Warwick Township
Linear Park
231 E. Market St., Lititz, PA 17543
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The Linear Park extends through Warwick Township and Lititz Borough and consists of 41.65 acres. The land area within Lititz Borough is approximately 6 acres. The facility begins on Market Street within Lititz Borough and continues northward into Warwick Township and proceeds across Newport Road and onward to the Lexington area.  The active recreation portion of the park extends from Market Street in Lititz Borough to Newport Road in Warwick Township.  This area contains 2 soccer/baseball fields, playground equipment, a restroom facility and an 8' wide macadam walking, biking and rollerblade trail that extends approximately 3,200 feet.  The passive recreation portion of this trail extends 1,800 feet north of Newport Road and consists of a stone dust walking trail that winds through a natural area. A restroom facility is located within the park near the parking area at Market Street.

The portions of the trail extending north and south of Newport Road are accessed via a boardwalk located under Newport Road for pedestrian safety. 

Parking is provided along Market Street in Lititz Borough and at Newport Road in Warwick Township.

Warwick Township and Lititz Borough sponsored the project as a joint effort to address the recreational needs of the community. The project was broken down into two phases. The first phase of the project was completed in the fall of 1995. Phase I consisted of the construction of a parking lot, a walking/running and biking trail, baseball and soccer fields, picnic area and the establishment of a stream corridor management program. This phase connected an underground passageway that was constructed at Newport Road. The Township was very concerned with eliminating roadway crossings that could impose a potential safety problem for visitors. The Township, in cooperation with a developer, installed a 10 'x 10' culvert/tunnel to permit pedestrian traffic to travel safely under Newport Road, instead of crossing the roadway.  The only street crossing in the entire length of the Linear Park is a roadway known as Laurie Lane. A mid-block pedestrian crosswalk was established to ensure adequate safety to cross this roadway. All of the developments surrounding the facility have a sidewalks system and pedestrian easements to permit residents to safely gain access to the park areas.

The second phase of this project extended the walking/running trail an additional 1800 linear feet. This eight-foot wide path is built to accommodate running, walking, biking and roller blade usage. The path provides a five-foot zone for walkers and joggers, and a three-foot zone for biking and roller blades. The second phase also provided a restroom facility, small playground, a second small parking lot and additional stream corridor improvements. A significant portion of Phase II was earmarked toward improvements to the Santo Domino Creek.

Santo Domingo Riparian Buffer: The Warwick Township Linear Park project complemented the efforts of the Township and Lititz Borough in preserving the Santo Domingo Creek (this tributary flows into the Lititz Run Creek which is a high quality spring fed stream). The Township consulted with the Department of Environmental Protection, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and the Lancaster County Trout Unlimited Chapter on proper stream corridor management procedures to protect water quality and improve habitat areas for wildlife. The project has been, and will continue to be, closely coordinated with the Soil and Conservation District on ways to minimize sedimentation.

Environmental Education:  This Linear Park provides valuable opportunities for environmental education. The section north of Newport Road is a natural area, heavily wooded and sustaining a variety of wildlife. Part of this section is a meadow area providing habitat for birds. The trail system provided students with the opportunity to access a natural area and witness the interaction of the stream and wildlife.

Adjoining Residential Developments: The park is surrounded by multi-housing types and links several different residential developments (Lititz Run, Brookfield Run and Hilltop Manor) of the Township together by a linear trail. Residents living in the residential developments in the northern section of the Township are  be able to walk into Lititz Borough, or visit homes in other developments, by utilizing the linear trail. Both municipalities feel this linking of the Township and Borough is a tremendous community building effort. The project provides a direct link between neighborhoods and communities. The project's service area includes several large developments containing over 360 homes.

Support: Contained in the Warwick Township Comprehensive Park and Open Space Plan is a phone survey conducted in 1993 addressing the recreational needs of the Township. The results of the survey supported the initiative to establish a community park in this location within the Township and Borough.

This planning document was supplemented by a Township-wide survey taken in 1995. The results of the survey indicated strong support for the Linear Park project

ADA Accessability:  The Township had the project reviewed by an ADA review committee made up of residents of the Township and Borough. The members consisted of individuals with various forms of disabilities providing expert review of the needs for this segment of the population. Certain groups such as the Blind Association and Spina-Bifida Association were also members of the group.  The suggestions from this group were incorporated into the design for Phase I and Phase II.

Funding: The Linear Park was made possible through the efforts and contributions by: Warwick Township, Lititz Borough, Lancaster County Community Parks Initiative Grant Program, Lititz Springs VFW Post 1463, American Legion Post 56, AMBUCS Lititz Chapter, Lititz Run Watershed Alliance and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.  Funding Assistance was also provided by the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund which is administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.

Funding was also provided by Developer's fees collected through the Township's "Mandatory Fee-in-Lieu of" ordinance.

The maintenance of the facility is performed by Park Maintenance personnel under the Warwick Township Public Work's Department.