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County staff outlines $1.7 million TAP sidewalk application to connect Woodhaven subdivision to Chester Middle School
Summary
Staff described a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant application led by Chester County School District for sidewalks along Village Drive and McCandless Road, connecting Woodhaven subdivision to Chester Middle School; no action requested.
Richard Turner (staff member) briefed the council/CTC on a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) grant application that would build sidewalks along Village Drive and McCandless Road and a shared-use path connecting the new Woodhaven subdivision to Chester Middle School and Chester Nature Park.
The project concept presented estimates a total cost of about $1,700,000. County staff said the TAP program typically requires a local match; while the nominal local match is 20 percent, Chester County qualifies as a Tier 3 county under state rules that can reduce the county’s direct share. Staff estimated a match at roughly 10 percent of project cost (approximately $174,000) and said about $50,000 of that match would come from the school district for the portion on school property, with the remainder to be provided by the county or the County Transportation Committee over multiple fiscal years. Staff also noted a developer (Woodhaven) has committed to build a sidewalk on its property and that a private donor has offered to contribute toward part of the engineering or concrete work.
The school district applied for the TAP grant (the district’s application preserves the county’s ability to apply for another TAP grant); if awarded, the grant would be federal funds administered through the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). Staff characterized the application as informational to the committee and said no formal action was required at the meeting unless councilors objected.
Why it matters: the project would provide pedestrian connections between new housing, the middle school and a county park and could lower the county’s out-of-pocket cost because of the federal/state match structure and partner contributions.
Next steps: staff will continue coordination with the school district, developer and potential private donors; if the grant moves forward, SCDOT would administer the project and staff said the county would budget match contributions across multiple years rather than as a single lump sum.
