The City of Tempe sets aside money from the Capital Fund for Neighborhood Grants. Neighborhood associations and HOA's are encouraged to sumit for a grant. Grant money has been provided for a wide variety of projects. A couple examples locally are the artist decorated stand pipes and trees to shade streets and the large leaf in the median at 13th and Mill.  The Board is accepting ideas for a grant proposal for MPWNA. The grant submittal deadline to Neighborhood Services is May 19, 5pm.

Getting a grant is actually competitive, the City receives over 100 grant applications each year. Not all are funded. In addition some types of grants are governed by more city regulations and therefore require more upfront work to submit. The Board will investigate the work effort for each idea.

Also, if it is your idea that is selected, you are expected to make time to work on the grant application, and if awarded to participate in the follow-thru. So if you have a group of neighbors that are willing to 'get it done' that might be best. The Board will participate on any grant that is selected.

The deadline for ideas to be considered is Friday March 7th. That will give the Board one week to consider ideas, and 6 weeks to submit. Six weeks can go by very quick! All neighbors will be welcome to come to the Board meeting for the discussion Saturday March 15th. (see meetings calendar)

Please submit your ideas for grants for our community by replying to this post.

Add park benches along e/w walkway, add signage to name it 'Margaret McGinn Walk' in honor of first MPWNA Chair, our Neighbor of the Year Recepient last year (posthumous) and the person that spearheaded the drive to save Mitchell School and playground from the wrecking ball, and townhome developer to make it a park and now Childsplay home. She also worked with others to create MPWNA.

I have added a new page to the Community News section that describes the proposed application as it now stands. Please review it and send comments to me as it requests you to do.

John Purchase, Grant Subcommittee.

I have suggested to the Committee that all responses to the Grant proposal posted on this website be posted in the forum,  so everyone can be on the same page and further the discussion. It should also facilitate the process to a quicker concensus solution. - Mark

below are my pre-lim comments to the design posted

-the bench locations do not necessarily have to be located at tree locations.

-the bench locations should try to accommodate more opportunities for varied types of people interactions

-benches located at the existing ramada area is not a good location for new benches. the view from them seems to be to the ramada. maybe one?

-the bench locations should/could emphasize 'promenade' or movement and interaction of walkers and sitters, rather than stationary groups of three benches. This reduces the opportunities for different uses by different types of people.

-bench locations and proposed concrete pads should not endanger participants in volleyball or other sports

-the diagram does not indicate which way the benches face. they should face the 'promenade', walkway, the view should include the promenade, so as to include walkers by.

-benches could be 54" long for more intimacy, as well as 72" long.

-bench locations can be in quiet 'i dont want to be near a group, or sport activity, so I can read' locations, as well as viewpoints to more active areas.

-the 'Margaret McGinn Walk' bench and signage element of the grant proposal has been omitted. This was a part of the grant that was approved by neighborhood meeting vote to move forward with the benches. This should be included back into the design.