The Orinda City Council was set to take a final vote Tuesday, July 21 on the enabling ordinance for its new $75,000 façade improvement pilot program.

If approved, the ordinance would clear the last procedural hurdle before downtown business owners can apply for up to $30,000 in grants to refresh their storefronts.

The vote outcome was not available at publication time.

The council first approved the pilot concept in June 2026, according to the Lamorinda Weekly. The program then went to the Planning Commission, which had the item on its Tuesday, July 14 agenda, before returning to the full council for final adoption.

How the grants work

The program offers two tiers, according to the Lamorinda Weekly's July 8 report on the council's June approval.

For projects costing under $10,000, the city covers the full amount with no match required. For larger renovations, the city provides the first $10,000 and then matches an additional $20,000 the business spends, bringing the maximum grant to $30,000 per business.

Eligible improvements include paint and surface treatments, signage, awnings and canopies, permanent outdoor seating, windows, doors, exterior lighting, landscaping, decorative fencing, ADA upgrades, and permit fees not waived by the city.

Both property owners and tenants may apply. Tenants must show written authority from the property owner to make improvements.

Who's behind it

Cole Haselip, assistant to the city manager, presented the program to the council in June and said the city planned to use every communication channel available to spread the word to Orinda businesses.

City Manager Linda Smith said the no-match tier was shaped by feedback from local business owners. "Part of the reason why we had a no match to start at that first level is because some feedback we received from the business community about where their level of interest was and we wanted to make sure we could capture people that may be interested in some minor modifications like awnings," Smith said at the June council meeting.

Smith added that the matching tier targets more substantial changes, such as painting entire façades, replacing windows, or upgrading railings.

What's next

The pilot is scheduled to run from July 2026 through June 2027. With $75,000 in total funding, the city could serve as few as three businesses at the maximum grant level or up to seven at the lower tier, depending on project size. Orinda residents and business owners can contact City Hall at 22 Orinda Way or call 925-253-4221 for information.