North Royalton City Council passed two pieces of legislation that would accept grants for the City Green and Memorial Park. These are the second and third grants accepted this year.
At the April 16 Council meeting, the first ordinance was unanimously adopted, introduced by Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz, that authorizes the Mayor and Community Development Director to accept a grant from the Cuyahoga County Supplemental Grant Program for a Community Development Supplemental Grant for construction of wayfinding and landscaping improvements on the City Green in an amount of $50,000. (The term “wayfinding” relates to the use of signage, design and color to help people navigate from one place to another.) The Cuyahoga County Community Development Supplemental Grant is administered by the Cuyahoga County Executive through the Cuyahoga County Department of Development
Mayor Antoskiewicz said that the funding will be used to replace the concrete planters that are currently located on the Green, to “bring some color to the center of town, and provide some signage.” He said that the overall intent is the “beautification of it. It’s the center of town. It is to showcase the City.” He said that he will be putting together a design plan for the project, but stated that there is no other money budgeted in addition to the grant money. “We’re going to see how far $50,000 goes.”
The second piece of legislation approved was an ordinance that was unanimously adopted, introduced by Mayor Antoskiewicz, that authorizes the Mayor and Community Development Director to accept a grant from the Cuyahoga County Municipal Grant Program for a block grant for the construction of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Improvements at Memorial Park, in the amount of $38,000. The Cuyahoga County Municipal Grant Program grants up to $150,000 to municipal governments to help “strengthen cities, encourage regional collaboration, and improve quality of life for County residents. Communities applying for the grants can do so for the following: Community master plans; Housing and commercial demolition; Infrastructure; Public safety; Streetscapes; Parks and playgrounds; Community and senior centers.”
Antoskiewicz said that the funds will be used for some signage and to “make the parking spots more ADA-compliant, regarding pitch and slope and things like that.” North Royalton Community Development Director Tom Jordan further explained that there will be an “ADA modification to some of the curbing, so there will be a little ramp to access some of the areas from the parking lot. This will create a flat handicap spot more toward the lower pavilion. The whole parking lot has a pitch to it. A true handicap spot has a special type of grading.”
Jordan said that both projects will be done soon, as Cuyahoga County rules that their grant awards must be completed within the grant year.
Also approved this year, was a grant from the Ohio Attorney General’s Office for the 2022-23 Ohio Law Enforcement Body Armor Program in an amount not to exceed $11,407.50 for the purchase of bullet proof vests.
Last fall, the City applied for two grants for the addition of sidewalks. The first application is in the amount of $229,585.62 for an Implementation Grant for the installation of sidewalks on State Road that would be installed from Wallings Road to Lisa Lane. If awarded, the City would agree to provide a cash match in the amount of $57,396.41, for a total project cost of $286,982.03. The second application is in the amount of $175,239.16 for an Implementation Grant for the installation of sidewalks on State Road, which would be installed from Akins Road to the Turnpike Bridge. If awarded, the City would provide a cash match in the amount of $43,809.79, for a total project cost of $219,048.95. According to Jordan, the City has not received notification of a grant award for those two projects.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer