5 Montco Communities Receive $358K For Sustainability Projects

NORRISTOWN, PA — Five projects around Montgomery County, including one in Narberth, will receive a total of $358,000 in funding in support of Montco 2040, the county's plan to improve the area's sustainability and economy.

The Montco 2040 Implementation Grants are intended to help municipalities make physical improvements that achieve progress toward the goals of the plan's themes of "connected communities, sustainable places, and vibrant economy."

The awards announced Thursday are the second round of the 2016 cycle. A total of $1 million is available, the county said.

The program will remain open and municipalities are encouraged to submit applications, although funding will likely not be available until early in 2017 when another $1 million is added to the program, according to the county.

In Conshohocken, the borough will receive a total of $120,000 to retrofit the parking area at Sutcliffe Park between Wood and Freedley Streets, the county said.

The site will employ stormwater management measures to better control runoff and promote groundwater recharge through the use of decorative pavers and a rain garden.

The "green" parking lot will also have environmental education signs, complete pedestrian connections to the
park, provide ADA parking and accessibility, and promote waste disposal and recycling, the county said.

Towamencin will receive $100,000 to construct a multi-use trail between Trumbauer Road to Valley View Way along the Towamencin Creek, the county said.

The path will pass through lands owned by the township and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

It will add about 4,000 feet to an existing portion of the trail, and will include a new bridge over the stream, according to officials.

Narberth will receive $40,000 to install several bio-infiltration systems on the edge of Windsor Avenue, adjacent to Narberth Park, the county said.

The project will include shade tree pits, a spillway for excess water during rain events, anda vegetated rain garden, officials said.

The site is meant to be a demonstration of stormwater management best practices, so that other property owners can take notice and apply the same techniques.

Educational signs will be provided by the Lower Merion Conservancy.

Funding for this project also comes from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the William Penn Foundation to help improve regional water quality.

A street mural in Schwenksville will get $18,300 in funding, and $80,000 will go toward a green parking lot and vegetated rain garden in Lower Pottsgrove.

Funding was also allocated to projects in Lower Pottsgrove, Towamencin, Conshohocken, and Schwenksville.