Permanent Covered Structures Grant Program

The Permanent Covered Structures grant program was a subsection of the Façade Improvement Grant Program, a grant program offered by the City of Sandy Urban Renewal Agency, that was active from 2020 to 2023.  Additional outdoor seating in Sandy had been a desired amenity for many years – the COVID-19 crisis added a practical reason to promote the concept of outdoor dining as well as a sense of urgency to build these types of spaces.  This program allocated resources from the Sandy Urban Renewal Agency to provide 100% of the up-front funding to construct permanent outdoor covered structures for outdoor dining and athletic activity.  Applicants were responsible for reimbursing the City of Sandy for 20% of project costs at the completion of the project.

The purposes of the Permanent Covered Structures grant program were as follows:

1. To help local business owners stay in operation during the COVID-19 crisis by helping to create spaces for outdoor dining.
2. To help local business owners create new permanent spaces for outdoor seating at restaurants, breweries, wineries, bars and coffee shops in Sandy.
3. To help other businesses, such as fitness facilities provide outdoor fitness options.
4. To remain consistent with the Façade Grant Program in improving the aesthetic appearance of the exterior façades of existing buildings and businesses in the Urban Renewal District.

Funds from this sub-program were used for creating new permanent outdoor covered structures in compliance with the Sandy Style Design Standards contained in the Sandy Development Code Chapter 17.90.  For the purposes of this program, “permanent outdoor covered structure” is defined as a permanent, Sandy Style compliant accessory structure designed to provide cover for businesses.  The following items are considered eligible expenses through this program:

1. Design work from a licensed architect or design professional. (City-generated designs may be used at no cost to the applicant.)

2. Construction of a Sandy Style compliant structure with a minimum of four support posts, a permanent roof with a 6:12 pitch and stone wrapped support bases. Eligible elements include:

a. Framing and trusses;

b. Roofing materials;

c. Gutters and downspouts;

d. Permanent electrical infrastructure and lighting;

e. Surface paints or stains [Paints must be in conformance with the approved Sandy Style color palette];

f. Application of stone wrapped bases;

g. Concrete work necessary to:

i. Reinforce support posts;

ii. Install slab surface; or

iii. Improve ADA accessibility to the covered area.

h. Stormwater detention and treatment, if necessary;

i. Heating devices as approved by the Sandy Fire Marshall and Building Official;

j. Removable vinyl paneling for additional wind and weather resistance. [Note: Current State of Oregon COVID regulations require 75 percent of any outdoor structure to remain open for outdoor seating structures – this improvement is included to make these accessory structures more usable post-COVID-19 as regulations change.]

k. Bollards as needed for safety.

l. Other improvements as approved by the Development Services Director.

For additional information about this program, click on one of the Program Guidelines documents at the bottom of this page.  (Most Sandy businesses are inside the urban renewal zone -- businesses that have an I-1 zoning designation are typically outside the zone, while businesses with a C-2 designation are typically inside the zone.)