Resident urges Powhatan County to pursue trail and Safe Streets grants, requests sidewalk at Mennonite Church development

At the April 2, 2026 meeting of the Powhatan County Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission, public commenter C. Schwendeman urged county officials to pursue several active grant opportunities and to press for pedestrian infrastructure at a new development.

Schwendeman announced the Virginia Trails grant round is open and said he submitted an application intended to extend the Education Connection Trail in Fighting Creek Park from Old Buckingham Road to Mann Road. He said he had shared the application with county staff and reported contacting Chesterfield County about a TAP grant opportunity in Richmond. Schwendeman asked the Board of Supervisors to lobby the Central Virginia Transportation Authority (CVTA) to help cover a funding shortfall he identified for the trail extension project. Separately, he noted the Safe Streets for All grant opened in March and urged the developer by the Mennonite Church to include a sidewalk as part of the new construction to improve pedestrian access.

The minutes record the comment in the public comment portion of the meeting; no staff response or formal Board action on the commenter’s requests is recorded in the minutes. The commission’s minutes do not indicate that the commission or staff made any commitments at the April 2 meeting to submit additional grant applications or to require the developer to install a sidewalk.

The comment provides potential next steps for county staff and the Board of Supervisors to consider as they plan capital projects and pursue external funding for Trails and Safe Streets initiatives.