Whitfield County authorizes application for Reconnecting Communities planning grant to study Cohutta reconnection

Whitfield County commissioners on Sept. 11 voted to authorize a planning grant application under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods (RC) program to support planning and community engagement for a reconnection project in the Cohutta community.

Commissioner John Thomas moved to approve the resolution and Commissioner Barry W. Robbins seconded; the motion passed 3-0. County administration told the board the RC program’s maximum allowed award is $2 million, which would require a 20% local match ($400,000). County staff noted the planning activities proposed should not exceed approximately $100,000, which would carry an estimated local match of $20,000.

The RC grant program funds planning and capital work aimed at removing, retrofitting or mitigating transportation facilities that create barriers to neighborhoods’ access to jobs, schools, food and recreation. The minutes record that the grant application was authorized and that the application deadline is Sept. 28, 2023. The resolution also authorizes the chairman and designated county staff to act in connection with filing the application.

If the county files and receives a grant, any further financial commitment or matching funds would be subject to subsequent board approvals and budget appropriations. The minutes do not record a proposed scope beyond community planning, specific engineering recommendations or a defined project route; those details would be developed should the planning funds be awarded.