Honesdale OKs easement for pedestrian pathway to Lackawaxen River trail

Peter Becker, Tri-County Independent
Updated ·5 min read
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Honesdale Borough Council, Dec. 18, approved an easement for a pedestrian pathway off 12th Street down to the water level of the Lackawaxen River in view of the iconic face of Irving Cliff. The access is part of a scenic river trail under development tied in with a network of hiking trails and river accesses in Wayne County.

Jayson M. Wood of Woodland Design Associates, Honesdale, working on this project, said in an interview that the project in Honesdale is expected to occur in 2024. The walkway, he said, will be a gently sloping path, accessible to people with disabilities, extending down from 12th Street near the beginning of the Church Street bridge. Unless the river level is especially high, one will be able to walk on a concrete trail on the level floodplain at the foot of the embankment, eastward several hundred feet, to the bend in the Lackawaxen across from its confluence with Dyberry Creek.

This bend is where Industrial Point is located, which once hummed with manufacturing with several factory buildings dating back to the late 19th century. One of the last of these, an abandoned, deteriorated red-brick structure, was removed by the county in February 2023. The county commissioners are renaming the area Sycamore Point. An existing access used for a boat launch at the bend will be improved by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission.

Wood said that a pedestrian staircase is also planned, at the end of 12th Street and the beginning of where the old factory building stood. The county plans to create a park-like atmosphere where the factory existed, with landscaping, benches and picnic tables, and a row of trees along the edge of the former industrial grounds, on top of the embankment.

Interpretative panels telling the history of Industrial Point and about the flora and fauna of the area are planned.

This rendering depicts work the County of Wayne and Lackawaxen River Trails is planning along the Lackawaxen River 12th Street in Honesdale, starting with handicapped-accessible parking and a sloping pathway to the bottom of the embankment, to allow walking on a concrete trail eastward to the former Industrial Point, renamed by the county as Sycamore Point. A park-like atmosphere and an improved boating access are planned there, as well as parking and a pedestrian staircase to the river level. The project is expected to go to bid in late winter or early spring, 2023.

Fencing will be needed as well, he said. Accessible parking spaces will be on 12th Street and the county will create additional spaces in Sycamore Point. There will be designated public parking spaces there during the weekday and county employee parking. After hours, the rest of the parking area will be available to the public, he said.

While discussing the easement before a vote was taken, Honesdale councilor David Nilsen noted that most of the embankment in that area is county property except for this portion, and asked if the borough had the option to sell it to the county rather than needing to continue to maintain the pathway.

Solicitor Richard Henry said that he believed the borough lost its obligations to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for flood control. The county will take responsibility for the access. Nilsen also asked about potential borough liability. Henry stated that the statute provides immunity, and the county indemnifies the borough.

The overall project is a "net positive," said Councilor James Hamill, "to revitalize downtown, to create somewhat of an outdoor economy where people are launching boats, or fishing there or learning about riparian wildlife.”

He added, “There will be improvements made...because of this long-planned effort to improve pedestrian access there, to enhance the boating experience as well.... It is a net positive not just for people who live along there, their property values because of the enhancements there. For the entire borough they are going to have a better quality of life."

The easement was approved 6-1, with Nilsen dissenting.

This project ties in with a concurrent plan by the Greater Honesdale Partnership (GHP) to revitalize downtown Honesdale, part of which is refurbishing 12th Street from Main Street to the Church Street Bridge. Referred to as the "12th Street Connector," the plan is to improve pedestrian safety, upgrade the experience of walking from Main Street down 12th to enjoy the river view, and link with the path to Sycamore Point.

Hard to picture due to the high-water levels from recent heavy rain, plans are proceeding to build a gently sloped pedestrian pathway from 12th Street at the beginning of the Church Street bridge, to reach the level flood plain at the bottom of the Lackawaxen River embankment. From there, the public will be able to walk along a concrete trail on the river's edge to the bend in the Lackawaxen at Industrial Point, which the County of Wayne is renaming as Sycamore Point with plans for a park, improved boating access and parking. A staircase is also planned from 12th Street to the river level, at the beginning of Sycamore Point. The project is expected to be completed in 2024.

Woodland Design Associates has been contracted separately by both the county for Sycamore Point and by GHP for the downtown revitalization program. The county directly partners with the Lackawaxen River Trails group, which formed from the Wayne Pike Trails & Waterways Alliance, extending the vision down the Lackawaxen River corridor in both Wayne and Pike counties.

Wood stated that a couple permits will be needed from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). He said they hope to be able to send the project for Sycamore Point to bid this winter. Work on the boat launch and pedestrian accesses will have to be timed so it does not conflict with spring fish stocking and trout season.

County Community Network Specialist Mikki Uzupes said the county completed the site preparation for Sycamore Point with $97,000 from a state Local Share Account grant with a $246,375 in match. The Fish & Boat Commission awarded $193,682 for the boat launch and facilities with a $55,122 match from the Lackawaxen River Trails, via the Wayne County Community Foundation. She said that bidding is expected in late winter or early spring 2024.

The GHP 12th Street Connector project, GHP Executive Director Sandi Levens said, is funded by the Department of Community & Economic Development (DCED) and an LSA grant, together totaling $311,000. She said their project, from Main to Church streets, is still in the design phase, although it is hopeful this work will be finalized this winter. Eventually, she said the two projects will link, but the county is a little ahead.

Wood stated it was great to see how the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has been investing so heavily in outdoor recreational opportunities statewide and recognizing the value locally. As more people come to the area to hike, bicycle or paddle thanks to these local efforts, Wood noted that the local economy will benefit.

Lackawaxen River Trails, which relies on volunteers, celebrated the opening of a Fish & Boat Commission access at White Mills in October. The first improved river access opened in 2020 in Hawley. In 2024, the expectation is to complete the access at Sycamore Point in Honesdale, and potentially a fourth access, behind The Dime Bank facility in Indian Orchard.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Honesdale easement approved for pedestrian river trail access