Your wish is city’s command | Bellevue’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program lets community pick improvement projects

January 23, 2009 7:25 pm
Fumiko Yarita/Bellevue Reporter Barbara Sauerbrey stands next to the neighborhood sign that the city placed as part of the Neighborhood Enhancement Program.
Fumiko Yarita/Bellevue Reporter Barbara Sauerbrey stands next to the neighborhood sign that the city placed as part of the Neighborhood Enhancement Program.

Bellevue’s Neighborhood Enhancement Program has acted as a sort of genie in a bottle for the past 20 years, granting the wishes of communities all over town.

The program allows residents to pick improvement projects that the city pays for with funds from the capital investment budget.

Up to five of the 15 neighborhoods in Bellevue take part in the program every three years.

The program works by giving each community a chance to come up with a wish list of potential enhancement projects. Residents of that area then vote for their top choices after receiving descriptions and cost estimates.

The program covers anything except core services.

Entry signs, landscaping, neighborhood playgrounds, and restrooms are in. Roads and utilities are out.

Funding is limited and determined by the number of households in a given area. The city had $3.8 million available for the program when the last three-year cycle began in 2007.

Barbara Sauerbrey is president of the neighborhood association representing the Woodridge area. Her community was the first to take part in the program in 1988.

“It’s been wonderful for us,” she said. “The improvements we’ve seen and all the special things we’ve been able to install have been very nice. Any project that involves the neighborhood and lets the people have input is helpful for the spirit in the community.”

The enhancements at Woodridge have included play equipment for Norwood Park, a walking path to that play area, a sign marking the neighborhood entrance, and numerous plantings.

The Crossroads, West Bellevue, Wilburton, and Woodridge communities will have their turn with neighborhood enhancement’s this year.

Residents don’t have to wait for their turn with the city’s program to get things done. They can always take up a cause with the City Council, or with Bellevue’s various municipal boards and commissions.

The city offers a group of workshops called the Great Neighborhood Workshop Series that teaches residents how to work the system.

“You don’t have to be a neighborhood activist to come to these,” said Bellevue Community Relations Coordinator Julie Ellenhorn. “The workshops transfer to anything people are doing in their lives.”

The city encourages neighborhood groups to participate in the workshops regardless of the organization’s size, cause or experience level.

“Some are highly-organized and active, and others are small and struggling,” Ellenhorn said. “We want to give every one of them the tools to be a strong organization.”

Two community workshops remain this year:

• Feb. 5 – Making Your Voice Count: Presenting Your Views to Boards and Commissions

• March 12 – Maintaining the Value and Appearance of Your Neighborhood

All workshops take place from 7-9 p.m. at Bellevue City Hall, 450 110th Ave. N.E.

The city also offers a neighborhood match program that provides up to $5,000 for small projects supported by communities that donate cash, professional services, materials or volunteer labor. Residents from anywhere in Bellevue can apply for the funds from Jan. 1 through March 1.

For additional information about Bellevue’s community workshop series, neighborhood enhancement program, or neighborhood match funding, call 425.452.6836

Joshua Adam Hicks can be reached at jhicks@bellevuereporter.com or 425.453.4290.