Ross resident spars with township over future of Short Line Hollow park

Residents are pushing Ross commissioners to reopen the Short Line Hollow Nature Area amid concerns about Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection regulations.

The park, which consists of miles of hiking trails in a steep valley, was created in 2017 after years of work from volunteers and then-Commissioner Jeremy Shaffer. Short Line Hollow was closed in 2019, however, after thousands of tons of dirt from a landslide on Reis Run Road were deposited at its entrance.

Since then, the township and park-goers have worked with the DEP to determine Short Line Hollow’s future.

Up until recently, Matt Kruth of Ross, a local park advocate and part of the informal Friends of Short Line Hollow group, said he felt he and the township were working toward the common goal of reopening the park this spring.

But Kruth said he believes some Ross commissioners are no longer “working in good faith.”

That conflict became evident at the Feb. 3 commissioners meeting when Kruth implored officials to meet with the DEP to work out a concrete reopening plan. When Kruth accused Commissioners President Dan DeMarco of not wanting to see the park open, DeMarco shouted that the claim was a lie.

Though he acknowledged that certain DEP requirements cause lengthy but necessary waiting periods, Kruth said he now believes Ross Public Works and some commissioners are using “stall tactics” to cause “unnecessary delays.” For what reason, he said he is unsure.

That is because the DEP authorized Ross’ “trail relocation plan and trail development work” to begin all the way back in September, according to Lauren Camarda, regional communications manager for the DEP.

At the Feb. 3 meeting, the township’s public works director, Michael Funk, said he was “looking for guidance” from commissioners after the DEP requested information about parking spaces at the site, saying he “didn’t want to do anything” at Short Line Hollow in the near future. It was later clarified that the DEP was merely inquiring about parking and not demanding any action be taken.

For his part, DeMarco said he was “frustrated” — both with the DEP and Kruth’s request.

It would be “highly irregular,” he said, for a large amount of commissioners to meet with the DEP. It is the job of township engineers and public works, he said, to work with the DEP, saying commissioners lack the expertise.

The commissioner also said that “third parties” like Kruth and other park advocates “muddy the water” of communication between Ross and the DEP.

“If we are going to solve this problem, there needs to be one line of communication on this thing,” DeMarco said.

Kruth said, however, that he was invited to several meetings with the DEP as a community representative, and after years of waiting, he said he doesn’t plan on going anywhere.

Though the DEP gave Ross clearance to reopen the park and begin working on the overgrown trails, Camarda said the DEP is still reviewing the town’s stream restoration plan to remove an unauthorized culvert in the park. DeMarco also said the township no longer has permission to dump in the area.

A “big hurdle” to any trail restoration, DeMarco said, is their deteriorated state after years of neglect. The commissioner said the park currently contains garbage and broken glass that needs to be cleared to make the trails safe. It would be impossible to rework the trails without heavy machinery, which the DEP may again need to examine, he said.

While there are some fallen trees and broken glass, Kruth, who said he walked the closed trails in October, said the work could be handled by a crew of volunteers. The original trails created in 2016 and 2017, in fact, were carved by volunteers.

“We have a group of people chomping at the bit to (restore the trails) as soon as the winter is over,” Kruth said.

He said his goals are simple: allow volunteers to begin trail restoration and reopen the park for public use.

Though DeMarco said he thinks “it would be great to put something down there,” the commissioner said he would not “continue to support” the park if more township time and money is spent because of “third parties.”

“It can be done, and I’ll support it if everybody just cools off and lets the township and the DEP resolve what needs to be resolved,” DeMarco said.

But if the park remains closed without a concrete reopening plan, Kruth said he is considering litigation.

Since the park is a public space, he said he believes keeping it closed is in violation of the Pennsylvania Donated or Dedicated Property Act.

“We don’t want to, but I can’t imagine waiting that much longer to get this park open that we wouldn’t (litigate),” he said.

The commissioners’ next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Feb. 18.