Page 16 THE VILLADOM TIMES The Midland Park Planning Board at its last meeting adopted the borough’s first Open Space and Recreation Plan. This component now becomes part of the town’s master plan. Prepared by Burgis Associates Inc., the OSRP is a guide for borough officials to provide open space and a survey of existing recreational facilities to serve current and future residents and visitors. The plan includes recommendations for preserving, increasing and enhancing open space, and ideas to bring existing recreation facilities up to date and to preserve historical and scenic sites. The needs analysis “identified the fact that the borough is significantly deficient in lands dedicated to open space and recreational facilities. Therefore, it is recommended that the borough increase its efforts to provide additional open spaces, to expand the existing facilities and to preserve environmentally sensitive lands.” Sites identified for potential acquisition include the Church of the Nativity property Board adopts open space/recreation plan on Prospect Street, a 12.89-acre site located in proximity to the existing recreational facility on Dairy Street. “From the analyzed environmental data it is also found that this site contains a large patch of forest area identified in the landscape project. This area has been identified as providing habitat for some of the herptile species listed in the state priority concern list of species. The site should be considered for acquisition for recreational and open space conservation purposes,” the OSRP states. The plan also recommends the expansion of Wortendyke Park by partially acquiring contiguous properties that are only partially developed. “Given the fact that this area contains several environmental constraints, including stream, pond, 100-year floodplains, wetland and a patch of forested wetland area; habitat for some of the state listed species, the partial acquisition of these properties would be a highly viable option.” The properties eyed for acquisition include Block 26 Lot 6.02 and Lot 4, adjacent to the Church of the Good Shepherd. The plan also recommends the expansion of Veteran’s Park in Wortendyke. “It has been indicated by numerous borough employees and residents that Veteran’s Memorial Park is too small to accommodate the public events that are held there, and any expansion of the park would be appropriate. The lot adjacent to the park, Block 48 Lot 1, is currently vacant and, according to municipal tax records, this parcel is owned by the borough. It is recommended that this vacant parcel be improved and redesigned to be integrated with the existing Veteran’s Memorial Park,” the plan states. The plan’s adoption could have favorable financial implications for the borough. The federal Green Acres Program, which provides funding for land acquisition and recreational facility enhancement, includes a planning incentive funding category, according to the plan. Municipalities that have both an approved and adopted OSRP and a local open space tax are eligible for 50 percent matching grants through the PI category. However, if a municipality does not have both of these items, it is only eligible for grants up to 25 percent. The report acknowledges that the borough’s recreation department makes use of the facilities of the three public schools in town as well as its own. All told, the bor- MIDLAND PARK Holiday GIFT GUIDE III • December 2, 2009 BILL’S SHOE REPAIR Happy Holidays from the Atchue Family Rated the “Best Shoe Repair Shop” by (201) Magazine • Expert Shoe Repair • Riding Boots, Cowboy Boots • Golf Shoes • Zippers and more.... ough provides facilities for soccer, baseball, and football, and gym facilities for indoor sports. The consultants noted that the 1.57-sq. mile borough is considered “fully developed,” with mostly residential properties, and some commercial areas. Approximately two percent of the borough’s land is vacant. In the interest of consistency, the OSRP takes previous master plans into consideration, beginning with the master plan assembled in 1970. The OSRP notes, “the borough contains two main recreational facilities, the Dairy Street recreational facility for active recreation and the Wortendyke Park for passive recreation, as well as Veteran’s Memorial Park. In total, the borough has 14.21 acres of land dedicated to recreation and open space.” Recommendations for existing borough facilities include resurfacing the basketball courts at Dairy Street, resurfacing the Sunset Field for baseball and soccer, and adding barrier-free features to the playground at Wortendyke Park. The inventory of existing historical properties in the borough includes the c. 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