By Diane Madigan
Independent Special Writer
At its March 23 regular meeting, the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority (DDA) directed its planning consultants to put together a request for bids for a simulated wood vinyl fence for 1,300 feet along Belleville Road between Harmony Lane and Sunrise.
The contractor would be asked to remove the old chain-link fence there, remove the vegetation, and put up the privacy fence. It was pointed out several trees could be saved by slightly altering the route of the fence.
Sally Hodges from McKenna Associates said studies show the unsightly fence is in the Wayne County right of way and the county has final say on the fence.
DDA Executive Director Susan Ireland said at the DDA’s April meeting that the county now believes the fence was put in place in the 1940s by Henry Ford around his farm field. Earlier accounts said the fence was put in place in the 1960s by a housing developer.
Preliminary costs show a six-foot, black chain link fence would be about $29 a foot or $38,000; a chain link fence with slats, suggested by the county, would be $46,800; and a vinyl privacy fence with wood grain flat finish in white is $46,800, with colored $49,400. A live, English Ivy wall was not agreeable to the DDA since there is a watering issue.
There were concerns about spending about $50,000 and yearly maintenance once it’s installed.
“It’s an expense, but it’s just part of the other expenses we’ve done for the DDA district,” said DDA member Jim Richter.
VBT Supervisor Linda Combs said, “I’m thinking about this other project that we applied for funding for. I think the wood-grain fence would enhance that project as well.”
She referred to the grant that since has been approved for Act 51 funds to upgrade Belleville Road to improve safety between I-94 and Tyler Road.
Director Ireland said she made a site visit with Director of Engineering, Wayne County Department of Public Services, Ron Agacinski and his deputy and they agreed the fence is in the county right of way.
Hodges said the county told Ireland that the DDA could replace the fence as long as it made sure that it was in the exact location and they made sure that the paperwork went to the right people.
Hodges said that the county suggested replacement with chain-link fencing, but it’s not typically what they’d like to see in the DDA district.
“It sounds like they left the door open to some other alternative,” Hodges said, adding that’s why Ireland asked the DDA to look at alternatives.
“Whatever we do, is going to take out a lot of vegetation because it’s extremely overgrown with vines. There are tree limbs growing through it. There are trees on top. There are pieces of fence where a property owner has put slats in the fence. There are places where the property owner has left the fence there and built their own fence behind it,” Hodges said.
DDA member Robert Bechtel asked why they don’t just take the fence down and throw it away and not put a new fence up?
“It’s not our fence,” Ireland replied.
“The neighbors there have grown accustomed to having a fence,” Hodges said. “There is commercial traffic and foot traffic across the street on a major thoroughfare. If I lived there, I might worry about someone walking into my backyard. There will be a loss of vegetation so you’ll be able to see in the backyards, unless you choose a screening option.”
Ireland voiced concerns about people’s pets getting out on the road.
DDA Secretary Sophie Zoller asked why they can’t put their own fence up.
Hodges said the public concern is the look of roads like Sheldon, where you see different fences, some needing repairs. Some are vinyl, some are wood.
“People are used to having the fence there,” said DDA vice-chairman Craig Atchinson. “If you take that fence away, your phone is going to be ringing. Cosmetically we need to replace it with something… I think we need to do it for the community.”
“Who is going to take responsibility for it?” asked DDA member Edward Miller.
The landscaper from McKenna Associates said landscaping with shrubs would soften the curve. There was agreement, however, that the DDA just consider the fence, not landscaping, because of the watering issue. The landscaper said Wayne County suggested the chain link because it would be easier to bend around the trees.
“Leaving what’s there is not an option for the DDA district,” said Richter.
“If you take it down, then they have the right to put fences up wherever and whatever kind they want,” Miller said. “If you go down Lilly in Canton there are 15 different fences and it looks like crap.”
Ireland was asked for a budget report for 2013. She said when she looked at all the things they have made commitments for including bond payments, the remainder of the intersection, and if they get the grant which they applied for, the website, the roof repair, property acquisition for the sidewalks, that’s spending $5 million, leaving a little over $4.5 million.
“Five million dollars in expenses, $4.5 million in balance,” agreed Supervisor Combs.
Ireland said the fence work would come off the Belleville Road Streetscape line item.
“This is a critical item as far as the township goes,” said DDA Chairman Jere Dolph. “It reflects on the township and it reflects on us, the DDA as a whole. How we’re spending our money.
