County seeks grant for Howland project
Howland would also contribute to the project.
WARREN -- An area of Howland Township ranked among the poorest neighborhoods in the county will vie for a state grant for road and drainage improvements.
On Wednesday, Trumbull County commissioners approved applying for a $300,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Development for improvements to the township's Bolindale area, between Deforest Avenue and Warren city limits.
The grant is highly competitive. Only about 10 will be awarded statewide, said Alan Knapp, Trumbull County Planning Commission assistant director. The winners will be announced Feb. 6.
Work planned: The project, which would likely include laying a waterline along Bolin Avenue, replacing open ditches with storm sewers along 10 streets, widening and resurfacing five others and installing streetlights over the entire area, would cost a total of about $600,000.
The commissioners also earmarked $25,000 for the project from the roughly $500,000 community development block grant funds available this year. Howland Township trustees have pledged $137,000, and an additional $140,000 has been committed from state Issue II funds.
About 1,000 people live in the Bolindale neighborhood, Knapp said.
Of the eight areas the planning commission has prioritized for improvement, Bolindale was one of only three in which residents met the income guidelines for this grant, Knapp said.
The planning commission chose to submit the application for Bolindale, rather than Maplewood in Hubbard or Meadowbrook in Warren Township, because it was judged to have the best chance to succeed, said Gary Newbrough, planning commission director.