A place to sit and ponder in the Elfin Forest. Photo by Lynn Stafford
Photo by Lynn Stafford.

County to Grant $90,000 for Beautification Projects This Year

Author: Administrative Office
Date: 1/29/2020 9:09:23 AM

Eligible projects may include trails, public art, benches or decorative landscaping. Applications are due on March 19, 2020.

Now through March 2020, local nonprofit groups and public agencies can apply for grants to fund one-time projects that will enhance the cultural, environmental, recreational, or historical resources in San Luis Obispo County’s unincorporated areas.

Eligible projects may include trails, public art, benches or decorative landscaping. Applications are due on March 19, 2020.

As part of the FY 2019-20 budget, which began in July 2019, the County Board of Supervisors allocated $90,000 for this grant program. All applications should include specific details about the proposed project and its overall budget, with a focus on the outcome and its benefit to the community in unincorporated areas of the county. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that preserve the assets and enhance the beauty of our unincorporated communities. Funds will not be used to pay for insurance or on-going maintenance projects.

The County’s Tourism Business Improvement District (CBID) will work with County staff to review applications and provide the County Board of Supervisors with final recommendations for grant funding. Agencies and organizations with approved projects will receive an agreement with terms and conditions for signature.

The amount of funds available each fiscal year is at the discretion of the Board. Last year, the Board of Supervisors approved $90,000 in grant funding for this program. The County awarded grants to seven of the nine proposed projects, which included a native habitat restoration project in San Simeon, new renovation of the entryway to Rios Caledonia Adobe, repair and upgrade of the Mission Street sidewalk gardens in San Miguel, creation of art to be placed around Oceano, and renovations to the Maggetti House in Cambria.