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POMPTON LAKES - Two acres offered for open space
(by Leslie Scott - Staff Writer - August 27, 2008)
POMPTON LAKES - The municipality is considering accepting a donation of two acres of land.
This land belongs to property owner Osman Kaba, who has a three-acre property off of Garden Road. In 2007, Kaba received approval from the Planning Board to demolishing the two existing two-family homes that are on one lot, which is in a floodplain, subdivide the property and build two duplex homes that are further away from the river.
Kaba offered to donate the rear end of this property to the borough, which sits along the Pequannock River and is adjacent to Carlough Field.
During the Aug. 13 meeting, the mayor and council were in favor of accepting this property, with conditions. They agreed the Open Space Committee should review property and the site had to be cleaned.
“I’ve had the opportunity to tour that piece of property. I’ve got some real questions about accepting this land. It has a berm built around it with construction debris somewhat similar to what we have on the South End, and I just think that our environmental officer should go out there and look at this property before we accept it,” said Councilman Ed Meakem.
Councilman Ellis Marples also had concerns about the property.
“The last time I was there, there was a truck down there,” he said.
Councilman Lloyd Kent was on the Planning Board when this application was heard. He said the property owner understood that the property had to be cleaned.
“From memory, the dump on that site, the application approval is contingent upon the cleanup of it,” said Kent.
Mayor Katie Cole said having this property is important to the borough because “this will mean that nothing will be built on there and the town can keep it in its natural state to help with the flow of the water and it will help if we decide to put in a river walk along the river’s edge,” she said.
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