At a public hearing on Dec. 1, Brookhaven Borough officials discussed possible projects for the 2026 Delaware County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and agreed to nominate Zohr Street widening as the borough's primary application.

Mister Catania, the borough engineer, told council the county expects about $3,000,000 for the program and that municipalities may submit one primary and one alternate application. Eligible activities include public-facility improvements, drainage, planning, and code enforcement. Council members debated options and settled — by motion and second — to make Zohr Street the primary application and to list drainage improvements on Kenny Lane and at Cooper cul-de-sac as alternates; the motion carried by voice vote.

During the second public discussion residents asked for specifics. A recreation board/resident speaker asked whether property owners on Zohr Street had been contacted and whether the grant amount would cover property acquisition. The engineer said typical CDBG grants are usually $200,000 or less, the final cost estimate is unknown, and the application process will examine right-of-way and acquisition needs; he said some widening could be accomplished within existing right-of-way but further review is required.

Another resident voiced broader concerns about the timing and transparency of the borough budget process and the council/mayor compensation vote. The resident said the public had little time to review the budget before adoption; the solicitor and several council members responded that the budget had been advertised, that budget sessions occurred in October, and that the public had been afforded opportunities for comment.

What happens next: borough staff will prepare the CDBG application with Zohr Street as the primary project and the two drainage projects as alternates, to be submitted before the county's Jan. 9 deadline. The engineer said detailed cost estimates and right-of-way assessments will be part of the application.

Direct quotes from the meeting transcript include the engineer: "The applications are due January 9..." and a resident: "An ordinance was...voted on tonight without public input, which goes along with the budget." The council and solicitor disputed that description and pointed to prior advertising and budget review meetings.

(Reporting note: this article uses direct statements recorded in the Dec. 1 Brookhaven Borough Council meeting transcript.)