Wachusett (Route 122) Scenic Byway

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Preparation of the Management Plan

This project will result in a management plan for the Route 122 Scenic Byway in Central MA. The Byway is roughly 20 miles in length and covers the communities of Paxton, Rutland, Oakham, Barre and Petersham. The Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC) will coordinate and administer this effort.

Route 122 is part of the State of Massachusetts Scenic Byway Program. CMPRC received a grant from the federal Scenic Byway Program (Federal Highway Administration) to prepare a management plan for the Route 122 Byway. The federal program provided $88,000 and MassHighway matched this with an additional $22,000, for a total project cost of $110,000. The project will take two years to complete, with December 2008 as a tentative end date.

What the Scenic Byway Program Is:

A Source of Funding for Management Plans: The Program allows communities along a Byway to plan amenities for the roadway in an integrated and comprehensive approach. CMPRC has obtained a grant to prepare the management plan for the Route 122 Scenic Byway and this process has just begun.

A Source of Funding for Byway Enhancements: Once a Scenic Byway Management Plan has been prepared, the communities along the Byway can apply for funding to construct the physical improvements recommended in the Plan. Thus, the true nature of the Scenic Byway Program is similar to an enhancement program. Routine roadway maintenance and reconstruction are not eligible for implementation funds; rather, implementation money is most often used for improvement projects such as: improving links to nearby recreation areas, installation of historic markers, town common improvements, off-road parking areas, informational kiosks, scenic vista preservation, etc.

What the Program Is Not:

This program has absolutely no impact on private property rights. The program is not at all akin to a local Scenic Road designation that can impose restrictions on private lands abutting a scenic road – such as tree removal or altering stonewalls. The Scenic Byway Program is simply another avenue for obtaining funds for improvement projects along the roadway, one based on a management plan that has been informed through significant public participation.

Project Tasks: The Byway Management Plan will include the following tasks:

• Stakeholder Interviews: The Byway’s various stakeholders will be interviewed to list their concerns and gather information about the Byway’s many resources.
• Inventory, Assessment and Analysis: CMRPC will prepare an inventory and an assessment of the byway's resources (scenic, historical, archeological, natural, cultural and recreational).
• Public Outreach and Goal Setting: At this point, CMRPC will convene a series of public workshops to keep the citizens informed of the project’s progress and solicit their input.
• Policies, Plans and Recommendations: The Plan will conclude with a set of recommendations intended to enhance and improve the byway experience. These recommendations will include regulatory and non-regulatory ideas as well as on-the-ground physical improvement projects along the byway.
• Prepare, print, publicize and distribute the final plan.