Van Buren Township DDA gets information on large splash pad project

“It’s larger than Canton’s,” said Van Buren Township Supervisor Kevin McNamara as he joined in a description of the new splash pad project being planned for Quirk Park during the Nov. 27 meeting of the VBT Downtown Development Authority.
“It’s one of the biggest in the area,” said DDA Assistant Executive Lisa Lothringer.
She said a meeting was held with Russell Design and the Parks and Recreation Department to go over preliminary concept design.
Based on that meeting, Russell Design was to make changes to the drawing. She passed around a concept drawing of the project, but didn’t want to release it to the press because she said it was just a concept.
She expected to get costs on the project on Nov. 30. She said there will be a presentation to the VBT Recreation Committee at its 5:30 p.m., Dec. 11, meeting, to get feedback.
DDA intern Melissa Kalnasy also gave a report on the project.
She said major components include the splash pad, playground updates, changing rooms, wayfinding signage, lawn area, seating/picnic tables, a bio-swale for drainage, and a memorial for Egypt Covington.
In other business at the 58-minute meeting on Nov. 27, the DDA:
• Approved a request from Executive Director Susan Ireland to revise the change order policy, so she doesn’t have to come back to the board at the next meeting or call a special meeting for changes to the Placemaking Project, now under construction. The DDA approved Axiom work project change up to $3,499.99 can be approved by Ireland with concurrence of one of the three DDA officers; changes between $3,500 and $6,999.99 can be approved by Ireland with the concurrence of two officers; and changes between $7,000 and $21,999.99 can be approved by Ireland with concurrence of three officers. All changes will be brought to the next meeting. Anything above those changes would need to be brought to the full DDA board. Supervisor McNamara said Ireland’s suggestion was common if you have a change order and it’s under a certain amount;
• Approved $21,347.79 worth of change orders on the Placemaking Project. One change is adding a corrugated 4” socked drain installed with a sump pump for water drainage, at a cost of $5,347.79; and changing the mason contractor, since the original mason elected to take another job because the work exceeded the 90-day contract price hold date. They went to the next bidder, who was $21,500 higher, but was negotiated down to $16,000. The two changes will come out of the approved contingency of $200,000, leaving $178,652.21 in the contingency fund. DDA secretary Chris Brown said every house in Belleville has a perimeter drainage system and a sump pump. “I was surprised it wasn’t a part of the original plans,” Brown said. Two other changes requested were refused by Ireland: a shelf for the charging station because it could easily be broken off and an overhead door change, since all renderings indicated that the overhead doors on Building B were the textured-style door and she refused any upgrade fee;
• Approved spending $1,500 for continuation of banner impressions with Hour Media;
• Viewed the DDA’s new website;
• Heard Ireland discuss the pedestrian path over I-94 that is wrapped up for the season and open to the public. Tree planting and landscaping will be delayed until after Memorial Day, along with painting, staining, and final restoration of the land. Ireland said they will wait until the ground is hard to move the heavy equipment so they don’t tear up the site;
• Heard intern Kalnasy give a report on site visits in the DDA district and questionnaire feedback. She reported the public wanted more events and projects to unify the community and business owners, increased variety of food/dining options, more distinguishable downtown identity, more exposure about the DDA and what it does, and workshops for the community, including mentoring/tutoring, teambuilding, building your brand, and first aid/emergency training, and assist/support disadvantaged families;
• Heard Lothringer report on her email outreach, social media, publicity pieces and advertisements, and attendance at meetings; and
• Discussed the township’s new snow-removal ordinance and how it will affect businesses.