Post by novillero on Aug 12, 2008 21:04:24 GMT -5
Monmouth towns can join new Revolutionary byway
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer
Monmouth County officials have invited 16 communities to participate in the development of a Revolutionary War scenic byway.
According to Zunilda Rodriguez, principal planner in the Long-Range Planning Department of the Monmouth County Planning Department, the 16 municipalities invited to participate are: Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Englishtown, Fair Haven, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Highlands, Holmdel, Little Silver, Manalapan, Marlboro, Middletown, Millstone Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough and Tinton Falls.
Of those municipalities, Rodriguez said, Atlantic Highlands, Englishtown, Freehold Township, Manalapan, Shrewsbury Borough and Tinton Falls have expressed an interest in participating in the project.
Rodriguez explained that there is no particular route planned at this point, and that the theme of the route, the Revolutionary War, came from looking at historical maps of pre-Revolutionary War routes and connecting them close to the 16 municipalities.
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Internet Web site, scenic byways "represent the uniqueness and diversity of the state, and together the byways tell stories about New Jersey's history, heritage, recreational opportunities and beauty."
Erin Phalon, DOT spokeswoman, said the benefits of a municipality being part of a scenic byway are numerous.
"The benefits include installation of byway signs, recognition of scenic value, it increases tourism, it is beneficial for planning resources and protection of scenic areas, it helps manage growth, and improves promotion and marketing of the municipality," she said. "Scenic byways lend a glimpse into a town's archaeological, scenic, natural, recreational, cultural and historical aspects."
Monmouth County has already taken a step toward providing a historic glimpse into the area's farmland.
"Monmouth County already has one scenic byway that is in Allentown and Upper Freehold," Rodriguez explained. "This [new] Revolutionary War scenic byway will be established in collaboration with the municipalities and the state. The state actually is the agency that reviews the byway plans. The county is really just a facilitator. It is really municipality and state-driven."
According to Rodriguez, the state of New Jersey already has five scenic byways.
The byways listed on the DOT Web site are:
• the Delaware River Scenic Byway, which is on Route 29 and travels through Lambertville and other Delaware River towns;
• the Millstone Valley Byway, which is in Somerset County and offers views of the Delaware and Raritan Canal;
• the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which provides a scenic 42-mile drive from New Jersey by way of the George Washington Bridge with views of the New York City skyline and the Hudson River;
• the Southern Pinelands National Heritage trail, offering a ride through areas of natural beauty;
• and the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway, which gives travelers a glimpse of some of New Jersey's longestablished farmland.
"A byway can be anything, really," Rodriguez said. "It can be a local road or a county or state highway. It can even be a federal road. But each municipality that the byway runs through is responsible for a corridor management plan."
A corridor management plan, Rodriguez said, could be compared to a mini master plan.
"Basically, it decides who is responsible for what," Rodriguez said. "How the route is going to be marketed, signs, upkeep, finances and staffing are all addressed in a corridor management plan. The corridor management plan allows you to flesh out how this program can come to fruition."
As for financing a project like this, Rodriguez said the scenic byway in Allentown and Upper Freehold took almost three years to complete and was funded with grants from the federal government.
"They were actually able to secure $115,000 to develop their corridor management plan and implementation," Rodriguez said.
The municipalities must submit an application to the state, and the New Jersey Scenic Byways Advisory Committee will then review the application and make recommendations to the DOT commissioner, who has the final say. After approval, the municipalities have to create the plan for the byway and submit the plan within five years of their application.
After a corridor management plan is approved, the DOT will provide scenic byway signs to be placed along the route. Municipalities are responsible for conserving the scenic qualities of the byway or face loss of designation of the route by the state.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/0813/front_page/029.html
BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer
Monmouth County officials have invited 16 communities to participate in the development of a Revolutionary War scenic byway.
According to Zunilda Rodriguez, principal planner in the Long-Range Planning Department of the Monmouth County Planning Department, the 16 municipalities invited to participate are: Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Englishtown, Fair Haven, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Highlands, Holmdel, Little Silver, Manalapan, Marlboro, Middletown, Millstone Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough and Tinton Falls.
Of those municipalities, Rodriguez said, Atlantic Highlands, Englishtown, Freehold Township, Manalapan, Shrewsbury Borough and Tinton Falls have expressed an interest in participating in the project.
Rodriguez explained that there is no particular route planned at this point, and that the theme of the route, the Revolutionary War, came from looking at historical maps of pre-Revolutionary War routes and connecting them close to the 16 municipalities.
According to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) Internet Web site, scenic byways "represent the uniqueness and diversity of the state, and together the byways tell stories about New Jersey's history, heritage, recreational opportunities and beauty."
Erin Phalon, DOT spokeswoman, said the benefits of a municipality being part of a scenic byway are numerous.
"The benefits include installation of byway signs, recognition of scenic value, it increases tourism, it is beneficial for planning resources and protection of scenic areas, it helps manage growth, and improves promotion and marketing of the municipality," she said. "Scenic byways lend a glimpse into a town's archaeological, scenic, natural, recreational, cultural and historical aspects."
Monmouth County has already taken a step toward providing a historic glimpse into the area's farmland.
"Monmouth County already has one scenic byway that is in Allentown and Upper Freehold," Rodriguez explained. "This [new] Revolutionary War scenic byway will be established in collaboration with the municipalities and the state. The state actually is the agency that reviews the byway plans. The county is really just a facilitator. It is really municipality and state-driven."
According to Rodriguez, the state of New Jersey already has five scenic byways.
The byways listed on the DOT Web site are:
• the Delaware River Scenic Byway, which is on Route 29 and travels through Lambertville and other Delaware River towns;
• the Millstone Valley Byway, which is in Somerset County and offers views of the Delaware and Raritan Canal;
• the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which provides a scenic 42-mile drive from New Jersey by way of the George Washington Bridge with views of the New York City skyline and the Hudson River;
• the Southern Pinelands National Heritage trail, offering a ride through areas of natural beauty;
• and the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway, which gives travelers a glimpse of some of New Jersey's longestablished farmland.
"A byway can be anything, really," Rodriguez said. "It can be a local road or a county or state highway. It can even be a federal road. But each municipality that the byway runs through is responsible for a corridor management plan."
A corridor management plan, Rodriguez said, could be compared to a mini master plan.
"Basically, it decides who is responsible for what," Rodriguez said. "How the route is going to be marketed, signs, upkeep, finances and staffing are all addressed in a corridor management plan. The corridor management plan allows you to flesh out how this program can come to fruition."
As for financing a project like this, Rodriguez said the scenic byway in Allentown and Upper Freehold took almost three years to complete and was funded with grants from the federal government.
"They were actually able to secure $115,000 to develop their corridor management plan and implementation," Rodriguez said.
The municipalities must submit an application to the state, and the New Jersey Scenic Byways Advisory Committee will then review the application and make recommendations to the DOT commissioner, who has the final say. After approval, the municipalities have to create the plan for the byway and submit the plan within five years of their application.
After a corridor management plan is approved, the DOT will provide scenic byway signs to be placed along the route. Municipalities are responsible for conserving the scenic qualities of the byway or face loss of designation of the route by the state.
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/0813/front_page/029.html
