Plan sets lofty but worthwhile goals

One might be tempted to say it’s futile to plan for the Raritan River, peppered as its banks are with industrial sites and eyesores, to become a regional destination with a wide assortment of waterfront attractions. Or that it’s far-fetched to even dream that the stretch of river from the Raritan Bay to New Brunswick can one day become known for its maritime, recreational and entertainment assets rather than a shallow waterway with a lack of boating resources.

Middlesex County officials say otherwise.

In fact, they say that over the next 10 years steps can be taken to give the Raritan a new identity and image; to turn it into an up-river destination with greater boating opportunities; and to better orient its nearby downtown areas to the riverfronts.

OK, that sounds like a nice enough idea. One question: How in the world do you pull that off?

To answer that question, county officials have recently produced a broad set of goals and strategies in the form of an 88-page document known as the Raritan Riverfront Strategy Plan.

The plan provides a detailed explanation of existing conditions that lie between the entry to the river at Perth Amboy and South Amboy, and New Brunswick and Highland Park, known as the Up-River District.

It lays out the possibilities that county and local officials see along the banks of each municipality on the Raritan and South rivers, and explores how they can be accomplished.

In terms of cost, the only estimate presented so far was with regard to $7 million in proposed dredging work, but the strategy plan does discuss the wide spectrum of funding sources available to the various types of projects, and the guidelines of New Jersey’s redevelopment laws.

The overall plan does seem a bit far-fetched. And the argument can be made that county officials should focus more on cleaning up the river and the known contaminated sites surrounding it before they plan for development.

But this plan is necessary if a coordinated effort is to begin to bring about change. Some highlights in the plan include projects such as New Brunswick Landing, a docking area and passageway to the city’s downtown — a catalyst in bringing positive change along the river; a ferry from Edison that would connect in South Amboy; and the dredging of parts of the river to allow for recreational boaters.

In presenting this plan, the Middlesex County Improve-ment Authority has essentially taken the first step in a journey to look at the Raritan as a tremendous resource in central New Jersey that has been under-recognized and under-used, and to figure out a way to change that.

It may take decades to achieve and it may never even be fully realized, but implementation of this plan could not only make the waterfront more of a destination; it could also create a ripple effect by boosting economies in some waterfront towns and even increasing property values.

It’s a long road ahead to change the existing conditions and turn the Raritan and South rivers into a regional destination, but it seems high time that we looked at this as a possibility. Thus, it is to Middlesex County’s credit that it now has a focused plan in place to bring about change.

The region would undoubtedly benefit from what we hope will be a unified and persistent effort on the parts of our municipal and county officials in meeting these very worthwhile goals.