Commissioners award $1.5M in local grants
The Montgomery County Commissioners on Thursday announced that 14 projects in the county will receive Montco 2040 Implementation Grants.
The new grants continue a program aimed at implementing the county comprehensive plan, Montco 2040: A Shared Vision. The program is intended to assist municipalities in making targeted physical improvements that achieve progress toward the goals of the plan and the plan’s themes of Connected Communities, Sustainable Places and Vibrant Economy.
The grant awards account for more than $1.5 million across 15 municipalities. The county re-
ceived a total of 27 applications from municipalities totaling $3.5 million in requests. Projects were evaluated in terms of impact, county and local planning consistency, project readiness, and funding attributes by a committee consisting of Montgomery County Planning Commission Board members and interdepartmental county staff.
Projects were also given heightened consideration when addressing one of three focus categories for 2018: Walk/Bike Montco — Trails, Paths, Sidewalk Connections and Bike Facilities; Downtown and Community Destination Support; and Adaptation and Resiliency.
“These grants give our municipalities new opportunities to achieve the shared goals of the Montco 2040 plan. We are seeing a lot of wonderful ideas come out of this program, from expanding sidewalk gaps for pedestrians to improving water quality and reducing flooding in urbanized watersheds. These projects improve and enhance the high quality of life in the county,” said Val Arkoosh, chairwoman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners.
Since the initiation of the Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program in 2016, more than $3.7 million has been awarded to benefit 35 municipalities in the county.
Some of the projects that received grants in 2018 are highlighted below:
• Pottstown – Walk and Bike Pottstown Trail Connection
Pottstown Borough will complete connections between the Walk and Bike Pottstown network and the Schuylkill River Trail through bike lane and sidewalk improvements along the corridors of N. Evans Street, N. Franklin Street, and Oak Street. This funding fills a gap left after a cost overrun with a previous segment. The network is supported by numerous plans and local organizations and will provide a direct connection to a regionally significant piece of infrastructure, the Schuylkill River Trail, which will eventually connect Pottstown with Philadelphia.
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $135,000
• Royersford – Riverfront Park and Trail Project
Royersford Borough will extend the existing Royersford Riverfront Trail nearly a third of a mile south from 1st Ave. & Arch St. to the Borough’s sewage treatment plant property. The ten foot wide paved multiuse trail will include overlook nodes, benches, trash receptacles, wayfinding and interpretative signs, rain gardens and native plant landscaping to enhance the riparian buffer. A trailhead with small parking area will be located at southern end. The trail will provide greater access to the Schuylkill River and will eventually serve as a link in the county’s proposed Schuylkill River East Trail.
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $100,000
• Schwenksville – Perkiomen Trail Drainage Improvement at Schwenksville Station Project
Schwenksville Borough is partnering with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy to make drainage improvements along the Perkiomen Trail adjacent to the former Schwenksville Railroad Station property, now Snoozy’s Cafe. The project will improve drainage along the Trail, prevent further erosion of the trail bed and create a pedestrian observation deck with interpretive signs overlooking the Perkiomen Creek with access to Meadow Park.
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $43,560
• Upper Hanover and Pennsburg – Montgomery Avenue Bike Path and Sidewall Installation Project
Upper Hanover Township and Pennsburg Borough will partner with the Upper Perkiomen School District (UPSD) to install sidewalk and an adjoining bituminous bike path along Montgomery Avenue from the western side of the new UPSD Middle School parcel to West 6th Street in Pennsburg. The project will correct a very dangerous existing condition for children who already attend the neighboring UPSD High School, and the problem would only get worse with the future Middle School being built. It will ultimately promote neighborhood multimodal access to both schools.
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $150,000
• Lower Providence – Creating Connections in Park Pointe Project
Lower Providence Township will install sidewalks to complete the pedestrian gaps in its Park Pointe business park along Eisenhower, Adams, and Jefferson Avenues. A crosswalk will also be installed to improve access to an existing pathway that connects the business park to nearby retail development including a Wawa and several restaurants. The project was identified in the master plan for the business park and it will improve pedestrian safety, encourage healthy lifestyles, and improve connections to surrounding developments and destinations.
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $100,000
• Norristown – Arch Street Greenway Corridor Improvements Project
The Municipality of Norristown will install a promenade and greenway along the Saw Mill Run channel between Lafayette Street and E. Main Street. The improvement will serve as a gateway into Norristown for Schuylkill River Trail users as well as a pathway for residents to access the trail. It will enhance the walkability of Norristown’s Main Street corridor and provide an aesthetic break in the streetscape. This is the first phase of a planned Arch Street Greenway, which will connect Simmons Park to the Schuylkill River Trail and the newly redesigned Lafayette Street. It also forms part of the larger Stony Creek/Saw Mill Run Greenway Plan that extends through Norristown, East Norriton, and West Norriton.
Montco 2040 Grant Award: $150,000
For a full list of grant recipients visit www.montcopa.org.