Tacoma City Council is expected to vote Tuesday on a resolution that would direct $158,647 for neighborhood improvement projects as part of the city’s annual Innovative Grant Program.

The program is funded by Community Development Block Grants through the City’s Community and Economic Development special revenue fund. According to the resolution request prepared by Neighborhood Council Coordinator Elton Gatewood and submitted to City Council July 20, applications for a variety of projects were submitted by eight neighborhood councils based on requests made by residents, residential groups, and neighborhood organizations.

Last year, City Council approved 34 projects and $169,000 in funding. Council’s neighborhoods and housing committee was briefed on this year’s recommendations Aug. 16. Here is a breakdown of this year’s recommendations. The information was submitted as Exhibit A in support of the resolution.

— 2010 Innovative Grant Program Recommendations —

I. South End Neighborhood Council

(a.) Lincoln West Safe Street-Signage $1,100 — Produce and install Safe Street signage at the entrance of the neighborhood as a warning and to discourage illegal and questionable behavior in the area.

(b.) Fallen Riders Memorial Park-Curb Ramps $5,000 — Install handicap accessible curb ramps, according with the Americans With Disabilities Act (“ADA”) standards, at/around the site of the Fallen Riders Memorial Park, located at South 48th Street and Yakima Avenue.

(c.) Fallen Riders Memorial Park-Stairs and Flag Pole $4,000 — Complete the Fallen Riders Memorial Park project by installing handicap (wheelchair) accessible ramps (with anti-skateboard rails) leading to the memorial and by installing a lighted flag pole.

II. South Tacoma Neighborhood Council

(a.) Edison Alley Street Numbers $4,468.84 — This project is part of the City’s Safe and Clean Team’s effort to provide street numbering in alleys for residential housing. The numbering will benefit the resident and emergency respondents by making locations more visible.

(b.) South Tacoma Median Lighting-Phase II $7,500 — This will complete the installation of electrical wiring of the median in South Tacoma Way from South 54th Street to South 56th Street. Installation of wiring will provide electrical outlets/conduit for various uses in the Neighborhood Business District.

(c.) Manitou Traffic Control Sign $7,500 — Install a vehicle-activated sign near South 66th Street and Mullen Street to calm traffic on this arterial corridor in Manitou to alert drivers that they are exceeding the posted speed.

(d.) Manitou Crosswalks $531.56 — Install six crosswalks on South 66th Street in Manitou. Three crosswalks would be installed at the intersection of South 66th Street and Mullen Street and three installed at the intersection of South 66th Street and Ferdinand Street.

III. Eastside Neighborhood Council

(a.) McKinley Avenue Flower Project $4,000 — Purchase flower pots, soil, plants, and other materials and supplies for street beautification on McKinley Avenue between East 34th Street and 40th Street.

(b.) Eastside Safety Lighting $1,100 — Install street lighting on existing poles in the Dome Top Area of East 34th Street and McKinley Avenue.

(c.) Upgrade and Repaint Crosswalks-McKinley Avenue $6,700 — Upgrade and repaint the crosswalks at East 36th Street, 40th Street, and 56th Street along McKinley Avenue to make the areas visible for pedestrians and drivers. This project will upgrade and/or resurface the areas by repairing or chip sealing and by repainting crosswalks at these sites.

(d.) Installation of Lights-East 40th Street and 43rd Street $5,060 — Install two light poles on Spokane Street between East 40th Street and 43rd Street and add a light on existing pole on the corner of East 40th Street and Spokane Street.

(e.) Goats for McKinley Park Clearing $4,000 — Remove blighted conditions in McKinley Park by contracting with a company that uses goats to clear overgrown vegetated property.

IV. Central Neighborhood Council

(a.) Ferry Park-Speed and Safety Regulation $7,200 — The project is intended to stabilize driving conditions around Ferry Park by placing traffic-calming devices around the park to slow vehicular traffic and to enhance safety for the children using the park.

