Bellevue council has decided to wait for a report from its parks and recreation committee and an update on negotiations with Ross before deciding what to do about a stand of pine trees in Bellevue Memorial Park.

Borough workers say the trees contain poison ivy and impede a cleanup of road debris stored on a parking lot at the park. But one nearby neighbor suspects other motives may be playing a role in deciding the fate of the trees.

Ross resident Mark Purcell, a neighbor of the cinder parking lot on Bellevue Road, has complained to officials from both Bellevue -- which owns the park -- and Ross, where the park is situated, about the state of the lot. He said it appears to be a new dump site for Bellevue's Department of Public Works, and is now blocked with Jersey barriers to keep people from parking there.

Mr. Purcell said large piles of salvaged yellow street brick and other debris also sit on the lot. He said he and his neighbors think the facility has become an eyesore.

Mr. Purcell said that because he has complained regularly, Bellevue borough recently sent a crew to chop down the trees. In fact, Mr. Purcell said, he had to intervene when the borough work crew arrived at the lot, claiming they were there to cut down a row of mature evergreens that block the view of the lot from McIlrath Avenue.

The borough employees left without chopping anything down, he said, but Mr. Purcell, a former elected official in Ross, said one worker told him the trees would be removed because " 'we're just tired of looking at them.' "

There are about 11 pines that range from 30 to 50 feet tall.

After speaking with some Bellevue officials, Mr. Purcell said he was told that the issue would be discussed at a meeting of the borough's Parks and Recreation Committee on June 16. The meeting was later canceled, he said.

"I have been asking them for years to clean that lot up," Mr. Purcell said.

Ross Commissioner David Mikec said the township's zoning enforcement officials inspected it for violations recently.

"I have been in touch with Bellevue Department of Public Works, and they said they were going to take care of it. But nothing's been done," Ross building inspector Dennis Schack said June 19.

Mr. Schack said the debris and piles of brick on the lot violate Ross ordinances. Bellevue was cited under a rubbish and dumping section of the township's code, he said.

Connie Flasher, director of administrative services for Bellevue, said the borough was not in violation because there is no garbage or building materials on the lot. "It's just bricks, and the [Jersey] barriers," Ms. Flasher said.

She said removal of the trees is being considered because they harbor poison ivy vines, and there is poison ivy at the bases of the trees.

Asked about the possibility that borough workers might remove the pine trees because of the complaints and the Ross citation, Ms. Flasher was direct. "If push comes to shove and they want us to remove our brick ... the trees will go if we have to remove our building material," she said.

Bellevue Council briefly discussed the issue in its workshop meeting June 24, and chose to defer a decision on the lot to the Parks and Recreation Committee, which will meet at 7:30 p.m. July 21.

Ms. Flasher said she has been in touch with Ross's code enforcement office, and is working to resolve the situation.

One of Mr. Purcell's neighbors attended the June 24 meeting, and complained that Mr. Purcell does not represent everyone who lives on McIlrath Avenue.

"My neighbor has caused problems among neighbors. ... The lot definitely needs cleaned up," McIlrath Avenue resident Jason Zombek said. "I don't know what all Mr. Purcell is proposing to you."

Mr. Zombek suggested the borough remove the trees because of the poison vine and to enable Bellevue Road to be widened in that area, and parking in the lot to resume..

Bellevue Public Works Director Tony Barbarino said he believes the poison ivy will seal the fate of the trees.

"The barriers are unsightly. ... But I just don't like someone telling me 'Move the bricks, leave the trees,' " Mr. Barbarino said.

Bellevue Councilman Jerry Walter said, "We need to find out what [Ross] code enforcement wants. ... We have to find out where we need to comply."