Public Forum to Present Corridor Plan

A corridor management plan for the 85-mileEssex Heritage Scenic Byway would strengthen the North Shore economy by attracting visitors and would preserve its history, said one of its planners Bill Steelman.

The plan, once finalized in March, will enable the 13 coastal communities through which the byway passes to apply for federal grants, said Steelman, director of  Heritage Development.

Marblehead and Swampscott residents can weigh in on the corridor plan at a public forum Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in Room B129 at . Another forum will be held in Marblehead on Monday, Jan. 31, at Abbott Public Library.    

Planners will review the plan, field questions and listen to comments at the forum.

The public meeting is a prerequisite for the corridor plan to be finalized. 

 The next step , after the plan is done, will be to form a committee whose members will prioritize needs in Scenic Byways' 13 communities.

The byway, which was designated in 2003, extends through Lynn, Swampscott, Marblehead, Salem, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Beverly, Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Ipswich, Rowley, Newbury and Newburyport.

Nationally, there are 1,500 scenic byways; in Massachusetts, there are 15.

The Essex byway program's two primary goals are to enhance the economy and preserve historical assets, Steelman said.

The byway includes 55 national historic sites, he said.

Last week, a similar public forum was