PLAINS TOWNSHIP -- Officials from Plains Township are working to turn part of a partially abandoned neighborhood into an inviting recreational area. Several flood-damaged homes were knocked down and removed at North River and Robert Streets near Wilkes-Barre to make room for a parking lot and gravel path leading to the Susquehanna River.
"With fishing and kayaking and boating, it gives everyone access to it,” said Plains Township Deputy Fire Chief Mark Ritsick.
The homes were flooded after the Susquehanna River swelled about five years ago. Now, officials are trying to build off of what was damaged. A new path allows people to carry canoes or kayaks into the river.
“Plains Township is doing something good for the people, finally!” said one man, who used to live in the area. He's glad to see the neighborhood have new development again.
So are first responders. For the first time, they'll have an entry point into the Susquehanna River.
“In case of emergency situations, like someone in the river, we have access to the bank instead of going through the woods, we actually have a roadway now,” Ritsick said.
But people familiar with this neighborhood remind people not to drive any vehicles down the path to launch heavy boats. The path has a very steep incline that may get even four-wheelers stuck.
But Plains Township officials also point out the park is in its early stages. They plan to build on it every year, adding benches, picnic tables, and if they secure enough grant money, a boat launch to handle bigger boats.
