Board OKs $2.2M in local grants
15 projects funded under ‘Montco 2040’
Montgomery County Commissioners last week unanimously approved $2.2 million worth of grant funding supporting $7.3 million worth of improvement projects around the county.
The funding is geared toward implementing the goals of the county’s comprehensive plan, Montco 2040, adopted in 2015.
All total, 15 projects were funded out of a total 27 applications seeking $4 million in funding.
Here is a brief run-down on the projects that will be funded this year.
• Bridgeport — $192,800 for a $241,000 project to extend a sidewalk and establish a walking trail in Memorial Park.
• Collegeville — $106,876 toward a $186,376 project to build a boat ramp on Perkiomen Creek in partnership with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy.
• Perkiomen Region — $50,000 toward a $60,000 project to establish a water trail along Perkiomen Creek, including way-finding signs and a map. This project involves multiple municipalities and is being
spearheaded by the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy.
• Hatboro — $200,000 of a $418,097 project to improve the intersections of Bon Air, North Penn and East Monument Avenue. The borough is providing another $200,000.
• Lower Gwynedd — $200,000 toward a $260,000 project for pedestrian improvements along Bethlehem Pike.
• North Wales — $154,725 toward a $194,670 pedestrian connection and gateway project on Center Street.
• Pottstown — $200,000 toward a $484,500 project to improve connections and accessibility for the Colebrookdale Railroad’s Steel River Station in Memorial Park in the borough’s Tourism and Recreation District.
• Royersford — $115,000 toward the $1,428,928 project to refurbish the unused trestle bridge over the Schuylkill River to Spring City.
• Schwenksville — $12,000 toward a $36,598 project to build a pavilion in Meadow Park, the last phase of an improvement project that converted the former fire house into the new borough hall. The borough is providing $26,000.
• Souderton — $140,000 toward a $175,104 project to convert the Chestnut Street parking lot into a “green” parking lot for better stormwater management.
• Springfield — $197,600 toward a $247,000 stream and habitat rehabilitation project in Mermaid Park.
• Towamencin — $190,000 toward a $382,300 project to construct a multi-use trail along Kriebel Road, to connect an existing trail segment with the farm buildings within Fischer Park.
• Upper Merion — $190,000 toward the $2,601,864 second phase of a streetscape improvement project along Second Avenue.
• Upper Providence — $100,000 toward a $250,000 project to constructing a
paved trail connecting Upper Providence Township parks and recreation facilities at its municipal complex with the county parks and trails network along the Schuylkill River at Lock 60 in Mont Clare.
• Upper Salford — $200,000 toward the $349,020 purchase by the township of a 25-acre parcel of land to be permanently preserved in a natural state. The parcel is adjacent to the 75-acre Rogers-Hiester Conservation Preserve, which has a conservation easement held by Natural Lands.
Each of the grants is geared toward one of more of the three major goals of the comprehensive plan — connected communities; sustainable places and a vibrant economy.