GREAT VALLEY — A pair of traffic studies on Route 219 through the heart of Great Valley are hoping to make the main route through the town safer for everyone.
A request to study the speed on Route 219 from the bridge near Horton Road to the bridge near the Route 98 intersection previously submitted to the state has been returned, Supervisor Dan Brown reported at the Aug. 9 town board meeting.
“In short, there hasn’t been enough accidents to warrant reducing the speed (from 45 mph to 35 mph) and there is enough sight distance for safely passing,” he said of the state’s report.
The state also reviewed the center line markings along the stretch of Route 219 through the center of the town, Brown said. Because there was a recent accident due to passing and an increase in commercial developments since the last study, the state will re-stripe and install signage to restrict passing in this area.
“So there will be a double yellow line down through there, but it’s still going to maintain the same speed,” he added.
Brown also said a study down in the spring led to reducing the speed on Hungry Hollow Road from 45 mph to 35 mph. He said another study is planned for Cross Road from Hungry Hollow to Porter Hollow roads.
In the meantime, town residents have requested another study be done on the stretch of Route 219 that is 55 mph from the area north of the Salamanca city line to Porter Hollow Road. They noted there is at least one accident a year on that stretch of road.
Brown suggested the study cover everything from the town line at Salamanca through Horton Road and emphasize the area that is 55 mph.
IN OTHER BUSINESS, the town will hold a public hearing at the board’s Sept. 13 meeting concerning the new laws for marijuana distribution within the town. The town has the option to opt out of the state law allowing individuals to sell weed.
“A lot of the towns that don’t have zoning have been opting out of it,” Brown said. “If we do allow it, we can control it through our zoning.”
Rich Rinko, the town’s code enforcement officer, said the county has changed its policy concerning septic systems for the hamlet of Kill Buck following the lack of interest in a new sewer system for the hamlet.
He said any additions or renovations to a structure with an existing septic system would have to be reviewed by the county before any building permits could be issued.
“The houses that are on the Kill Buck crossroad that have inadequate size will have a real hard time getting a septic system. It will have to be designed by a state engineer,” he said.
Following July’s approval of a moratorium to ban trailer homes 10 years old or older from coming into the town until January 2020, Brown said an idea was suggested to hire a home inspector to perform inspections on trailers in the town to take the liability off the town.
Rinko said because mobile homes are different from other structures and have their own codes, the town should hire a manufactured house mechanic to do inspections on trailers in the town.
Brown said the planning board will hold a public hearing concerning changes to the zoning laws in the coming months, as will the town board following the planning board’s.
The board also accepted the bid of $20,420 from Rich Horton for new roof work on the town hall.