Varna sewer project moving along

The hamlet of Varna sanitary sewer rehabilitation project is moving along a few months into work.

Town of Dryden Deputy Supervisor Dan Lamb said that the sewer project is on schedule, which is expected to conclude sometime between 2025 and 2026.

“I’m not aware of any delays to that project. It’s going forward as we expected it to,” Lamb said.

The project is anticipated to cost around $4.8 million. It will involve the realignment of sewer pipes and the replacement of sewer mains in Varna.

Project costs will be covered by a $3.063 million no-interest loan from the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation, $1.25 million from a Community Development Block Grant and $500,000 or more in contributions from the consolidated sewer district fund.

The upgrades to Varna’s sewer system will stretch from the beginning of the hamlet to Cornell University’s mains on Howard Road. The work will include installing some new portions for the sewer pipe and sleeves to prevent further leakage.

Back in the fall, town officials accepted an $826,951.67 bid from the National Water Main Cleaning Co., of Canton, Massachusetts, for the realignment component of the project.

The late Jim Skaley, a former town board member who led the charge on the project, investigated the ins and outs of the sewer and water mains in Varna, beginning in February 2019. Skaley said last year that the main pipe that conducts the sewer and water systems in Varna is “over 60 years old,” recently facing a “number of main breaks and a fair share of repairs.”

Lamb mentioned that “unexpected” easements were needed for the sewer project, but added that the town went into standard procedure for them. Varna also had a temporary water and sewer shut-off period in January, but Lamb said it was a short-term process.

A future water main replacement project will also take place in Varna. The project will consist of replacing and resizing some portions of Varna’s water main. Skaley noted in the past that Varna’s water main system caused major infiltration into the sewer line, which resulted in an increase in costs for the town in terms of processing at the local treatment plant.

Lamb noted that the roughly $3.5 million in costs will go out to bid this year. Work on the water project could finish by mid-to-late summer.

“These [sewer and water] projects will benefit in the long term from having adequate infrastructure,” Skaley said in the past. “It’s a need for any kind of future development. It’s important to take care of it now to avoid potential development issues in the future.”

Dryden Dispatch appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com.

In brief:

Town updates list of service areas for Dryden Fiber

As the town’s Dryden Fiber project continues to grow, more service areas have become available. The following areas are now available for Dryden Fiber installation:

Hamlet of Varna: Dryden Road (north side of road between 1056 Dryden Rd. and 1196 Dryden Rd.), Dryden Road (south side of road between 1061 Dryden Rd. and 1101 Dryden Rd.), Turkey Hill Road (both sides from Dryden Road intersection to 102 Turkey Hill Rd.), Observatory Circle, Mount Pleasant from Observatory Circle to Deerhaven Drive, and Deerhaven Drive.

Route 13/Route 366 intersection: 1274 Dryden Rd. to 1302 Dryden Rd., Hall Woods Road and Hall Road.

Etna: Various parcels east of Main Street and south of Etna Lane.

Village of Freeville: Tanbark Circle and Union, Liberty, Factory and Railroad Streets.

Yellow Barn Road Neighborhood: Ferguson Road (153 to 462), Yellow Barn Road (69 to 126), 114 Irish Settlement Rd. and 1 Foothill Rd.

For information, questions or service maps, go to drydenfiber.com. 

Village of Freeville elections scheduled for March 19

Elections for the village of Freeville are scheduled for March 19 at the village hall at 5 Factory St.

Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. The following candidates are on the ballot:

• Miles McCarty (Mayor, Citizens Party)
• David Fogel (Trustee, Citizens Party)
• Diana Radford (Trustee, Citizens Party)

For further information, contact the village hall at 607-844-8301.

Egg hunt in Dryden is March 30

The Town of Dryden Recreation Department announced that the annual egg hunt is scheduled for March 30 in the village of Dryden.

The event will begin at 10 a.m. and will take place at Montgomery Park on Elm Street. The Dryden Fire Department is bringing the Easter Bunny to the egg hunt as a special guest.

More Easter-based programming will be held at Southworth Library in the village at 10:30 a.m.

Yoga for Life held every Wednesday in Freeville

Village of Freeville resident Michelle Dardia hosts a Yoga for Life session every Wednesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Freeville United Methodist Church at 37 Main St.

The drop-in fee for the session is $10. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. Some experience is helpful but not required, as the sessions are committed to being accessible.

Variations and modifications are offered, and extra mats and blocks will be available at each session.

For information or questions, contact Dardia at dollysdaughter@hotmail.com or 607-279-4785.