Delaware

1
Delaware Raritan Canal Conference Highlights
Recommendations

• Dr. Martin A. Bierbaum, Director
• The Municipal Land Use Center _at_
• The College of New Jersey
• McCauley House
• Ewing, New Jersey, 08628

2
Conference Planning

• Preliminary Meetings (August 2004 November 2004)
• Meet DR Canal Commission Director Staff
• Assess Feasibility
• Identify Stakeholders/Partners
• Contact Mayors Douglas Palmer, Pamela Mount,
  Phyllis Marchand
• Contact Linda Bob Barth
• Conceptual Planning Meetings (December 2004
  January 2005)
• Contact N.J. Historical Commission Dr. Howard
  Green, Dr. Richard Hunter
• Contact former Senator Ray Bateman
• Contact Mr. Thomas X. Grasso, President, Canal
  Society of N.Y. President, Inland Waterways
  International.
• Identify Agree on Workshops Regional Planning
  Models, Natural Resource Protection, Healthy
  Active Living, Eco-tourism, Trenton
  Redevelopment, Local Experiences.
• Logistical Planning Meetings (February 2005-May
  2005)
• Execute Conference Plans (June 1, 2005)

3
The Sessions

• Morning Sessions
• History of the DR Canal
• The Establishment of the DR Canal State Park
• The History of the DR Canal
• Luncheon Guest
• Mr. Ernie Hahn, Director
• DR Canal Commission
• A Status Report
• Afternoon Sessions
• 6 Workshops devoted to the Canals Present
  Future Promise
• Evening
• Celebration
• Speakers (2)
• Music
• Food

4
Workshop Findings

• Regional Framework
• Healthy Active Living
• Natural Resource Protection
• Eco-Tourism
• Neighbors Local Experiences
• Rediscovering Trenton

5
Regional Framework

• Drew Comparisons among the DR Canal, New Jersey
  Meadowlands and New Jersey Pinelands--
• a) Similarities
• Partnerships are important, e.g., University
  partnerships, partnerships with school systems.
• Science-based facts are important to drive
  policies.
• Ongoing Monitoring Evaluation are essential.
• All engage in balancing economic development and
  natural resource protection.
• b) Major difference
• The disparity in funding and staff resources
  available to the three entities is obvious.

6
Healthy Active Living

• Presented data to make connections between
  Lifestyle Public Health Issues.
• Employed Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as
  DR Canal planning tool.
• Identified real potential DR Canal
  Recreational Opportunities.
• Improve DR Canal access at appropriate
  locations.
• Increase signage.
• Provide ancillary activities and facilities at
  appropriate locations, e.g., kiosks, rest rooms,
  compatible retail.
• Partner with adjacent and neighboring school
  systems.

7
Natural Resource Protection

• Recognize DR Canal as an important Water Supply
  Resource for Central Jersey.
• Protect DR Canal from non-point source
  pollution.
• Develop a DR Canal-related water quality data
  base, with a baseline and performance targets.
• Employ a Strategic Approach in acquiring land in
  proximity to the Canal.
• Consider a water quality tax to raise DR
  Canal-related revenues.
• Improve public communications to raise public
  awareness of the importance of the DR Canal as a
  valuable natural and cultural resource.

8
Eco-Tourism

• Ways to make the DR Canal more attractive for
  Eco-Tourism
• Devise Implement DR Canal Eco-Tourism
  Strategic Plan.
• Form a Mayors Council and State Legislative
  Caucus to assist in devising implementing that
  plan.
• Market the DR Canal, e.g., festivals, rallies.
• Devise and distribute materials that tell the
  story of the DR Canal in accurate effective
  ways.
• Locate advertise canoe/kayak liveries along the
  Canal, while also exploring the feasibility of
  other boat types on the DR Canal.
• Install boat ramps at portages to create a
  canoe/kayak trail.
• Publicize bridges their elevations on the DR
  Canal website.
• Install swing bridges, upgrade locks.
• Renovate DR Canal-related buildings and
  celebrate the completions of those renovations.
• Employ a staff person charged with Eco-tourism/
  Economic Sustainable Development
  responsibilities.
• Consider a flush tax to help fund these
  initiatives.

