Franklin Township hopes to use this year’s Community Development Block Grant funds toward an ongoing project.

Supervisors on Tuesday named the continuation of the Red Hill Road Project for the 2019 CDBG funding year.

At that time, the first of two CDBG public hearings was held in the township.

The purpose of the hearing was to receive input and comments by residents for use of the CDBG 2019 funds and prior use of CDBG funds for the township.

For fiscal year 2019, the township will receive about $90,997. Of that, $74,618 is for project implementation, while the other $16,379 is for project implementation.

Pre-applications for entitlement communities are due by May 3. The second public hearing will likely be held in September.

After the meeting, township secretary Brenda Neeb said the Red Hill Road project is a three to four-year plan, 2016-18, and 2019 if moneys are still needed.

Neeb said the project consists of replacing the culvert/bridge located on the road; correct drainage problems along the entire road (installing pipes, inlet boxes); and the final phase will be to resurface the entire road (from Indian Hill Road to Fairyland/Long Run Road).

She said the problems regarding the drainage along the road is to be done in three phases per the township engineer due to the costs involved.

Neeb said phases I, II, and III will all consist of the installation of drainage pipes and inlet boxes to help collect the water runoff and outlet it safely to Berry Run (the small creek that runs underneath the existing culvert/bridge).

Due to the estimated costs, she said the work has to been done in phases as the township receives the CDBG money from 2017 and 2018.

Neeb said the township is anticipating that this year’s money will be used to complete the project by resurfacing Red Hill Road.

However, she noted that nothing is set in stone, as the township is still waiting to get the permit needed from the state Department of Environmental Protection to be able to replace the culvert/bridge due to water (Berry Run) that runs underneath it.

Neeb also noted that the township has not put anything out to bid to date, as it needs the permit in hand to be able to proceed with the bidding process.