Middletown supports scenic byway
Twp. will cooperate with county plan for byway
BY JAMIE ROMM Staff Writer

MIDDLETOWN — The Township Committee unanimously approved a resolution at its Nov. 17 meeting giving full support to the county's plan to create a Revolutionary War scenic byway.

According to the resolution, the Monmouth County Planning Board has worked closely with the state as well as other municipalities in the county in determining ways to showcase regional as well as local, historic, cultural, scenic and natural resources to the public.

"The pursuit of a New Jersey and National Scenic Byway designation would promote more widespread recognition and appreciation of these assets and intrinsic qualities for both the township and the region," the resolution states.

"A properly administered scenic byway can provide benefits to the community by increasing general awareness of the area's historic and cultural sites, scenic roadways and environmental features by welcoming visitors to explore and share in this area's rich heritage."

The idea was first brought up by Township Planner Jason Greenspan at a meeting in September, and he said at the meeting that Middletown was an "essential link" to the byway.

The township roads that would be part of the corridor are Newman Springs Road through Middletown-Lincroft Road, including Kings Highway to Sandy Hook.

He said the township would be eligible for grant money that is available to municipalities that mark historic sites as well as create a buffer.

The resolution supports the idea that a scenic byway designation would further benefit the community by "fostering economic development that is in keeping with our preservation efforts and by providing access to federal resources improving established roadways that constitute the byway alignment."

"Designation of a regional scenic byway connecting the Upper Freehold Farmland Byway, Monmouth Battlefield, and Sandy Hook along the county's Revolutionary War Route involves a coordinated effort among the municipalities and county through which it passes," the resolution states.

"The Township of Middletown recognizes specifically that this effort involves cooperation with the county and other municipalities in the development of a Scenic Byway Nomination Package for submission to the N.J. Department of Transportation and the eventual development of a Corridor Management Plan."

The resolution states that a scenic byway formally recognized by the state is necessary in order to pursue federal assistance for access to scenic byway grants, for marketing purposes and for the preparation of a Corridor Management Plan, which will serve "as a guide to protect, preserve, enhance and assist with interpretation" along the byway.

It also states that Middletown will give the county its full cooperation and support in the creation of the 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, Red Bank, Shrewsbury Borough and Tinton Falls.

Rodriguez has said that in addition to Middletown, an interest in participating in the project has also been expressed by Atlantic Highlands, Englishtown, Freehold Township, Manalapan, Shrewsbury Borough and Tinton Falls.

In a previous interview, Rodriguez explained that there are no particular routes planned yet, and 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 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 & 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 long-established farmland.

A scenic byway is a transportation corridor such as a public road, street, highway or waterway that has regionally outstanding scenic, natural, recreational, cultural, historic or archaeologically significant intrinsic qualities that represent the uniqueness and diversity of an area.

The corridor uses these qualities to create a unifying theme to tell a story about its heritage, distinctive characteristics and beauty.

State designation of a scenic byway allows communities along such a route to apply for federal grants to help plan for the preservation, enhancement and promotion of scenic byways.

The current effort builds on the success of the county's first scenic byway, established in 2006. Working with assistance from Planning Board staff, Upper Freehold Township and Allentown earned scenic byway designation from the DOT for the Upper Freehold Historic Farmland Byway.

Subsequent to the byway designation, the Monmouth County Planning Board, with assistance from the local byway committee and the DOT, applied for and received a national scenic byway discretionary grant for $115,880 to develop a Corridor Management Plan for byway implementation, according to the press release.

The Planning Board seeks to replicate this success by encouraging towns along the historic war routes to participate in expanding the scenic byway program in the county.

The county intends to hold a series of informational outreach meetings designed to provide municipalities with a better understanding of how the scenic byway program works and what benefits accrue from participating in the program. Contact Jamie Romm at

jromm@gmnews.com.