BY MICHAEL OLOHAN
OF NORTHERN VALLEY PRESS
DEMAREST, N.J.—A meeting to solicit public input on preliminary designs and studies for the proposed 7.4-mile Northern Valley Greenway will be held Tuesday, March 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. at Northern Valley Regional High School in Demarest.
In case of inclement weather, the meeting will occur March 7, 5 to 8 p.m. at the same location.
A previous meeting scheduled for Jan. 29 was cancelled due to a predicted snowstorm.
The public meeting will be the only opportunity for public officials and residents to comment on the initial three designs and draft studies prepared by a planning consultant, NV5, contracted by the state Department of Transportation to study the feasibility of a future greenway.
A final report by NV5 is due in spring 2019.
The NJDOT planning effort kicked off in August 2018 when the state Department of Transportation agreed to work with the interlocal greenway efforts and contracted with NV5, a Parsippany planning and technical consultant, to undertake greenway planning studies.
“We are all looking forward to finally getting the public input,” said Northern Valley Greenway project team leader Andrew Mikesh Feb. 14.
Mikesh said the meeting would offer a look at preliminary designs and studies and include draft study findings, local challenges, infrastructure challenges, wetland studies “and whatever has been done so far by the NJDOT consultant [NV5].”
Mikesh said several greenway design alternatives will be available to view and greenway officials hope to solicit public questions and comment.
“This is the first draft study to show how this might be feasible and to gather input for future planning and studies,” he added.
In early February, Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes said he met with Mikesh to discuss a possible role for Englewood in planning and benefitting from a future greenway.
Mikesh has said he welcomes working with and engaging the 17 communities who have expressed an interest in the greenway efforts.
Currently, the CSX rail line that runs through Englewood is an active freight line, while the 7.4-mile-long CSX-owned line that begins at the Tenafly border and runs through six towns to the Northvale border with New York is not in use for rail service.
The proposed greenway traverses six towns including Tenafly, Cresskill, Demarest, Closter, Norwood and Northvale, where it may eventually connect to existing rail trails in New York State.
In addition to the “core” six towns bisected by the greenway, Mikesh said 11 additional towns will be invited to participate in planning efforts, and many have passed resolutions of support.
These include Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Rockleigh, Alpine, Teaneck, Bergenfield, Dumont, Haworth, Emerson, Harrington Park and Old Tappan.
“I am looking forward to getting those towns excited and involved in this process,” said Mikesh.
At the public input meeting, attendees will view preliminary greenway study findings that report environmental constraints, opportunities for a greenway, and future considerations related to construction and permitting requirements, said Anthony Sytko, a DOT regional manager working on state greenway planning efforts.
Initially, the Northern Valley Greenway efforts were kicked off in 2016 by Haworth teenager Alexander Philliou, who wanted to create a safe biking and walking corridor after being affected by the death of a 13-year-old boy who was killed while biking to school.
He proposed to repurpose the unused rail line owned by CSX as a safe corridor for hiking and biking.
His efforts were endorsed and adopted by area Rotary Clubs and an interlocal Northern Valley Greenway committee of six towns who passed resolutions of support. In addition, the interlocal greenway committee—under Tenafly Rotary Club’s not-for-profit charitable organization—conducts public outreach and fundraising efforts to promote the greenway.
In Tenafly, the Borough Council recently discussed an idea to turn Tenafly into a “gateway” to the greenway, and although specifics were few, the council agreed a future discussion could occur on the topic.
Mikesh called such proactive community planning efforts “a great idea…something that would enhance everybody’s ability to implement an overall community asset going forward.”
Fundraising efforts by the Northern Valley Greenway project had tallied $31,936 of a $50,000 goal as of Feb. 14.
The project’s website notes the future greenway may include walking, jogging and bike trails, seating, refreshment kiosks, dog parks, exercise stations and art. The fundraising efforts include a friendly competition between towns and are set aside for efforts to jump-start greenway future planning.
“Even with wide community, business and government support, we still need you, your ideas, your support and your feedback to shape what’s next. Your greenway, your way,” states the website.