ASHLAND — The Village of Savannah is slated to get new sidewalks.
Ashland County commissioners allocated $139,680 from Community Development Block Grant (CDGB) funds on Thursday toward the village’s effort to install new sidewalks along various streets.
In its application to the county commissioners, the village will pave 3,826 feet of sidewalk along North Main, South Main, West Main, Crowell, Scott and Bailey streets.
Some of the sidewalks being replaced are up to 175 years old, said village mayor Tom Kruse.
The village received CDBG funds in 2017 to improve some sidewalks in the area, according to the village’s application.
“It had a profound effect on the village. Children are riding their bikes on the new and repaired sidewalks, and many people are out walking and visiting,” the application reads.
“People from the township come and walk in the village. As a result, it has greatly improved the social fabric of the village.”
Kruse said the sidewalks would allow people to walk most of the way to the village’s dollar store and would serve people in the northern part of the village, near a residential development.
Five other villages applied for the $150,000 in CDBG money for projects ranging from sidewalk repair to the construction of a public park to repairing water wells.
Nikki Hiller, the clerk for the Ashland County commissioners, said she would submit an application for the funds, which will be available in the next two years.
The Village of Savannah will be responsible for paying 5% of the total received, around $7,000.
The grant also requires the recipient to pay Ohio Regional Development for fair housing, a fair housing impediment study and administrative fees.
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