Imagine Linden Imagine Linden

Linden Avenue: 2 properties, 5.25 acres.

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Frequently Asked Questions 

Who controls the site: The Carlynton School District.

Is this public greenspace? No, it is privately owned by the District and used for athletics. The District has allowed the Borough to control the parcel with the Mini-Golf and the parking lot.

But doesn’t the Borough own part of it? Not really: in 1999 the District “deeded” the mini-golf and parking lot to the borough for $1, BUT with conditions: 

1. The Borough cannot sell it. 
2. The Borough can only use it for municipal purposes. 
3. The District can inform the Borough they need that parcel back for “school purposes” and it reverts to District ownership one year later.

Why does the District want to sell? They don’t use it very much and they are required by state law to prioritize the education of their students. If they sell, it could allow them to do more to benefit the students of the district.

Will this make my taxes go up? No. One of the main reasons the District is interested in selling the property is to avoid increasing tax rates. 

Will development achieve community goals? Possibly. If a development generated tax revenue, the Borough and District would be able to put money towards their goals (like the park improvements from the 2023 Crafton Parks Master Plan).

What can the District do without Borough approval or public listening? Sell the larger parcel (with the ballfield) to a developer for residential use.

Can the Borough control what happens at the site? Only if the District wants to sell it for something different from the current residential zoning (aka: if someone wanted to build a brewery on-site, that would not be residential use and would need to be approved by the Planning Commission and voted on by Borough Council).

Was there a deed restriction that it can only be used for community use? Nope. The 1999 agreement said the Borough can use the mini-golf and parking lot for municipal use only. Other than that, there are no restrictions. 

Would kids who use the field lose access? No. The District has committed to finding equivalent alternative locations for all athletic programs that use the fields.

How many kids/teams use the fields currently? The district is working on an inventory of field usage. When we get the results, we will publish them!

How will traffic impacts be considered? Any future development would include a detailed traffic review as part of the approval process.

Are new commercial uses under consideration? So far in this process (and prior community engagement) residents have expressed interest in neighborhood-serving amenities, like dining, retail, and gathering spaces. 

Can a new development incorporate green space? The site is large enough to include greenspace as an option which is being evaluated in this process. 

What will happen once the process is complete? The consultant will present a report and a vision plan detailing community priorities to guide future decisions and/or negotiations with the District.

How many school-aged (under 18) children live in Crafton? 

• 1960: 2,845

• 1980: 1,640

• 1990: 1,474

• 2000: 1,448

• 2010: 1,022

• 2020: 1,050

Could this become a park? Maybe. It would be a tradeoff: the Borough would have to buy it from the District, pay for a master plan, pay for construction, and likely add employees to maintain it. Pursuing this would limit the Borough’s ability to make the improvements to existing parks (defined in the Parks Master Plan), estimated around $15 Million in 2023 dollars:

• Crafton Park - $5,062,133

• Noble Park - $2,292,046 

• Linwood Park - $538,633 

• Clearview Trail - $509,665

• Creekside Property - $486,567 

• Public Works Property - $5,860,576

Most Recent Updates

The Borough and consultant are currently holding focus groups and stakeholder interviews to gather further feedback from residents about what they want to see--or avoid. 

9/04/2026 - Crafton Citizen Survey Deadline - Imagine Linden

Survey results will be shared with the final report at a to-be-scheduled open house. Sign up for email notifications below to be notified when it is scheduled!

08/24/2026 - Public Engagement & Information Session

The second public meeting can be viewed on our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/QUtRPhI1Mj0?si=t6u7VrqPR2G9MgJ_.

08/14/2026 - Crafton Citizen Survey - Imagine Linden

Citizen survey launched.

08/10/2026 - Public Engagement & Information Session

The first public meeting can be viewed on our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/GJ0v7MbP1V0?si=arJB0IM4F81M1-jR.

Why this project and why now? 

Over the past several years, questions about the site’s long-term future have become more active, including interest in whether it could support new uses or amenities. At the same time, the Borough and School District continue to face long-term fiscal pressures, making it important to consider public revenue, community benefit, and future tax impacts. 

Rather than move directly into decisions about the property’s future, both parties are undertaking this public visioning effort to address tradeoffs while identifying opportunities for long-term community benefit. The goal is to define how and under what conditions the site can move toward a different future while continuing to serve Crafton’s interests.

The total acreage consists of two parcels:

• Larger parcel (~4 acres): Owned by Carlynton School District; includes the baseball field.
• Smaller parcel (~1.25 acres): Owned by the Borough of Crafton; includes the mini-golf area.
• Neither parcel is deed-restricted for the benefit of Crafton youth, so both may legally be used for any purpose.

In 1999, the School District sold the mini-golf parcel to the Borough for $1.00. That sale came with two conditions that still apply:

1. Crafton cannot sell the land — it may only use it for municipal purposes or return it to the District.

2. The School District may take the property back one year after providing the Borough written notice that it is necessary for school purposes, provided the District reimburses Crafton for improvements it has made to the site.

Current uses on the properties and some history:

Carlynton School District utilizes the ballfield for sports programs, including the Little Cougars program. The Steuben side of the property is home to a mini-golf course funded by the Brough of Crafton.

During several years in the 1920s, the School District purchased a total of five parcels that eventually merged into two parcels totaling ~5.25 acres of land. Over the decades, the land has been primarily used for athletics, including a high school football stadium in the 1950s and 1960s.

In 2017, the School District was approached by a developer interested in purchasing the properties. The dialogue evolved over time into a proposal to purchase the properties for ~$3.5 million and to construct a gas station and "quick service retail" (a small strip mall) on the site. Based on resident feedback, Borough Council chose not to pursue the gas station and quick service retail vision. However, the process did prompt the School District and the Borough to begin collaborating around the future of the properties together — a conversation that has since grown into Imagine Linden.

Project process and timeline: 

The project will follow the following phases:

1: Development of Project Foundations | July 2026

This phase includes research into past planning efforts, the site’s existing conditions, and collection of project precedents. 

2: Listening and Community Visioning | August & September 

This phase focuses on gathering input from residents and stakeholders to better understand community priorities, concerns, opportunities, and ideas for the site.

3: Concept Development | September through November

This phase evaluates a range of potential future use scenarios. Scenarios are considered in terms of feasibility, community benefit, site constraints, and consistency with local goals.

4: Community Scenario Testing | November

Through public engagement, concepts will be tested and refined to reach a preferred vision and set of guiding principles.

5: Plan Finalization | December

This phase outlines potential next steps to help move the vision forward.