Manchester Accepts Parcel That Will Expand Town's Holdings Around Harry Wright Lake

(PHOTO: Harry Wright Lake Is a popular recreation area in the township. Credit: Manchester Township)

As Manchester Township continues to make plans to remediate Pine Lake, residents are pressing the Township Council to protect Harry Wright Lake.

The council voted Monday night to accept the donation of a parcel of land near Harry Wright Lake that adds to land the township already owns around the lake.

The property, at 1620 Philadelphia Ave., is a vacant lot that the property owner no longer wants to pay taxes on, Council President Craig Wallis said. Rather than go through the expense involved in taking over property when someone fails to pay taxes, the owner has decided to donate it.

Because it is near the lake, however, residents asked both at the Oct. 14 meeting where the ordinance accepting the donation was introduced and Monday night, during the final reading. whether the council would seek deed restrictions on the lot.

“Maybe not now, but 20 years from now when we’re not here, who’s going to protect the lake,” one woman asked.

Councilman Samuel Fusaro said the parcel may be able to be added to the township’s Recreation Open Space Inventory. The ROSI list is submitted by the town as a condition of receiving Green Acres funding from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

“If it falls within the ROSI list it will automatically protected,” Fusaro said. But unlike a deed restriction, the ROSI listing will enable the town to put in trails or other park improvements that might be prohibited under a conventional deed restriction.

The township will pursue the deed restriction later if it turns out the property -- which is undeveloped and sits on a paper street -- cannot be added to the ROSI inventory, the council said.