Bellevue Council's parks and recreation committee has recommended selling a portion of Memorial Park.

The portion in question is the lot along Bellevue Road that Bellevue was forced recently to clear of vegetation, debris and stored building materials.

Because all of Memorial Park lies within Ross Township, rather than Bellevue, the property is subject to Ross property maintenance laws. After the township received complaints this summer from residents along an adjacent street, Bellevue cut down trees, removed poison ivy, and was forced to find a new home for stored bricks.

Council member Linda Woshner has asked that Bellevue plant new trees to create a landscaping buffer between the lot and the Ross neighborhood, much as Bellevue's own zoning code requires.

Several members of council, as well as public works supervisor Tony Barbarino, opposed spending any more money on the area, and in fact advocated selling the property.

Their opinions expressed during Bellevue's pre-council meeting Wednesday were, however, based on a zoning interpretation by director of administrative services Connie Flasher.

Flasher maintained that, under state law, Bellevue could not do anything with the property that did not fit within Ross's zoning classification of R2, which she said permitted only single family homes.

"Our hands are tied," Barbarino said, arguing that the borough could not even create a soccer field on the lot.

"We can't, essentially, do anything," agreed council member David Gillingham Jr.

State law, however, creates an exception for property uses that already exist. Bellevue has been permitted for decades to use the park property for recreation, so any use of the lot for recreation -- such as a soccer field -- is likely to fall well within guidelines for use of the property.

Council members Jane Braunlich and Woshner pointed out the fact that recreational use is permitted on the park property. Woshner said that the borough needed to do a great deal more research before deciding to sell a portion of the park.

The recommendation of the parks committee to sell the lot was made on a motion by committee member Lisa Blaney-Stewart, seconded by council president Kathy Coder. The matter is scheduled to be addressed at council's regular meeting on Oct. 6.