Board awards $1 million in grants
NORRISTOWN >> Thirteen municipal projects in Montgomery County will share more than $1 million in grant money aimed at implementing the county comprehensive plan, “Montco 2040: A Shared Vision,” the commissioners announced.
The program is intended to assist municipalities in making targeted physical improvements to their communities and promote the plan’s themes of connected communities, sustainable places and vibrant economy, according to a press release.
Among the projects receiving grant money include $80,000 for the King Street pedestrian crossing and bicycle project in Pottstown; $200,000 for Schwenksville’s Main Street pedestrian plaza project; $100,000 for the Fort Washington Cross County Trail and Road Diet project in Upper Dublin Township; $108,000 for the Township Line and Walton Road pedestrian crossing project in Whitpain Township; and $70,000 for the Whites Road Park streambank improvements project in Lansdale.
Pottstown will install a pedestrian crosswalk, median, and bicycle lanes on King Street to facilitate safe crossing from the borough’s Memorial Park to tourist amenities, including the Carousel at Pottstown, Manatawny Green Mini Golf, and Pottsgrove Manor, according to county officials.
The improvement enhances pedestrian and bicyclist movement within Pottstown’s popular Gateway Tourism and Recreation (TRec) District. The project is supported by several local and regional plans and is listed as a specific improvement within the draft Tri-County Trail Plan being prepared by DVRPC.
Schwenksville will construct a new public plaza and streetscape in front of the Schwenksville Fire Company and its associated museum. The plaza will offer a public gathering space in the center of Schwenksville’s Main Street corridor as well as bring improved connections to the county’s Perkiomen Trail and the borough’s Meadow Park, located adjacent to the site. This project is in conjunction with a new trailhead parking lot and upcoming renovations to Meadow Park. The project is included in the borough’s new Main Street streetscaping plan.
The average grant award was approximately $80,000. Other municipalities to receive grant
money include Cheltenham, Horsham, Jenkintown, Lower Gwynedd, Upper Gwynedd, Upper Salford, West Norriton and Worcester townships.
Worcester Township will use its $63,000 grant to construct a local trail through undeveloped township-owned land at Defford Park. The trail will facilitate connections to the Zacharias Creek Trail, the Center Point Shoppes, and future village mixeduse construction at Center Point. It will ultimately reach the county’s Peter Wentz Farmstead while also providing new areas for pedestrian benches and picnic tables. The project is supported by the township’s open space plan as a connector between Heebner Park and the Peter Wentz Farmstead.
For full details, visit http://www.montcopa. org/2453/Montco-2040-Implementation-Grant-Program.
The county received 21 applications, totaling $2.3 million in requests, from municipalities. Projects were evaluated in terms of impact, county and local planning consistency, project readiness and funding attributes by a committee made up of planning commission board members and interdepartmental county staff. Projects were also given heightened consideration when addressing one of three focus categories for 2017: walk/bike Montco-trails, paths, sidewalk connections and bike facilities; downtown and community destination support; or revitalization of office and business parks, according to the release.
“Montgomery County is focused on continuing to build on our success in making the county the best place to live, work, play and open a business,” said commissioners’ Chairwoman Val Arkoosh in the release. “We achieve these goals by partnering with our local municipalities to create connected communities, sustainable places and a vibrant economy. These grants represent diverse projects that will improve and enhance the high quality of life in the county.”
The grant program, initiated in 2016, has awarded more than $2 million to projects in Montgomery County and continues to grow in popularity. Since all of this year’s funds have been awarded in the first round, a potential second round of funding in 2017 will no longer be scheduled, the release states.
“We were thrilled with the number of high-quality proposals we received this year. These are important projects that we are happy to be able to support,” Jody Holton, executive director of Montgomery County Planning Commission, said in the release. “These projects represent the planning commission’s focus on collaboration with our local municipalities and will go a long way in helping the county achieve the goals outlined in the Montco 2040 Comprehensive Plan.”