“It’s easier to convince the general public this is for you. We’re putting in the sidewalks for you. We’re putting in the fence for you. We’re putting in Ecorse Road for you. It’s something that we, the township and the DDA are going forward. It’s all positive, that’s the important thing,” Dolph said.
Zoo, DIA Millage
Earlier this year the DDA asked the Zoo/DIA Millage to stay on each meeting’s agenda until the issue is settled, since VBT DDA is one of the groups bringing a law suit over the issue.
Ireland reported there are a variety of bills concerning the zoo millage being considered in Lansing, House Bills 4458-4463, but if enacted they will only have a direct impact going forward.
“They are still moving ahead with court action. I have to compile documents of everything the DDA has done since we started,” Ireland said.
“Wasn’t this millage voted on by the people? How can we take that money away?” asked Miller.
Ireland explained how the DDA Act is written and what the DDA is supposed to capture and, “Therefore, you have to capture it by law. It doesn’t say P.S. Don’t capture the Zoo and the DIA millage.
“That is what started it … because we are following the law. The County has said you are doing it illegally but we’re not doing it illegally. We are following the law. It’s not that we want to take money from the Zoo or the DIA, but there’s nothing that says we can give it up, either,” Ireland said.
“Once we start that, it starts a ball rolling with other taxing jurisdictions,” she added.
Supervisor Combs added: “What a lot of the public doesn’t understand, is that the very small amount of taxes off of the businesses in the DDA district. It doesn’t affect your homeowner taxes or mine. They are still going to get my money. It only affects that narrow strip for the DDA. People ask me that all the time and that’s the answer I give them.”
“Susan, when you compile the list of everything the DDA has done, I hope you look at the property values not only in the DDA, but the increase in property values outside the DDA that went up as a direct result of the DDA,” said Atchinson. “That’s the link that the people are missing.”
“Correct, and the base value is still being submitted to the DIA and the Zoo,” Ireland said.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to take me. I’m basically copying every amendment every planning, every project we’ve ever done, all the minutes, everything going back to 1990,” Ireland said.
She said she will forward the documents to attorney McCarthy to fulfill the Zoo Authority’s Request to Produce Documents.
“We’re following the law, that’s the important thing,” Dolph said.
Township Hall Roof
The DDA has committed to assist paying for work on the township hall roof replacement for 75% or an amount not to exceed $245,250.
Ireland reported that Roofing Technology Associates is the township’s consultant who is preparing plans and specifications for the roof work, which is to begin at the end of May. Mike Wilkerson of RTA is project manager.
Dave Nummer, engineering consultant from Wade Trim, said the initial roof presentation to the DDA said there was one area on the roof that needed to be replaced immediately. There were some other areas that needed patches or flashing that would last for four or five years, or you could replace that.
The price estimate discussed at the time, was the cost to replace all those areas and bring the roof back up to a 20-year standard, which it should be, Nummer said.
“When they put the bid documents together, I don’t know if there was a miscommunication or what, but those areas that could be patched they talked about being patched rather than replaced.
“So, the first time they bid it out, the bids came back in like, Wow, the price is really low. That was because we were not replacing those pieces, only patching them.
“Then they came back, redid the bid specs, talked to the companies that bid, to get them to give us a price like we originally talked about. So we didn’t actually add an area. We came back to what we originally talked about in the first place,” Nummer said.
“I know Tom (former DPW Director MacDonald) talked about five locations that were leaking at the time and this was before the winter set in,” Dolph said. “There have been no additional problems with those areas. The question is, do we have to rebid, or do we accept what’s on the table now?”
Nummer said the township board put the bid specifications together to get a price to replace all the roof.
“So we’re back to Plan A again, where we started,” Nummer said.
Aerotropolis
Ireland reported on the Belleville Area Chamber of Commerce’s April 11 luncheon with Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano, which she, Atchinson and Richter attended. She said Ficano spoke mainly on economic development he believes is a result of Aerotropolis (now named VantagePort). Aerotropolis expects to have its website done by the end of May. Aerotroplis cancelled its previous meeting because it had expected to be further along in its benchmark and marketing strategy plan.
Public Safety Day
Ireland reported that Van Buren Township Public Safety Day is scheduled for Aug. 10. Atchinson said he heard the Willow Run Air Show has been rescheduled for Aug. 10 and 11 and Ireland said she would look into it.
Combs said this will seriously hinder the
Public Safety Department because a lot of their officers participated in Public Safety Day last year and it was very successful.
