Neighborhood Block Transformation Contest in Santa Ana

Criteria with "Before and After" Pictures

Santa Ana, Calif.- The Santa Ana Neighborhood Block Transformation Contest (NBTC) is sponsored by the City of Santa Ana Public Works Agency.

The contest is designed to encourage and promote community involvement in keeping Santa Ana a beautiful place to live, work and play. It will recognize and reward residents of winning neighborhood blocks whose properties reflect their community pride and have made significant aesthetic improvements to their parkways and properties.

All residents are encouraged to participate.

ELIGIBILITY

• The NBTC is open to all residents.
• 50% of homes/multifamily complexes on a block must participate to qualify.
• A block is defined as "a section of homes on both sides of a street that is intersected by a street at each end."
• Residents within a neighborhood block will be asked to assign a 'Block Coordinator' who will be responsible for ensuring eligibility requirements are met and for submitting the block entry forms, which will include detailed information as well as before/after photos of each participating property.
• Property improvements must be for community beautification with a focus on the parkway areas.  Additional improvements can include the front yard, fencing and exterior home.
• Condition of streets and sidewalk will not affect judging.

Selection Criteria

The NBTC will only consider street facing landscaping and improvements that increase the property's curb appeal, particularly the parkway areas. Entries will be judged by the Environmental Transportation Advisory Commission (ETAC), which will consider plant materials, landscape design, property maintenance and neighborhood context. The Commission will consider the following questions pertaining to the property:

• Does the landscape enhance the neighborhood?
• Is the plant selection appropriate for the site and the climate?
• Is the foot path to the property clear and inviting?
• Is the front porch clean from debris and in good condition?
• Is the font yard lawn green and well-trimmed?
• Is the fencing and exterior paint of the home in good condition?
• Is the parkway landscaped with grass, plants and or hardscape?

Awards

Each winning block will receive two elegantly designed, Santa Ana signs. One sign will be installed at each end of the block, commemorating the neighborhood block's community pride. Each participating property of a winning block will receive one $100 gift card.

No more than three block winners per Ward will be chosen. The final decision of the design and location of each sign will be determined by the City of Santa Ana Public Works Executive Director based on various factors including the American Disability Act (ADA), safety, visibility and aesthetics.

Contest Timeline

• Application deadline is May 20, 2022
• Application review is May 21-31, 2022
• Judging will take place on June 1-7, 2022
• Results will be announced in July. A special unveiling of the signs and presentation of gift certificates—made by the City Councilmember, City Manager and Executive Director of Public Works—will be scheduled after winners are announced.

Download Contest Materials

• NBTC Flyer
• Block Coordinator Entry Form (fillable form)
• Participating Property Questionnaire (fillable form)
• Parkway Improvement Guidelines

Instructions for Participating Properties: Download the Participating Property Questionnaire PDF Form, fill in your information and save it to your desktop. Provide your form and photos to your Block Coordinator.

Instructions for Block Coordinators: Download the Block Coordinator Entry PDF Form, complete the form and save it to your desktop. Once you have gathered all the information from all your participating properties, submit your materials to the City of Santa Ana.

Questions?

Contact Michelle Micallef at
(714) 647-5091
or via email:
mmicallef@santa-ana.org

Submit Your Contest Materials

You must submit your completed entry form, questionnaires and photos no later than 5 p.m. on May 20, 2022.

The "before" and "after" pictures need to demonstrate the improvements made by each participating property on your block since the launch of the contest.

There are two ways to submit your contest materials:

1. Email to: mmicallef@santa-ana.org
2. Mail or drop-off: Santa Ana Public Works, 20 Civic Center Plaza, M-21, Santa Ana, CA 9270, Attn: Michelle Micallef