By JACQUELINE DURETT
Correspondent
EDISON — Councilman Joseph Coyle’s efforts to beautify the township are continuing — and likely expanding.
Coyle’s latest effort to improve Edison is the creation of a bridgescape on the ramp from Route 1 to Amboy Avenue as a decorative entrance to the Clara Barton section, which is the same section he calls home.
Coyle, who was officially elected in November after being appointed earlier this year, said this kind of work is something in his comfort zone.
“As I grow into the council, policy and finances will come. This is something I can start working on right away,” he said.
Coyle has previously led cleanup efforts in various volunteer roles prior to being named to the council.
The new bridgescape is part of the state Adopt-a-Highway program, and the state Department of Transportation recently completed clearing the area so landscaping work could be done. That work will happen in the coming weeks. BCB Bank donated the shrubs, and Sequoia Land Design is providing the landscaping services.
Coyle said that his aim is to undertake these efforts using little to no tax dollars. And because of the rules around the Adopt-a-Highway program, he said, the name of his own business — Raritan Bakery — is the one assigned to the bridgescape.
However, he stressed, that means each community will have to actively participate in the maintenance of these sites. He said it is an opportunity for each neighborhood to work together.
“It’s easier for people to take care of their 10-block radius than it is to try to tackle the whole town,” he said.
He also said that when people are invested in how their neighborhood looks, it positively impacts issues such as the crime rate.
“When people see it’s a community, they’ll behave because they know it’s a community,” he said.
He said the Clara Barton neighborhood has been a success story, pointing to its strong neighborhood preservation committee and regular events.
Coyle also said he also is working with fellow Councilman Leonard Sendelsky about updating the township’s welcome signage. He said he sees that initiative, too, being driven by donations — most likely from sponsorships by businesses and civic groups.
“We see a lot of opportunity,” he said, adding that businesses and organizations can promote themselves while also supporting the community. Coyle said, however, that he is thinking long term on this effort, and he wants those who sponsor a sign to also be responsible for maintenance of the site for as long as their name is associated with it — something he said does not happen now.
Coyle said if this project is successful, he hopes to replicate similar efforts in other areas of the township, with the Bonhamtown section likely next on his radar.
“I have a vision of building up our entryways to other bordering communities,” he said.
Coyle said he intends to present a full beautification plan to Mayor Thomas Lankey and the council early next year. He said Lankey has been supportive of his beautification efforts to date. Those plans, he said, will also be sustainable.
“I’m not interested in doing anything that won’t last,” he said.
