The cute, munchkin-like elf at Grendel’s Den in Harvard Square. The sleek, European-looking garage roll-ups fronting Bukowski Tavern in Inman Square. The chic signage for Zinnia Jewelry in Harvard Square.

These are some of the projects undertaken through the Cambridge Community Development Department’s Façade, Signage and Lighting Improvement Program.

The program provides technical assistance and matching grants to retailers if they’re located on a Cambridge Street. Established as a separate program in 2003, the Façade, Signage and Lighting Improvement Program supports 10 – 15 projects a year, according to Chris Basler who manages the program.

You need not be a business owner to apply, commercial tenants are also eligible. According the program website, “an architectural consultant retained by the City can provide assistance through the conceptual design stage, at no cost to applicants.”

Beyond the conceptual design stage, retailers are responsible for hiring any licensed architects and contractors needed to implement the project. The City provides reimbursement grants which in the past, have ranged from $2,500 to $35,000. It all depends on the availability of funds.

The City’s consultant tries to encourage the use a variety of materials,” Chris said. One example is the three-dimensional crab at Courthouse Seafood which is more creative and visually interesting than flat-plane signage.

For another example, take the banner signage for C. W. Taekwondo on Green Street. Up close, the banners look like abstract paintings in red and black. From a little distance, however, they combine to reveal a kicking martial artist.

The program, Chis explains, tries to match creativity and materials “to improve the visible appearance of business areas.” According its stated design principles, “improvements funded by the program must be compatible with the character and architecture of the individual building as well as, to the extent appropriate, with other buildings along the street...”

In addition to visual appeal, there can be a bottom line payoff from these projects. Based on surveys, Chris said, retailers can see a 10-14% increase in business when they complete a complete project, including signage, appropriate lighting and façade improvements.

For the average citizen, the program provides delight and surprise. So look up and around, you might see something interesting. Depending on where you are, you might see magenta and violet petunias up in the sky, hanging in baskets from lamp posts.

The flowers are from a garden center in Woburn and they are set aloof by the Cambridge Department of Public Works, usually around Memorial Day. Ellen Coppinger, manager of DPW’s Public and Private Partnerships Program, estimates that the program puts up some 200 or so plants each year.

The program worked with the growers to determine what combinations of colors are most attractive, she said. They also need plants that “like full sun and are not too needy.” “We were lucky with Mother Nature,” Ellen adds, because it was not too hot and there was rain aplenty.

The DPW does water the plants in the summer when they need it. The Department sends trucks out early in the morning before the traffic makes the task difficult.

In general, Ellen said, the City “has made a big investment in our parks,” planting perennials, mixed border and other interesting plants.” They do this, even though these plants require more work than a grass-only park.

A poet once wrote: “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.” Well, Cambridge has nearly 15,000 public trees and, Ellen said, the City is willing to plant more, if volunteers help by watering and weeding. This is particularly, important, when a young tree is getting established.

The City has identified almost 50 sites or traffic islands where trees could be planted. If you or a group of people are interested in volunteering, call Ellen Coppinger at the DPW 617 349-4800.

As for the hanging baskets, Ellen says, they “baskets have been a huge success.” As she notes, “flowers put a smile on your face. They make people feel that Cambridge is a nice city.”

If you wish to participate in the Façade/Signage Improvement Program, contact Chris Basler at CDD, (617) 349-4601 (voice) or 617-349-4621 (TTY), or visit the website at www.cambridgema.gov/cdd/ed/commimpr/ed_facade.html There’s a photo gallery of recent projects.

Photo:
Chris Basler, Cambridge Community Development Department (Facade, Signage, & Lighting Improvement Program)