Grants of up to $1,000 are available to Dearborn residents who put in rain gardens and help protect the Rouge River watershed.
DEARBORN – Dearborn homeowners can enhance their property with a rain garden, and apply through the city for up to $1,000 in reimbursement for building one.
Rain gardens are part of environmentally-friendly landscaping that benefits the community and helps protect the Rouge River watershed.
A green infrastructure grant will reimburse 50 percent of the homeowner’s cost of creating a rain garden, with a cap of $1,000 awarded to the homeowner. Eligibility requirements and restrictions apply.
Residents interested in applying can find the application and guides to building a rain garden at www.cityofdearborn.org.
Rain gardens benefit the health of the Rouge River watershed because they and other green infrastructure provide natural filtration processes and remediation of storm water.
Applicants for the program need to understand:
• Architect fees are not included in the grant.
• Personal labor is not eligible but construction labor costs from an approved contractor are permitted.
• Rain gardens do not include vegetable plants.
• Receipts for materials are reviewed according to the city’s auditing process.
Sustainability and green infrastructure have come to the forefront of city planning in Dearborn and this new program is made possible by a Green Infrastructure Champions Grant the City received from the Great Lakes Commission.
“The purpose of this program is to build a partnership between residents and the municipal government in order to reduce stress on the city’s storm drains and minimize urban storm water runoff generated from homes,” said Jeffrey Polkowski, planner for the city of Dearborn. “At the same time, it beautifies residential landscapes.”
For more information call Polkowski at 313-943-2170 or email [email protected].