$150K fed grant to aid Lake storm water work

The Meadville Tribune
By Keith Gushard
Saturday, October 19, 2013

CONNEAUT LAKE — Conneaut Lake has been awarded a $150,000 federal grant for a storm water improvement in the borough.

The borough has been awarded the funding through the federal Appalachian Regional Commission.

“It’s a project on its own.”  Bill Eldridge, chairman of the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee, said Friday.  “But, it’s also part of an overall plan of improvements.”

Conneaut Lake is in the midst of planning a series of street and landscape improvements in its business district along Water Street.

The ARC grant covers stormwater improvements along Route 322 from the borough’s border with Sadsbury Township west into the borough along Route 322/Water Street to west of First Street, Eldridge said.

The ARC stormwater project is scheduled to be done in 2014, but no formal date has been set as final design is not complete, according to Eldridge.

The borough has sought funding from various state, federal and local sources including a $2 million grant from the state for more than $2 million in proposed improvements along Water Street, Conneaut Lake’s main thoroughfare.  Final cost totals and projects will be determined once all funding responses are received.

Those improvements would include putting over head utility lines underground; new curbing, sidewalks and crosswalks; adding decorative street lights and signal poles; and new landscaping.

The borough has committed to $150,000 toward the project and Crawford County has committed $210,000 as well.

The good news is we can use the ARC grant as matching funds toward any state grant,” Eldridge said.