Next Steps in Westfield’s Controversial Bike Trail Project not Expected Until 2021

WESTFIELD, NJ — Subsequent steps within the improvement of mountain bike trails in Brightwood Park are usually not anticipated till 2021, because the city consults with the state to find out the mission’s feasibility, municipal officers stated.

The proposal, which has prompted residents’ opposition, would have volunteers from the Jersey Off Highway Bicycling Affiliation reroute present trails within the 44-acre Inexperienced Acres park and designate a major loop round a pond for hikers solely.

“There’s a bunch of state associated and DEP [Department of Environmental Protection] work and Inexperienced Acres work that’s wanted to be carried out to ensure the mission can be possible,” stated Recreation Fee member Brad Rothenberg. “It’s going to be tabled till the due diligence course of is accomplished [to] be sure that it’s a possible mission earlier than we spend a whole lot of time debating whether or not it’s a great mission to do or not.”

The debating, nonetheless, has already begun. The Friends of Brightwood Park have argued the mission would negatively impression the park’s ecology and disturb the expertise for birders and walkers by encouraging mountain biking. Proponents of the plan dispute this assertion.

Rothenberg stated the proposed bike trails is not going to be on the agenda for this Monday’s recreation fee assembly.

Councilman Scott Katz, liaison to the recreation fee, stated the state approval course of is to make sure the mountain bike trails are created on correct land.

“We’re submitting an utility with the New Jersey Division of Environmental Safety to request a watershed land administration pre-application assembly to help the city in requesting a letter of interpretation for potential identification of any regulated areas comparable to wetlands, buffer zones and mapped habitats,” he stated.

Katz stated he didn’t know as to when the city would hear again from the DEP. Rothenberg estimated that the subsequent steps would come by 2021, the soonest.

“Nothing goes to occur between now and the tip of the 12 months. Definitely, no path will get carried out this 12 months,” he stated.

City officers have been hesitant to name it a delay.

“It’s a course of we knew we must go ahead with,” Katz stated.

Email: danieljustinhan@gmail.com | Twitter: @danieljhan_ | Instagram: @D.han

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