This article on empty office parks in Chicago and the challenges of reusing that space reminds me once again of the mostly-dead NYSEG building on the 13/366 intersection....
This will inconvenience a few folks used to stopping there for coffee and gas, but it may also improve traffic flow along 13 for commuters - temporarily. XtraMart closed temporarily for expansion to Dunkin Donuts. I missed the Town Board...
Some days I just don't get it. I heard from a friend on Facebook that she'd seen dead ducks and geese on Lower Creek, and wasn't able to get anyone in government to take a look. I went over -...
"All those enviros who think they know better than the rest of us, they should just listen to the market" - or something like that - isn't too unusual a comment in the culture war side of the pro-fracking folks...
I don't go as often as I used to, but I'm still a fairly frequent customer at the Freeville XtraMart on the 13/366 overlap. Visiting regularly means getting to know at least some of the people there, reading the signs,...
It's been a long time since I last wrote about missing Freeville XtraMart manager Bethanie "Buffy" Dougherty, but a poster looking for her has stayed up at the XtraMart all that time: Looking for Bethany Dougherty. Recently, a donation jar...
A few months ago, David Makar made the mistake of venturing into my avalanche-prone office. Out of the many things available to complain about, he noticed my growing pile of unrecyclable coffee cups. I've been visting the XtraMart on the...
This morning's Ithaca Journal notes that the new VA facility on Route 13 is looking for volunteer drivers to bring patients there. VA clinic on Route 13/366. TC3 is preparing for even more bad news from the New York State...
Today's snow seems aimed right at early morning commuting, and roads are the whitest I've seen on a workday in a while. Route 13 and 366 overlap in the snow....
I have about fifteen Living in Dryden stories bouncing in my head wanting to come out, and no time to write them. For now, here's a quick catch-up with the Ithaca Journal. Can you help a veteran? The new VA...
The Ithaca Journal reports that the Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in Cortland is moving to Dryden, where it will serve residents of Tompkins and Cortland Counties. They describe it as being near Phoenix Used Books, but given the construction activity...
The Route 13/366 Corridor Study, for all its flaws, attempts to sell a vision of Dryden. One key piece that it tries to sell is a new "nodal development" east of the NYSEG building, along the 13/366 intersection. The description...
Does anyone know what's up with this teepee on the Route 13/366 overlap? I had thought the sign said "restricted area", like a Posted sign, but it seems to say "recreation area". I've been up in those woods once when...
In an earlier post, I wrote that: The hamlet zoning density blasted up from a little over four to as much as ten units per acre, while still specifying, well, little vision for what a hamlet should look like. They...
If putting dense-ish semi-suburban developments outside of cities is a bad idea, and creating them requires deeply disruptive cataclysmic change, how did we come to a point where nodal development seems like a great idea to mostly well-intentioned people in...
[Update: I no longer think this is a good idea. See the category listing for more information on why. This piece in particular is a concise summary.] [This is long - it's a complex subject and a couple of years...
This morning's Journal reports that the County is considering the old NYSEG building as a new home for the Health Department. As convenient as that would be for me - I need to call them to find out if they...
People in Dryden frequently complain when you threaten to put a trail across their property. I was happy tonight to see that the Route 13/366 Corridor Study plan shows a new trail going across my lot, something I'd never have...
The question of what would happen to Wilcox Press has been solved: it's transforming into Vanguard Printing, following a buyout by a company co-owned by a former Wilcox Press CEO. There's no word on the impact on jobs, for better...
This morning's Journal leads with a story announcing layoffs at Wilcox Press: Wilcox Press is laying off 53 of its 165 employees on a temporary basis as it seeks refinancing to weather competitive pressures in the commercial printing industry, the...
The Dryden Town Historical Society will be gathering at the Plantation Inn this Sunday to talk about the history of a part of town that's currently growing rapidly: Robertson's Corners, around the intersections 366 has with Baker Hill Road and...
In what I'm guessing will be the first of a series of grand openings for businesses near the 13/366 intersection, Stone Travel held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to mark the opening of its new office at 1284 Dryden Road, at...
I've been slack in covering the Dryden Courier lately, and I should cover it while it's still available. This week, it's even been available for free at the XtraMart at the Sunoco station on the Route 13/366 overlap with any...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the County Legislature approved applying for an Empire Zone that includes part of the Town of Dryden as well as Lansing and the City of Ithaca. County Legislators Martha Robertson, Mike Lane, and George...
