By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Small communities won out in the county-wide race for Community Development Block Grants this year.
Custar, Pemberville, Risingsun and Perrysburg Heights were recommended to receive block grant funding by the Wood County Planning Commission and approved by the county commissioners. Northwood was selected as an alternative.
“I know some of these small villages really struggle,” said Wood County Engineer John Musteric.
Winning support for funding were:
- $61,700 for Custar to reconstruct about 1,360 feet of asphalt pavement and install four curb ramps, reconstruct one catch basin and one manhole on Superior Street.
- $68,900 for Pemberville to install about 38 curb ramps and 12 ADA detector pads in existing sidewalks, and repave 2,532 square feet of sidewalk to meet ADA requirements.
- $67,400 for Risingun to reconstruct about 2,980 feet of sidewalk along Main Street from the village limits to U.S. 23, plus install ADA ramps at all intersections.
- $55,000 for Perrysburg Heights Community Center to replace the roof on the original portion of the facility.
Northwood’s request was for $100,000 to reconstruct about 1,190 feet of asphalt pavement, replace curbs, add sidewalks and curb ramps, and reconstruct catch basins along Maryland Place between Andrus Road and Brentwood Drive.
Wood County Planning Commission had $253,000 to award this year in the CDBG funds. According to Planning Director Dave Steiner, there were several other applicants, but they failed to meet qualifications.
Steiner showed slides of each community need, including broken up roadway and uneven sidewalks.
Community representatives also made their own pitches for funding.
Custar Mayor Renee Hartman talked about her town’s need for help.
“Custar Road is in serious need of repair,” she said. “We would be very grateful. It’s one of the most important things to the village right now.”
Pemberville engineer Steve Darmofel pointed out the need for ADA curb ramps, since only 12 percent in the village currently meet ADA standards. The plan is to replace 38 curb ramps on College, Hickory and Maple streets.
“Those are bad. They’re not even close to compliant,” Steiner said as he flashed a photo of the curbs.
A representative of Poggemeyer Design Group put a pitch in for Risingsun’s need for sidewalks and ADA ramps.
“The sidewalks are extremely bad. Wheelchairs cannot go down there,” she said.
Paul Belazis, of the Perrysburg Heights Community Association, talked about the need to replace the roof on the community center, which was built in 1995. The association was established in 1991 in response to needs in the low income community – including the 80 percent dropout rate for students.
The organization has been offering afterschool programming, with dramatic results, Belazis said.
“We have continued to do that for the last 25 years,” he said.
“An awful lot of kids depend on it,” he said of the center.
