Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Levinson Announces $5M in Municipal Open Space Partnership Awards

County Executive Dennis Levinson has announced the award of more than $5 million to 12 municipalities as part of the sixth round of funding for the Atlantic County Municipal Open Space Partnership Program, representing the largest single round of funding since Levinson created the program in 2000. The awards, provided through the Atlantic County Open Space Trust Fund, will fund 17 land acquisitions.

"These open space awards ensure that ample lands will be available in the future for a variety of needs including preservation and passive recreation in sensitive environmental areas as well as needs determined by each municipality," stated Levinson.

Approximately half of the $5M funding is appropriated for the county's three regional growth areas. In Galloway Township, funding will support the acquisition of 44 acres, over half of which is in the township's intensely developed Pinehurst area. In Egg Harbor Township, 25 acres of land will be acquired for the expansion of Canale Park. And in Hamilton Township 39 acres will be acquired to expand the Liepe recreation fields.

"Much of our effort is dedicated to our rapidly developing growth areas that are under state mandate to accept more housing, and as a consequence more schools and traffic," stated Levinson. "We work with the municipality to reduce the state-imposed strain through preservation and land banking to provide them with additional options and recreation amenities," he said.

According to Levinson, over 95,000 residents or 35 percent of the county's overall population, live in the three growth municipalities. Projections indicate that by 2020 over 126,000 people will live in these three communities, representing over 41 percent of an estimated county population of 311,451 residents.

In addition to Egg Harbor, Galloway and Hamilton townships, other municipalities to receive funding awards include Atlantic City, Buena Vista, Folsom, Hammonton, Linwood, Margate, Pleasantville, Port Republic and Weymouth.

"Clearly we must continue to support opportunities to reduce the stress of development and maintain and improve our quality of life," added Levinson.

For more information, please contact Howard Kyle at (609) 343-2223.

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