Example Grant Proposal for Sherman Hill Streetlight Project
Table of Contents
Sherman Hill Association - List of Board of Directors
State Historical Society - Letter of Qualification
Streetlight Design and Specification
Des Moines Register article - Sherman Hill special tax district
Map - Sherman Hill Neighborhood and Lighting Placement
Additionally, a single copy of the following have been submitted:
- Sherman Hill Association, Inc. State of Cash Receipts and Disbursements for the period ending September 30, 1997
- Proposed budget for 1998
- IRS Form 990
Sherman Hill Association Board of Directors 1997
Sherman Hill Association Office
756 16th St.
Des Moines, IA 50314
(515) 284-5717
President Phyllis Fitzpatrick 688 15th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 244-1381 |
Other Directors Bob Mickle 1701 Woodland Ave. Des Moines, IA 50309 282-0396 |
Vice President Pamela Summers 666 19th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 288-4958 |
Jon White 654 19th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 280-3015 |
Secretary Jo Campney 744 18th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 243-2168 |
Brenda Kerr 751 17th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 243-5173 |
Treasurer Wilbur Wilcox 911 18th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 280-3961 |
Bret McFarlin 853 18th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 280-6320 |
Jeremy Phillips 804 17th St. Des Moines, IA 50314 282-4533 |
Notes: There are approximately 1,820 people living in the Sherman Hill Historic District.
Project Description:
The project for which we are requesting funding is the
Sherman Hill Historic Streetlight project. The Sherman Hill
Historic District is a neighborhood in Des Moines that has
been a National Historic District for 19 years. For 20 years,
the neighborhood has been served by an organization of
residents and friends of the neighborhood called the Sherman
Hill Association. The Sherman Hill Association is a 501c3 not
for profit corporation.
Description of the project: Funds are in
place to purchase and install approximately 55 of the 135
streetlights that are needed. Using an Iowa Community
Cultural Affairs Grant in the amount of $25,000.00 the
Sherman Hill Association seeks to purchase and install an
additional 10 streetlights.
Project timetable: The Sherman Hill
Association has worked for many years to achieve our goal of
obtaining historic streetlights for our neighborhood. After
many many volunteer hours, we are now ready to begin the
project. At this time, plans and funding are in place for us
to begin installation of the historic streetlights.
We anticipate that construction will begin on the system of
light pole bases and the underground wiring in November of
1997. We anticipate that all of the light pole bases will be
installed and as many of the streetlight poles as we afford
by the middle of the summer of 1998.
Community Support for the Project: A
majority of the property owners in the Sherman Hill
Neighborhood have successfully petitioned the Des Moines City
Council to become a SSMID (Self Supporting Municipal
Improvement District). This designation enables us to "tax
ourselves". The funds received, estimated to be about
$10,000.00 per year, will be used to cover the ongoing costs
of power for the streetlight system as well as to cover
maintenance, replacement, and other related costs. The Des
Moines City Council approved our request. Those property
owners who signed on in support of creating the SSMID
represent about 75% of the owners of property in the
Neighborhood.
In addition, the Des Moines City Council has committed
$28,000.00 towards the cost of the purchase and installation
of the historic streetlights.
The Polk County Supervisors have committed $300,000.00
towards the purchase and installation of the streetlights.
Through the City of Des Moines, an additional $100,000.00 of
federal funds in the form of an ISTEA grant under the
"Enhancements for Historic Preservation Grant Program" have
been made available.
Tourism Value of the
project:
Through the installation of reproduction Victorian-period
streetlights, the Sherman Hill Historic District in Des
Moines expects that its status as a tourist attraction in
central Iowa will be significantly enhanced. From a marketing
standpoint, the vintage-style streetlights would help to
differentiate our neighborhood from other parts of the city.
From a cultural and historical viewpoint, the neighborhood
association has long desired to have streetlights that would
be appropriate to the design of the Victorian and
Turn-of-the-Century buildings in this neighborhood.
The existing freeway-scale "cobra-head" streetlights used
everywhere in Iowa communities are too tall and their design
insensitive to a historic residential neighborhood. They
produce light with the pink-orange color of high-pressure
sodium, which detracts from the beauty, and the visual impact
of Victorian multi-colored paint schemes used on restored
buildings. Thus, Victorian period streetlights have been
objectives in two neighborhood master plans -- the first was
adopted by the association membership in 1981 and its update
in 1990.
The 21st annual Sherman Hill House Tour the last two
weekends of September 1997 was the most successful ever. As
volunteer planners of a mature event, we were pleased to
learn that fully half of the just under 3000 visitors were
first-time attendees. People from 15 states attended this
year's events. Our neighborhood has been an increasingly
frequent stop for tour bus companies and convention visitors
during the last 15 years. We expect the visitor statistics to
further improve with the completion of the streetlight
project.
Staff at the Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau sees
the value in this project and its ability to enhance the
visual quality of the historic district. The film office of
the Iowa Department of Economic Development has indicated to
the Sherman Hill Association that the potential for use of
this neighborhood as background for films would go up with
appropriate streetlights. The Sherman Hill Historic District
is part of a group of attractions in the metropolitan area
and visible improvement here, especially in the design
integrity of this historic district, helps the overall
ability of the metro area to attract first-time and repeat
visitors.
