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Borough outlines $1.39M federal streetscaping grant and debates $325K business-district lighting options
Summary
Engineers reported $1.39 million in federal funding for Crafton Elementary/Crafton Boulevard streetscaping and discussed a $325,000 DCEED grant for business-district pedestrian and lighting improvements; council debated higher-cost fixed poles vs. lower-cost string/decorative lights and asked Gateway for final designs and costing before approval.
Council’s engineer and infrastructure committee provided two related grant updates on June 11 that affect the Crafton Boulevard and business-district corridor.
First, the engineer said $1.39 million in federal funds has been secured for a Crafton Elementary and Crafton Boulevard streetscaping project; the project is a partnership with the school and the city, and staff expect coordination and a planning meeting in June. The transcript attributes the funding source to a named congressional staffer ("Congressman Delitio" in the record).
Second, staff described a $325,000 DCEED grant to support pedestrian and related improvements in the business district and around the circle. Gateway consultants presented alternatives during prior planning: an approach using fixed, in-ground light fixtures and new poles (higher upfront cost) and a lower-cost option using decorative string lights attached to existing Dukane poles and a small number of lightweight new posts. Council members and staff discussed cost estimates: approximately $460,000 for the full fixed-pole approach versus about $300,000 using the string-light and lighter-post strategy. The Gateway team and engineer recommended deferring final approval until full designs and exact costs are available; the council agreed to review the designs at a future meeting before committing to the selected approach.
Why it matters: the streetscaping and business-district improvements combine federal and state/local grant funding to upgrade pedestrian safety, ADA accessibility and the business corridor’s aesthetics; the lighting design decision affects cost, maintenance and construction impacts.
What’s next: Gateway will provide final design drawings and updated cost estimates for council review; the borough will coordinate with Dukane and the city on pole access and finalize which alternate is put out to bid.
