City Fails to Get Grant Funding for Controversial Crawford Street Project and Herrlinger Park Improvements

State announced Neighborhood Revitalization Program recipients -- Troy doesn't make the list

Late last week, the Ohio Department of Development announced that 10 communities will share $7.5 Million in funds set aside for Neighborhood Revitalization projects through the Federal Community Development Block Grant program. Nine of the ten projects are in small villages, and the only city to receive the funding was Mount Vernon. While most of the projects are in the central and southern part of the state, Arcanum (Darke County) and Middle Point (Van Wert County) received funding here in the western part of Ohio. One community that did not get this funding was our own city.

The City of Troy had applied for these highly competitive funds earlier this year, and this funding was to play a critical role in the development of a highly controversial pedestrian pathway on South Crawford Street and necessary improvements to Herrlinger Park. The City’s request was outlined below in a transmittal to City Council, as the Council was deliberating to request the funding.

The project became controversial since it appeared that in many discussions with neighborhood residents, the improvements for Herrlinger Park were welcome, but the pedestrian pathway was unnecessary. This publication talked at length about the project. In one such newsletter, this publication discussed how fast-tracking these grant requests is putting City Council in an uncomfortable position.

Thanks to the Ohio Department of Development’s wisdom, the residents of South Crawford Street can breathe a sigh of relief; there will be no ten foot pedestrian path on their doorsteps anytime soon.

But, according to the City’s own transmittal to the City Council, if “neither of the PY 2024 CDBG grants are awarded, then both the Crawford Street Pedestrian Pathway and the improvements to Herrlinger Park will be delayed until grant funding can be secured.”

While it may be disappointing for the community not to receive this funding at this time, the fact that the funding was not received should be seen as an opportunity to have more and deeper discussions on what goals and objectives are trying to be met through this project. From the very beginning, the entire Crawford Street Pedestrian Pathway felt rushed and hurried. Public consultations talked more about park improvements than the pedestrian pathway, yet the pathway was seen as the most critical (or at least the most expensive) part of the entire project.

This publication has talked at length about how the Crawford Street Pedestrian Path, that is expected to be used by cyclists, misses the mark. Most of the bicycle traffic, on the city’s eastside, travels east-west along Franklin and Canal Streets. Furthermore, the traffic patterns on South Crawford Street will require cyclists to stop at every intersection along the pedestrian path, which will undoubtedly make the riding experience less enjoyable for cyclists of all ages and skill levels.

If the park improvements were warranted and wanted, there is nothing stopping the city from moving forward. In all reality, the City could easily expend the funds it had planned for the park improvements at Herrlinger Park (at a total cost of $160,000) and eastside residents would be more than excited to support this project. However, something tells me this isn’t going to happen.

The community and the neighborhood was excited about Herrlinger Park, but the city was more excited about the Crawford Street Pedestrian Pathway. The prevailing attitude seems to be that “the City” gets what it wants first, and everyone else in the community waits in line. In other words, if there is no pedestrian pathway, there are no park improvements.

There is an opportunity here for our community’s leadership to show the way on listening to our residents and making necessary improvements to our park system — regardless if it is grant funded or not.

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