Central Wayne Recreation Planning Committee
Chapter 1 Community Background The Boroughs of Bethany and Honesdale, and the Townships of Texas and Dyberry are located in central Wayne County, Pennsylvania and include a variety of landscapes – from the nearly built-out historic Borough of Honesdale, the less developed historic borough of Bethany, to the rural and suburban areas of the Townships. Despite the differences in landscapes, the communities of the Region are tied together, and therefore share many of the same problems and issues. The Region’s main transportation corridors are US Route 6 and PA Route 191, which travel through Honesdale, and provide a link to Interstates 81, 380, and 84 and access to the nearby population centers of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Region, as well as the resort areas of the Pocono Mountains. The Borough of Honesdale has the highest population concentration for the planning region. Texas Township and Dyberry Township are mostly rural in nature, with the majority of the non-residential development located on the US Route 6 corridor and most residential development near the Borough of Honesdale. The Region has seen very small population increases since 2000, the largest being Dyberry and Texas Townships which both grew 4% since 2000. Neither Borough showed any significant population increase since 2000. Despite this, development pressure will almost certainly increase and begin to threaten the Region’s rural character, including the loss of natural and agricultural resources, and place additional pressure on the major traffic arteries in the Region. The Region is a desirable place to live due to its charming small town rural and historic character, and is home to a wealth of scenic natural and recreational resources, as well as proximity to some of the best ski and resort facilities in the Poconos.
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