The Meadville Tribune
By Keith Gushard
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
CONNEAUT LAKE — The borough of Conneaut Lake has been awarded a $375,000 state grant to improve infrastructure within the borough’s central business district.
It’s the second grant the borough has been awarded for street and landscape improvements from either state or federal sources within the past month.
The $375,000 Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grant would be part of the first phase of improvements along Water Street, according to Bill Eldridge, chairman of the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee and a member of borough council.
Borough Council is expected to take action on the grant at its Dec. 11 meeting, Eldridge said.
The grant would pay for improvements along Water Street between the Conneaut Lake Outflow and Second Street. Work includes partial relocation of utility lines; new curbing and sidewalks with ADA accessible ramps; new asphalt on the street; improved decorative street lights; and new traffic signs.
The project is part of a series of street and landscape improvements the borough has planned for its business district along Water Street.
Conneaut Lake Borough Council has sought funding from various state, federal and local sources including a $2 million grant from the state for more than $2 million in proposed improvements along Water Street, borough’s main street.
“The work will be done in either 2014 or 2015,” Eldridge said. “We’ve not nailed down a schedule because we’re waiting word on other funds. We have two years to use the money.
The borough has committed $150,000 toward the revitalization project and Crawford County has committed $210,000 as well.
“We should hear about the other grants by the end of the calendar year,” Eldridge said.
The announcement of the state funding follows an October award of a $150,000 grant by the Appalachian Regional Commission to the borough for a storm water improvement project.
The ARC grant covers storm water improvements along Route 322 from the borough’s border with Sadsbury Township west into the borough along Route 322/Water Street to west of First Street, Eldridge said.
The storm water project is a project on its own, but also is part of the borough’s overall improvement plan, Eldridge said.
The ARC storm water project is scheduled to be done in 2014, but no formal timetable has been set as final design is not complete, Eldridge said.