Residents press mayor on dormant Field Fair open-space parcels and Brooklyn Reservoir; mayor says county holds jurisdiction

During the Parsippany (Troy Hills) Township Council public session on April 15, a resident asked when parcels purchased several years ago for open space—identified in the comment as the Puzio Farm and the Cosip property, together described as the Field Fair property along Knoll Road—would be developed for public use.

The commenter said the parcels were acquired in 2017 and 2021 and that about $600,000 in federal funding had been secured through the efforts of U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill to support the project. She asked Mayor James Barberio when the Field Fair parcels and the nearby Brooklyn Reservoir would be put to use for Parsippany residents.

Mayor Barberio responded that much of the work on the reservoir and the broader project has involved Morris County and state agencies and that the township cannot complete some tasks without county involvement. Barberio said a prior mayor and others had discussed trails and that responsibility for park policing and certain approvals rests with the county. He told the speaker he would ask his aide to check with Morris County staff (he named a county contact, Mr. Helmer) for a current status report and follow up.

Barberio also noted constraints the township faces, including staffing limits for policing and the need for county park police to manage some facilities. He offered to obtain a status update from county counterparts and get back to the resident.

Ending: The council did not take further action on the parcels at that meeting; the mayor committed to a county follow-up and the speaker's request was noted for further inquiry.