By SHARON ROTHMAN
Pocono Business Journal
As this fiscal year closes and a new one begins, many area businesses are hopeful that the New Year will start to bring a bright future. In Wayne County, new and ongoing projects show a 'forge ahead' attitude.
The infrastructure of Wayne County has had strong momentum this past year, largely due to the efforts of WEDCO, Wayne Economic Development Corporation. The organization provides services needed to bring new business and support established business; improve the local tax base; and enhance the quality of life for residents. This non-profit corporation comprised of businesses in partnership with state, county, and municipal government realizes that these goals depend on investing and planning for tomorrow. Mary Beth Wood, executive director of WEDCO, says, “There have been some major changes within the past year that are having a positive impact on Wayne County. The completion of many of these projects was due to a collaborative effort of both the WEDCO and all the municipalities involved.”
Currently a comprehensive plan has been executed in four of the five municipalities with the regional authority. Bethany Borough, Dyberry Township, Honesdale Borough, and Texas Township have formed the Central Wayne Multi-Municipal Group and are currently engaged in a comprehensive planning process, led by consultant Spotts, Stevens, from Reading. The planning process is directly related to the infrastructure projects (sewer and highway) taking place in central Wayne, and is intended to mitigate any negative impacts while managing future growth.
In the Borough of Honesdale, Cherry Ridge and Texas Townships incorporated the Central Wayne Regional Authority in February of 2008. The authority will guide the development and construction of a new 2.2 million gallons per day wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) that will serve central Wayne. The new WWTP will replace the existing plant, which currently produces 3.5 thousand gallons per day; and provides cleaner technology with increased capacity. Dyberry Township and Bethany Borough also participated in the incorporation process, though these municipalities are not eligible at this time (they do have use of the WWTP). Dyberry and Bethany signed an inter-municipal agreement that gave them certain rights during future expansion. Aqua Pennsylvania purchased Honesdale Consolidated Water Company in 2008, and it is possible that its regional headquarters will be in Honesdale, hopefully adding even more employment to the area.
This year WEDCO held a groundbreaking at the newly created Sterling Business Park. The park's first phase should be completed and ready for business by spring of 2009. Wood explains, “The industrial park is the first one of this magnitude in the area. It has a central location for a greater part of Pike, Lackawanna and Monroe Counties with easy access to Route 84. It is a great location for business within the tri-state area. This park has the big three: high accessibility, lower operation costs and a strategic market plan. Sterling Park is capable of holding 18 light manufacturing companies and five professional office buildings.” Sterling is a 252-acre business park located 0.6 miles north of the Interstate 84 in Sterling Township, and is designed for 23 parcels ranging from three to 30 acres. Phase One construction, at a total cost of $9 million, will open 73 acres and include highway improvements, interior roads, utilities, a water system and a wastewater treatment plant. “WEDCO is spearheading, in part of the development of this park, a job creation project,” comments Wood. “We are hoping that it will facilitate the growth and expansion of local business while also attracting relocation of established business from New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia.” A projected 1,500 jobs will be created once the park is full.
The townships have also been maintaining the changes needed to accommodate traffic incurred by such growth. On the Church Street Bridge Project, a $9 million highway improvement project in downtown Honesdale, Leeward Construction Company of Honesdale, was awarded the contract to erect a new bridge over the Lackawaxen River at the north end of town, and expand the Fourth Street bridge to four lanes.
WEDCO also has been keeping a watchful eye on the damaged railroad trestle in Hawley. Funding from the Commonwealth and the Federal Emergency Management Agency provided the money for repairs. The Stourbridge Railroad will run from Honesdale to Lackawaxen, allowing commercial use to resume, thereby enhancing the Wayne County Chamber's passenger excursions. Newly owned by Paul Brancato, it is in its final stages to be managed by Morristown & Erie Railway. Al Siebold, owner of the management company, says, “We are 99% sure we will be managing the railroad. Currently our lawyers are hammering out the paperwork and an official statement [was to be announced at the end of November]. We look forward to being part of Wayne County's Development process.”
Growth will hit the educational realm as well. Wayne's three school districts - Wallenpaupack Area, Wayne Highlands and Western Wayne - are planning in 2009 to engage an educational planning firm to study the design and development of a new career and technical school. Wayne and Pike are two of only three counties within the commonwealth currently without a training facility. “The integration of workforce development and economic development is the wave of the future,” says Joann Hudak, director of Secondary Education, Wallenpaupack Area School district. “We are working closely with the state to see what are the best jobs suited to the area, for both present and future. Most important we are integrating business and education in a dialogue of collaboration during the planning process. It is very exciting and novel way to approach the development of this area. ”
