LANCASTER – Sen. Ryan Aument (R-36) announced that the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) awarded three grants totaling $600,000 that will benefit the 36th District by improving recreational opportunities and making watershed improvements.
“The grants will help to facilitate projects that would not have been possible so soon otherwise. By adding to the recreational opportunities of the district, these communities will become a better place to live and may even help to attract new residents to the area. We live in a beautiful part of the state, so providing more ways to enjoy the outdoors for people of all ages is absolutely a win,” Aument said.
Elizabethtown Borough received $300,000 to make watershed improvements along Conoy Creek within Hickory Lane Park. The project includes the removal of approximately 120,000 tons of sediment from the waterway. A stream channel will be relocated away from the edge of the valley bottom, and a new meandering channel will be established in the center of the valley. Vegetation will be planted, and wetland pockets will be established at storm outfalls with concentrated flow paths. Existing outfalls and eroded swales will be stabilized as a part of the restoration efforts. More than 1,800 feet of streambank will be restored to eliminate the current bank erosion and will significantly reduce sediment load in the Conoy Creek and the Chesapeake Bay.
Manheim Borough was awarded a $150,000 grant to make improvements to Manheim Veterans Memorial Park, including constructing a Veterans Memorial Plaza. The project consists of the installation of a gazebo, flag poles, a stone veneer seat wall for public reflection, walkways connecting with an existing park path, lighting fixtures, and landscaping. The park improvements will provide a venue for community events.
Finally, Pleasant View Communities received $150,000 to construct a five-foot wide, 5,000-foot walking trail. It will be a continuation of an existing walking trail that currently navigates the retirement community. The trail will be ADA accessible and also include the implementation of benches and appropriate signage. Both assets will be open for public use.
The projects were funded by the CFA, which is an independent agency of the Department of Community and Economic Development that administers many of Pennsylvania’s economic development and community improvement programs.
CONTACT: Stephanie Applegate