Township Looking For Russell Farms Planning Volunteers

The Wyckoff Township Committee is looking for five members of the community to serve on a board of 11 people who will ultimately help determine the fate of the 5 acre parcel of land known as Russell Farms.

The Russell Farms Citizens Advisory Committee will be comprised of nine members along with two township committee members.

Anyone wishing to apply for the available positions should fill out an application form and return it to Township Clerk Joyce Santimauro. (A PDF is also attached to this story.)

Township Committee members will review applications submitted to the township and may interview candidates.

DPW Chief Scott Fisher, an existing member of the Environmental Commission, a member of the Wyckoff Senior Citizens Club, and a member of the Wyckoff Garden Club will serve as members of the group by order of the resolution dated Sept. 24.

The advisory committee will be active for no longer than 12 months unless that time period is extended by the Wyckoff Township Committee by resolution, according to the resolution.

The 5 at-large positions, along with the others, are tasked with making "recommendation to the Township Committee regarding the future use and improvement of the ... Russell Farms property," reads the text of the resolution.

The Township acquired the 5 acre property in April and joins another 5 acre parcel known as the Larkin House Park, donated by Helen Larkin, the 13 acre wildlife sanctuary known as the Gardens of Wyckoff donated by Warner W. “Bud” Brackett and the 18 acre Wyckoff Community Park donated by the Wyckoff Board of Education for active recreation.

With the addition of the Russell Farms property, the township’s inventory of open space increases to 288.95 acres from 283.95 acres or 6.74 percent of the township’s total land area.

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