Dear Friends,

According to a public notice published in the Ridgewood News and The Record, Wyckoff will be holding a public hearing on Wednesday, July 20, at 8 p.m. at Town Hall on an application for state Green Acres grants for the acquisition of both the Russell Farms and Maple Lake sites. While Russell Farms is familiar to many residents, Maple Lake, a 26-acre tract that once had two lakes used for swimming and boating, is less known. The dam holding the lakes was breached more than 20 years ago and the lake beds have grown up with brush and trees. Goffle Brook traverses the site and wetlands and steep slopes make much of the property unsuitable for the high-density housing the owners have sought.

The Wyckoff Township Committee recently rezoned the site from high-density townhouses with an affordable component to minimum lot sizes of 25,000 square feet (the typical residential zoning in Wyckoff).  This rezoning is a necessary step for preservation for some or all of the site. Maple Lake is southwest of the old Wortendyke train station in Midland Park, north of Canterbury Drive, northeast of Atwood Lake, and east of Pace Drive in Wyckoff. A section of the railroad tracks running from Wortendyke in Midland Park to the Wyckoff train station comprises its northerly border.

Green Acres funding was replenished last November when New Jersey voters approved a public question.  The $110 million in Green Acres funding for local acquisitions is not sufficient to cover the many applications the Green Acres office receives, and the funding disappears quickly.

Meeting of Interest
July 14, 7:30 pm at Town Hall
At their regular meeting the Planning Board will vote on this year’s Master Plan revision.

Save The Date
Friends of  Wyckoff  Electronic Recycling Drive
Saturday, October 9
9 am to 12 noon

Linda Vreeland, Chair
Friends of Wyckoff