County approves removing Park Street from East Straburg’s FY2025 CDBG application

Jennifer Peterson, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Monroe, told the commissioners the Department of Community and Economic Development asked East Straburg Borough to remove Park Street from its fiscal year 2025 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application because the residential income-eligibility survey cannot be completed before submission deadlines. "We're going to take Park Street out of the application," Peterson said, adding that DCD is not forbidding the project but the survey timing prevents including it in the 2025 application.

Peterson said the broader project already included Walnut, West Broad and East Park Street and that the two streets alone exceeded the money allocated to the project; the borough would still need to contribute its portion to complete the remaining scope without Park Street. Commissioners asked whether the dollars earmarked for Park Street would be reallocated or held for a future round; Peterson described that Park Street funding will be revisited when the survey can be completed.

After the hearing, the board adopted a resolution approving the application change on behalf of East Straburg Borough to remove Park Street from the activity description until the required income survey is completed so the county’s FY2025 application can be submitted on time. The action allows the county to meet the Department of Community and Economic Development’s procedural requirement and keep the remainder of the project eligible for funding consideration.

The resolution was presented by county staff and approved by voice vote. The county’s redevelopment authority said Park Street remains a candidate for a future application once a residential income-eligibility survey can be completed.