VBT DDA approves commitment of $400,000 for Tyler Rd. sidewalk

The Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority committed $400,000 towards a matching grant application for pedestrian and non-motorized improvements along Tyler Road from the new community center building to Morton Taylor Road.
This was at the regular DDA meeting on Sept. 26.
At its June meeting, the DDA approved a $47,500 proposal from Wade Trim engineers for the submittal of an application for the MDOT/SEMCOG Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant for the Tyler Road Sidewalk east of Belleville Road.
As part of the submittal of the grant, a resolution from the DDA was needed to show that funds have been committed for the project in the 2024 budget.
DDA Executive Director Merrie Coburn said the cost is just over $1 million, including engineering and administration, so that qualifies the DDA for an $883,437.20 grant.
Coburn said that 25% is the basic match, but the more you offer, the higher the score for the grant, so she asked for a 35% match. She said she reallocated funds in next year’s budget and if the grant application is unsuccessful, she will put the funds back from where she got them in the budget.
Supervisor Kevin McNamara voiced some concerns about Coburn redoing the budget.
Coburn said the plan was to have the sidewalk from the community center to Morton Taylor and the right of way is narrow.
Wade Trim determined that the south side of Tyler Road is the more preferred route for the 10-foot-wide asphalt trail and that’s what the cost estimate is based on.
Supervisor McNamara said the township is looking at continuing the sidewalk from Morton Taylor, along Tyler, to Haggerty and east of I-275 and then to the trail there and further south to hook up to the Iron Belle Trail.
In other business at the Sept. 26 meeting, the DDA:
• Tabled a proposal from Jamie’s Custom Concrete and Construction for $4,985 for an 8’x8’ concrete slab on the former DNR property to hold two benches and a trash receptacle to service walkers along Belleville Road and a 4’x11’ concrete walkway to the slab. The DDA determined more quotes were needed for the concrete work, since Coburn said she was able to get just one quote. DDA member James Chudzinski also suggested getting information on spraying the metal legs of the benches with Rhino Liner to keep the metal from rusting;
• Approved the proposal of Grosse Ile Lawn for a total of $9,600 for holiday lights for Harris Park and the monument triangle at Belleville and Quirk roads. A more-complicated and more-costly proposal for singing trees that looped every 16-18 minutes was rejected;
• Approved the streetscaping maintenance of changing the banner couplings and three change-outs of the banners by low-bidder MI Custom Signs. There are 70 poles and the DDA changes 35 of those three times a year and leaves the sailboats in place; and
• Went into closed-door session to discuss Just-Compensation approval for the right-of-way acquisition for the Belleville Road Widening Project. After coming back into open session, the DDA approved a motion to proceed with making the Just-Compensation Offers to the property owners plus a 20% incentive if they accept within 30 days of the offer.