Redevelopment agrees to matching portion of trail funds

Hoping the third time is indeed the charm, the City of Greencastle is again applying for a grant to complete the Ivy Tech-to-Limedale leg of the People Pathways trail.

Application for National Trails funding is due Dec. 1, Mayor Bill Dory told the Greencastle Redevelopment Commission (RDC) at its recent November meeting.

On a motion by commission member Gwen Morris, the Redevelopment Commission agreed to fund the 20 percent matching portion of the grant. While the total amount was not specified, Mayor Dory noted the local match would likely be in the $500,000-$600,000 range to help fund the section of the project running from Ivy Tech west along Veterans Memorial Highway to the CSX railroad crossing.

Due to some donations of property for easements along the proposed route, the figure might end up closer to the $484,000 agreed upon as the local match in previous grant requests, Dory said.

If the city receives a grant, it would have four years to implement the project with construction not commencing until 2023. The city would work with the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to secure easements along State Road 240 in 2022.

“The project has been in our plan for a while,” the mayor said.

People Pathways has agreed to put up $20,000 toward the project.

The mayor was asked why he thought previous city attempts to secure grant funding on the project had failed.

He noted that the Greencastle project was competing in a $20 million pool for funding and other projects were apparently given priority despite the city “putting together a good application.”

In other business, the RDC:

-- Agreed to a reimbursement agreement with Putnam County Hospital and an amendment to the Bona Vita Architecture contract on the community center project.

-- Heard Mayor Dory report that a special joint meeting between the RDC and City Council has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 30 at City Hall.

-- Heard Mayor Dory report that final design work is complete on the Columbia Street parking lot, while survey work has been done on the South Jackson Street sidewalk project.

-- Heard that design work is also done on the Robe-Ann Park improvement project which is expected to be taken before the Park Board at its Dec. 1 meeting.

Joining City Attorney Laurie Hardwick, Mayor Dory and Morris for the brief meeting at City Hall were RDC members Drew Brattain, Gary Lemon and Erika Gilmore. Lottie Barcus was absent.

The next meeting of the RDC is set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 15, a week early due to the holiday season.