Friday, December 20, 2002

County Open Space Partnership Program Helps Linwood Acquire Property

The City of Linwood plans to develop a passive park on a recently acquired .55-acre property located at Wabash, Oak and Belhaven Avenues. The property was purchased on December 16 from Conectiv Energy Systems for $67,000 with funds from the Atlantic County Open Space Municipal Partnership Program.

Located adjacent to the Belhaven Middle School, officials envision the property as a passive park for neighboring students and residents with a specially designed gazebo for community events. "I am pleased that we could help preserve this property for recreational purposes, given its significant location," stated County Executive Dennis Levinson.

This is the first Linwood property acquired through the partnership program that awards open space funds to municipalities for the acquisition of open space and the development of park land. The program was established two years ago by Levinson. Thus far, the county has awarded Linwood $175,000 for open space acquisition.

The City of Linwood plans to use a combination of county partnership funds and state Green Acres monies to acquire additional strategic open space properties, according to Mayor Richard DePhamphillis. "It is important that we acquire the last remaining vacant parcels of land to maintain a balance between development and open space," he said.

For more information, please contact Joe Maher, Department Head, Regional Planning and Development, at (609) 645-5898.

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