Montgomery County backs 16 community projects to improve trails, public spaces

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Montgomery County has awarded $2.75 million in grants for 16 projects, ranging from restoring native plant species in Abington Township to rehabilitating Lansdale Borough’s historic freight house.

The projects were selected through the county’s 2040 implementation grant program and align with the goals of Montgomery County’s comprehensive plan to improve community connections, advance sustainability and support local economies.

“The real crux of this program, and the beauty of it, is that it matches local interest and capital and infrastructure needs to the county comprehensive plan,” said Scott France, executive  director of the county Planning Commission, at Thursday’s Board of Commissioners meeting.

“These are projects that address the goals of the county plan while meeting the needs and desires of local communities, and a lot of times it’s quality of life improvements throughout the county,” he said.

A board made up of members of the Planning Commission and other county staff assesses the applications based on a number of criteria, including impact, equity, alignment with county and local planning goals, and project readiness.

The county also focuses on supporting projects that would improve transportation and mobility, support downtowns and community destinations, and implement adaptation and resilience measures.

This year, the county also prioritized funding projects in areas where new housing is being built, France said.

“Given all of the issues with housing attainability and housing supply, we wanted to look at these projects, and … while they don’t necessarily provide new units or go into private development projects, we want to look at where that’s happening, where there’s new zoning, where there’s new activity, and how quality of life improvements or projects can help improve what’s happening on the ground there,” he said.

Commissioner Neil Makhija applauded the diversity of the projects at Thursday’s meeting.

“These are great projects. I’m really excited about them, and it’s nice to see how they cover the full geography of the county all the way from West Pottsgrove to Rockledge,” he said.

This year’s winners were chosen out of a pool of 35 applications from 31 municipalities, a record number of requests in the 11th year of the county’s 2040 implementation grant program. Since 2016, the program has awarded more than $22 million to projects in more than 50 municipalities.

These are the winning projects, according the county’s website:

Abington Township

Briar Bush Nature Center Invasive Plant Management and Restoration Project

• Amount Awarded: $132,000
• This project will restore the forest on more than 11 acres of green space by replacing invasive plants with native trees and plants.

Bridgeport Borough

440 Mill Street Redevelopment

• Amount Awarded: $250,000
• The borough will renovate an existing municipal parking lot and will use the space for community events and as an access point for the proposed Bridgeport Spur Trail.

Cheltenham Township

Wesley Plaza Protective Streetscape Initiative

• Amount Awarded: $48,800
• The township will install permanent bollards, benches, planters and decorative banners between Easton Road and Bickley Road to protect pedestrians and create a more welcoming streetscape.

Franconia Township

Pedestrian Safety Improvements

• Amount Awarded: $249,730
• The township will install two rectangular rapid flashing beacon systems along with ramps that comply with American with Disabilities Act requirements on Camp Road at Branchwood Park and on West Broad Street at the Lions Gate Community.

Lansdale Borough

Discover Lansdale Historic Reading Freight House, Phase 3

• Amount Awarded: $250,000
• The borough is in the final phases of rehabilitating its 1902 stone freight house to serve as a welcome center and an events venue.

Lower Merion Township

Cricket Terrace Streetscape Improvements

• Amount Awarded: $100,000
• The township will use the grant funds to install trees and stormwater management features and other landscaping as a part of its larger renovation project on Cricket Terrace.

Narberth Borough

Elmwood Avenue Pedestrian Bridge and Indian Creek Stormwater Project

• Amount Awarded: $250,000
• The borough is adding a pedestrian bridge on the north side of Elmwood Avenue to provide a better connection for pedestrians and cyclists to Elm Grove Park and sidewalks along Wynnewood Road.

Pottstown Borough

Sidewalk Replacement and Tree Protection, Phase 2

• Amount Awarded: $152,505
• The borough is rehabilitating or replacing sidewalks at 12 locations on the first two blocks of High Street where trees have damaged the sidewalks.

Rockledge Borough

Jarrett Playground Community Building

• Amount Awarded: $250,000
• The borough is constructing an ADA-compliant community building on the grounds of the playground for community events and its children’s summer camp.

Schwenksville Borough

Perkiomen Valley Library Outdoor Space and Building Upgrades

• Amount Awarded: $110,360
• The project will improve accessibility at the library and add a new outdoor program space for story times, art programs and therapy dog sessions.

Springfield Township

Municipal Campus Buildings Solar Installation

• Amount Awarded: $ 250,000
• The township will install photovoltaic panels on the roofs of three municipal buildings to lower the greenhouse gas emissions of the municipal campus and the library.

Towamencin Township

Grist Mill Park Trail Project

• Amount Awarded: $188,000
• The township plans to construct an approximately 1,570-foot-long ADA-compliant multiuse trail with two benches to connect residential neighborhoods along Grist Mill Drive to the park, with the goals of expanding its access to a broader demographic, encouraging outdoor activity and strengthening community engagement.

Upper Dublin Township

Dreshertown Road Cross County Trail Extension

• Amount Awarded: $100,000
• The township will extend the Cross County Trail along Virginia Drive and Dreshertown Road (SR 2024) and widen the road from Susquehanna Road (SR 2017) to the Beacon Hill Road/Bantry Drive signalized intersection.

Upper Frederick Township

Friendship Park Sports Courts

• Amount Awarded: $227,694
• The township will add a basketball court and two pickleball courts with solar-powered light fixtures to allow for evening play.

West Conshohocken Borough

McKenzie Park Exercise Stations

• Amount Awarded: $86,948
• The borough will install exercise stations along a new, lighted walking path throughout the park.

West Pottsgrove Township

Grosstown Road Sidewalk Connection

• Amount Awarded: $103,963
• The township will put in approximately 270 feet of concrete sidewalk, extending south from the existing sidewalk on the east side of Grosstown Road to the Schuylkill River Trail.