Several Franklin Township residents expressed concerns to the township Tuesday night about the ongoing traffic problems at Beltzville State Park.

One issue that was discussed involved people arriving several hours before the park officially opened and parking on Pohopoco Drive leading up to the park entrance. They had both lanes blocked.

“There’s a concern that, if a firetruck or an ambulance can’t get through to the park or if something happens, that is a problem. It’s a safety concern,” Supervisor Jason Frey pointed out.

“I’d like to see something organized to possibly brainstorm and come up with a solution or multiple solutions and possibly solve the issue,” suggested Kevin Christman, one of the visitors at the meeting. “It (traffic) went up Pine Run Road, Jefferson Street, all the way up to Moulthrop’s, across Grange Road, pretty much to the fire company.”

One suggestion made at the meeting is that Beltzville Park should open their gates earlier to let people in so they don’t block the streets.

“Another possible remedy,” Supervisor Fred Kemmerer Jr. added, “is to go to the state and say, ‘You’re creating a problem for our residents. There needs to be traffic control.’?

“The state has people to do this; why should we be the ones burdened with it?”

Residents said that, even when traffic gets waved through, cars just pull onto one of the side roads, park there, set up chairs and music, and have their party there.

“What we’ll do,” Kemmerer suggested, “we’ll contact both representatives (state Rep. Doyle Heffley and Congressman Dan Meuser) and the park rangers to hold an executive session to discuss these issues, then hold a public meeting shortly after that.”

In related news, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources closed Beltzville Lake beach to swimming Tuesday due to elevated bacteria levels. Resamples will be taken and the beach will reopen when acceptable water test results are received.