I-78 Scenic Byway Proposal

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 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 »

Alpha: No scenic labels
Borough council nixes joining other communities in designation for I-78.
Page 2 of 1

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.

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.

The August 2008 monthly Scenic America newsletter “Scenic Overlook” gave mention to the I-78 Corridor Historic and Scenic Byway Alliance.  Read the newsletter here -

Read the rest of this entry »

Scenic byway designation is sought for Route 78 corridor

By CLAIRE KNAPP, Contributing Writer
Published: Thursday, August 14, 2008 8:45 AM EDT

LEBANON - Local officials are spearheading a campaign to protect the rural nature along a 35-mile stretch of the Interstate Route 78 corridor from the western New Jersey border into Bridgewater Township, just past the Route 287 interchange by having it named a scenic byway.

Lebanon Mayor Mark Paradis, who started the campaign, said that the effort has so far earned the support of 15 municipalities in three counties. At first, only towns in Warren and Hunterdon counties were going to be involved, but then it was realized the state already had a scenic lookout off the westbound lane within Bridgewater Township in Somerset County. When contacted, Bridgewater was interested.

“In April we met in Lebanon with representatives of the state Department of Transportation (DOT) about the state designation,” said Paradis. “All of our state legislators came. I was amazed at the number of people interested in this. It was standing room only.”

One result of obtaining the scenic byway designation from the state is that a five-year corridor management plan would be developed for the roadway, as well as the state-owned buffer areas on each side, guaranteeing the bucolic views so many are able to enjoy as they drive through the area’s countryside. It will also restrict the placement of what many consider to be “unsightly” billboards.

Monumental Task

Paradis said preparing the application for scenic byway designation has been a monumental task, but one he has enjoyed immensely.

“I’ve met so many interested and knowledgeable people in the process,” said Paradis. “I’ve also learned a lot. For instance, we have obtained documentation from the state that Route 78 largely follows what was originally an old Indian footpath.”

Another piece of history Paradis had been unaware of is that Round Valley, once fertile farmland and now one of the state’s largest and deepest reservoirs, is the remnant of an ancient volcano. That is what created the natural horseshoe shape of the current ridgeline.

“It is believed there are still iron ore deposits on its ridges,” said Paradis. “Iron ore was one of the natural materials that helped develop this area of the state, because it was used by foundries to make cannonballs during the Revolutionary War.”

Once the state designation is in place, officials hope to seek the same designation on the national level. However even if that is not accomplished, the state designation will allow access to federal grants that can be used to develop the corridor management plan and install needed safety mechanisms to make the road safer.

Two other benefits can be derived from tourism and local planning.

“Greenwich Township has actually used this and built it into their Master Plan,” said Paradis. “That can serve to enhance protection of nearby lands when development is being considered.”

As for tourism, Paradis said the scenic byway group wants to market a lot of the small hamlets located along the corridor.

Helps Local Economy

“We have lovely little towns like Stewartsville, Asbury, and our own Lebanon that people speed by without even knowing they are there,” said Paradis. “Enhancing tourism helps the local economy.”

Paradis said the short term objectives of the I-78 Corridor Historic and Scenic Byway Alliance, the name by which the group is known, is to build a strong advocacy group, attend meetings of local municipalities and organizations to gain maximum support of the proposal, and ensure resolutions of support are provided by stakeholder communities and agencies.

Long term, the group has begun creating a Web site and blog where residents can track the process, submit the completed Scenic Byway nomination application, apply for grants, connect the past with the future through their historic research, and establish each of the stakeholder counties and municipalities along the corridor as destinations with various intrinsic qualities that are historical, scenic, cultural, recreational, natural and archaeological in nature.

Paradis said although the Scenic Byways program is administered through state DOT, byways must be locally nominated and supported.

“This grass-roots approach ensures a strong local commitment to the promotion and long-term preservation of a highway corridor that is officially designated as a scenic byway,” said Paradis.

On the group’s Web site, of which Paradis is webmaster, he said, “Scenic byways promote partnerships between local governments, businesses, civic groups and community leaders.”

“It serves to strengthen civic pride and makes communities an even more attractive place to live and work,” said Paradis. “It also serves to identify an area’s scenic, historical and recreational treasures for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Additional information about the scenic byway plan as well as continual progress updates can be obtained by clicking on “scenic byway” through Lebanon’s Web site at www.lebanon.com.

“We encourage people to visit the website, especially the blog,” said Paradis. “It will keep everyone informed and give them an opportunity to be more involved.”
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