Township Council and Trails
Committee Host Regional Trails Workshop
The Township Council,
along with the Livingston Environmental Commission
and Livingston Open Space Committee, held a regional
workshop on Thursday, January 25, 2007 to continue
the discussion and planning for the development
of trails system within and surrounding the Township.
Following
up on a workshop in October, when residents voiced
their preferences for Livingston trails and greenways,
this meeting involved Livingston residents as well
as representatives from neighboring communities
and conservation organizations. When complete,
the plan will define a system of pathways to give
Livingston residents miles of hiking and biking
paths close at hand.
At the meeting a
draft Trails Map to be included in the Livingston
Trails & Greenways
Plan was shared with over thirty people by Renee
Resky, Chair of the Livingston Environmental Commission. The
purpose of the Livingston’s Trails & Greenways
Plan is to provide recreational opportunities for
residents and connect parks, schools, neighborhoods,
historic sites and shopping areas. The Plan
will also link local trails with regional trail
systems, such as the Lenape Trail, and trails within
neighboring municipalities. The Plan is being
developed with the aid of the Morris Land Conservancy
who facilitated the January 25 meeting.
Mayor Steve Santola
and Councilwoman Arlene Johnson welcomed the invited
guests to the meeting, explained some of the
goals and benefits of the Trails & Greenways
Plan, and encouraged
the group to also focus on possible biking trails
within the town. The ultimate goals of the
program are to move Livingston towards a greener
community and give residents an additional
reason to have a sense of pride in Livingston.
By creating such connections residents of Livingston
and residents of surrounding communities will have
increased access to recreation opportunities and
stronger ties to their neighbors.
Laura Szwak of the NJ Conservation
Foundation spoke about the Garden State Greenways
project, New Jersey’s dynamic online planning
tool that identifies hubs - larger
areas of undeveloped land with important natural
resource values - and linear connectors between
these hubs. Garden State Greenways provides
a statewide vision, suggested goals, detailed maps
and powerful Geographic Information System (GIS)
data and planning tools to help coordinate efforts
of private groups and government agencies.
Livingston
Trails Committee along with representatives of
the New Jersey Green Acres Program, Morris County
Parks Commission, Newark Academy, Greater Newark
Conservancy, West Orange, East Hanover, Chatham
Borough, the Passaic River Coalition, Boy Scout
Troop 16 and the South Mountain Conservancy held
a discussion of regional connections and trail
linkages. Ideas included providing a trail
system along Canoe Brook, making pathways along
South Orange Avenue and creating a new canoe launch
along the Passaic River near the Okner Field Complex.
The Livingston Trails
Committee is made up of members of the Livingston
Environmental Commission and Livingston Open Space
Committee, Planning Board, Business Improvement
District, Transportation Committee and interested
residents. The
goals and ideas discussed at that meeting can be
viewed online under the Livingston
Environmental Commission’s current topics
web page. Another
public meeting will be held in the future to review
the draft Trails & Greenways Plan.
For
more information you can contact Renee Resky at
Livingston Town Hall at (973) 535-7957 ext. 20
or rresky@livingstonnj.org.
LIVINGSTON
LOOKS TO PUT A TRAIL IN THE MIX!
Read the Jan. 25 Star-Ledger story about
the Trails and Greenway Plan
