Signs on 31 will point to Holley attractions

Waterfalls, canal park are missed by many

Photos by Tom Rivers – Holley’s Canal Park has become a popular spot for boaters, campers and others out for a stroll.

HOLLEY – David Dill, Holley’s deputy mayor, knows many people, including residents of Holley and Orleans County, drive through the village on Route 31 and don’t realize the village is home to a waterfalls, a canal park and trail linking the sites.

“You don’t know how many people live here and tell me they don’t know it’s here,” Dill said.

The attractions are widely praised once they are discovered.

The village is working to put up “wayfinding” signs on Route 31 so people are directed to the sites that are only a few blocks off Holley’s main road.

The canal park is on East Avenue, right next to Holley lift bridge on the Erie Canal.

The waterfalls are on Frisbee Terrace. Drive past Save-A-Lot, the village sewer plant and head to the end of the street to discover the waterfalls.

The Holley Waterfalls is an asset for the Holley community. The village has recently added a pavilion, grills and other amenities near the waterfalls.

The signage will be paid for through $67,500 Brownfield Opportunity Area Program grant from the state. Most of that money helped Holley complete Phase 1 of a plan to identify brownfields in the community and begin developing action steps for reusing the property.

The old Holley High School and the former Diaz Chemical sites are the most prominent locations that need attention. Dill said the plan looks at other underutilized sites in Holley or properties that may be contaminated. Holley is seeking additional funding for Phase 2 of the plan.

The first phase paid for a parking study of the business district. That report showed there are 203 parking spaces within two blocks of the Public Square, which is plenty of parking for businesses, Dill said. Those spaces include a lot next to the old school.