WHITPAIN – From company picnics to family reunions, Mermaid Lake had served as a reliable summertime oasis in Blue Bell.
For decades, it held countless memories for folks seeking a day in the sun and a splash in the pool, maybe followed by a funnel cake from the carnival booth. Memberships to the swim club stretched across the county, with people driving from all points just to call Mermaid their own.
Those memories will have to sustain generations now that the swim club is no more.
Still, with Whitpain Township purchasing the property from an ambitious developer, the preserved open green space will make it much easier to adapt to a new setting while remembering the way things used to be.
“Had the property not been purchased by the township, the developer had the opportunity to put 53 single family homes up by right,” noted Whitpain Supervisors Chairwoman Michele Minnick.
“The Mermaid Swim club was owned by a family. Mermaid sold to Metropolitan Development and we approached Metropolitan about wanting to have a conversation about purchasing the property back from them.”
In a recent press release, Whitpain supervisors announced the sale and the permanent preservation of the property “for the enjoyment of our current residents along with generations to follow. Our community felt deeply on this issue and we were determined to do the necessary work to save it from development.”
The board had previously approved a resolution to take the 63.5-acre property off Jolly Road by eminent domain unless a purchase agreement and closing could be completed in 30 days. Township officials and representatives of Metropolitan Development Group in Wyomissing were then able to complete negotiations on the property and are finalizing paperwork on the agreement.
The concept is to provide township residents free access to the property, Minnick said.
“As soon as we’re able to we’ll have trails to take walks. Obviously somebody could be a resident out of the township … any resident can come to our parks and utilize our parks but they are designed for residents, just like any park in any municipality is designed for its residents.”
Whitpain will pay $8.177 million for the property that was home to the Mermaid Swim and Golf Club since 1961.
Prior to the closing, the seller will demolish several structures that are in disrepair and will erect fencing, the press release noted. The combined total of this work adds $177,620 to the acquisition price.
Metropolitan had acquired the property’s aging structures, million-gallon pool, nine-hole golf course and open areas from the family in June 2019.
During a Feb. 13 Whitpain Township Planning Committee meeting, representatives from the Metropolitan Development Group were met with staunch opposition from dozens of community members.
According to Township Manager Roman Pronczak, negotiations still continued, but the “process slowed down” during the COVID-19 pandemic as social distancing constraints prohibited normal local meetings.
Once the purchase is completed, the township will work to open trails and meadows on the property for use by residents. Further use of the property will be determined through studies and discussions with the community, Minnick explained.
“Going forward we will certainly be reaching out for community input and hear what our residents would ultimately like the park to become. And along with that, our Parks and Rec Department and township staff will put together a committee and make the best determination going forward.”
Pronczak revealed several ideas for the space including adding members to a committee charged with cultivating a comprehensive plan for the existing parks and recreation areas for the next two decades. The panel will include Mermaid Lake in their discussions.
“Public input is very important on all issues, and the supervisors feel that it’s very important to get input from the public as we work on a plan to see how the property should be used and what budget appropriations need to be made,” he said.
In the short term, Pronczak said he’d like to have the green space mowed so people can safely walk outdoors. However, the pool, barn and pavilion spaces will be “restricted” for the time being.
“It’s a very exciting time and we look forward to making the property available to the public and working on the plans for the future,” he said.
A tour of the multi-faceted Mermaid recreational complex with then-owner Mark Berardelli several years ago scarcely offered a hint of how it all looked when Berardelli’s grandfather, Roland Lee Randall, first welcomed crowds for a dip in his man-made watering hole in the 1940s
The cultivation of the “65 acres of fun” gradually evolved from that public lake nestled away in Blue Bell out of necessity, Berardelli had said.
‘The pool was built in the late ’50s and the public golf course was added not long after that,’ he noted at the time.
“In the mid-’80s we started doing the catering here ourselves; the day camp was started in the early ’90s, and we added the waterslides and playground. It’s a big property, so we had to find other ways of bringing in business. There’s no way to survive anymore just being a swim club.”
When owner Bill Berardelli, Mark’s father, passed away in 2008, Mark Berardelli became president of Mermaid Lake, Inc.
Mermaid Lake closed for business in 2019.
Rachel Ravina, MediaNews Group, contributed to this article.
