City to Apply for Federal Trails Grant for Passaic River Greenway

City officials are trying to rally support for a planned greenway that would open up access to the Passaic River waterfront. A task force that has been gaining momentum for the past two years is in the midst of applying for a $40,000 federal grant to remove a major obstacle to the plan.

If you happen to follow the City of Summit's Facebook page, then maybe you noticed a poll that popped up on Monday. The question brought to mind long strolls along the Passaic River along a proposed two-mile path.

The question reads:

Would you like to see a walking path created along the banks of the Passaic River? The city is considering applying for a grant to create a two-mile path along the Summit side of the river that would connect with the Chatham side to create a four-mile loop.

While only a few dozen Facebook fans replied to the question, it was an overwhelming "Yes".

Since around 2010, the city has been working on a way to get a greenway or riverfront plan into play. Even before being elected mayor, Ellen Dickson had a hand in shaping the conversation. “The River is an unappreciated resource in Summit," she told Patch.

"It is beautiful, clean and very accessible. We should enjoy it!" she said. Dickson is part of the Passaic River Greenway Taskforce, which includes business owners and city representatives from Chatham and Summit.

One major obstacle to the plan, however, involves the train line that crosses the river into Dover. "The abutment that holds the [railroad] bridge sits in the water. You would have to find a way to get around that abutment," said Summit's Marian Glenn who is also on the taskforce.

"The task force has put together a proposal to get a grant to build a foot bridge would go over the abutment. Until we can solve that problem that’s kind of an impediment, a show-stopper," she explained. Last year the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection paid out $1.28 million for 49 state trail projects.

The Facebook poll was posted to "generate some excitement" said Glenn. The taskforce has met a total of about five times. "Our meetings have been field trips. We meet with Chatham and walk along the river bank," said Glenn.

The area in question involves two counties, Union and Morris counties because the river acts as a sort of border between the two. There are some geographical challenges as well. The land on the Chatham side is flatter and more developed, said Glenn, while the Summit side is "very steep" and presents a challenge to navigate with ease.

"There’s challenges on both sides of the river," according to Glenn. "None of them is insurmountable," she said. "Getting around that railroad abutment is really the biggest challenge. So we applied for the grant to get funding for the bridge. And the rest of the trail we can work on little by little.”

The area in question goes from Stanley Park in Summit to the railroad bridge, an area that's slightly hidden, off Mount Vernon Avenue. The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife calls it Passaic River Park Glenn describes how to get to the location:

Summit has one dirt road that starts at Mount Vernon Avenue, if you're going towards Chatham. As you're driving, you pass a railroad bridge, after the bridge turn right on that dirt road and go to the end of it, and you’re in Stanley Park.

Some of the members of the Greenway committee are:

Rick Matias, the group's chairman and the city' city engineer, Ellen Dickson, Nick Minoia, a river-front property owner, Marian Glenn and David Naidu.

Glenn said an Earth Day cleanup is expected to take place along the river on April 21^st from 9 p.m. to noon. For anyone who would like to get involved with the cleanup project or who wants to volunteer to help with the Passaic River Greenway project can reach out to the Summit Environmental Commission, or contact Marian Glenn at 908-273-0968.