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Council splits over whether to add Clearview Trail to DCNR grant application
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Summary
Council debated whether Clearview Trail — a well-used connector — should be included in a DCNR grant application, with some members saying the trail was a low priority in the borough's earlier trail study and staff saying DCNR staff favored the connector. Council asked staff to seek DCNR clarification and to revisit the application before the April 30 deadline.
Council members and staff spent the longest portion of the April 9 meeting arguing over whether to include Clearview Trail in an upcoming state grant application.
Manager Jim Price said the borough plans to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for funding for Baker's Acres improvements and resurfacing the Clearview Trail, and that DCNR staff had indicated the Clearview segment is an attractive connector. "I've heard probably four dozen requests to have that resurfaced," Price said, citing ADA and stroller access problems with the trail's current mulch surface.
Council member S2 pushed back, saying the trail study that the borough paid for had prioritized other trails and identified Clearview as a lower priority. "During that study Clearview was not high on the totem pole," S2 said. The member argued that the study recommended focusing on the Creek Trail and Baker's Acres and called adding Clearview "going outside of the plan."
Mayor Plarey asked whether grant language or the program's rules might limit which projects could be funded and whether including multiple connectors would weaken the application. Price said DCNR generally favors park-type trails and that the borough could ask DCNR whether adding connectors would affect eligibility. "We can definitely ask," Price said, and the council agreed that DCNR feedback should be obtained before the application is finalized.
Council members also discussed timing: Price said staff intended to present final application details at the next council meeting and noted the DCNR deadline at the end of the month. The council directed staff to seek clarification from DCNR about eligible project types and whether including Clearview would weaken the application, and to return with specifics for a final decision.