The sign by the hydroponic lettuce facility changed recently, and now includes a web site address where you can find out more about what goes on across Route 13 from the old NYSEG building. New sign for hydroponic grower. Hydroponic...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports that the Ithaca City School District voted 6-2 last night to implement a plan moving 23 students in Varna from Cayuga Heights Elementary School to Caroline. I need to take a look when new maps...
On Tuesday, I went to a subcommittee meeting of the Ithaca Tompkins County Transportation Committee (ITCTC) that discussed the possibility of building park-and-rides around the county to reduce the number of cars driving into Cornell University every day. They discussed...
I've seen the Sheriff's Department trailer that reports the speeds of passing cars on 13 before, but rarely in Dryden. (It was at the Pyramid Mall last week.) I was happy to see it on 13's 45mph zone in Dryden...
After reaching the Ithaca line on 366 heading west, I decided to cover the Route 13/366 overlap area next. First up: a large employer, Wilcox Press. Wilcox Press (map) I've heard a few times that taxpayers in the Dryden Central...
There's a lot going on along the overlap of Routes 13 and 366 lately. I'd mentioned the Town Board giving approval to Marrotte to put up a two-car garage, and that's largely up now. The Marrotte garage under construction Down...
If I had a big sign on the highway, I'd probably come up with some interesting messages too. The folks at Locke Woods Interiors on the 13/366 overlap have a new sales pitch for the world to consider. Low-carb kitchen...
This morning's Ithaca Journal reports a rollover on Hanshaw Road north of Neimi Road that injured two women while two children avoided injury. There is also a chicken barbecue today at the Freeville United Methodist Church (map). Police arrested a...
The Town Board is meeting tonight at 7pm at the Dryden Town Hall (map). The agenda is available. Highlights include two public hearings affecting the Route 13/366 overlap area, discussion of a new town hall, a report from Town Attorney...
Today's Ithaca Journal legal notices include: a hearing of the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency on June 28th at 10am at the Dryden Town Hall (map) to consider assisting Ithaca Produce's move to new facilities at 150 Johnson Road (map)....
Apparently the siren I heard yesterday while writing about the Ithaca Journal's coverage of roads in winter was in fact on its way to an accident, just a short way up the road from my house near the intersection of...
Robertson Cemetery appears to be named for Captain George Robertson and his family. Robertson was the first permanent settler, the first town supervisor, and seems to have been a rather benevolent man as well, according to George Goodrich....
I knew there was an old cemetery around the corner from me on Baker Hill Road, but I hadn't visited it until yesterday. It's apparently the oldest cemetery in Dryden, having opened in 1802. It's been pretty well documented by...
I went out to take some photos of Robertson Cemetery, on Baker Hill Road, and was surprised by an army of turkeys marching behind the NYSEG building. Turkeys marching near Baker Hill Road...
Whenever I look at a map of Tompkins County, I look for the distinctively-shaped intersection of Routes 13 and 366. Even if a map doesn't have road labels, it stands out pretty clearly. It wasn't always that way, however -...
I made it to last night's informational meeting on the Town's Draft Comprehensive Plan, held at the Dryden Town Hall. (The hearing on annexation was at the Village Hall, at the same time, and there was a bit of confusion.)...
Ever wonder what the brightly-lit greenhouse across from the NYSEG building is? The NYSEG site has information on various projects they're supporting, including a PDF on Controlled Environment Agriculture. They're growing Bibb lettuce in there, apparently, and you can buy...
After writing about how NYSEG's headquarters building seems to be in steady decline yesterday, I started thinking about how it's always been a strange island anyway. While it dominates the Route 13/366 intersection, it doesn't feel like it's actually contributed...
The building I refer to as "NYSEG headquarters" looms everytime I drive home along Route 13. It's an enormous complex, and dominates the overlapping area of Routes 13 and 366. The "Utility Headquarters" sign indicates a left turn lane just...
Continuing up 366 toward its intersection with 13, we have three houses. Two are well hidden, while the third is pretty prominent. 1309 Dryden Road (map) 1313 Dryden Road (map) 1317 Dryden Road (map) As 366 reaches 13, the last...
One of the best-named furniture stores I've ever heard of is just up the road from us at 1302 Dryden Road. They sell largely Amish-made furniture, and have two large buildings (one of them two stories) on a piece of...
Walking further up 366 towards its intersection with 13, we cross Baker Hill Road, and thereby leave Varna, as well as Election District 4. Baker Hill Road, Intersection with 366 (map) Right on the other side of Baker Hill Road,...