Living in Dryden

Varna speeds and Mt. Varna height both decline

I was marveling today about running across the following pieces in a 1999 Varna Community Association revitalization proposal:

Another area at the corner of Freese Rd and Rt 366 has been used for dumping fill and wood chips. The owner of this property has been in frequent violation of Town nuisance ordinances and has been ordered closed on more than one occasion. Nevertheless, the Town has granted the owner a special permit to use the property in said fashion assuming he makes an effort to conceal the site with vegetation and restrict access for safety reasons. Still this facility is immediately adjacent to residential properties which necessarily are robbed of peace and quiet when the site is in operation....

Two years ago about 100 signatures were secured by petition to ask that the Town petition the State to have speed limits reduced by 5 to 10 mph throughout the hamlet. The greatest felt need was to reduce the 40 mph zone to 30 mph from just east of the commercial center by Mt. Pleasant Rd to the Lucente apartments near the western boundary. While the town did act on the hamlet's request, the State has failed to take any action...

Objectives

1. Continue to promote speed limit and traffic calming measures with the State DOT. Reducing the speed limit to 30 mph in the designated commercial revitalization zones and densest part of the community would greatly enhance safety for pedestrians and traffic trying to enter the driving lanes from residential and commercial driveways.
2. Restripe the roadway to include a no passing zone through the designated commercial revitalization zones.

A decade later, these issues are finally resolving:

• The passing zone disappeared last fall,
• speed limit signs were posted this week lowering the speed to 30mph through downtown Varna, and
• the height of the fill dump, which was never particularly concealed and has sometimes been called Mount Varna, is finally declining.

Newly posted 30mph signs in Varna.

Mount Varna in October.

Mount Varna today.

Ten years is a long time, but a lot of the same people who wrote that document saw it through despite the difficulties. Perseverance can pay off.

(And for those more concerned with their wallets, I should report that the State Police have enjoyed their new Varna hunting grounds for the last few days.)