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BID facade grant committee to reopen applications earlier; downtown lighting review to continue
Summary
The BID’s facade grant committee will meet to set the next grant round and consider design seed funding; staff will also continue a deeper review of downtown public lighting types and ownership ahead of final master-plan guidance.
The West Bend BID’s facade grant committee will meet this week to finalize the next application round and discuss possible changes to funding priorities, including smaller grants and modest seed funds for preliminary design work.
John, a BID staff member, told the board that the committee plans to release facade grant materials earlier this year (targeting November) with an application deadline in January. He said recent large project grant commitments have not proceeded to construction, and committee members want to consider whether to prioritize smaller, ready-to-build projects or to offer limited design assistance — for example, modest support in the $500–$1,000 range — to help applicants develop concepts that can attract funding and permits.
Status of current grants and timeline John reported that one active facade grant appears on track while two others show little on-site activity; those projects have permit windows that will expire in early spring. The committee will review each application’s readiness at Thursday’s meeting and consider amending program guidelines to support design-phase assistance to increase project success rates.
Downtown master plan: lighting consistency and procurement The board also discussed a separate but related planning item: inconsistencies in downtown street lighting. John said downtown has multiple light types — some rented from utilities and others city-owned — which has produced a patchwork appearance. Staff will meet with public works, parks staff and We Energies to identify which fixtures are rented, which are owned and which the city can maintain long-term. The project team intends to narrow fixture choices before returning recommendations to the master-plan committee.
Landscaping baskets and fall plantings Board members discussed hanging basket plant selections for 2025 and a proposal to diversify fall planters beyond mums to include ornamental kale, cabbage and grasses. Staff will obtain pricing and consider mixing plant types across different planters to maintain visual interest without increasing costs.
Next steps Facade committee members will meet Thursday to set application timelines and discuss possible pilot design grants. The lighting review will continue with staff and consultant input ahead of final design guideline decisions.
