Backyard ice rink must come down, Pennsylvania town decides

Town tells family backyard ice rink must come down

Raw video: South Middleton Township authorities order Pennsylvania family to remove ice rink

A Pennsylvania family thought building a hockey rink in the backyard was the solution for keeping the kids active during the winter -- until town officials told them to tear it down.

“We want a space for them to... just get outside and get some exercise and kind of bring back the old school fun that we had when we were kids,” Terry Beam told Fox News.

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This is the second winter the Beam family made a hockey rink Beam says, but it didn’t sit well with South Middleton Township authorities this year. In a letter to the family, the township engineer said the rink was a violation.

“A drainage easement is located on your property,” the letter noted. "By placing objects and fences that block the water, such as the skating rink constructed on your property, the amount of storage available is reduced, and the basin will not function as designed."

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In an appeal, Beam told the engineer that the rink was a temporary structure, and he did not anticipate it would create a hazard.

“We have lived at this address for 14 years and have only had substantial water in that area 2-3 times; which was never during this time of year,” Beam said in a letter.

Fox News reached out to the township manager, who said the Board of Supervisors held two meetings to talk about the rink, inviting the Beams. Township Manager Cory Adams said the Beams were no-shows, but Terry Beam says he never received an invitation.

“We take storm water management very seriously here.” Adams said.

Adams told Fox News over the phone that township officials would be open to moving the rink to another part of the yard.

“It’s possible, but we’d have to get more information from them,” Adams said.

Beam said the current placement is the only flat surface of his lawn at their home southwest of Harrisburg. He said he will be taking it down even though his two boys are "devastated."