I-78 Scenic Byway Proposal

As discussed at our last meeting, we have submitted our application for the 18th Annual Hunterdon County Planning and Design Awards.

We are nominated under the following categories:

• Donald B. Jones Award
• Transportation
• Freeholder Partnership Award

The awards ceremony will be on March 31, 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Clinton.

We will keep you posted!

Feedback soon on scenic Rt. 78

Posted by rsbrickm January 20, 2009 12:15PM

The application requesting state “Scenic Byway” status for Route 78 is in the state’s hands.

“We would hope to hear something back at least within the first quarter” of this year, said Lebanon Mayor Mark Paradis. “They unfortunately don’t give any timeline.”

Mr. Paradis has headed the grassroots effort seeking scenic status, working with municipal officials and professionals volunteering their time.

State Department of Transportation spokesman Timothy Greeley said the I-78 Corridor Historic and Scenic Byway Alliance should get some news in short order, but said “no final decision is expected at this time.”

The proposed byway has shrunk a few miles from its original 34-mile length. The version now proposed runs about 24 miles, between milepost 3.27 on the Pohatcong/Alpha border in Warren County through Hunterdon County to milepost 27.65 in Bedminster Township, Somerset County. Bridgewater Township decided not to join the effort. Phillipsburg also opted not to join, but “it really only has 500 feet of frontage on 78,” said Mr. Paradis. He said Alpha hadn’t decided yet whether it would participate.

One of the protections provided by the status is a ban on future billboard construction, which isn’t necessarily seen as a benefit for towns that earn revenue from billboard companies.

Planner Carl Hintz provided the printing and then personally delivered 10 copies of the nomination to the state Scenic Byways coordinator at the Department of Transportation in December. The coordinator distributes it to the New Jersey Scenic Byways Advisory Committee, which makes a recommendation to DOT Commissioner Steve Dilts. He makes the ultimate decision.

In addition to Mr. Hintz’s help, attorney J. Peter Jost worked pro-bono on the project and professional photographer Robin Giordiano of Lebanon took pictures of vistas along the highway. The application is the culmination of monthly meetings since May.

The scenic byway bid is endorsed by AAA Mid-Atlantic, HART and the Freeholder and Planning Boards of Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset and 11 towns: Bloomsbury, Clinton, Lebanon and the townships of Bethlehem, Bedminster, Union, Tewksbury, Readington, Pohatcong, Greenwich and Franklin (Hunterdon).

The proposal mentions scenic views such as the Delaware River Valley, preserved farmland, Round Valley and Musconetcong Mountain. Photos show the mature hardwood forest, and text describes Route 78’s origin as a Native American trade route.

According to the DOT, the benefits of designation are federal funding, recognition, increased tourism, technical assistance in the scenic byway process, planning for protection and managed growth and possible grants to help with implementing a mandatory five-year byway plan.

On the road to preservation

Sunday, January 11, 2009

BY JEANETTE RUNDQUIST
Star-Ledger Staff

A somewhat shorter, but still scenic, stretch of Route 78 in northwest New Jersey has been proposed for designation as a scenic byway.

A dozen towns in Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties joined forces last month, applying with the state Department of Transportation for the interstate corridor to be declared a “New Jersey Historic and Scenic Byway.”

But three other towns initially proposed as part of the byway — Alpha, Phillipsburg and Bridgewa ter — opted not to take part, reducing the 29-mile scenic swath originally envisioned to about 24 miles.

One Alpha councilman said he voted against joining partly be cause it would eliminate billboards proposed for town-owned land. Alpha, in Warren County, currently receives between $1,000 and $2,000 per month rent for a billboard on property near the Pennsylvania border. Other billboards also are proposed for Alpha’s land, which includes industrial and farm land, Councilman Harry Zikas Jr. said.

“Those billboards would be so out of the way they wouldn’t bother anyone in town, and we’d be able to make the profit,” Zikas said. “We’re looking to get revenue any which way we can. Had we joined the proposal, those billboards would not be permitted.”

The scenic byway proposal was started last spring, led by Lebanon Borough Mayor Mark Paradis. He said the idea was to preserve the scenic beauty of the corridor, which runs through mountains, forests and farmland, and passes by picturesque small towns. The roadway has history as well: It began as a Native American trade route, grew into a local road, and in 1917 be came one of New Jersey’s first 15 state highways.

