Residents and council members of Crawford have had one thing on their minds over the last few months: winning the next New York Forward grant and using the money to promote a healthier, more physically active community. The town’s board and Forward committee eagerly shared their grant ideas last Thursday, July 18, in addition to announcing a new, non-Forward project with a similar intent.

Before diving into the meeting’s main discussion, the board passed a new local law establishing regulations for food trucks and trailers when serving the town during special events. The law requires that all food vendors obtain a license from the town board, obey parking and traffic laws, maintain an adequate distance away from properties serving similar food, and preserve a clean space around their vehicles. For licensing, all vendors must submit an application to the town clerk detailing their name, address, business, vehicle, and other registration information.

North Street’s Facelift
Dan McCann, the town’s director of safety and security, introduced Crawford’s newest undertaking: the North Street Pedestrian Safety Project. This initiative would revitalize North Street with brand-new sidewalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, repainted crosswalks, improved drainage and signage, and a gravel path cutting through Crawford Park. The project would cost $3,490,000, which the town would pay off using $695,000 from personal funds and $2,782,000 received through TAP, or the Transportation Alternatives Program, a federal award.

“The project award that the town received was just about $3.5 million, and this is a federal aid program, so it’s 80% federal money and 20% of local funds,” said Dan Rourke, an engineer from Barton & Loguidice. “This is a really good program and a good way to complete this project.”

Dan and Chris Hannett, another engineer from Barton & Loguidice, gave a presentation to the board and residents detailing the project’s features, funding, and timeline. The two speculated that North Street’s plans would be finalized in November and authorized by the New York State DOT a year later. Once approved, bidding will begin in January 2026, followed by construction starting in June 2026 and concluding in September 2026.

“Right now, there are no sidewalks along North Street up to the town park. Pavement width varies throughout the corridor but it’s generally about 20 to 22 inches in width, and that’s definitely not enough room for walking safely with vehicles,” Hannett said. “So we developed a typical section that will add those sidewalks primarily along the south side of the roadway, starting at the railroad and continuing east toward the town park.”

NY Forward Wishlist
Following North Street’s presentation, the town’s board and Forward committee discussed several project ideas they want to incorporate into Crawford using the Forward grant. The board and committee’s biggest desire is an indoor sports complex, where residents and visitors can enjoy sports and other activities all year round, especially during winter. The project would be located behind Crawford Park and require both grant and private funding.
“There’s so much going on with youth and adult sports, even pickleball has taken over the area. But there are limited facilities for a lot of these teams that want to train in the winter,” said Councilman Mike Menedez. “So we decided that we would investigate it. With our New York Forward theme being physical wellness and activity, this would really fit in with the theme that we’re promoting.”

Other Forward ideas include a new bandstand with benches, a new pavilion, EV chargers installed at Crawford’s old town hall, and sidewalk improvements throughout the entire town. Joan Miller, a member of the town’s community services, read the town’s Forward vision statement, emphasizing walkability and physical fitness.

“Our vision is to create a strong, vibrant, inviting, and walkable downtown area that expresses its diversity, history, and culture through a clean, clear, intelligent sidewalk system, complete with Wayfinder maps, historical markers, and walking programs,” Miller said. “Residents and visitors can walk, bike, or ride along a continuous stretch of a beautifully landscaped Main Street. Crawford will capitalize on physical activities through social and service clubs, religious institutions, local businesses, and friendly neighbors.”

Recent winners of NY Forward grants include the villages of Montgomery and Highland Falls.