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Old Tappan explores $1.5M streetscape grant to improve downtown safety and aesthetics
Summary
Council reported on an initial state/federal grant opportunity of up to about $1.5 million to fund downtown streetscape and pedestrian-safety projects; staff warned the application cycle is competitive and a late-March deadline may require rapid design work and property owner coordination.
Borough leaders reported a planning meeting with state and federal grant teams about a competitive streetscape program that could provide up to roughly $1.5 million for walkways, lighting, ADA ramps and other pedestrian-safety and beautification work.
Mayor Thomas Gallagher said the program covers both design assistance and construction elements; officials described a tight application timeline for the current round (the borough was advised the application line for this cycle is late March). Councilors and staff said the borough will need preliminary drawings and property-owner support (the downtown includes county roads and private property such as BiState Plaza that would need to endorse proposed changes). The borough will coordinate its engineer and grant writer to prepare materials and will pursue the next cycle if the borough is unable to complete the current round.
Council emphasized the project could include multimodal safety work and beautification measures; staff noted that if the borough cannot meet the current round's deadline it can use the lessons learned to improve future applications.
