Council approves $50,000 Main Street grant work around monument and funds pedestrian study; directs staff to seek grants for sidewalks and lights

The Bloomsburg Town Council approved using roughly $50,000 in Main Street grant funds to build a sidewalk and make streetscape changes around the town monument, and it approved a pedestrian-pattern study that staff said would support future construction funding applications.

Town staff (S5) described two separate Main Street Matters funding items: a construction component intended to put a sidewalk, small fence and lane shift around the monument, and a planning component to study pedestrian patterns downtown. "We have $50,000 of grant funds to basically put a sidewalk around the monument," staff said, noting the work will likely require a Highway Occupancy Permit with PennDOT and coordination if town paving work occurs at the same time.

The council discussed traffic impacts, sightlines for pedestrians, and how stamped concrete or other low-profile treatments could designate the monument area without raising curbs. Public works staff (S4) detailed snow-clearing and operational constraints in downtown lanes and noted staff capacity to do some work in-house; staff said the grant might not be fully used for construction if other partners (for example a contractor doing Market Street paving) handle the heavy work.

Council voted to proceed with the monument work and to approve the pedestrian study as a first step toward future construction funding. Staff said the study would create a product council could use to reapply for phased construction grants; the staff described the study as a prerequisite for construction-phase funding under the Main Street Matters program.

Council also authorized staff to pursue grant funding for street-lighting improvements on Market/Maine Street with an emphasis on fixtures and illumination levels compatible with the town’s historic district. A council member also moved and council approved a directive for staff to explore and apply for sidewalk-replacement grants and to design an assistance program for adjacent homeowners; staff will return draft agreements and cost estimates for council approval.

What happens next: Staff will develop agreements and cost estimates, coordinate the Highway Occupancy Permit (if needed) with PennDOT, and return specific project agreements to council for final approval. The council scheduled a series of public work sessions to design a multi-use pathway and invited railroad representatives to participate where relevant.

Council quotes: Town staff (S5) said: "We have $50,000 of grant funds to basically put a sidewalk around the monument, put a fence type thing around the monument, and then shift the lanes..." Council emphasized public input for street-lighting design and requested staff seek resident feedback on fixture style and brightness to fit the historic district.