“It’s a remarkable east-west corridor that has some significant history to it, and we feel that it’s important for people to realize that and for us to preserve it,” Paradis said.

Scenic byway designation also means no off-premises signs can be built that are “visible to any highway or portion of a highway designated as a scenic byway, or … nominated for designation,” according to the state Department of Transportation.

Lebanon Borough is involved in a legal tussle with an outdoor ad vertising company, after a proposed billboard was turned down by the planning board last summer. The mayor said scenic byway designation was not sought simply as a way to block billboards, however.

“There is some protection from billboards, but that’s really not the real reason we’re doing this,” he said. “We feel this corridor is something that has a story to tell.”

As far as the other towns’ reluc tance to take part, Paradis said, “we’re not trying to tell them what to do.

“We understand it’s an economic (matter),” he said of Alpha’s billboard revenue. “I still feel Alpha is a viable partner in working with us.”

Phillipsburg includes only about 500 feet of the originally proposed corridor, Paradis said, and opted not to participate, but sent a letter of support. Bridgewater officials in dicated they did not want to be included at this time, he said.

The proposed scenic byway be gins at Route 78’s milepost 3.27 on the Pohatcong/Alpha border, and ends at milepost 27.65 in Bedmin ster. The application, supported by towns such as Greenwich Township, Clinton and Readington, as well as by Somerset, Hunterdon and Warren County officials and the Automobile Association of America, was delivered to state transportation officials in December.

The state scenic byways coordinator is reviewing the application, and will respond to the towns with any comments and concerns soon, a DOT spokesman said. No timetable was given for the final decision.

If the application is approved, the towns have five years to prepare a required Scenic Byway Cor ridor Management Plan. The towns could also apply for national scenic byway designation, and if they receive it, seek funding that could be used for the management plan.

Zikas said the management plan was a concern for him, too.

“There’s a plan you have to pay for, and I didn’t feel comfortable supporting it, not knowing the cost,” he said. “I just feel we have so many other issues to deal with, a scenic byway proposal wasn’t the way to go. … Our highway infrastructure across the state is in desperate need of repair, and I think tax dollars should go toward improving those before we put money toward scenic byway proposals.”

Effort to name Interstate 78 through Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties as a scenic byway goes through TrentonFriday, January 09, 2009

By BILL WICHERT
The Express-Times

A proposal to grant scenic byway status to a 24-mile stretch of Interstate 78 passing through Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties now sits in the hands of Trenton officials.

About a dozen municipalities recently submitted an application to designate that portion of the highway as a state scenic byway. The designation is meant to boost tourism and economic development, as well as attract federal dollars for road improvements and assistance to neighboring municipalities, officials said.

“Ultimately, in this day and age, it’s a win-win for everybody,” Lebanon Borough Mayor Mark Paradis said. “Any community would benefit from additional marketing.”

The state’s scenic byway coordinator is expected to offer comments and concerns about the application within the next two weeks, said Tim Greeley, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation. A final decision would follow, he said.

Scenic byway applications are evaluated based on six intrinsic qualities, including recreational opportunities and historic and cultural features, Greeley said. If approved, the towns would have five years to finish a corridor-management plan.

New Jersey has five scenic byways.

“The idea is that a scenic byway can almost become a destination in itself,” Greeley said. “It can be quite a value to the communities these byways go through.”

The Interstate 78 scenic byway would stretch from Bedminster Township in Somerset County and end in Pohatcong Township at the Alpha border. More municipalities can join the effort down the road, Paradis said.

Alpha officials rejected the proposal, saying it could lead to removing digital billboards and that the designation seemed inappropriate for the busy highway.

Phillipsburg did not endorse the idea either after some town council members expressed concerns that the designation would inhibit putting up a billboard near its portion of the highway, town Council President David DeGerolamo said.

Supporters of the scenic byway designation have stressed that Interstate 78 is more than just tractor-trailers hitting the pavement; it’s a link to the economic history of New Jersey and the United States.

Originally an Indian path, the public road was used by European immigrants settling in the area before it became the New Jersey Turnpike. Interstate 78 parallels the Central Railroad of New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley Railroad lines over Musconetcong Mountain, also known as New Jersey’s continental divide.

