McBride paving project to get going this spring in VBT

School bus drivers, teachers, and parents and grandparents who drive to and from McBride Middle School in northern Van Buren Township are going to get a break.
As soon as the weather breaks and the asphalt plant opens, the very bumpy, dirt road will be paved. It’s expected to have a life expectancy of at least 20 years.
It will be a bit confusing during construction because cars and buses will be diverted from McBride to another entry, but the road is expected to take 10 weeks and it should be all done by the time school starts in the fall.
At its March 20 regular meeting, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approved a contract with low-bidder Florence Cement to pave McBride Avenue at a cost of $528,450, with a 10% contingency.
This project is part of the Wayne County grant that requires matching funds.
The Van Buren Public Schools put up $90,000 in matching funds because McBride Middle School is on the street. The rest of the matching funds were from a special assessment district for McBride property owners.
It had been estimated that the SAD cost to property owners would be $600 a year for five years, but because of the low bid it is more like $210 a year. It could go up to $310 a year if they have to go into the contingency fund.
The work had been estimated at $700,000, but the $528,450 bid left part of the county grant unused, so the extra funds can be used to help four or five subdivisions who had limited road work to do and had the matching funds in their treasuries.
Ron Akers, director of planning and economic development, named the subdivisions wanting road work as Walden Woods, Robinson River Park, Andover Farms, and Charter Club, with a possible fifth subdivision.
“We don’t like to return money,” said VBT Supervisor Kevin McNamara, referring to having to return county grant funds that aren’t used this year.
In other business at the one-hour-and-five-minute meeting, the board:
• Approved the proposal of Wade Trim to provide professional engineering services for the McBride paving project in an amount not to exceed $73,400;
• Approved the bid of $31,307.85 from Johnson Controls, Inc./Controls/Tyco Integrated Security to provide a new security card access system;
• Authorized VBT to participate in the Michigan Economic Development Corporations (MDEC) Redevelopment Ready Communities program;
• Approved a resolution for the Belleville Road Improvements and Pedestrian Bridge for the Downtown Development Authority to assume the township’s obligations under the proposed contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation. If the DDA passes this resolution as well at its March 27 meeting, the documents will be sent on to the MDOT. The DDA also has set aside in escrow money for the maintenance of the bridge for its life;
• Approved a contract between the township and MDOT with regards to construction of a non-motorized path along the east side of Belleville Road over I-94. The MDOT cannot sign a contract with the DDA because the DDA is not a permanent entity, having a sunset in 2038. The estimated total cost of the bridge is $1,693,700 and with $396,900 in federal aid, the township’s share is (DDA’s) $1,296,800;
• Approved the reappointments of Joyce Rochowiak, Ronald Blank, and Helen Foster to the DDA with terms to expire March 9, 2011;
• Heard Supervisor McNamara say the township is doing well economically and is not doing mass infrastructure to attract development as it did with Visteon. “We are solid and we can grow slowly,” McNamara said, adding that is the feelings of his board; and
• Was informed the big green sign has been delivered to Menards and because they decided to double the size of the mezzanine store opening has been delayed and is expected around June 1. There will be a soft opening before it opens officially.