Byram seeks refuge in the Highlands against 206 plans

BYRAM - Township officials continued efforts to slow down a plan to widen a 1.2-mile stretch of Route 206 through the center of town by questioning the state’s adherence to the Highlands legislation. In a letter last week to state environmental officials, the township counsel reaffirmed its commitment to the Highlands Act, which restricts development in the 850,000-acre region, which includes most of Byram. In addition, the letter challenges inconsistencies in the goals of the proposed N.J. Department of Transportation project. The council raised concerns about a number of environmental issues, including roadwork within the Highlands preservation area and impact on the area’s wetlands and streams. “As far as DOT is concerned, it is moving forward with the project and it has made that abundantly clear,” said Byram Township Manager Greg Poff. “But this is a matter of policy that speaks to broader issues relating to the town’s master plan and environmental protection initiatives.” Byram officials believe DOT has held a deaf ear to the township’s past opposition to the $26.5-million project. In September, the council passed a resolution rejecting the proposed projec, and calling for a moratorium on the planning. The project is scheduled to begin late next year. The Highlands Preservation area, which encompasses 98 percent of Byram’s 74,500 acres, is a major source of drinking water for about half the state. At first, Byram approved the Route 206 project, first proposed almost 10 years ago, but withdrew its support two years ago. Since then, it has been battling the state and county to stop the project. “Construction of this project will have a tremendous effect on the life of this community for generations to come,” the letter states. “Certainly, a project of this magnitude must comport with the act’s regulations.” DOT contends that permits for expansion of the road by up to five lanes were obtained before the Highlands legislation became law. Commissioner Jack Lettiere has said DOT plans on advancing the project expeditiously to avoid additional costs in both design and construction Lettiere has said recent development and population growth in Sussex County have only exacerbated the problem. Both sides agree the area has long needed attention to alleviate traffic congestion and dangerous intersection configurations.  The council majority supports a phased approach to the realignment of intersections, coordination of traffic lights and various pedestrian-friendly improvements to the area, which expands from Alcorn Street to the vicinity of Waterloo Village near the Byram Plaza off Lackawanna Road. But Byram Mayor Eskil “Skip” Danielson has said the township may have little choice but to accept DOT plans or risk losing millions of dollars in state aid altogether. North Byram Concerned Citizens, a community group that opposes the planned widening, believes DOT’s proposal would make Byram a drive-through town and not a place very accommodating to visitors. “I’ve seen a town polarized (over the Route 206 project),” said Poff. “The fact is, there’s a silent majority out there. I’ve talked to people who are in favor of this project and those that are adamantly opposed. But, there is a large portion out there that hasn’t been heard. It’s those extremes on either end that compete for the township’s attention.” DOT plans to move ahead with billions of dollars in highway and mass transit projects even though it does not have enough money to complete them. State transportation officials are counting on covering part of the tab with money from the budget that starts in July 2006. The Transportation Trust Fund, the program that pays for major transportation projects, however, is all but out of money, state officials have acknowledged. But despite the impending crisis, DOT has not begun to scale down its list of pending projects. Byram officials have said that the state has hinted that rejection of the DOT proposal could even jeopardize funding for future road projects in the township. Poff said township officials are scheduled to meet with DOT representatives to address issues of aesthetics including landscaping before the Dec. 5 council meeting.