisors on Tuesday passed a pair of resolutions on behalf of the Franklin Township Athletic Association.

The first was a Local Share Account Statewide Grant in the amount of $307,199 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the Christman Field Renovation Plan, Phase 5, Project A – ADA restroom for baseball complex.

The second was a Local Share Account Statewide Grant in the amount of $391,271 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the Christman Field Renovation Plan, Phase 5, Project B – ADA restroom/concession stand for the playground complex.

Supervisor Fred Kemmerer Jr. noted this was just a continuation of what retired Maj. Gen. Marvin Jay Barry’s initial grant and initial vision of the improvements for the Franklin Township Christman Field.

Board Chairman Nick Storm said currently the older field (boys field) and softball field is down at the bottom, there’s also a T-ball field and a coach Little League field down there.

Storm said that Barry had planned for moving the Little League field close to the road by the entrance, with a playground, food concession stand and bathrooms in that area so that it’s not so much traveling back and forth.

Kermit Heiland, of the Franklin Township Lions Club, questioned the restrooms at Christman Field but not at Phifer’s Ice Dam.

Storm explained, “This grant process was drawn up and proposed by a citizen, Mr. Barry, and this is all in the specs of his grant that he drew up and proposed for the Christman field for the Little League.”

He added, “This is not something that is just coming out of left field, that is being played favoritism, this was proposed by a citizen who offered to donate a substantial amount of money to this process.”

Fred Kemmerer Jr. added this is in multiple phases, with this being Phase 5 of the project.

“If anybody else wants to go out and get grants and create a vision, we’re all for it,” Fred Kemmerer Jr. said.

Supervisor Leroy Kemmerer Jr. was absent.

The board’s actions came after supervisors on a 2-0 vote last month approved a pair of resolutions on behalf of the Franklin Township Athletic Association.

The first was a Local Share Account Monroe County Grant request in the amount of $124,941 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to be used for the Christman Field Renovation Plan, Phase 2, Project A – Accessible Playground.

The second was a Local Share Account Monroe County Grant request in the amount of $190,651 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority, to be used for the Christman Field Renovation Plan, Phase 2, Project B – ADA T-ball Field.

The second phase will include a T-ball field in the northeast corner of the field, a playground area and a new parking area.

At a special meeting last November, supervisors granted contracts for the following:

• Bid 1 was for reconstruction and overlay of existing driveway and construction of gravel parking area, and was awarded to Shiffert Bituminous Service Co., at a total cost of $108,933.

• Bid 2 was for construction of additions to existing concession stand, and was awarded to Dutchman Contracting LLC at a total cost of $122,514.

• Bid 3 was for construction of a new paved parking lot and was awarded to Shiffert Bituminous Service Co., at a total cost of $15,982.

That came after six companies submitted bids that were opened at a special board of supervisors meeting in September 2025.

However, no action was taken by the board at that time, as the bids were being reviewed by supervisors and the township engineer.

In May 2025, it was announced that the township had received $25,000 through the Local Share Account Monroe Continuous County Project Recommendations for improvements at Christman Ball Field.

The funds will be used to construct a parking lot at Christman Memorial Field, providing access to the new T-ball field and playground at the site.

Plans call for a septic system design to enable the construction of two Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant bathrooms at the northeast corner and the southern corner.

The project received a grant from the department through the Greenways, Trails and Recreation fund.

The grant is for $122,000, and there was an additional matching amount of $37,000, which brings the total received to just under $250,000 to upgrade the recreation complex.