What to do with the Santos property

County Planner queries the Township officials, By David Hulse MILFORD — After seemingly endless haggling between various levels of government, Pike County acquired 88 acres of the Santos Farm last August and has since been planning how to use it. County Planner Sally Corrigan appeared before the Milford Township Supervisors in August to try to get an idea what they want to see on the property - next door to the township building. As a group, the supervisors have remained skeptical about the future of the property, whether it seemed to be going to the school district, a land trust, the park service or the county. In past the supervisors have been critical of ideas for permanent constuction - as the area is largely flood plain, and of septic questions if recreational use is planned - as you can’t have a septic system in the flood plain. Then there is the question of security. If a boating access of some sort is envisioned, or a connection to the still incomplete McDade Trail is completed, people will be there. Boaters may stop to camp, whether it’s allowed or not. Who will keep the peace? Township Secretary-Treasurer Viola Canouse took up some these issues as Corrigan made her Aug. 23 presentation. She noted that permanent septic systems were not possible, after Corrigan suggested that soccer or frisbee fields are being considered. Corrigan said the planners would ask Township Solicitor Doug Jacobs for an opinion about the use of composting toilets. As to structures, Jacobs ventured that while buildings that could present blockage to flooding are to be avoided, “I don’t think the township would look unfavorably,” on an open pavilion. The county, she said, would look to end commercial agricultural use by the end of this year, although future plans could include small “community gardens,” of an acre or two, for local folks, which would be done with the cooperation of the Penn State Cooperative Extension. Other plant concerns involved allowing the land to recover from agricultural pesticide use and “invasive species” and how to deal with them. The Extension would be asked help with that issue as well. Corrigan also mentioned a possible connection with the McDade trail and a walk-in boating access. “There’s a lot of private land between here and the trail,” which ends south of the borough, Supervisor Gary Williams said. Williams also said an access would get river traffic as soon as the property is mowed. “Will there be tent camping?” he asked. Corrigan said there were a number of issues still to be addressed. “The biggest issues are security, maintenance and the access road needs work,” she said. “We need to make sure whatever we put there is going to be protected,” she said after the meeting. She left the supervisors with a three-page questionnaire which sought their opinions on appropriate uses for the land. There was no board discussion of the presentation.