As we moved through March, we also celebrated Women’s History Month, a time to honor the leaders, educators, advocates and neighbors whose contributions have shaped Moorestown into the community it is today. Thank you to every woman who has given their time, talent and dedication to this town.
The season is changing, and so is the pace of work here at town hall. A lot of what gets done in the early months of the year happens quietly – like budget planning, grant applications, project scoping – but it’s driven by one clear goal: making sure Moorestown remains a place where people want to live, raise families, and put down roots.
Costs are rising, and that means making tough decisions about where local resources go. Grants do not solve every problem, but when we win them, they directly reduce the pressure on our budget and on your tax bill. Below are some of the grants that the town has recently successfully applied for or received. Every dollar we bring in from outside sources is a dollar we do not have to ask Moorestown residents to provide.
Last month the township was awarded a $243,700 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Delaware Watershed Conservation Fund to support ecological improvements at Swede Run Fields. This award reflects the council’s ongoing commitment to protecting the open spaces that define our community, and it brings significant resources to one of our largest preserved open spaces at more than 130 acres.
The township is partnering with Save The Environment of Moorestown (STEM) and providing matching cash and in-kind support, bringing the total project investment to nearly $487,400.
This work will focus on removing invasive plant species and restoring native vegetation across the wetlands, scrub forest and upland forest areas along Swede Run. In addition to improving habitat and biodiversity, this effort supports water quality since Swede Run is a direct tributary of the Delaware River. It is a strong example of what is possible when the township and a local nonprofit work side by side to protect a place that so many residents enjoy.
We also submitted an application for the Department of Community Affairs’ Local Recreation Improvement Grant (LRIG) to support upgrades at the New Albany Recreation and Senior Center, which is one of Moorestown’s few community-owned indoor gathering spaces. The facility serves seniors, families, scouts, STEM programs and community groups.
The proposed project totals $74,175 and includes practical, high-impact and energy saving improvements like new flooring, painting, a mini-split HVAC system, LED lighting upgrades, security cameras, bathroom and kitchenette improvements and other repairs that improve comfort, accessibility and year-round usability.
This is exactly the kind of investment that strengthens community life, and it’s also exactly where grant funding can help us modernize facilities while being responsible with local resources.
We are pursuing the federal Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant opportunity to advance traffic safety and parking planning along Main Street. This is a competitive program focused on preventing roadway fatalities and serious injuries, and for Moorestown, the immediate opportunity is a planning grant that examines how parking, pedestrian movement and street design interact, and positions us for future implementation funding.
The scope of this work will focus on parking along Main Street, including ideas like expanding the municipal lot and upgrading parking infrastructure to reduce congestion and improve safety for pedestrians. This grant program requires a local match, but the long-term payoff can be significant: a stronger, better-connected Main Street corridor backed by outside dollars. The program is competitive, and we are doing everything we can to put forward a strong application on Moorestown’s behalf.
Community Project Funding – sometimes called an earmark – allows members of Congress to direct federal dollars to specific local projects. Each member can request funding for only a limited number of projects per year, making every submission competitive. Township staff have submitted requests to both Congressman Herb Conaway and Sen. Andy Kim’s office for support toward Phase Four of the Water Main Replacement along Chester to Poplar Street, continuing infrastructure work that directly serves Moorestown residents.
Sen. Kim previously secured federal funding that covered nearly half the cost of Phase One of this project, reducing the burden on local taxpayers in a meaningful way. We are grateful for that partnership and hopeful this next request reflects the same commitment to Moorestown’s long-term needs.
These grants reflect how we are approaching 2026: staying disciplined with the budget, staying ambitious about improvements, and fighting for every outside dollar we can find. Grants are one tool to stretch local resources further, and we will continue pursuing them as we work through priorities transparently with council.
