Eastern Delaware County Recreation Board Advances Roadmap for May 2027 Bond Election
Site evaluation rules require 15 buildable acres outside floodplains as planners prepare a late November study for a 90,000-square-foot community center.
The Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District Board is scheduled to hold a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8, continuing preparations to place a regional community center bond measure before voters in the May 2027 primary election oct8_agenda bond_timeline. The district, composed of Sunbury, Galena, and Berkshire Township, is advancing a multi-step roadmap for a planned 90,000-square-foot recreation facility designed to serve eastern Delaware County's growing communities concept_plan budget_shares.
Initial architectural concepts developed by MSA Design envision a comprehensive facility featuring aquatics areas, gymnasium courts, an elevated indoor running and walking track, a 4,000-square-foot mezzanine, fitness areas, and multipurpose programming rooms concept_plan. While the core 90,000-square-foot building footprint and parking infrastructure require approximately seven acres, board members determined during planning updates that additional acreage is essential to accommodate future outdoor athletic fields site_footprint.
Site Evaluation Criteria and Floodplain Limits
To guide property searches across eastern Delaware County, the board unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2026-05 on June 29, 2026, establishing formal criteria to evaluate and score potential parcels site_resolution. The approved matrix directs that candidate sites should include at least 15 acres of usable land situated outside floodplains floodplain_threshold. Board members emphasized that building foundations, surface parking lots, and core site improvements must remain entirely outside problematic flood areas, while outdoor recreational spaces could utilize broader site acreage floodplain_rule.
Under the evaluation system, parcels are scored on a zero-to-10 scale across six weighted categories: site features, zoning and legal considerations, site context, utility infrastructure, road access, and economic development potential scoring_categories. District officials highlighted utility access, particularly sanitary sewer capacity, as a decisive factor in determining site viability utilities_factor. The board also noted that economic scoring should avoid removing unnecessary taxable commercial property from local rolls while encouraging compatible private development nearby scoring_categories.
Tri-Jurisdictional Budget Shares
Funding for the district's planning and administrative operations is divided among its three constituent political subdivisions according to population estimates provided by the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission budget_shares. Based on March 2026 demographic projections, the board adopted its 2027 prorated municipal shares on July 30, 2026 budget_shares.
Under the approved allocation, the City of Sunbury is responsible for 51.1% of the shared budget, Berkshire Township accounts for 40.6%, and the Village of Galena contributes 8.3% budget_shares. The prorated contributions fund ongoing district administration and feasibility work as communities prepare for future capital financing budget_shares.
Roadmap Toward the May 2027 Ballot
Technical planning is currently led by Pizzuti Solutions under a professional services contract capped at $67,650, which the recreation board approved on May 21, 2026 planning_contract. The consulting firm's Phase II feasibility and programming study is scheduled for completion by the end of November 2026 bond_timeline.
Sunbury City Manager Daryl Hennessy outlined a timeline leading directly from that study toward a voter referendum bond_timeline. If the study findings are accepted, the recreation district board tentatively plans to consider a Resolution of Necessity as early as mid-December 2026 resolution_necessity. That resolution will submit the project's estimated capital amount to the Delaware County auditor to determine the necessary tax millage auditor_millage.
Following auditor certification, the board must approve a second resolution formally placing the bond measure on the ballot election_filing. District officials face a Feb. 3, 2027 filing deadline with the Delaware County Board of Elections to place the measure on the primary ballot for the May 4, 2027 election bond_timeline election_filing.
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https://sunburyvillage.com/AgendaCenter
Supporting evidence (1)
The Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District Board is scheduled to hold a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8, continuing preparations to place a regional community center bond measure before voters in the May 2027 primary election oct8_agenda bond_timeline.
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Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District
Other Meetings · Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District - Sunbury Town Hall · minutes
Supporting evidence (13)
The Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District Board is scheduled to hold a public meeting on Thursday, Oct. 8, continuing preparations to place a regional community center bond measure before voters in the May 2027 primary election oct8_agenda bond_timeline.
Read supporting passage
Phase II study is expected to be completed by the end of November 2026
The district, composed of Sunbury, Galena, and Berkshire Township, is advancing a multi-step roadmap for a planned 90,000-square-foot recreation facility designed to serve eastern Delaware County's growing communities concept_plan budget_shares.
Read supporting passage
Sunbury's budget share will be 51.1%, Berkshire’s share 40.6%
Funding for the district's planning and administrative operations is divided among its three constituent political subdivisions according to population estimates provided by the Delaware County Regional Planning Commission budget_shares.
Read supporting passage
Sunbury's budget share will be 51.1%, Berkshire’s share 40.6%
Based on March 2026 demographic projections, the board adopted its 2027 prorated municipal shares on July 30, 2026 budget_shares.
