Van Buren Twp. DDA approves amended DDA-TIF plan

The Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority approved the third-amended DDA and Tax Increment Financing Plan at its regular meeting on Oct. 28 and sent it on to the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees for a public hearing on Nov. 18. The DDA also recommended the board approve the amendment.
At the Oct. 28 DDA meeting, consultants from Wade Trim presented a final draft of the amended development plan, the CIP, the Asset Management and 10-year financial Projection Plan.
DDA executive director Merrie Coburn said the VBT DDA was organized in 1999.
This amendment includes an updated narrative reflecting the recent investments and added amenities in the district, added projects, revised cost estimates, updated maps showing amendments to the zoning ordinance, and updated tax capture revenue spreadsheets.
The update to the CIP, incorporated with an Asset Management Plan has 18 projects from traffic studies to infrastructure improvements to a marketing and brand awareness campaign and the 10-year financial projections that will help the board align and prioritize projects during budget planning.
Executive director Coburn said she met with the newly appointed District Advisory Citizens Council on Sept. 23 for an orientation of what the role of the DDA is, the process to update the plan, to go over the survey results and give an overview of the draft plan. A nine-member citizens council is required by state law.
The council was invited to the Oct. 28 DDA meeting to provide any comments regarding the plan and to give the recommendation to adopt the amended plan to submit to the township board of trustees.
The DDA was introduced to members of the citizens council. Four of the nine appointed were present in person and two present by video.
Wade Trim announced that proposed traffic lights at Belleville and Quirk roads and Belleville and Van Born roads don’t qualify now, according to a Wayne County study, but they may in the future due to development.
One Wade Trim consultant said as far as asset management, since the light poles in the streetscape are deteriorating the DDA might like to contract with DTE on the street lights. He suggested the DDA property drives be sealed every five years to maintain them. Also, sidewalks should be checked every five years and it’s certain every 15 years they will need repair.
Wade Trim consultant Wayne said since over the next 10 years there is no intent to bond beyond the Belleville Road project, there are three ways of looking at the future: the good, the bad, and the ugly. He was told the “good” version didn’t need to be described. But he described what could happen if market conditions were bad or ugly. A real estate crash is not likely, but possible.
A full-time person to work with Coburn will be added in next year’s budget. Wayne said the DDA has been keeping a $3 million fund balance and they will have to decide whether it needs to keep that high an amount.
Chip Smith, Wade Trim’s project manager, said there is a question why DDAs should buy property and some in Southeastern Michigan got in real trouble when their plans didn’t work out. He said DDA’s usually buy property so they can have what they want in a particular location, but often that doesn’t pan out.
In other business at the one-hour-15-minute meeting, the DDA:
• Decided not to purchase an 18-foot, pre-lit Christmas tree for $14,054.75 and instead buy an 18-foot Norway Spruce that had been cut down at Matthes Tree Farm in Ida, MI. It will be cut, delivered, and installed at a cost of $1,000 for the annual Light Up the Park event;
• Rescinded prior approval of the renewal for the lease, installation, removal and on-call service from Grosse Ile Lawn for holiday lighting for Harris Park in the amount of $10,550. Director Coburn said she has been unable to get the firm to return her calls;
• Approved the purchase of holiday lights, installation, removal and on-call service from Money Green Lawn LLC for holiday lighting for Harris Park. This includes the 18-foot cut Norway Spruce, permanent Govee lights on the pavilion, garage and building, and the lighting at the monument in the amount of $13,310. Coburn pointed out the DDA would then own the lights, so after the first year the only cost would be for installation;
• Approved the DDA board meeting dates for 2026. Each month’s meeting is at 3 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday in the conference room at the DDA building, with no meeting in December 2026;
• In two separate votes approved formally committing to the operation and long-term maintenance of the constructed 10-foot Belleville Road and 10-foot Tyler Road non-motorized pathways. This commitment is required by Wayne County;
• Learned all the required rights of way have been acquired by the DDA for the widening of Belleville Road. To date it has paid out $882,454.75 for 11 rights of way, one being the full taking of property and in 2016 the DDA paid out $154,060. There is still some negotiating going on about 8380, where the owner is getting an appraisal to compare to the DDA’s new appraisal to assist with a settlement;
• Heard Coburn say there are a couple of board members who have missed several meetings in the last couple of years. The bylaws state three unexcused absences will result in automatic resignation from the DDA. She proposed an amendment to the bylaws to state: “A board member absent from three consecutive regular meetings, or 25% of the meetings in any calendar year, unless such absence is excused by the board, may be recommended for replacement according to provisions of Act 57 of the Public Acts of 2018, as amended. The board member shall be notified in writing by the board of their delinquency, and a communication shall be directed to the Supervisor and Board of Trustees requesting a replacement.” She said the attorney is looking at the amendment; and
• Heard DDA member Joyce Rochowiak thank those who contributed to the Oct. 24 Parkinson’s fund raiser.