SunTrust has been a community partner of the Mayor's Neighborhood Matching Grants program since its inception in 1995.

Mayor’s Neighborhood Matching Grants

Physical Improvement Application Guidelines

Physical improvement projects must be conducted in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, including those that govern mandatory associations. A building permit, a site plan, and drawings by a registered architect or engineer, licensed in the State of Florida, are required for all building projects involving any man-made structure being built or installed, whether on common property owned by a neighborhood organization or in the City Right-of-Way. Applicant must provide two (2) photos of the current conditions of the project site.

Physical improvement projects may only be installed or constructed on public property, such as in the City’s Right-of-Way, or on common property owned by a neighborhood organization, such as a lakefront common area. Public funds cannot be expended on private property. In addition, grant funding cannot be used to reimburse expenses from projects previously completed by a neighborhood organization, projects started prior to January 1, 2008,  or supplies purchased before the execution of the grant award.

Property Owner Permission

If grant is awarded to a neighborhood organization for a project to be built on public property, the neighborhood organization must receive the written permission of the appropriate governmental jurisdiction that owns it, i.e. Florida Department of Transportation, City of Orlando Transportation Engineering, City of Orlando Families, Parks and Recreation Department, etc. Similarly, if the neighborhood organization’s project involves common area property, the neighborhood organization’s board must approve the project and give permission to pursue the Mayor’s Neighborhood Matching Grant at a regular meeting by September 28, 2007. Notarized minutes from this meeting must reflect acknowledgement and approval of common property usage.

Maintaining Physical Improvement Projects

The neighborhood organization is fully responsible for the maintenance of any physical improvement funded by this grant and is required to provide a long-term plan describing how the association will fund and maintain the physical improvement. If the neighborhood organization is a mandatory association, the City of Orlando considers repair and maintenance of existing facilities or amenities a fiscal responsibility of the mandatory association. Therefore, grant applications by mandatory associations for physical improvements to existing neighborhood facilities or amenities are limited to expanding existing or adding new facilities and amenities owned by the association.

Estimating Physical Improvement Costs

Written estimates must be submitted from an established vendor for any expenses of $250 or more as documentation for the proposed budget. These must be submitted with the grant application.

Obtaining Permits

A building permit application, site plan and signed and sealed drawings by an architect or engineer licensed in the State of Florida are required to obtain a permit for all building projects involving any man-made structure being built or installed, whether on common property owned by the neighborhood organization or in the City Right-of-Way. Examples of structures include: neighborhood signs, fences, walls, fountains, gazebos, etc. In addition, all building projects require that building permits be pulled by a State License Contractor, per Florida State Statute. The licensed contractor can be a general, building or any other trade contractor, as appropriate to the project. More information about the permitting process will be provided at the application workshop.

The grant recipient is responsible for paying the licensed contractor to pull the permit. However, the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs will absorb the costs of the City building permit fee for grant recipients with physical improvement projects. All other fees and permits are the responsibility of the neighborhood organization, including the cost of the signed and sealed plans. These fees must be estimated and included in the project’s budget.

The permitting process will take approximately four (4) weeks once applicant has submitted all appropriate documents and information. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs requires the project team to fully investigate property ownership and obtain permissions before the grant is awarded. This will minimize delays during the permitting process.

Please note: the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs will issue a permit fee letter after the grant is awarded, which explains how the Permitting Department charges the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs for the building permit fee. Permitting fees incurred before the execution of the grant award will not be reimbursed by the City of Orlando.

Site Plan Requirements

A site plan is required for both the technical review of the proposed physical improvement project and after the grant is awarded, to pull the required permits. A preliminary site plan must be submitted with the grant application that provides detailed information about the physical improvement as indicated in the application instructions. Once the grant is awarded, any site plans that involve building or installing a structure must be signed and sealed by a registered architect or engineer licensed in the State of Florida.

Right-of-Way Encroachment and Removal Agreement

If a physical improvement is constructed on City Right-of-Way the association must complete a Right-of-Way Encroachment and Removal Agreement and submit it with the permitting application package to the Office of Permitting Services after the grant is awarded. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs will absorb the cost of recording the fee with the Orange County Comptroller.

Sign Guidelines & Policy

Sign guidelines will be provided at the Application Workshop, are available from the City of Orlando’s Office of Permitting Services, or online at www.cityoforlando.net/permits. In addition, neighborhood organizations must adhere to the City’s Neighborhood Identification Sign Policy noted below:

1. Neighborhood associations within the City of Orlando who are registered with the City of Orlando’s Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs are eligible to apply for building permits to construct neighborhood identification sign(s).

2. The neighborhood association must demonstrate neighborhood approval of the proposed design and location(s) of neighborhood identification sign(s) by holding a neighborhood meeting before September 28, 2007 wherein a vote is taken to approve the sign(s). The association must mail or hand deliver written notice two weeks prior to this neighborhood meeting to all households within the affected neighborhood's boundaries. The notice must include mention of the vote on sign design and location(s). The City can provide a list of households within the affected neighborhood, if needed. At least 51 percent of those attending the neighborhood meeting must approve the proposed design and location of the sign(s), one vote per household. A notarized copy of both the meeting notice and minutes from this neighborhood meeting wherein the vote was taken must accompany the association's application for a building permit to construct the sign(s). The notarized copies of the meeting notice and minutes from the neighborhood meeting must also be attached to the application.

3. All neighborhood identification signs must include the neighborhood's name as stated on the City of Orlando Neighborhood Boundaries Map, except in designated historic districts, which instead may include the name of the district as stated in the ordinance that creates the district.

4. The design and proposed locations of neighborhood identification signs are subject to technical review and approval before a permit can be issued. The neighborhood association will be notified in writing when the permit is approved or denied. A copy of approved building permits will be forwarded to the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs.

5. Due to traffic sight limitations, signs being mounted on poles or posts and installed in the City’s Right-of-Way must have a minimum of a seven (7) foot clearance from the ground to the bottom of a sign mounted on the pole or post.

Eligible vs. Non-Eligible Physical Improvement Projects and Expenses

The following tables list examples of both eligible and non-eligible physical improvement projects. This table is not exhaustive and is provided for informational purposes. Eligibility means that grant funds can be spent on these items or areas. The Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs reserves the right to amend project eligibility criteria at any time. Eligible projects are subject to approval by the Office of Neighborhood & Community Affairs.

Note: All eligible projects must be on common property or on City of Orlando Right-of-Way.

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