V. North End Neighborhood Council

(a.) North 16th and Junett Community Garden $7,500 — Purchase materials and supplies for the newly acquired property at North 16th Street and Junett Street to transform this property into a community garden. Supplies purchased will include lumber to build raised-bed gardens for wheelchair accessible residents making the community garden ADA compliant.

(b.) Old Town Park-Stage $7,500 — These funds, along with an additional $20,000 contributed by the community and/or in-kind contribution, will be used to make the outdoor performance stage ADA compliant.

(c.) Signage Installation on Proctor Street $5,000 — This project is Phase I of developing the Proctor District identification entrance signs and will consist of producing the sign mold for the manufacture of entrance signage.

VI. Northeast Tacoma Neighborhood Council

(a.) Wildflower Garden at Alderwood Park $450 — Produce wildflower identification signage for the various species as part of the wildflower beautification and identification project at Alderwood Park.

(b.) Browns Point Boulevard, NE, Right-of-Way Access $1,185 — Discourage and/or reduce illegal dumping and multi-drive vehicle recreation use. This “blight and illegal dumping program effort” requests funds for installation of four-foot-high, bright orange, plastic safety fencing along with appropriate signage instructing individuals that dumping and multi-drive vehicle recreation are inappropriate and illegal.

(c.) Irrigation Water Meter-Julia’s Gulch $7,500 — Install irrigation service with seasonal use for recreational, landscaping, and horticultural purposes as a water source for Julia’s Gulch habitat restoration project. This includes installation of main, 5/8″ meter, system development, and meter services.

(d.) Northshore Parkway Guardrail $6,000 — In several locations, replace damaged sections of the guardrail located on the south side of the Northshore Parkway. Guardrail replacement recommended because of the curve in the road and to provide for pedestrian safety on the sidewalk.

(e.) Northeast Tacoma Semi-Circle Wayfinder Signage $3,600 — This project will complete the implementation of the Northeast Tacoma directional signs (Wayfinder’s Signage Program) that have been erected over the past several years. This project will add semi-circular top sign elements with neighborhood-specific text and imagery and will be located at entrances to the neighborhood to identify and help direct residents to key destinations.

(f.) Crosswalk Striping-Northshore Parkway Intersections $6,000 — Install crosswalk safety striping in two locations (Northshore Parkway and Nassau Avenue and Northshore Parkway and Norpoint Way) to improve pedestrian safety at these two major intersections on a major arterial.

VII. West End Neighborhood Council

(a.) Community Garden $5,000 — Purchase equipment and supplies to prepare between 30 to 40 community garden sites. These sites will be made available for the large number of residents living in low-income units within walking distance of the site. Approximately half of the sites will be raised beds to accommodate wheelchair accessibility.

(b.) Lighting Installation on South 19th Street $1,500 — Install lights on existing pole in the vicinity of the 8300 Block of South 19th Street.

VIII. New Tacoma Neighborhood Council

(a.) South 8th Street and “I” Street Community Garden $ 550 — Purchase gardening equipment and supplies, improve fencing around the gardening site, purchase locks, and have signage produced and installed.

(b.) Maritime Heritage Project $7,500 — Remove blighted conditions along the City right-of-way site in the vicinity of 15th Street and East “0” Street for Shoreline access. This is a blight removal and beautification project that is intended to transform this neglected property into a Maritime Heritage Park.

(c.) St. Helens Gateway Renovation Project $5,975 — Renovate the intersection of St. Helens Street, 6th Avenue, and Baker Street as a gateway to the st. Helens neighborhood by making improvement over several years. The funds from this project will create clear pedestrian crosswalks by installing ADA curb ramps and add planting.

(d.) Wright Park Pedestrian Enhancement $5,975 — Make street safety improvements to enhance pedestrian safety at the intersection of South “G” Street and Division Avenue by installing a curb ramp and appropriate signalization and striping.