The Borough of Pottstown is committed to maintaining a beautiful and safe environment for its residents. As part of this commitment, the Borough requires the installation and upkeep of street trees along thoroughfares and mandates property owners to maintain sidewalks and street trees within the right of way. Street trees offer numerous benefits, including improved air quality, reduced urban heat islands, enhanced property values, better health and wellbeing, and lower energy costs.
While street trees offer numerous benefits to the community, they can sometimes cause damage to sidewalks, posing a financial challenge for some property owners. To address this issue, the Borough is launching a new grant program to assist in repairing sidewalks damaged by street trees for owner occupied households with extremely low to moderate income. The Walk & Thrive Repair Grant is a Borough of Pottstown initiative designed to support income-eligible, owner-occupied households in repairing sidewalks damaged by street tree roots. This program aims to ease financial burdens on residents with limited means, preserve the community’s valuable tree canopy, and ensure safe, accessible sidewalks for all. Eligible repairs to preserve existing street trees may include sidewalk replacement, tree well expansion, selective root pruning, or realignment of sidewalk sections. Funded by a limited $200,000 pilot budget for 2025-2026, applications will be ranked based on sidewalk severity and location. If awarded, the Borough will hire the contractor, and property owners must consent to the work and sign a liability release. Please review the full guidelines on the next page before applying to ensure eligibility and understanding of the program requirements.