“There’s just some incredible vistas,” said Carl Hintz, a municipal planner who worked on the application. “If you ignore the trucks for a moment, it’s quite a nice drive.”

Reporter Bill Wichert can be reached at 610-258-7171, ext. 3570, or by e-mail at bwichert@express-times.com.

Route 78 Scenic Byway application submitted

Published: Jan 8th, 6:53 AM

LEBANON - The I-78 Corridor Historic and Scenic Byway Alliance has completed and submitted its proposal to designate a portion of Interstate 78 as a New Jersey Historic and Scenic Byway.

The application has been delivered to Cindy Bloom-Cronin, the state Department of Transportation’s Scenic Byway Coordinator, according to Mark Paradis, a member of the alliance and mayor of Lebanon.

The proposed designation begins at milepost 3.27 on the Pohatcong/Alpha border in Warren County and stretches through Hunterdon County to milepost 27.65 in Bedminster Township, Somerset County.

The idea for the proposal originated in Lebanon Borough, and the formal application is the culmination of monthly meetings since April of this year with participation from local municipal officials, planning board members, area residents with engineering and historical committee backgrounds, as well as many volunteers from across the United States with experience in compiling documentation in support of historic and scenic byways, said Paradis.

Information about the intrinsic qualities unique to this part of the state and the compelling story in the proposal included highlighting features in the many towns along the byway. Mentioned were scenic attributes including the Delaware River Valley, preserved farmland, Round Valley and the Musconetcong Mountain, which is New Jersey’s “Continental Divide”. This mountain summit is the dividing line for water flowing west to the Delaware River Basin, or east into the Raritan or Passaic Basins.

Many included photographs depicted the seasonal beauty of the mature hardwood forest adjoining the byway, and descriptions of the important historic roots of the proposed trail including the original Native American trade route, the railroads significance to the area for transporting agriculture, products made to support the implements for the Revolutionary War from area ore mining, and items made in the many mill towns along the Raritan River.

The area’s array of cultural and recreational attributes were also shared, including the New Jersey Festival Of Ballooning, wonderful Colonial and Victorian architecture, Lindbergh trial history, vineyards, arts and antiques, and the many working farms and farmers markets, said Paradis.

If adopted, the I-78 Corridor Historic and Scenic Byway will help encourage tourism, engender local pride and participation, support the economic well being of the surrounding communities, and preserve the unique historic and cultural features of this area for future generations, said Paradis.

The alliance proposal has received support from the freeholder boards in Hunterdon, Warren and Somerset counties, along with several towns along the Route 78 corridor in those three counties.

The proposal has received support from the following municipalities in Hunterdon County: Bethlehem Township, Bloomsbury, Clinton, Clinton Township, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough, Readington Township, Tewksbury Township and Union Township.

More information on the alliance and the final presentation can be found at www.lebanonboro.com/scenicbyway

We have posted all the final documents to include the cover letter, application, final Power Point presentation, municipal narratives, maps and pictures on-line for you to review and share.

All documents are posted HERE

All pictures are posted HERE

All files are in PDF, so you will need the free Adobe Acrobat reader - HERE

I just got confirmation that the 10 copies have been hand delivered to the NJDOT Scenic Byway Coordinator!

Thanks to EVERYONE who had a hand in working on this application.

A HUGE THANK YOU goes to Carl Hintz - Partner of Clark-Caton-Hintz for providing the printing service and hand delivering the application.

We will post the final application and documents on the web site n the next couple weeks.

An update to our former post regarding Alpha Borough and Councilman Harry Zikas, Jr.

Please see Councilman Zika’s post HERE.

This issue is clearly something of a misunderstanding and I hope that our alliance can clear the air and if nothing else answer questions or concerns that the Alpha Borough governing body may have.

I have spoken to Mayor Ed Hanicks a couple times since these posts to help dispel any misconceptions.  He has graciously invited us to one of their meetings to present our points.

We will keep you posted on our progress.

The I-78 Corridor Historic and Scenic Byway Alliance held their last meeting on November 17.  The draft application was reviewed one more time and modifications were made to both the presentation and the narratives.  We will make the requested modifications clean up the application and have the 10 copies bound and printed to be submitted to the Byway review committee.

We can’t wait to announce that the application is completed and submitted.