The largest park in the Borough of Hellertown, Dimmick Park’s 18.5 acres feature active and passive recreation and is home to Hellertown’s Historic Grandstand, bandshell, five baseball fields, one multi-purpose field, a children’s play area, and a paved pathway throughout the park. In addition, the park features a pavilion for residents to rent for community events, family reunions, and the like. Dimmick Park has a storied history—the park’s land came from a donation by Bethlehem Steel and the historic grandstand was one of the first Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects in Pennsylvania.
The children’s play structure was installed in 1992 and carefully maintained by the borough’s Public Works Department over the years. As time progressed, replacement parts for the play structure were no longer manufactured and without necessary repairs, portions of the playground had to be removed.
In 2013, the borough authorized its long-time borough engineer, Barry Isett & Associates to prepare a Park Master Plan. Formulated under DCNR guidelines, the process involved focus group meetings, key person interviews, general public meetings and study committee meetings. Borough officials worked closely with Isett to envision a plan, identify appropriate grant sources, and apply for funds over a several year cycle. The Dimmick Park Playground Improvement Project was funded by:
- PA DCED Greenways, Trails & Recreation Program – $155,000
- PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources – $178,000
- Commonwealth Financing Authority, Local Share Account – Monroe County $98,667
- Northampton County Community Development Block Grant – $82,000
The Borough of Hellertown released an RFP for site work on the play area and awarded the project to E.F. Possinger of Stroudsburg, PA. The new play area features ADA-accessible play structure, enhanced pedestrian access, a waist level fence surrounding the play area, safety surface below the play area, underdrainage, landscaping, and play areas specifically designed for ages 2-5 and 5-12.
Dimmick Park is adjacent to the Hellertown Public Library and the Hellertown Community Pool and serves as host to many community events throughout the year: Music in the Park, Community Day, Dewey Fire annual carnival, Easter Egg Hunt, Relay for Life, and Saucon Harvest Fest.
By investing in its enhancement of existing resources, the Borough of Hellertown ensured that Dimmick Park remains an integral and easily accessible park. Prior improvements to the park include the rehabilitation of the historic grandstand, construction of a waved beam bandshell, and additional improvements to the pavilion. These investments, along with the reconstruction of the play area, ensures that the park will remain a staple community destination just a short walk for many Hellertown neighborhoods. The Dimmick Park Playground Improvement project was recognized by the Lehigh Valley Planning Commission at their 2019 Lehigh Valley Awards in the category of Outdoor Recreation.
Local residents as well as those from neighboring communities utilize the assets of Dimmick Park and benefit from the improvements. As the largest mixed-use, active recreational facility in southern Northampton County, the park will continue to serve Hellertown and beyond for generations to come.
With a population of 5,857 (2018 US Census estimate) in a municipality that is 1.3 square miles, the Borough of Hellertown has 45 acres of active recreation fields, about 50 acres of undeveloped municipal green space, and two additional acres of institutional green space. With its commitment to open space and recreation areas, the Borough exceeds the recommendations of the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) regarding the ratio of open space per population.
