Lower Merion Gets $150K For Stream Restoration Project

WYNNEWOOD, PA — A stream in Wynnewood Valley Park will get some TLC thanks to a sizable grant from Montgomery County.

The Montgomery County Commissioners announced 15 projects in the county are getting Montco 2040 Implementation Grants. The new grants continue an exciting program aimed at implementing the county comprehensive plan, Montco 2040: A Shared Vision.

Among those projects is Lower Merion Township's Wynnewood Valley Park Stream Restoration Project.

The township will get $150,000 to 1,550 linear feet of stream in Wynnewood Valley Park, including the implementation of flood mitigation and sediment reduction measures.

Wynnewood Valley Park is a highly utilized open space in the Penn Wynne neighborhood of the township, and it also includes a number of different areas for recreation such as basketball and tennis courts, a playground, a sensory garden, and walking trails.

The stream restoration will help to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and enhance access to the stream for local residents.

The program is intended to assist municipalities in making targeted physical improvements that achieve real progress toward the goals of the plan and the plan’s themes of Connected Communities, Sustainable Places, and Vibrant Economy.

Today’s grant awards account for over $1,600,000 across fifteen municipalities. The county received a total of 25 applications from municipalities totaling $3.1 million in requests. Projects were evaluated in terms of impact, county and local planning consistency, project readiness, and funding attributes by a committee consisting of Montgomery County Planning Commission Board Members and interdepartmental county staff.

Projects were also given heightened consideration when addressing one of three focus categories for 2019: Walk/Bike Montco – Trails, Paths, Sidewalk Connections and Bike Facilities; Downtown and Community Destination Support; and Adaptation and Resiliency.

“It has been very gratifying to see how municipalities have used the Montco 2040 grant program to lift local projects off the ground while contributing to the countywide goals of the Montco 2040 comprehensive plan," said Dr. Val Arkoosh, Chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners. "Pedestrian and bicycle mobility projects have been very popular, but we’re also seeing some great downtown improvements and environmental projects that improve water quality and reduce flooding in urbanized watersheds."

Since the initiation of the Montco 2040 Implementation Grant Program in 2016, 56 grants totaling $5.5 million has been awarded to benefit 38 municipalities in the county.

Nearby, Narberth got $27,400 for a bike infrastructure project.