I-78 Scenic Byway Proposal

I was surfing the internet today researching information for our scenic byway proposal and came across the following blog from councilman Harry Zikas, Jr. from Alpha Borough - HARRY’S TAKE

First, I applaud him in his efforts to communicate with his constituents by virtue of his blog.  I beleive communication by our elected officials is lacking and in turn leads to misunderstandings and misconceptions.

I was also pleased to see he posted the same article from the Express-Times dated September 24, 2008 that we have posted.  EXPRESS TIMES SEPT 24, 2008

What caught me off guard was the comment he made at the bottom of his posting regarding the meeting and article.  I am not going to post the article.  You can view it yourself HERE. [ Scroll down to the bottom of the posting ].

I have taken the liberty to post a comment to his blog.  I hope he approves it for others to see.  In the meantime, here is my response -

Read the rest of this entry »

I want to thank Mayor Wyant and members of the governing body of Phillipsburg in allowing our alliance the opportunity to speak at both their work session on 10/14 and scheduled council meeting tonight.  I was sorry to see a tie vote of 2-2 in support of a Resolution for our scenic byway proposal.  That being said, I was pleased to see a compromise from Council President David R. DeGerolamo suggesting a letter of support for our efforts.  While we would have preferred a formal Resolution from the entire Governing body, we are pleased to accept the following letter of support.

The next monthly work session meeting of the I-78 Corridor Historic and Scenic Byway Alliance will take place on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 7PM.  All meetings will take place at the Lebanon Borough Municipal building at 6 High Street.

Mayor Emiliani and Paradis had the opportunity to present the benefits of the I-78 Corridor Scenic Byway designation to Mayor Wyant and members of the Phillipsburg Council tonight.  We hope to have a Resolution of support forthcoming at the October 21 meeting.  We will keep you posted.

We are pleased to announce that the HART Board of Directors have approved a resolution in support of our scenic byway application.

Alpha: No scenic labels
Borough council nixes joining other communities in designation for I-78.
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ALPHA | Efforts to designate Interstate 78 a scenic byway will continue without Alpha’s support, Greenwich Township Mayor Elaine Emiliani said Tuesday night.

Emiliani approached Alpha Borough Council representing a group behind the scenic byway proposal. She hoped for a letter of support from council members.

Instead, she received staunch opposition to the idea.

“It was more of a courtesy to have them involved,” she said after the meeting. “We can and will proceed without them.”

The designation would earn the corridor federal money for safety and aesthetic improvements.

No one on borough council seconded a motion to send a letter of support to the state for the designation.

“I, personally, do not see the benefits of making I-78 a scenic byway,” Alpha Councilman Harry Zikas Jr. said

Billboards that dot the interstate were the biggest sticking points between the council and Emiliani. Restrictions on roadside advertising would accompany the byway designation.

Emiliani, noting the high level of crashes on the corridor, suggested billboard removal could benefit traffic safety.

Alpha Mayor Ed Hanics Jr. said the digital billboards Emiliani criticized can serve the public in several ways, including Amber Alerts.

Emiliani agreed, but said state signs at weigh stations can serve the same purpose.

Hanics and Zikas cited heavy signage along the roadway as reasons why designating it a scenic byway seemed silly.

“All you see on one side is walls and then on the other, advertisements for businesses,” Hanics said.

Emiliani called these observations the “negatives” on the highway that can be remedied if I-78 were a scenic byway.

“The positives certainly outweigh the negatives for historic value,” she said.

Zikas said he saw no redeeming features in giving I-78 the special designation.

“Route 29 as a scenic byway? Certainly; it’s beautiful,” said Zikas, referring to the state road in Hunterdon County. “But I-78, with 18-wheelers all over the road? No, I’m sorry, I don’t see it.

“I’m looking at this realistically. It’s just not rolling hills anymore.”

Emiliani said she reached out to Alpha to pursue the designation with hopes for neighborly cooperation.

“You’re the only town that hasn’t bought into this,” she told council. “I didn’t anticipate it would be this difficult.”

Emilani said after the meeting the proposal to designate the interstate has gone before and been accepted by 16 other municipalities among Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties.

Reporter Sarah Wojcik can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at swojcik@express-times.com.

We are pleased to announce a Resolution from the Somerset County Planning Board in support of our scenic byway designation.

The I-78 Corridor Alliance was invited to an informational meeting by the Somerset County Planning Board to discuss the benefits of scenic byway designation and answer questions regarding our application.  I felt the meeting was a success and would like to thank the following for their time:

• Somerset County Freeholder Director Peter Palmer
• Somerset County Freeholder Patricia Walsh
• Bedminster Township Committee member Bernard Pane
• Bridgewater Township Mayor Patricia Flannery
• Bridgewater Township Engineer Robert Bogart
• Robert Bzik, Ken Weeden, Tom D’Amico and Walter Lane from the Somerset County Planning Board
• Dave Dech from the Warren County Planning Board
• Brian Appezetto and Rick Steffey from the Hunterdon County Planning Board

We will keep you apprised of any updates as they progress regarding our application.

Keeping 78 scenic
Published: Thursday, September 11, 2008 8:09 AM EDT
We applaud an effort spearheaded by Lebanon Mayor Mark Paradis to try to have a stretch of Route 78 running through Warren, Hunterdon and Somerset counties designated as a scenic byway by the state. The scenic byway would encompass a 35-mile stretch of the Route 78 corridor extending from the western New Jersey border at Phillipsburg to slightly past the Route 287 interchange in Somerset County.

The effort has garnered support from more than a dozen municipalities, including Lebanon, Readington and Tewksbury Township.

We support this effort because of all the benefits that a scenic byway designation would mean for both the Route 78 corridor and the many towns along it. Such a designation would mean that a five-year corridor management plan could be developed, and the placement of billboards would be restricted.

A state designation would allow for the possibility of federal grants, which could be used to take steps to make the highway safer and develop the corridor management program.

Tourism that would give a boost to local economies for the towns along the highway is yet another benefit.

The stretch of Route 78 running through the three counties is still very scenic in many places, and isn’t marred by an abundance of unsightly billboards like many highways. This state designation would preserve the natural resources along the highway, and protect the character of the historic districts adjacent to the corridor.

We applaud the hard work of the I-78 Corridor Historic & Scenic Byway Alliance which continues to reach out to municipalities along the corridor and encourage towns to pass resolutions in support of the proposal. The alliance recently created a Web site, www.lebanonboro.com/scenicbyway/, which includes a wealth of information on the plan, along with newspaper articles and letters of support.

This is an exciting initiative with innumerable benefits, and we wish the alliance much success in its endeavor.