Read supporting passage
Sunbury's budget share will be 51.1%, Berkshire’s share 40.6%
Under the approved allocation, the City of Sunbury is responsible for 51.1% of the shared budget, Berkshire Township accounts for 40.6%, and the Village of Galena contributes 8.3% budget_shares.
Read supporting passage
Sunbury's budget share will be 51.1%, Berkshire’s share 40.6%
The prorated contributions fund ongoing district administration and feasibility work as communities prepare for future capital financing budget_shares.
Read supporting passage
Sunbury's budget share will be 51.1%, Berkshire’s share 40.6%
The consulting firm's Phase II feasibility and programming study is scheduled for completion by the end of November 2026 bond_timeline.
Read supporting passage
Phase II study is expected to be completed by the end of November 2026
Sunbury City Manager Daryl Hennessy outlined a timeline leading directly from that study toward a voter referendum bond_timeline.
Read supporting passage
Phase II study is expected to be completed by the end of November 2026
If the study findings are accepted, the recreation district board tentatively plans to consider a Resolution of Necessity as early as mid-December 2026 resolution_necessity.
Read supporting passage
sufficient time to consider a Resolution of Necessity as early as mid-December 2026
That resolution will submit the project's estimated capital amount to the Delaware County auditor to determine the necessary tax millage auditor_millage.
Read supporting passage
county auditor would then determine the millage required to support
Following auditor certification, the board must approve a second resolution formally placing the bond measure on the ballot election_filing.
Read supporting passage
February 3, 2027 is the filing deadline with the Board of Elections for the
District officials face a Feb. 3, 2027 filing deadline with the Delaware County Board of Elections to place the measure on the primary ballot for the May 4, 2027 election bond_timeline election_filing.
Read supporting passage
Phase II study is expected to be completed by the end of November 2026
District officials face a Feb. 3, 2027 filing deadline with the Delaware County Board of Elections to place the measure on the primary ballot for the May 4, 2027 election bond_timeline election_filing.
Read supporting passage
February 3, 2027 is the filing deadline with the Board of Elections for the
Other Meetings · Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District - Galena Village Hall · minutes
Supporting evidence (9)
The district, composed of Sunbury, Galena, and Berkshire Township, is advancing a multi-step roadmap for a planned 90,000-square-foot recreation facility designed to serve eastern Delaware County's growing communities concept_plan budget_shares.
Read supporting passage
elevated running/walking track, fitness space, programming rooms, aquatics
Initial architectural concepts developed by MSA Design envision a comprehensive facility featuring aquatics areas, gymnasium courts, an elevated indoor running and walking track, a 4,000-square-foot mezzanine, fitness areas, and multipurpose programming rooms concept_plan.
Read supporting passage
elevated running/walking track, fitness space, programming rooms, aquatics
While the core 90,000-square-foot building footprint and parking infrastructure require approximately seven acres, board members determined during planning updates that additional acreage is essential to accommodate future outdoor athletic fields site_footprint.
Read supporting passage
The Board discussed the desire for some outdoor field space
To guide property searches across eastern Delaware County, the board unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2026-05 on June 29, 2026, establishing formal criteria to evaluate and score potential parcels site_resolution.
Read supporting passage
Resolution No. 2026-05 – A Resolution Approving Site Selection Criteria
The approved matrix directs that candidate sites should include at least 15 acres of usable land situated outside floodplains floodplain_threshold.
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preferring that at least 15 acres of usable land exist outside the floodplain on sites being considered
Board members emphasized that building foundations, surface parking lots, and core site improvements must remain entirely outside problematic flood areas, while outdoor recreational spaces could utilize broader site acreage floodplain_rule.
Read supporting passage
building, parking, and core site improvements should not be located in problematic floodplain areas
Under the evaluation system, parcels are scored on a zero-to-10 scale across six weighted categories: site features, zoning and legal considerations, site context, utility infrastructure, road access, and economic development potential scoring_categories.
Read supporting passage
site features, zoning and legal considerations, site context, utilities, access, and economic
District officials highlighted utility access, particularly sanitary sewer capacity, as a decisive factor in determining site viability utilities_factor.
Read supporting passage
particularly sewer availability, were identified as a major factor in site viability
The board also noted that economic scoring should avoid removing unnecessary taxable commercial property from local rolls while encouraging compatible private development nearby scoring_categories.
Read supporting passage
site features, zoning and legal considerations, site context, utilities, access, and economic
Other Meetings · Eastern Delaware County Joint Recreation District - Virtual Meeting · minutes
Supporting evidence (1)
Technical planning is currently led by Pizzuti Solutions under a professional services contract capped at $67,650, which the recreation board approved on May 21, 2026 planning_contract.
Read supporting passage
capped at $67,650 to fit the revised budget