Overview

The Neighborhood Enhancement Grant Program (NEGP) provides City funding for eligible public-facing neighborhood improvements to help maintain, revitalize, and prevent decline in mature neighborhoods. To be eligible, projects must be on City property or in the public right-of-way, and visible and accessible to the general public—not on private property and not within an HOA. The process includes application submittal, a meeting with City staff to discuss the scope of work, and staff coordination as needed to confirm site conditions and develop a cost estimate for Neighborhood Advisory Commission (NAC) consideration at a public meeting.

By encouraging neighborhood participation and investment, it is the program's objective to address individual neighborhood needs before they become community challenges.

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FY 2025/26 Grant Utilization

The City Council allocated $30,000 in grant funds for neighborhood initiatives in the 2025/26 Fiscal Year. The Neighborhood Advisory Commission reviews proposals against the Program Criteria & Requirements below, which emphasize public-facing improvements on City property or within the public right-of-way, with priority given to areas where other funding mechanisms are limited. Grant funds have typically been awarded across multiple neighborhood projects, ensuring benefit to the broader Scottsdale community.

To date, $4,250.01 has been allocated to approved projects, leaving $25,749.99 available for additional grant proposals this fiscal year.

Approved Projects for FY 2025/26:

Grant Process

  1. Applicant reviews Program Criteria & Requirements.
  2. Applicant completes and submits the online Neighborhood Enhancement Grant Request Application form. Alternatively, a printed application and any additional materials can be submitted in-person to city staff at 7447 East Indian School Road, Suite 105.
  3. After the Application has been accepted, a staff member will contact the applicant within five (5) business days to schedule a consultation meeting.
  4. Complete applications that meet Program Criteria & Requirements are reviewed and considered by the Neighborhood Advisory Commission periodically, in the order they are submitted. Staff will confirm upcoming Commission meeting dates with the applicant.

Program Criteria & Requirements

The Neighborhood Advisory Commission established the following criteria to determine and consider the allocation of Neighborhood Enhancement Grant Funds:

Location Criteria

Project must be seen by the overall public.

  • Improvements must be located on City-owned property or within the City’s public right-of-way.
  • Improvements must be visually accessible to the public.
  • Improvements must be located adjacent to:
    • A minor collector or greater based on the city’s Transportation Action Plan; and/or,
    • A canal/park/public school/city-owned property.

General Need Criteria

Project should benefit areas where funding mechanisms are not available.

  • Improvements must be located within non-Homeowners Association (HOA) neighborhoods.

Other Considerations

Existing conditions, history, and ongoing maintenance may all be considerations of project approval.

  • Code Enforcement History – Assess whether the location currently holds an active "Notice of Compliance" from Code Enforcement and determine if the proposed project improvements will bring the site into full compliance.
  • Existing Conditions – Assess whether the project improvement enhances the location and aligns it with the surrounding context.
  • Scope of Work - Assess the requested linear feet and/or area for planned improvements.
  • Ongoing Maintenance – Evaluate the continuity of ongoing maintenance, including the presence of an established neighborhood organization (i.e. Neighborhood Watch, GAIN, Nextdoor), and long-term sustainability of project improvements.

The following inset map is intended to provide further clarity on project eligibility, specific to Location Criteria. You may either manually enter your address or zoom to your property to see important qualifying criteria and requirements displayed visually on the map.

Eligible Project Types

Alley Improvements

  • Dust control millings at lots adjacent to alley ingress/egress points, conditional to evaluation and approval by City Solid Waste and Streets Departments
  • Paint alley walls at lots adjacent to alley ingress/egress points

Landscape Enhancement

  • Low water/maintenance vegetation should be selected utilizing the Arizona Department of Water Resources Plant List and planted as per the Design Standards & Policy Manual. Landscape plan may be subject to Development Review Board approval.
  • Trees are limited to 1 per 1,000 sq. ft. and ground plantings to 1 per 230 sq. ft.
  • Hardscaping is limited to decomposed granite (not less than ½” in size) and boulders.
  • Coordination with City staff may need to take place for locations where the city maintains existing landscape material. If the proposed landscape enhancement is in a location that is not maintained by the city, the applicant must receive 75% (or more) support for the project from property owners directly affected to ensure maintenance obligation of plantings.

Landscape Maintenance

  • One-time clean-up of landscaping located within areas of public right-of-way.

Neighborhood Signage

  • Repair existing signage, modify existing signage, or provide new community signage located in public right-of-way – subject to city standards.
  • Proposals to modify existing or provide new community signage must receive 75% (or more) support from the neighborhood at-large, including property owners that may be directly affected (notification list to be provided by staff).

Perimeter Wall Maintenance

  • Limited to finished treatment and color of an existing wall or fence, and must receive 75% (or more) support for the project from property owners that may be directly affected (notification list to be provided by staff).
    • Selected paint color should match the existing color of the wall-plane.
    • If a new color is proposed along the full perimeter wall of the neighborhood, the selected paint color should be context-appropriate with the existing neighborhood and may be subject to Development Review Board approval.
  • Utility box painting will be coordinated with the appropriate utility provider.

Showcasing Success – Previously Funded Projects

Volunteers planting trees and landscaping in a community park during a large outdoor service event.
Agua Linda Park

Landscape Maintenance

Transformed 2,500+ sq. ft. of underutilized park space with new landscape and park benches. 40 volunteers, in coordination with City Staff, helped complete the project.
bent tree neighborhood perimeter wall maintenance
Bent Tree

Perimeter Wall Maintenance

After repairs by property owners addressed water damage on the neighborhood perimeter wall, the project provided a finish treatment and repainting, ensuring a uniform and improved appearance for the neighborhood.
peacefull valley neighborhood sign
Peaceful Valley

Neighborhood Signage

Repaired and repainted the Peaceful Valley monument sign, addressing a serious crack in the concrete post. The restoration ensures the sign remains a welcoming fixture for years to come.
Revitalized a neighborhood's entrance with trees, shrubs, and decomposed granite - restoring a prominent area where landscaping had deteriorated.
Stoneridge Estates

Landscape Maintenance

Revitalized a neighborhood's entrance with trees, shrubs, and decomposed granite - restoring a prominent area where landscaping had deteriorated. The project enhanced visibility and improved the neighborhood's appearance.

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