Lebanon council moves forward with two grant applications for city improvements

This article was funded by LebTown donors as part of our Civic Impact Reporting Project.

Lebanon City Council unanimously voted to prepare and submit two grant applications at the Aug. 25 meeting.

The first grant application is under the Pennsylvania Municipal Assistance Program for the preparation of a comprehensive plan for the city, and the second is with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for a Main Street Matters grant program, which would be used for facade improvements in the Central Business District.

Comprehensive plans help governments plan for the community’s future growth and development, Mayor Sherry Capello said during the meeting.

“The city of Lebanon’s comprehensive plan is a long-range planning document that guides decisions about land use, infrastructure, housing, transportation, recreation, and economic development, and it serves as the foundation for zoning ordinances, capital improvement planning, and coordination with regional and county planning efforts,” she said. “An updated comprehensive plan is a critical tool to help the city make informed decisions, secure future grant funding, support private investment, and improve coordination with adjacent municipalities and the county.”

Capello said the city’s last comprehensive plan was adopted in 2004. The county is working on its own comprehensive plan, so Lebanon’s plan can be adjusted and adopted to align with the county’s goals and the “broader regional vision.”

The total project cost is $79,000, and the grant request will be a 50% match, making the city responsible for $39,500. The money will be budgeted to come out of the 2026 general fund.

For the Main Street Matters facade grant program, the city is requesting $100,000 in state funding, which could be offered to property owners in individual grants of up to $10,000 for improvements to eligible commercial or mixed-use buildings. Funds will be used to support exterior improvements that enhance the appearance, historic character, and economic vitality of the downtown.

Read More: Wanted: Downtown property owners to share facade improvement grant money

Approved property owners will be expected to match the grant amount, and projects must be planned for completion in 2026.

“Some examples of eligible improvements would be storefront restoration, window and door replacements, masonry and brick work repair, painting or facade cleaning, exterior lighting, restoration of architectural features,” Capello said.

Potential participants may fill out a letter of interest, including information such as the estimated total project cost and a brief description of the proposed facade improvement by Thursday, Aug. 28. Applicants are also asked to include an image of the building’s current condition.

Capello said they’ve received letters of interest from five property owners so far.

She said these letters would not be a commitment, but the Department of Community and Economic Development likes to see that there is interest before awarding funds.

If awarded, the city will follow up with the next steps for a formal application and program guidelines.

Capello said the city’s existing Design Review Board, made up of a city councilperson, an artist, a representative from the historical society, a downtown business owner, and a city staff person, would be reviewing applications from the program. The board will score applications based on defined guidelines that she said will mostly depend on what will have the most impact on the downtown and will be consistent with the architectural and historic character of the area.

In other business, council:

• Heard from resident Kay Coyle, joined by several neighbors of the 300 block of South Fourth Street, to request permit parking on the block, saying the nearby WellSpan Good Samaritan Hospital’s employees regularly take the street parking rather than using various employee lots. Capello said she’s spoken with Good Samaritan representatives, who said they see that it’s an issue and are open to giving warnings to their employees or allowing permit parking for the 300 block’s residents. No action regarding permits was taken, but council said they will look into the issue.
• Received a report from Laurie Funk with the Coalition to End Homelessness regarding the Summer Point in Time count, which estimated the city’s unhoused population. The report stated that volunteers counted 14 individuals who were unsheltered and 71 who were in shelter programs, for a total of 85 people on Aug. 6, when the canvas occurred.

Lebanon City Council’s next pre-council work session will be on Thursday, Sept. 18, at 4:45 p.m. Pre-council meetings are non-voting. Council’s next regular monthly meeting will be on Monday, Sept. 22, at 6:30 p.m.

Pre-council and regular monthly meetings are open to the public and held in the City Hall multi-purpose room, 735 Cumberland St., first floor, Lebanon. Meetings are also streamed live on the Lebanon PA City Council YouTube page.

Editor’s note: This article was updated after publication to clarify that letters of interest in the Main Street Matters program are optional, and also that the city’s existing Design Review Board would be assessing applications from the program.