9
Neighbors Local Experiences

• Means to encourage local beneficial uses of the
  DR Canal improve neighbor relationships
• Engage the public through Educational Campaigns,
  Partnerships with School Systems and Planned
  Tours.
• Add Rest Room Facilities.
• Increase Security at appropriate locations.
• Address Traffic Congestion, Traffic Calming
  Issues Parking issues.
• Pursue Secure Corporate Sponsorships.
• Make the City of Trenton a priority.

10
Rediscovering Trenton

• Urban Design Studio
• Explored Reasons for DR Canals Underutilization
  throughout the City of Trenton
• Discussed ways that DR Canal might be used to
  anchor redevelopment in the City of Trenton
• Identified Four Potential Redevelopment Sites
  devised redevelopment conceptual designs
• Village Charter School
• Hermitage Avenue
• East Section of Trenton
• Perry Street near the State parking lot

11
Evening Celebration

• Hon. Gregg Rackin, Mayor, Stockton Borough Host
  
• Former NJDEP Commissioner Jerry English, Esq.
  On The DR Canal Commissions Early Days
• Dean James W. Hughes, Edward J. Bloustein School
  for Planning Public Policy, Rutgers University
  On the growing importance of the DR Canal as
  a valuable resource during Central Jerseys
  growth during the Post WW II Period

12
DR Canal Conference De-brief July 12, 2005

• Continue subsequent DR Canal Conferences on a
  regular basis.
• Focus attention on the need for stronger
  commitment by the State of New Jersey, especially
  the New Jersey Department of Environmental
  Protection (NJDEP), to the DR Canal.
• Recommend increased funding, while highlighting
  the disparity in resources among the three State
  regional planning entities.
• Spotlight the need for additional DR Canal
  Staff, e.g., economic development, land
  acquisition, public education and City of Trenton
  Community/Canal organizer.
• Convene a DR Canal Mayors Forum.
• Convene a DR Canal Legislative Caucus.
• Underline the importance of a Strategic Plan that
  includes effective strategies, policies, programs
  and projects for specific DR Canal segments
  including projects for particular municipalities.
  
• Place special priority on the DR Canal segment
  in Trenton, concentrating on ways that the DR
  Canal might anchor neighborhood redevelopment.

13
DR Canal Conference De-brief (Continued) July
12, 2005

• Devise and implement a DR Canal Interpretive
  Signage Program that includes cultural,
  historical and water quality features.
• Consider the use of boats on the DR Canal, along
  with the improvement of repairs and upgrades to
  locks and the establishment of liveries in
  appropriate locations.
• Establish in collaboration with the New Jersey
  Department of Community Affairs (NJ DCA) a DR
  Canal training session/course for municipal
  Construction Code Officials.
• Employ GIS to educate school children and the
  public about the DR Canal.
• Install water monitoring stations at appropriate
  locations and build a water quality data base
  with baseline, goals and targets.
• While acknowledging that communications and
  coordination are good among the Canal Commission,
  the New Jersey Water Supply Authority and the New
  Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
  Division of Parks Forestry, improved
  communication and coordination are always
  possible.

14
Special Thanks for Sponsoring the Conference --

• Clarke, Caton, Hintz Planning Consultants
• Delaware Raritan Greenway Land Trust
• Ethicon, Inc. A Johnson Johnson Company
• New Jersey Water Supply Authority
• Princeton Forrestal Center
• Princeton University
• The College of New Jersey
• Trenton Country Club
• View photos of the day's festivities

15
Swimming at the Griggstown Bridge over the canal.
c. 1900Courtesy of the Griggstown Historical
Society