Lemon Grove to Give Businesses Break on Public Improvements

The city of Lemon Grove is temporarily halting required public improvement requirements for local businesses.

The Lemon Grove City Council Tuesday night introduced an ordinance granting a one-year suspension of public street improvement requirements triggered by building permits and commercial projects, City Manager Graham Mitchell said in a news release.

This is the third year the city has implemented the business assistance measure.  The effort is designed to help small businesses "still reeling from the Great Recession," Mitchell said.

Lemon Grove, like most cities, mandates that commercial property owners make public improvements when building permits exceed $25,000, if those improvements are not already in place.  Improvements include work to curb, gutter, sidewalks, and street trees.

The program aids small business with making improvements to their properties and is used to draw businesses that otherwise could not afford to additional start-up costs. Three small business used the assistance program in 2012, a barber shop, a dental office, and an automobile parts outlet, Mitchell said.

"With its business friendly approach, Lemon Grove hopes that this program will incentivize existing businesses to expand as well as new businesses to locate to the community," he said.    

For more information on the program please contact with City’s Development Services Department at (619) 825-3805.