LIBERTY TWP. — This rapidly expanding suburb gained more parkland Tuesday — instead of 440 condominiums — when trustees unanimously agreed to buy about 54 acres for $2.5 million.

        Developers have been vying to purchase the parcel, which sits on the north side of Wilhelmina Drive west of Yankee Road in the Woodland View development.

        Two builders even called the property's owners Tuesday offering more money than the township had.

        But the owners and township trustees said they wanted to preserve the land for recreation because that would best serve the community. The owners donated about 12 of the acres.

        Township leaders said they feared that if the land was developed to build condominiums, that would overburden the schools and police and fire departments.

        “We are real happy we worked it out,” said one of the property's owners, Thomas McGill, vice president of Comey & Shepherd Realtors in Liberty. “The township worked hard to acquire this for parkland instead of seeing it go into multifamily use. It's good for the community. Too much land gets developed and doesn't remain as green space.”

        Residents who attended Tuesday's special trustee meeting overwhelmingly agreed and even clapped after trustees voted.

        The land is slated for a park, but no definite plans have been made.

        “We are thrilled,” said Pam Naber, president of Lakota Sports Organization, a community sports league for more than 5,000 children ages 4 to 18.

        “As more residents move into our community, we are coming to a place where we will need more fields and places for kids to play. It's wonderful.”

        Liberty Township has 10 parks over more than 250 acres now, but is in dire need of more, officials and residents said. Its population boomed between 1990 and 2000, with a 147 percent increase to about 25,000 people.

        Thousands more are coming. Of the 6,000 new homes predicted to rise in southeastern Butler County over the next five years, most will be built in Liberty.

        To help pay for the land, township officials may ask voters to approve a 1-mill levy this fall. Should it pass, the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home $30.62.

        While Trustees Christine Matacic and David Kern said Tuesday they want to put the levy on the November ballot, Trustee Bob Shelley said he would prefer to wait until next May.

        “Tax levies have don't have a good record in Butler County in November,” Mr. Shelley said.

        If the levy goes on the November ballot, it would join a replacement, five-year, 3-mill fire levy.

        The fire levy would replace a property tax increase of the same amount approved by voters in 1997. The levy would generate about $1.2 million and cost the owner of a $100,000 home $91.88.

        But the need for park space is so great, neighbors said Tuesday, that they wouldn't mind forking over the money.

        “That would not trouble me one bit,” said Ms. Naber, who has four small children.

        “A large group of people will support it and we would wholeheartedly.”

        The township is trying to find other ways to pay for the land and recently applied for a $1.2 million grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Land and Water Conservation Fund Program. Ms. Matacic, who wrote the grant application, said the township would apply for more.

        The township closes on the land deal in October.

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