MOUNT VERNON — City Council met in special session last week and voted to apply for three Community Development Block Grants. Two will bring long-awaited upgrades to the city’s Third Ward, the other additional funding for the Crystal Avenue waterline.
The city will pursue a $750,000 Neighborhood Revitalization Grant and a $150,000 allocation grant for the Pleasant Street area census tract. The tract includes the area north of Pleasant Street, west of Vernonview Drive, and parts of Coshocton Avenue.
Through a series of neighborhood meetings, Pleasant Street residents identified needs such as basketball courts and general park improvements at Hiawatha Park, sidewalks, and flood and drainage mitigation on Eastgate Drive between Coshocton Avenue and Beech Street.
The project includes pedestrian flashing beacons and replacing the traffic light at Pleasant Street Elementary School.
“We don’t know exactly what improvements we’re going to [ultimately] do,” Interim City Engineer Quentin Platt said. “What we’d like to do is try to scope the project to the grant funding amount so that the city would have little to no match in this project.”
Of the $750,000 NRG grant, $700,000 is earmarked for construction. Of the $150,000 allocation grant, $120,000 will go toward construction. The remaining money goes to grant administration.
Plans call for adding several sidewalks:
•On the north side of Pleasant Street from North McKenzie Street to the school.
•North McKenzie from Pleasant Street to Curtis Street.
•The south side of Beach Street from Sychar Road to Center Run
•On the west side of Vernonview Drive extending north from Beach Street. The east side of Vernonview is outside of the census tract.
Residents also asked about potentially restoring the Beach Street ditch bridge. Platt said that while the city can build a bridge over anything and anywhere, it must be logical and include safe access on both ends.
Why this neighborhood qualifies
Only low- to moderate-income neighborhoods are eligible for CDBG funds. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development identifies the census tracts that qualify.
“When we get these census tracks, we basically choose projects throughout the area based on need and based on feedback from the community and feedback from internal needs, whether that be transportation, infrastructure, utility, community development, and different things like that,” Safety-Service Director Tanner Salyers said.
City council members also bring up issues or priorities that they have.
“The best thing that community members can do is when the census rolls around is make sure you fill out your census form, because that’s where this data comes from,” Salyers said.
RPIG grant aims to close funding gap on Crystal Avenue water line
The city plans to apply for a $583,650 competitive Residential Public Infrastructure Grant (RPIG) for the Crystal Avenue water line, a joint project with Clinton Township.
The line will run between Harcourt Road and Columbus Road. Mount Vernon provides water and sewer service to the township.
The city expects to receive a $383,650 Ohio Public Works Commission grant on July 1 to help cover the projected $1 million cost.
Of the $583,650 RPIG, $30,000 goes toward administration and $553,650 toward construction.
The city held a public hearing on June 9 to discuss the applications. The grant application deadline is June 10.
