VBT, City of Belleville planning commissions discuss master plans

The planning commissions of Van Buren Township and the City of Belleville met in a hastily called joint session on Nov. 29 in the Belleville High School Commons.
The two-hour-and-41-minute meeting was also attended by six of the seven members of the township board and all five city council members. VBT Clerk Leon Wright was absent.
The city is finishing up work on its new master plan and the township is just beginning a year’s worth of work on its master plan. The master plans for the two communities were to be the subject of the meeting.
Steve Jones, chairman of the city planning commission, was chosen as chairman of the meeting, but the agenda was presented by Ron Akers, director of the VBT planning and economic development department. Akers had the floor for most of the long meeting.
At the beginning of the meeting, VBT Supervisor Kevin McNamara stood to explain why his township called the joint meeting.
“We don’t have a downtown. We do have your downtown and you do have festivals,” Supervisor McNamara said. “We know our governments will never be one government, but our community is one community.”
VBT Trustee Sherry Frazier said this meeting is a “win-win situation for both communities” as they cooperate in their planning.
Belleville Mayor Kerreen Conley said the city is happy for the opportunity to cooperate.
Akers said he has been department director for two years at VBT and he asked the city planners to introduce themselves, which they did. City Building Official Rick Rutherford said he was attending in place of City Manager Diana Kollmeyer who was at a hospital where her husband was having a procedure.
Then members of the VBT planning commission introduced themselves, including Jeff Jahr, Jr., who said he had been on the commission for 14 minutes since this is his first meeting.
Also introduced were Patrick Sloan of McKenna Associates who is leading work on the VBT master plan; Dave Potter, the township’s new engineer from Fishbeck, Thompson, Huber and Carr; Susan Ireland, executive director of the VBT Downtown Development Authority; and deputy DDA director Lisa Lothringer.
Akers explained the township’s last update was in 2006 and VBT has a lot of sub-area plans.
Along with work on the master plan, VBT is seeking a RRC certificate which used to be open only to towns with downtowns. Then, there is the Iron Belle Trail non-motorized walking/bicycle trail that goes from Belle Isle to Iron Mountain and will go through VBT and Belleville.
Akers spoke of an Agricultural and Open Space Plan, an Industrial Land Inventory, and PICA (Potential Intensity Change Area), a planning and marketing analysis of vacant or under-developed land to determine what the community wants and what can be developed.
Jones said in comparison to VBT’s undeveloped space, the City of Belleville is pretty much built out. He said 10 years ago the city did a pretty extensive review of the master plan and five years ago it was reviewed and minor adjustments made. This year is the same, he said, noting the city is still on track and minor adjustments will be made.
Belleville Commissioner Matthew Wagner, who is chairman of the master plan sub-committee, said the city is just 2.2 square miles and they are tweaking and redefining the plan to craft a common goal.
“We’re not where the city wanted to be, especially in the B-2 district which needs to be reworked,” Wagner said. He said it is important to work with other communities. “It’s becoming a global economy and we need to work collectively … find what Belleville can do to assist the autonomous program at Willow Run… and dealing with the lake. It’s Van Buren’s, but Belleville shares it, as well.”
“Every little scrap of space in Belleville is precious,” said Belleville Commissioner Randy Priest, who also is on the master plan subcommittee. “We need more parking and must use every property wisely.”
Akers explained the joint meeting was set because both communities were updating their master plans and geography has to be taken into consideration, along with consistency.
Akers said along Sumpter Road between the railroad tracks and Bemis, the properties are a maze of jurisdictions, with those in the city next to those in the township and then again parcels in the city next to those in the township.
“We have a goal not to have commercial in the south area of the township,” Akers said.
He said there is a rumor of a big box store coming in on Sumpter Road south of Hull Road. It is rumored to be Kroger.
Jones said a Kroger store had been considered for downtown Belleville in the past, but that didn’t work out. He said the gas station at Hull has been rebuilt and a new fire hall built at Hull.
