A $250,000 pocket park proposed near the Millburn First Aid Squad is on hold after residents pushed back against tearing up grass and adding hardscaping — and the committee overseeing the project may now go with a much cheaper alternative instead.

The Millburn Open Space Trust Fund Advisory Committee discussed the project at its June 29 meeting but took no vote, instead asking the applicant to come back with revised plans. Committee Chair Ben Stoller, who also sits on the Township Committee, said neighbors had objected to the original concept. "There's a bunch of people pushing back on that, saying why rip up grass and put that rock garden or whatever and then actually impede upon the tree," Stoller said.

Committee member Priya Patel, who pegged the original proposal at roughly $250,000, floated a scaled-down alternative: spending about $50,000 to activate the space for community events without major construction — keeping the grass, skipping the hardscaping, and getting a usable park for a fraction of the cost.

The site sits on Main Street near the JCP&L lot and the First Aid Squad, between the DPW yard and Common Lot, and would double as a visual screen for the nearby power station. It's one of five open-space projects the committee is weighing this year, alongside two proposals at the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum, a Lackawanna Pocket Park, and a pocket park planned for the former Exxon station site at 132 Millburn Ave.

The Open Space Trust Fund held about $2.01 million as of February, including roughly $1 million from this year's levy. The original $250,000 proposal would have eaten up about 12% of that balance in one project alone — a big enough chunk that the cheaper alternative could free up funds for the committee's other four projects still waiting in line.

No timeline has been set for the applicant to return with revised plans. The committee meets the fourth Monday of each month at 8 p.m. via Zoom; residents can check the township website for the next confirmed date and link.