Sandy Springs plans to use the $550,054 awarded through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for Roswell Road sidewalk construction and to pay off a loan used to leverage grant funds.
Grant funds also will also be used for the design and implementation of sidewalks along Hope Road and to continue to set aside money to pay off the Section 108 loan in the federal CDBG program. The program enables the city to leverage its annual grant allocation to access low-cost, flexible financing for economic development, housing, public facility, and infrastructure projects.
“What our research showed was that Sandy Springs can make the most efficient and prudent use of the CDBG funds allocated every year by continuing the Roswell Road multiyear sidewalk project,” she said.
The Roswell Road project connects Russell Road inside 285 and some spurs along Long Island Drive and Stewart Drive. It includes sidewalks, lighting and other amenities, she said.
The projects meet U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) objectives because sidewalks are essential to low to moderate-income communities, Planning and Zoning Manager Michelle McIntosh-Ross said. The sidewalks connect neighborhoods to essential needs such as grocery stores, bus stops, schools, jobs, parks and other services.
The draft of the 2023-2027 Consolidated Plan will be available on the city’s website for 30 days for public comment and review. That will give the city time to make adjustments and changes before the plan is submitted to HUD for approval, she said.
