Livingston Trails & Greenways
Plan
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The Livingston Open
Space Committee & Livingston Environmental Commission are
working together with the aid of Morris Land Conservancy to develop
a Trails & Greenways Plan for the Township.
The Plan will be used by the municipality to identify
and design a trails and pathway system to link neighborhoods
to parks and to propose a network of interconnected "green
spaces" through a system of preserved greenways in the Township.
The design and establishment of a network of multi-use trails
and pathways will connect residents, both within and outside
of the Township, to the rich array of preserved lands and parks
in the Township and region. The proposed trails will be accessible
to hikers and, where appropriate, bicyclists, and will create
greenways that
connect neighborhoods to schools, recreational areas and parks,
shopping areas, preserved natural areas, historic and cultural
sites, and regional trail systems.
The Trails & Greenways Plan will be consistent with goals
and objectives of the Township Master Plan, Open Space and Recreation
Plan, the newly updated Circulation Element, and other policies
within the Township. The Plan will clearly promote the
goals of resource protection as outlined in the State Development
and Redevelopment Plan – protection of historic, cultural,
and scenic resources, and natural systems. The Township
owns 428 acres of parkland in the Township and is home to two
county parks totaling 414 acres (primarily West Essex Park). Nearly
one-tenth of Livingston is currently preserved parkland. Not
included in this number are the landholdings of the East Orange
Water Reserve and the New Jersey American Water Company, totaling
1,817 acres of watershed property in the Township.
The Trails/Greenways Plan will include a comprehensive description
of regional trails, trail organizations, types of trails, methods
of contraction, and a calendar of funding sources for land acquisition
and trail development. An inventory of targeted land acquisitions
will also be identified to link existing and proposed trails
and parks in the Township. Detailed maps and graphical
information will accompany the plan to identify trails and greenways
in the Township. The Plan will recommend strategies to
preserve and connect unique community features in the Township.
The Plan will include a list of action items the municipality
will want to follow to implement the Trails & Greenway Plan
in the Township.
Morris Land Conservancy is working with the Township to design
and develop the Plan. Morris Land Conservancy is a member
supported non-profit organization founded in 1981. The
Conservancy is dedicated to preserving and permanently protecting
open space lands in northern New Jersey. In the past seven
years alone the Conservancy has helped preserve more than 6,000
acres in northern New Jersey. The Conservancy has accomplished
this by working with municipalities and landowners to develop
open space and recreation plans and stewardship strategies.
The Township of Livingston was one of the 31 communities awarded
a matching Smart Growth Planning Assistance Grant from ANJEC
(Association of NJ Environmental Commissions) for the preparation
of the Trails & Greenways Plan. Matching funding for
this grant has been provided by the Township, including credit
for the in-kind services for the volunteers working on this project. ANJEC’s
Smart Growth Grant program fosters local land use planning initiatives
such as: groundwater studies; mapping of critical resources such
as streams, groundwater, wetlands and steep slopes; and environmental
reviews of municipal master plans, zoning and ordinances. Some
grants help towns cover the cost of revising zoning codes, developing
greenway, open space or farmland preservation plans, or crafting
new ordinances to protect natural resources, discourage sprawl
and create livable , pedestrian-friendly communities.
ANJEC is a statewide nonprofit organization that offers workshops,
publications, an environmental resource center, a comprehensive
web site (www.anjec.org)
and other support for municipal environmental commissioners,
officials and citizens working locally to protect the environment
and preserve natural resources.
For more information contact rresky@livingstonnj.org