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Montgomery County awards MCA 2040 grants to 57 municipalities for parks, trails, safety and resiliency projects
Summary
The board approved recommendations from the MCA 2040 grant program for projects across the county — from pedestrian safety beacons and trail extensions to historic rehabilitation and solar installs — totaling scores of local capital and improvement awards designed to match municipal priorities with the county comprehensive plan.
County planning staff presented awards under the MCA 2040 implementation grant program and recommended funding for a diverse slate of projects across the county. The program, in its 11th year, has awarded 157 grants since 2016; staff said the current round would expand funding to as many as 57 municipalities.
Highlighted projects included invasive-plant removal and native forest restoration at Brier Bush Nature Center in Abington; a renovated municipal parking lot with EV chargers and improved lighting in Bridgeport to serve as an event venue and access point for a future spur trail; pedestrian-safety rapid-flashing beacons and ADA ramps in Franconia; rehabilitation of a 1902 stone freight house into a community welcome center in Landisville; an expanded downtown Ardmore streetscape and accessibility investments; sidewalk rehabilitation in Pottstown; a new ADA community building in Rockledge; solar-panel installs on municipal buildings in Springfield; trail extensions and cross-county trail connections in Upper Dublin; and recreational court and trail upgrades in several boroughs.
Scott France described evaluation criteria including housing-connection scoring for projects that support housing attainability and noted the program's history of leveraging outside funding and expanding municipal participation. The board moved, seconded and approved the recommended awards by voice vote.
Commissioners called the program a successful mechanism to match county comprehensive-plan priorities with municipal capital needs and said staff would continue to provide technical assistance to communities whose projects were not funded this round.
