BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The City of Bellingham has announced grants to neighborhood associations under its 2019 Small Simple Grants Program.

The program makes grants of up to $5,000 for small neighborhood improvements.

These are the projects that have been accepted:

1. Downtown Bellingham Partnership: $5,000 award to activate three public spaces downtown: The alley between Flora and Champion, the alley between Commercial and Cornwall, and the plaza on Commercial Street.
2. Historic Fairhaven Association: $900 to hand paint the original map of Fairhaven to be displayed at the Fairhaven Gazebo.
3. Roosevelt Neighborhood Association: $4,794 for “Welcome to Roosevelt” signs or banners at six significant entrances to neighborhood.
4. York Neighborhood Association: $4,000 for wayfinding signage, including a new sign, street-sign toppers, and printed yard signs for meetings.
5. Columbia Neighborhood Association: $4,625 for a garden share shed kiosk for sharing produce, a lending library, public messaging, and solar panel with LED lights.
6. Happy Valley Neighborhood Association: $5,000 to add 20 street trees.
7. Sunnyland Neighborhood Association: $5,000 for vinyl artwork for five utility/traffic boxes.
8. Fairhaven Neighbors, South Neighborhood, Chuckanut Center: $1,317 to install exterior lighting to illuminate the parking area and the front and back porch of Chuckanut Center.
9. Birchwood Neighborhood Association: $5,000 for Birchwood International Market vendor tents and/or garbage and recycling bins.
10. Cordata Neighborhood Association: $1,500 to remove the current community garden shed and build a new one.
11. Samish Neighborhood Association: $395 to repair of “Welcome to Samish Neighborhood” sign.
12. Cornwall Park Neighborhood Association: $2,108 for two memorial benches in Broadway Park.

Mayor Kelli Linville said, “These Small and Simple Grants are intended to fund one-time projects that make substantive and positive changes to the community, and we received some great applications this year.”

The associations have to complete the projects by the end of the year to receive the grant money.