To further improve bicycle friendliness in the State College area, the ClearWater Conservancy spoke at the State College Borough Council meeting Monday to ask for additional money in the 2013 budget.
Katie Ombalski, ClearWater Conservancy’s conservation biologist, said the Musser Gap Greenway project would connect Whitehall Road to the Musser Gap parking area by creating a greenway between them.
Ombalski said the conservancy is partnering with Penn State on this project and they have made a lot of progress so far.
However, she said they have also faced several challenges and, because of this, are currently over budget.
Ombalski said they need $4000 and went to Ferguson Township in September and made a request for $2000 in their 2013 budget, and said the council would be voting on it in a few weeks.
“We want to request that State College consider the other $2000 that would push us over what we believe to be the last hurdle,” she said.
Ombalski said the funds would be used for bridge and trail construction, which she said will be sustainable gravel trails.
Council member Peter Morris said he hoped the council would be able to receive the money on the 2013 budget, and said he would be very happy to vote for this.
Two consultants from the Downtown Master Plan also spoke at the meeting to inform the borough council of what they have been working on and their plans for the future, regarding the revamping of downtown State College.
Tom McGilloway, one of the consultants of the plan, said they are currently in the first phase of the plan and are focusing on receiving stakeholder input, assessing the downtown market and doing background studies of the borough.
McGilloway said they would be holding an open house Thursday in the Community Room of 243 S. Allen St. and offering another presentation on the information.
Mayor Elizabeth Goreham then said she wanted to remind everyone to vote on Election Day.
“It is important,” she said. “Everyone agrees it’s an important election, and if you don’t vote, you can’t complain about what happens.”
