Kosut Property In Parsippany Acquired As Open Space

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Morris County officials approved the acquisition and preservation of more than 5 acres of open space in Parsippany. The Kosut property, which the township envisions developing into a park and recreational facility, became a recent addition to the county's open space.

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The Board of County Commissioners approved the allocation of $1.3 million Monday to preserve 48 acres around the county. The Kosut property's award totals $450,000.

The Kosut property, located off Knoll Road, was previously preserved and is owned by the township as part of the 11.1-acre Fieldfair property. The property is located across the street from watershed lands surrounding the Boonton Reservoir — also known as the Jersey City Reservoir. It was the subject of a $659,000 grant through the 2020 Open Space grant program.

Morris County's other open-space grants approved Monday included the following:

Jean Drive Preserve

• Applicant: Township of Montville
• 19.62 acres
• $465,000

East Blackwell Street Property

• Applicant: Town of Dover
• 0.2 acres
• $35,000

McDon Fen Property

• Applicant: Trust for Public Land
• located in Chatham Township
• 17.74 acres
• $350,000

Funding for open space acquisitions and preservation comes from the voter-approved Morris County Open Space & Farmland Preservation Trust Fund, which is generated by a special county tax. The funding source also is used for farmland and historic preservation, county parkland acquisition, trail construction and the purchase of residential properties prone to flooding.

Before Monday's approval, the Morris County Open Space Program had awarded $318,760,878 in grants for 486 applications since 1994. To date, applicants have successfully closed on 416 of those projects, preserving 17,668 acres — a combined acreage larger than Parsippany and almost as large as Chester Township.

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