Four different areas of the city will be getting spruced up and made just a bit more aesthetically pleasing thanks to grant funding set aside by city council which targets specific areas of the community.
Council approved the release of those funds at its Aug. 14 meeting for several different beautification projects put forward by the city’s two Business Improvement Areas (BIAs) and two neighbourhood associations.
Dennis Brodie, the city’s interim finance reporting supervisor, said the program is aimed at cleaning up the community.
The “partnering agreements with with four local business organizations will see beautification projects carried out in 2017 for the enjoyment of the community as a whole,” Brodie said.
“The 2017 financial plan had a total budget of $40,000 for this program, which was allocated amongst four local business groups in amounts of $10,000 each,” Brodie added. “The requests from the business groups total $31,820.”
Myriah Foort, the city’s finance manager, said that each BIA or association is allowed to request up to a maximum of $10,000 from the city but they have to match what they are given by the city. Foort noted that this year, two of the groups did not request the full $10,000.
Here is what each organization has requested funds for:
Downtown Heart of the City Business Improvement Association: pressure washing of sidewalks, regular leaf and debris blowing, electrical box wraps, and cleaning garbage and leaves out of garden beds and pots in the Downtown BIA area (from Harbourside Inn to Pure Self Defense).
There is also a plan to include a sign to assist with orienting visitors to more shops on 11th Avenue and north on Shoppers Row.
The BIA will contribute $1,190 in in-kind funding and $4,760 in cash for a total project cost of $5,950 which is the amount the BIA is requesting from the city grant.
Pier Street Association: The association is working on a Gateway to Downtown Campbell River Historic Pier Street project.
The first phase of the project is to make the entrance to Campbell River more inviting by creating a gathering area, with a pilot busker area along the harbourfront being one of the main attractions. The Pier Street Association’s vision is to remove the kiosk to make that a marked busker area.
Once that is removed, plans include sprucing up the old planters and plants, which will include repairing the large oval planter which will serve two purposes – a seating area with a see-through sight line and more aesthetically pleasing plants with low profile grasses and beach rock.
This project will also include re-locating the existing bus bench and installing two new benches that will follow the Refresh Downtown street elements for the waterfront district. Work includes: repairing and cleaning existing planters; removing and replacing plants with fall tree pruning; removing the kiosk and inlaying a busker marker; relocating a bus bench and installing two new benches. Work includes: repairing and cleaning existing planters; removing and replacing plants with fall tree pruning; removing the kiosk and inlaying a busker marker; relocating a bus bench and installing two new benches.
In exchange for the $10,000 requested from the city for that work, the association is proposing the following in-kind contributions: pressure washing and cleaning of sidewalk; a design layout (as aesthetically pleasing as possible); promotion of area on all PSA sites; pruning of trees and clean up of breakwater (pruning trees on breakwater as well as getting rid of the weeds, broom and blackberry bushes in order to make a direct sight line to the passage).
Willow Point BIA: 10 pole mount Christmas decorations for light posts along the highway as well as 40 16-inch custom hanging Christmas baskets for boulevard light poles. The BIA plans to contribute $5,869.89 to match the amount requested from the city.
Campbellton Neighbourhood Association: Planter Project (includes costs for planting, flowers, a relocation plan, box painting and maintenance); Planter Box Construction (materials and labour for 10 boxes); and Banner Project (artist design, layout and installation).
The association will contribute $10,035.