Banners
The DDA voted to spend $2,368 to replace 16 banner arms on eight light poles nearest to the Belleville Bridge. Old Glory, who has been servicing the 72 poles in the DDA district for the past six years, will run a durability test on welded and painted arms and end caps.
As reported by the Independent at the February DDA meeting, Rich Kennan, owner of Old Glory Flags discussed problems with the banner arms and end caps. The heavy steel banner arms attached to the poles break away from fatigue caused by the weight and extreme winds coming across the lake.
Ireland also reported that the two incorrect light poles in the streetscape have been corrected and the broken skirts have been repaired.
Belleville/Ecorse Landscape
Ireland reported the Ecorse Road South Service Drive in front of Stack’s Party Store will not be easily accomplished. McKenna is proceeding with a landscape plan for the Belleville-Ecorse intersection based on the revisions Wade Trim made to the plan and submitted for approval by Wayne County.
“This does not mean that the DDA will abandon assisting as an advocate for the owner of Stack’s,” Ireland wrote in a memo to the DDA.
Ireland said Wayne County is very adamant that they do not want to vacate the Ecorse Road Service Drive and it’s a State road.
“Personally, I do not think they quite get it, but I can’t get them, in enough time, to understand the reality versus what they think that it is, within the amount of time to keep the project on schedule,” Ireland told the DDA.
Ecorse Road Project Report
Wade Trim’s Dave Nummer and Matt Stacey reported traffic has been switched from the westbound lanes to the newly built eastbound lanes on Ecorse Road. Work continues on the second half of the boulevard and on the sanitary sewer lines heading west past Stack’s.
The sewer will run under the service drive and there are temporary closures limited to local traffic.
Dolph asked if there has been any interaction with the residents in that area and Stacey said there have been a couple of minor issues.
“Whenever you switch traffic from one stage to the next, people just don’t get used to where they should be going,” Stacey said.
He said there are some issues with the 13 or 14 homes on the north side of Ecorse road just east of Belleville Road. They have direct access to Ecorse Road right now and that pavement is being moved out. The contractor just installed temporary access for them to get out to either Sheldon or Edwards, he said.
Dolph said he received a phone call complaining that they had no way to get out safely. Stacey said that problem has been rectified. They widened the shoulder and clarified where the people should be going. Dolph said he got back with the people and they are happy now.
Van Buren Township Website
The DDA approved the proposal from Communication Associates to refresh the Van Buren Township website as outlined in its correspondence dated April 22, in an amount not to exceed $23,300 and to reallocate that amount from Fund Balance to Consultants.
Ireland explained that the township’s website was created in 2003. In the fall of 2011 the DDA retained Communication Associates to help establish and build DDA’s brand and marketing.
At the same time, the DDA offered to assist the township with refreshing its website so that both would complement each other.
“At that time it was implied that the timing wasn’t right,” Ireland said.
In a memo to the DDA, Ireland said she has spoken with the township’s IT Director Steve Rankin in positive terms and on behalf of Rankin would ask the DDA if they would consider the offer that was originally proposed.
She also requested a proposal from Communication Associates to assist with an update.
The proposal from Communication Associates to update the township website was $23,300 to include one day of onsite training and email/phone support for content management for key employees.
Supervisor Combs said she was “absolutely” on board with this plan.
“That’s what I wanted to hear,” DDA member Bechtel said. “Unlike the fences where I was kinda dragging my feet, I am very excited about this. Since we brought on Communication Associates I pushed on this whole issue. And, I think it will be an excellent idea if the township is cooperative. That is not the attitude of the previous administration.”
Supervisor Combs said, “I met with them one evening with Susan (Ireland). They did explain some of the ideas they were doing for the DDA. I liked what I saw out of them and I liked the look on the DDA website. I think the township can benefit tremendously from that.
“Ours was adequate when it was first developed, but it was developed in-house and it’s just been added to over time,” Combs said. “We’ve never had anything professionally developed.”
Ireland said Communication Associates could not believe all the information that is on the township website, but it’s just hard to maneuver through it to get to it.”
Richter said the township website really needs updating and to match it with the DDA’s would be great.
Ireland said the letter from Communications Associates says it will develop a fully functioning content management system, which will allow the township to internally manage and update the site far into the future.
Meeting with Belleville DDA
The DDA received a letter from the Belleville DDA requesting a joint meeting in the near future. The purpose is to share information about each other’s projects and plans. The DDA agreed to have Ireland coordinate the meeting and keep them informed.
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