Downtown grant program OK'd

Several properties in downtown Portland may soon be getting facelifts thanks to a façade grant program that has been established.

Members of the Portland City Council voted Monday night to establish the downtown façade funding program, which gives 50/50 matching grants to downtown property owners to spruce up their properties.

The program is being funded through $25,000 in tax revenue from the Portland Redevelopment Commission, along with $25,000 in Economic Development Income Tax funds.

The council approved the EDIT funds, based on the recommendation of the Portland EDIT Advisory Committee, which met shortly before the council Monday evening.

The grants would be administered by the Portland Historic Preservation Commission, with recommendations from a downtown facade funding program committee.

Kristi Sturtz, Sturtz Public Management Group, told council members that she plans to meet with downtown property owners in December to explain the grant program. She said applications will be due in February and would be reviewed by the committee and the commission.

The committee, which has not yet been appointed, would include Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier, two members of the Portland Redevelopment Commission and two members of the Portland Historic Preservation Commission.

The grants would be for improvements such as lighting, signs, minor roof repair, awnings and architectural design. The improvements must follow the Downtown Portland Historic Preservation District guidelines. The historic preservation district must issue a Certificate of Appropriateness before work can begin.

Sturtz said Monday that work on grant-funded projects should begin by April. Requests for reimbursement must be submitted by October.

Officials hope the program will continue in future years.

To insure that individuals don't profit from the grant funds, property owners receiving grants will be required to retain that property for five years after completion of work. If the property is sold less than five years after the work is completed, 20 percent of the grant would have to be repaid for each year short of the five years.

Hosier said this ensures the properties are being improved for the betterment of the community, not for the financial gain of the property owner.

Also Monday, council members voted to send a rezoning recommendation by the Portland Planning Commission back to the commission.

Planning commission members met Nov. 5 and voted to recommend that a property located at 630 N. Western Ave. be rezoned to neighborhood business from residential. Mel Smitley asked for the property to be rezoned so he could put a temporary office for his auctioneering/real estate business in a home at that location.

The site, which is currently zoned residential, is also targeted as residential on a future land use map. Council president Bill Gibson said Monday that if the change requested by Smitley is granted, he would like to see a stipulation that the property revert to residential zoning if it is sold.

After hearing that the council had the option of denying the rezoning request or sending it back to the commission for further review, Gibson made a motion to send the request back to the planning commission. His fellow council members agreed and voted to send the request back with the stipulation that the property be rezoned to neighborhood business, but revert back to residential when it is sold.

In a related matter, council members voted to rezone about 79 acres owned by Smitley located along West Votaw Street to highway service from agricultural.

This property will be rezoned with the stipulation that plans for any developments on the site must be submitted to and approved by the Technical Review Committee within 12 months. If plans are not submitted and approved within that time frame, the land will revert back to being zoned as agricultural.

Also Monday, council members:

•Learned that the city has been awarded federal stimulus money to improve portions of three more city streets.

Information about which streets will be improved and how much money the city will be awarded has not yet been disclosed to city officials.

Portland Mayor Bruce Hosier said more information will be released sometime after Wednesday.

City officials also recently learned that the city was awarded a total of $69,420.02 in stimulus money to improve of Charles and Lincoln streets.

•Learned that the city has been awarded funds from the Indiana Department of Energy to install solar panels on two city buildings.

The total cost will be $58,588 and the city will pay $27,394 to install the panels at the city's water department and the Community Resource Center. City officials also asked for funds to install solar panels at the wastewater treatment plant, but that request was denied.

Jay County Community Developer Ami Huffman said the water department and resource center were selected because they would benefit the most from the solar panels.

•Heard Hosier announce that a dedication ceremony will be held Friday at 1 p.m. for the river path.

The ceremony will be held at the trailhead, which is the restroom building at Hudson Family Park. The trail runs from the trailhead to Freedom Park.

•Voted to create a three-person committee to review several complaints about trash cans being left out by city streets for several days, and to come up with a possible solution to the problem.

Gibson asked for council members Kip Robinette, Judy Aker and Don Gillespie to serve as the committee.

Gibson also asked council members to drive through city neighborhoods to look for eyesores, then report the problems to city officials.

•Heard Hosier ask those traveling in the area of Votaw Street and Industrial Park Drive to be cautious. A stoplight is being installed there.

•Voted to move $8,000 from the fire department's investigative non-reverting fund to the training fund.[[In-content Ad]]