SAXONBURG — About 25 residents turned out at Wednesday night's borough meeting, to oppose the sale of the original Roebling Park.

Members of borough council recently voted to sell a one-acre lot on Aderhold Road in the Green Acres housing development off Butler Road.

The lot was conveyed to the borough by George Aderhold decades ago when he divided his large property into lots for homes. Aderhold, a German immigrant, named the lot “Roebling Park” and intended it to be green space in the Green Acres development.

Councilwoman Pat Rinebolt, who lives in the Green Acres plan, said a covenant in the original deed used to convey the lot to the borough states that it may never be sold by the borough.

But borough solicitor Sean Gallagher told the council that a legal review conducted by himself and his father, attorney Mike Gallagher, determined that the borough was free to sell the lot.

Many Green Acres residents, both young and old, gave their impassioned pleas to the council to allow the lot to remain a green space.

Sandra Simpson, who grew up in the development and lives there now, presented the council with a petition containing more than 50 signatures of those who want the lot to remain a green space and not be sold by the borough.

Audrey Gerlach, a resident of Green Acres for more than 50 years, told the council that an arborist said the oak trees in the lot are more than 200 years old.

“He said it would be a shame to lose them,” Gerlach said. “He said there are very few places left in the area where the timber is original.”

Gerlach said she wants future generations to have the opportunity to enjoy the oaks.

“I love that road because when I was able, I would walk it every day and admire that beautiful stand of oaks,” Gerlach said. “They are so majestic.”

Her husband, Walter Gerlach, said the oaks were there when his fellow German immigrant, John Roebling, founded Saxonburg in the 1830s.

“When I look at it what do I see?” Gerlach said of the oaks. “I see a part of history. The history of Saxonburg.”

Jeff Speakman said he built his house in the plan 30 years ago and raised his family there.

“You're taking something away that is part of that community that is not yours,” Speakman said. “It's ours.”

Joe Sepich said he was on the council when selling the lot came up several years ago.

Sepich, a resident of Green Acres, said Aderhold was a visionary who included green space in the development decades before it became a requirement.

He also chastised the council majority for voting to sell it when Councilwoman Rinebolt lives there.

“You're saying, 'You live on Aderhold (Road) and we don't care,'” Sepich said.

Aaron Piper said he wants his young son to play on the property, like children have for generations. He also laments the potential for the borough or new owner to cut down the trees.

“Once you cut down those trees, they're gone,” Piper said. “They're irreplaceable.”

Rinebolt read a letter by John B. Thompson, who served on the council from 1960 to 1996.

In the letter, Thompson recalled the subdivision of Green Acres in the 1970s.

“The council agreed that the forested area would remain undeveloped and at some time in the future would become a park for residents of Green Acres and borough residents,” Thompson said in the letter.

But later in the meeting, the council voted 4 to 2 to advertise the sale of the lot. Rinebolt and Carol Neubert voted against the measure. Josh Novotny did not attend the meeting.

After the meeting, Councilman Scott Herbst said the lot is completely covered in brush and trees and has no lawn space except a small area of frontage along Aderhold Road, which is mowed.

He said the council was elected to be responsible to all borough residents, and the sale of the property would create not only revenue in the sale of the property, but perpetual revenue through taxes if a home is built there.

He said last year, the borough had to spend $8,400 to trim limbs at the lot that were hanging over a neighboring property.

“This is an expense all taxpayers in the borough are bearing,” Herbst said.

He said the tree company that completed the work found discarded needles and syringes, condoms and alcoholic beverage containers in the thick growth on the lot. The borough does not have the officers to frequently patrol the lot, and the items found could mean a future liability for the borough, he said.

“In my mind, it fits the definition of an attractive nuisance,” Herbst said.

He said the lot is in the residential zoning district, and he hopes any potential buyer would refrain from clear-cutting all the trees in the lot.

Herbst and Gallagher would not disclose the expected selling price of the lot.

Outside, the Green Acres neighbors vowed to talk to an attorney and fight the action because the covenant mentioned by Rinebolt prevents them from selling the lot without the blessing of the Green Acres residents.