2026 3 9 Work Session Packet City Council 1

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PUBLIC WORKS 
T
O: Randall Dowling, City Manager 
FROM: Kevin L. Helms, Project Manager 
Cc: Ben Burchfield, Public Works Director 
DATE: March 5, 2026 
SUBJECT: Congressional District Block Grant (CDBG) 2026 
B
ackground 
In 2025, the City of Athens applied for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)  to fund 
improvements at Knight Park and the surrounding area. The application was not funded. Following the 
grant award announcements, staff met with grant administrators to review the scoring of the application 
and identify opportunities to improve the competitiveness of future submissions. Based on this feedback, 
it was determined that the project area previously selected was unlikely to receive funding due to scoring 
factors related primarily to safety data. 
B
ased on the information received, staff evaluated other potential project areas and determined that the 
intersections of Madison Avenue with White Street and Jackson Street would be much more competitive 
for grant funding based on available crash data. As the scope of the project was further evaluated, it was 
determined that the intersections of Washington Avenue with White Street and Jackson Street should 
also be included. 
T
hese intersections operate in coordination with one another, and maintaining consistent design and 
functionality is important for overall traffic operations and safety. Significant differences in design or 
function between closely coordinated intersection s can create operational issues and increase the 
potential for crashes. 
T
he proposed improvements address priorities identified in several recently adopted or ongoing planning 
efforts, including the Community Mobility Plan, Bike and Pedestrian Master Plan , and the Traffic Safety 
Action Plan. The final design will also be informed by the Downtown Master Plan, which is currently under 
development and is expected to be finalized prior to the availability of grant funding. 
T
he upgrades are intended to accomplish four primary goals: 
• Improve pedestrian safety
• Reduce vehicle crashes
• Address ADA compliance issues
• Improve the aesthetics of the downtown area
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