Sep. 6--BUTLER -- A 3-acre tract in the built-up borough may soon be saved for open space and leisurely recreation as a result of action by the Borough Council.

The council last week decided to move ahead on turning the property off Arch Street over to the Passaic River Coalition. The land lies along a Passaic River tributary.

The PRC is an urban watershed association, active since 1969, which is interested in "protecting water quality and quantity of the entire Passaic River watershed of northern New Jersey," according to the group's Web site.

The vote took place at the council's Sept. 1 workshop. Borough Administrator Jim Lampmann said the borough's attorney, Bob Oostdyk, had addressed Lampmann's concerns about the agreement.

Councilwoman Judy Woop said that she had worked with the Pequannock River Coalition on the parcel during the group's recent cleanup, and it was a larger piece of property than she had previously thought. She said remnants of a basketball court and other recreational equipment were there as well.

"It'd be wonderful if we can go through with this and have it as a passive recreation area for Butler," she said.

The land borders Arch Street and the Pequannock River and is only accessible by an overgrown path. There will be no cost to the borough to release the property. Residents will be welcome to use the tract for recreation.

The land has been owned by the borough for some time, but is deed-restricted under the state Green Acres program. Lampmann said that Butler and the PRC will have to get permission from the state Department of Environmental Protection to let the group acquire the tract.

"They'll probably get it," he said, "because [the PRC] is going to use that for open space as well."

Lampmann said that though Butler had never gone through the process of obtaining the DEP's permission, the PRC has extensive experience in approaching the state agency for such requests.

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