Spanning 58.4 acres, Generations Park is a scenic retreat that blends natural beauty with passive recreational activities.
By March 16, 2022, the Board of Commissioners was told that Derck & Edson had already conducted four public input sessions and compiled resident feedback. At that meeting, the Township reported 231 participants and 2,308 votes, with the top preferences being walking/biking/hiking trails, pollinator/native gardens, nature walking areas, and pump track/skate park.
Derck & Edson formally presented the 1215 McCormick Road master plan findings to the Board of Commissioners. The Board discussion made clear that the project had moved from information gathering into the next design phase
The Township’s Plans page states that the master plan for 1340 E. Lisburn Road was presented at the July 20, 2022 Board of Commissioners meeting, and that the property’s official address was announced as 1340 E. Lisburn Road.
The Township’s park and plans pages state that the master plan was accepted by the Board of Commissioners on August 3, 2022. A Township newsletter also describes this as acceptance of the 1340 E. Lisburn Road master plan, now known as “Upper Allen Generations Park.”
The Board considered next steps for the existing house on the property. Meeting minutes show the Board authorized staff to advertise the house at 1215 McCormick Road / 1340 E. Lisburn Road for sale by sealed bids. The minutes also note that the Township had been involved in the master-planning process for the property over the prior two years.
The Board took up consideration of bids for the property at 1215 McCormick Road, continuing the process around the farmhouse/residential structure as the larger park plan moved forward.
The Township announced it had received a $450,000 grant, which would be used for “the beginnings of Generations Park.”
The Board received an update that the sale of the residential structure at Generations Park was still being worked through and that the advertisement timeline was being revised.
The Township’s Winter 2023 newsletter said that walking/biking trails would be constructed at Generations Park, 1340 E. Lisburn Road, thanks to the $450,000 Cumberland County grant.
The Board reported that staff were applying for a 2023 DCNR grant for $250,000, with a Township match, to expand the planned trail project. The Board minutes also say the red-highlighted work would be done with the Cumberland County ARPA grant, while green-highlighted work would represent the proposed DCNR expansion. Staff said establishing a paved perimeter trail first would maximize near-term park use and cost efficiency.
In May 2023, the Board said C.S. Davidson would present an engineering progress update to the Park and Recreation Board, and the May 24 Park & Recreation minutes confirm that an engineering report on Generations Park was given.
By February 28, 2024, Township parks staff reported that the house had been moved across the street and the accessory buildings had been demolished, indicating major site-preparation work had occurred during 2023.
At the Park and Recreation Board meeting, staff stated that the Generations Park trails would be paved and would go out to bid with the paving contract
The Board agenda and later minutes show the Township authorized advertising for bids for the Generations Park Trail Project. Township materials describe the work as including an ADA-compliant trail layout, grading, stormwater planning, and permit submissions. Discussion at the meeting emphasized that this vote concerned the perimeter trail phase, not the final full buildout of the park
The Board reviewed bids received on June 17, 2024 and moved toward award of the trail contract. The minutes describe this phase as including an approximately 4,600-foot ADA-compliant trail, a 1,300-foot stone access drive extension, a 20-space stone parking lot, and stormwater improvements. The Township said $998,071 had been allocated for that phase, including the $450,000 Cumberland County grant and Township bond funds, and identified Kinsley Construction Sitework as the apparent low bidder at $858,000.
Board discussion confirmed that the Generations Park work would proceed through public procurement and that the $858,000 Kinsley contract was being funded through Township spending with County reimbursement/pass-through grant funds tied to the project
At the Park and Recreation Board meeting, staff previewed the upcoming opening and described the first public-use phase as having about a one-mile paved trail and a stone access road. Staff also said the Township had secured an unmatched $1 million LSA grant to extend the trail system further and shared a new conceptual buildout map showing future features and park percentages.
The Township held the Generations Park grand opening. This date appears in the May 7, 2025 Board minutes, where speakers described the event, praised the paved trails as accessible to strollers and motorized wheelchairs, and reported positive resident feedback.
The Board discussed ongoing engineering/NPDES permit reporting and updating the conceptual master plan, showing that the park remained in an active design-and-permitting phase even after the initial opening.