It's an incredible events venue. It's a recreational respite. It's a community resource. It's a historic place.

But Lititz Springs Park is facing maintenance and infrastructure difficulties related to usage, parking issues and its overall age. Members of the Lititz Springs Park board, which manages the downtown public grounds, are considering measures to ease the stress on the park, including limiting the number of events and how and where they can be staged.

"The problem the park is having now is there's more and more people coming," said Rich Motz, who's in his first year as the Lititz Springs Park board president. "People want to find a good park."

"We're actually trying to reduce (the number of events) because the events have gotten bigger and out of control," continued Motz. "Some of the events have gotten so large. The traffic, the parking, the visitors, the trash all are getting very expensive to manage. We're kind of at the height (of the number of events), but we're looking to reduce. It's so many people, and they have no place to park. Parking is a serious problem in Lititz."

Located at 18 N. Broad St., Lititz, Lititz Springs is a well-known and popular park in Lancaster County. Lititz Springs Park hosts seven major events - for a number of local service organizations and civic groups - and dozens of smaller gatherings annually.

Hundreds of thousands of people, both locals and visitors from out of town, frequent the park throughout the year.

Longer than it is wide, Lititz Springs Park is more than 3 acres of pavilions, mature trees, ducks, quiet and serenity that have stood the test of time and stayed true to the park's original, intended purpose. In many ways, the town has grown up around the park and the natural springs that feed its beauty.

"Our roads and infrastructure have gotten dated," said Motz. "The main road going through the park has been paved so many times, and it can't be repaved. In 1935, a person gave a $1 million grant (which would be $23 million now) to shape the park into what it is today. Our goal is to try and keep it with its history. We really don't want to mold it or change it into something that it isn't. But we're in need of repair now."

The history of Lititz Springs Park can be traced to the 1700s and a time when the fledgling town was a closed community. In 1956, the Moravian church gifted Lititz Springs Park to the community.

"In a lot of ways, it hasn't changed," said Motz. "The park has maintained the traditions of back then. We're trying to keep that history. We want people to know that it's a place for rest and relaxation. We're a major part of the community. It's amazing how many people enjoy the park. We want to keep it for the public. That's what a park is supposed to be."