Beware of White Mills 

By LINDA DROLLINGER
Posted 7/14/20

TEXAS TOWNSHIP, PA — You’re tooling along Route 6 between Indian Orchard and Hawley admiring the sights and greenery when suddenly there are more brake lights in front of you than you can …

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Beware of White Mills 

Posted

TEXAS TOWNSHIP, PA — You’re tooling along Route 6 between Indian Orchard and Hawley admiring the sights and greenery when suddenly there are more brake lights in front of you than you can count. You grind to a standstill long before the warning signs, “Men Working,” and “One Lane Road Ahead” are visible. From behind you, a dump truck barrels out of lane and proceeds full speed ahead. What the heck?

Dave Zachman stood up at the July 6 Texas Township Board of Supervisors meeting and voiced his concern about that dump truck and other heavy equipment vehicles avoiding the Route 6 road work quagmire by taking Shady Lane Road. As a resident of that secondary road, Zachman was concerned about the increasing volume of construction and excavation equipment suddenly using a quiet, residential road.

Actually, it’s not road work per se; it’s a sewer system infrastructure upgrade that requires tunneling under Route 6 in White Mills. Pneumatic drill operators working on that road’s shoulder are perilously close to oncoming traffic in a hole that looks as if it cuts through to China. Resulting delays of more than 30 minutes are not uncommon.

“They’re using Shady Lane as both a road work bypass and shortcut between Honesdale and Hawley,” said Zachman. “Can we get a weight limit restriction on that road that would eliminate all heavy equipment vehicles except those making local deliveries?”

“I don’t know if that’s possible, or even legal,” said roadmaster Don Doney, who admitted that the township’s own highway department dump trucks had been doing that very thing.

“The other thing is the excessive rate of speed,” went on Zachman. “The posted speed limit is 30 mph, but all those trucks are doing well over that in a neighborhood where children are riding bikes and playing close to the road.”

Another Shady Lane Road resident added that state police have recently begun enforcing the posted speed limit, seemingly in recognition of the stated problem. “You know everyone speeds there because the trees are all skinned from impact with car bumpers.”

“Well, that’s good,” said Doney, about the state police action. “They should easily make their citation quotas right there.”

Roadmasters promised to look into the possibility of posting weight limit restrictions, and the board moved on to other business.

Following Devin Ott’s resignation as zoning officer, the board appointed Bill Watson its new zoning officer. Watson will start on Monday, July 13, but will work Tuesdays and Thursdays thereafter, keeping the same hours Ott worked previously.

“Did anyone see the July 4 fireworks?” asked Doney.

“Yeahs” came from around the room. “I heard they were pretty good,” said Doney.

“Downright spectacular,” was the consensus. “And the parking lots were almost completely full.”

Effective in July, the board returns to twice-monthly meetings. The next meeting is Monday, July 20.

Texas Township, shady lane, white mills, road work,

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