Lower Towamensing Township remains steadfast in its stance to keep a road next to Blue Shamrock Golf Club closed.

The topic was raised by resident Ralph Cortazzo, who asked for an update on the status of Golf Road.

Township solicitor Jim Nanovic told Cortazzo that essentially there were “no changes.”

“Nothing further that has happened,” Nanovic said. “For the time being, we’re not looking to open it up.”

Former Supervisor Brent Green, who serves as the township’s code enforcement officer, said that previous damage that was done cost the township between $50,000 to $100,000.

“And that was just to repair it,” Green said. “The road has no base.”

Green added that for truck traffic, they’d be looking at $200,000 to $300,000.

Both Cortazzo and resident Steve Meining said that as far as they’re concerned, they hope it never reopens, because the trucks drive past their homes.

“I think it’s best to keep the road closed,” Meining said.

Nanovic added, “there’s been no discussion to open it back up.”

Supervisor Jay Mullikin said at August’s meeting that he spoke with Tim Nagle, owner of Blue Shamrock Golf Club.

Mullikin said that Nagle had previously voiced complaints about all-terrain vehicles using the shuttered Golf Road.

The township closed the road in 2022 between Fireline Road and Dairy Road, because of its poor condition.

Mullikin said he told Nagle that if he wants to meet, the township will listen to what he has to say.

He said at that time that Nagle was complaining that people were moving the signs and taking their dirt bikes and ATVs back there, and that there was damage to the golf course.

Meining asked at that time whether Nagle realizes all the heavy truck traffic that will travel the road if it’s reopened.

Mullikin said he doesn’t believe having the road open would prohibit ATVs from going back there.

He then said he would call Nagle and ask him to attend the board meeting in September. Nagle did not attend.

Robin Cressley, the township’s road foreman, said in April that it looked like people had been going around the barricade and using Golf Road.

Meining asked if the supervisors could put up a barrier. Mullikin said they could, but are not allowed to put in concrete barricades because they still need to be able to get back in there.

Cressley said that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation told him that if Golf Road is going to stay closed, it will have to be removed from the Liquid Fuels map. Liquid Fuels tax money is used by municipalities for road maintenance.

Green said the township gets about $3,000 per mile, and would probably lose $1,500.

The supervisors decided that since the township does not get enough in Liquid Fuels money to cover the cost of repairs to Golf Road, and the subsequent continued maintenance need because of truck traffic, it wasn’t cost effective to reopen the road.