Dormont council has postponed until next month a vote on whether to accept a $37,000 block grant to improve a parcel at West Liberty and Hillsdale avenues.

Some council members said they wanted to be sure exactly what Dormont would be committing to by accepting the grant, which was awarded to the borough last month through the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Some believed that by accepting the grant, the borough could be required to keep the land as green space for at least three years.

The community group Dig Dormont has been working to spruce up the parcel with new plants and other landscaping.

But others think the borough would be wise to sell the land to a developer so it could be added to the tax rolls.

Councilman Eugene Barilla said earlier this month that the borough previously received a Strong50,000 offer for the property.

"They [a developer] want to build condos there," he said. "And that would be taxable."

Council member Heather Schmidt applauded the work of Dig Dormont but questioned whether interest in maintaining the property would last.

"We all know how these things happen," she said. "When the hoopla wears off the land sits there with nothing being done."

Ms. Schmidt also said she was concerned that the borough would be looked at unfavorably by agencies that hand out grants if it accepted the money but sold the property at a later date.

But many residents at the meeting spoke passionately about keeping the space "green" and not selling it. Resident Margaret Jackson said the work being done on the property is good for the whole community.

"I've been waiting for Dormont to do something like this," she said. "This was the first time I saw the community come together and be passionate about making Dormont beautiful."

Resident Louise Pitcher said she envisioned the park being a place where newlyweds will want to come and take wedding photos.

If accepted, the grant would be used for rebuilding the stone walls that line the site's perimeter, removing dead trees, leveling land, installing lights and doing general maintenance and landscaping.

Susan Rademacher, parks curator for the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, told council that having parks gives communities a place to come together to build something.

She said recent studies have shown that parks reduce crime in surrounding areas while at the same time increase property values for nearby businesses.

Ms. Rademacher said in a survey of registered voters in Pittsburgh last year, 11 percent said they used parks daily, 33 percent said they frequented parks at least weekly and 89 percent said they visited a park at least once a year.

She said 95 percent of respondents also said having parks in a community was important.

Dormont purchased the 13,500-square-foot parcel about six years ago for $165,000. It formerly held two buildings that have been demolished.

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