The design of promotional banners to hang from the
streetlights crossbars will give us a continuing opportunity
to use fine graphic arts to promote neighborhood pride and
Des Moines' first National Register-listed Historic District.
It is likely that we will choose the vehicle of a design
competition, due to the unusually large population of
talented designers in the neighborhood, not to mention in the
state as a whole.
Sherman Hill has a unique visual character in Des Moines
beyond the Victorian and Turn-of-the-Century building styles
because there are still corner grocery stores, businesses,
and offices integrated into the residential neighborhood and
supported by our special zoning. With the change to
Victorian-style streetlights will come an increase in the
neighborhood's visibility -- not merely due to the extended
hours that the neighborhood's character will be evident to
visitor and resident alike. We project that Victorian
streetlights will also enhance the evening viability of
businesses in the neighborhood, such as shops and cafes.
After 17+ years of wishing, planning and raising funds for
the streetlight project to come to pass, we envision an
Illumination Festival to celebrate the first throwing of the
switch. This we hope would kick-off the promotions for the
22nd annual house tour on the last two weekends of September
1998.
Additional factors:
Full time employment on the project:
The total cost for this phase of the project is about
$450,000.00. The construction of the bases and the laying of
the underground wiring will be done by Brown Electric from
Des Moines. They estimate that at least 7 people will be
working full time on the project for about 8 months.
In addition, the firm of Brooks Borg and Skiles has done the
design work. Their fee for the work they have done on the
project is about $27,000.00.
Indirect job creation:
The Sherman Hill Association believes that the addition of
Historic Streetlights in our community will create a new wave
of enthusiasm among present owners and new homebuyers to
undertake restoration projects in our neighborhood.
Our neighborhood, which is located immediately west of
Downtown Des Moines, provides housing that is just walking
distance from the over 60,000 office jobs that are available
in the City's center. We are viewed as a key component in the
City's plans to promote affordable urban housing for its
workforce. We anticipate that the addition of the historic
streetlights will help to accelerate this process and, as a
result, increase the amount of rehab, and reconstruction work
that will be done in the neighborhood.
Although it is difficult to measure the number of future
jobs that will be created in construction, we believe that as
a direct result of the addition of the historic streetlights
at least 6 new full time jobs will be created in the home and
commercial rehab. Construction, and renovation industry.
Innovation:
The Sherman Hill Historic District is the first residential
neighborhood in Des Moines to make itself a Self-Supporting
Municipal Improvement District (SSMID). Because of our desire
to have these historic streetlights installed in our
neighborhood, we, as property owners and residents have
consented to levy a special, neighborhood-wide tax upon
ourselves. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first
residential neighborhood in the State of Iowa to have done
this. Relevant documents and other information as to how to
accomplish this will be made available to other groups in the
State upon request. (Click here to see "
Agreement For a Payment in Lieu of Taxes to the Sherman Hill
Historic Street Lighting Self Supported Municipal Improvement
District")
Collaboration with other interested
entities:
In order to make the project work, neighborhood leaders have
volunteered countless hours of their time. Working with the
City, State, County, and Federal Government agencies and
departments, funding and approval for the project has been
obtained. Most significantly however, we have achieved
consensus among the property owners in our neighborhood to
agree to be taxed under the provisions of the SSMID.
Financial need:
The Association has obtained enough funding to install the
underground wiring and construct the light pole bases for all
of the 135 lights that will ultimately illuminate our
neighborhood. In addition, we have funds in place to purchase
about 55 of the actual streetlights. At this time, we need
funds for another 80 streetlights. The cost per streetlight
is about $2,500.00. Therefore, an additional $200,000.00 is
needed to complete the lighting. Ours is not a wealthy
neighborhood. We need your help. Your grant of $25,000.00
will bring us 10 more streetlights.
Sherman Hill Streetlight Project
Budget
Phase II
This phase of the project will bring historic streetlights to the remainder of the neighborhood.
Expenses
Design/Engineering - Brooks, Borg, and Skiles $ 29,000
Streetlights for 33 lights and all bases $271,000
Streetlights for completing 80 lights $200,000
Total $500,000
Income
Polk County $300,000
Additional funds being sought from:
Department of Cultural Affairs - State of Iowa $ 25,000
Current project shortfall $200,000
*If we receive the full amount of grant money from the State of Iowa and from the Principal Financial Group, the shortfall will be $200,000
Phase I
This phase of the project contained a limited area of the neighborhood. This phase has been fully funded and will be started soon.
Expenses
Total $128,000
Income
City of Des Moines $ 28,000
ISTEA Grant $100,000
Total $128,000
State Historical Society - Letter of Qualification
This is the State Historical Society of Iowa Letter of Qualification.
Streetlight Design and Specification
This is the design of street lights installed around the neighborhood.
Des Moines Register article - Sherman Hill special tax district
This is the Des Moines Register editorial of Sherman Hill as a special tax district.
Map - Sherman Hill Neighborhood and Lighting Placement
Coming soon