Mayor discusses town beautification, explores stormwater grant for Ridge Road

Mayor Miller told the council he has been exploring ways to improve the town’s appearance, including an entrance feature on the west side of Palmyra to welcome visitors and encourage investment. He said he is researching designs and possible grant funding to pay roughly half of a project’s cost and that he will present design options to the council when available.

Separately, the mayor said he contacted the office of the borough’s state senator about a stormwater grant for the Ridge Road project. He said the program requires a 15% local match, has a minimum award threshold of $30,000, and the application window opens Feb. 3 and runs through April 30. He did not state the grant program’s formal name or the award date, which he said remains under development by the administering agency.

A resident who later spoke during public comment, Dave McCloskey of 212 East Ridge Road, urged the borough not to let grant pursuit delay construction. McCloskey said he worried that postponing work could force the loss of hay on a nearby field because of excavation to install a pipe. He asked whether seeking grant funds would slow the project timeline.

Mayor Miller said there may be options to cover more project cost, noting the borough could consider asking a developer to cover park-and-rec fees or the 15% match, but no formal direction or commitment was recorded in the meeting minutes.

The mayor also noted that Palmyra appears in a Lebanon Valley tourism booklet and said he will seek copies to distribute locally. He described the ideas as preliminary and said he will return with designs and funding detail for council consideration.