Jones said people in the city would like a grocery store this side of the lake, but the city will never have that kind of property available.
Akers asked if commercial south of Belleville would be detrimental to the city.
“No,” Jones said. “It would be a positive and add more services to this part of Belleville Road… And, it could attract smaller stores into the city.”
The groups discussed a number of topics, including more senior housing along Sumpter Road.
Supervisor McNamara said, “There is money from HUD. There is money for that, but you have to have a downtown. … They have real nice rooms.”
In discussing the agenda item on the township’s opportunity to support downtown Belleville, Akers referred to Belleville as a cultural center.
“I am sick and tired of driving down Main Street and having blight,” said VBT Trustee Frazier. “Sorry, I’m a frank person.” She detailed how Wyandotte toughed up and now it is a completely different community than it was 10-15 years ago.
She said in Wyandotte, “that Sam guy can’t get away with having those buildings” that are deteriorating.
“It’s the armpit at the beginning of the city,” agreed Belleville Commissioner Priest. “Bingo! You’re right on.”
Frazier asked how long the ice cream store has been vacant and Rutherford said they have an approved plan for a new facade, but work has not begun.
When asked about the DNR property on the north side of the Belleville Bridge, Supervisor McNamara said VBT currently is in negotiations with the DNR.
“We want to buy it for a dollar and they are deciding on the price,” McNamara said. He said it will be a park and community building, “something right next to our downtown, but with our Van Buren Township name on it.”
Belleville Commissioner John Juriga, who also sits on the Belleville Area District Library Board, said when the library was looking at that site for a new library, the DNR offered to sell it to the library for $300,000, which was what they paid for it. And, then the DNR would give the library $300,000 for the fishing docks.
When asked about the route of the Iron Belle trail, Akers said in VBT it would be from the Metropark on the east, along East Huron River Drive to the city where it would use the city sidewalks out West Columbia to West Huron River Drive to Rawsonville Road, where the Washtenaw County route would begin.
City Councilman Jesse Marcotte said businesses in Belleville don’t look good from the lake. He said Hayward’s is the most used lake business and the city should bring up the design standards for the people.
“It’s called ‘Downtown on the Lake,’ but it doesn’t look good from the lake,” Councilman Marcotte said.
In discussing the lake, Supervisor McNamara said, “We have not decided to lower the lake.” He said the main reason for that is gone, without explaining. He said he’d like to work on the Denton Road bridge and fix up other areas. He said the proposal has been taken to the Environmental Commission for a recommendation.
Commissioner Juriga said in 1980 the lake was lowered and it compromised seawalls.
McNamara said it was lowered too long. He said the lake has an eroding shoreline.
Juriga said it would be fun again to have a river boat and Akers asked about it, like he never had heard about it.
“It sank in Belleville Lake,” said Commissioner Wagner.
“At the dock,” said VBT resident CeJay Marshall from the audience.
VBT Trustee Paul White said the draw down of the lake in 1980s was for a fish kill. He said they drew it down 14 to 17 feet and it did create a problem with the seawalls and causeway to the bridge. He cautioned the township as to the amount of draw down on the lake. He said they should have professional help in any draw down.
“Belleville Lake has a unique character,” Trustee White said. He said he would like VBT to give all the commissioners a copy of the year-old lake ordinance.
Jones said it is good to have dialogue and a joint meeting and he would like to continue that in the future. He said lately there has been a renewed impetus to have general conversations between the city and the township.
He said the DDAs are cooperating and the supervisor and mayor have had numerous conversations.
“I would like to see Sumpter Township here,” said Juriga of the meeting of the planning commissions. “We have a lot in common.”
Mayor Conley said the full boards of both communities are present because this is an important meeting.
“We are here because we love our community and we want to make it better,” she said. “It’s keeping the dialogue open.”
Everyone on botth boards made closing statements and VBT Commissioner Joan Franzoi said, “In the past it was Belleville versus Van Buren. I’m glad it’s no longer like that.”
The two groups plan to meet again, possibly in six months.