VBT donates rights of way on Denton Road bridge to county

At its regular meeting on March 19, the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously to donate 10 feet of right of way on each side of the Denton Road Bridge to help with the underground directional borings.
A three-inch, high-pressure gas line will be added on the north side of the bridge and an AT&T fibreline is going in on the south side. This will carry those lines that are now on the bridge.
Supervisor Kevin McNamara said they needed more space so the utilities could be farther apart as they drill directionally under the lake. The EGLE permit already is in hand.
Ron Akers, director of municipal services, said the township formally submitted drawings of the bridge to the county earlier that day and the county will review them. He said the township designed the bridge and got all the permits.
He said renderings of the bridge will be shared with the community when they are ready.
Director Akers said no definitive timeline has been set for the utilities to do their work. AT&T said it will begin by July and DTE will do its drilling in late summer and complete by the end of the year.
Supervisor McNamara said those involved from the township, city, and county have been meeting every two weeks to stay on top of things. He predicted the county’s review of the plans will be the shortest in history since they know everything about the plans through the meetings every two weeks.
He said they are trying to get DTE nailed down to specifics.
In other business at the March 19 meeting, the board:
• Was informed by Clerk Leon Wright of the March 14 death of former Van Buren Township Public Safety Director Carl McClanahan. His viewing will be at the Jeter Funeral Home in Detroit on March 28 and the funeral at New Hope Church in Wayne on March 29. He will be buried in the cemetery on Willow Road in Sumpter Township. Supervisor McNamara said McClanahan had the pulse of the community and he and his wife were a power couple in the community. They left the community to go to Florida, he said;
• Approved three documents having to do with the community center: the Member and Guest Policy Handbook, the Employee Manual, and the Fee Schedule. Supervisor McNamara said he read the lengthy documents “until my eyes bleed.” Elizabeth Renaud, director of community services, said they are planning a June grand opening of the community center. She said the community center hours of operation will be Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.;
• Approved a resolution supporting a Passport Grant of $63,000 (with $16,600 match of that from the township) from the Michigan DNR for the Van Buren Park Picnic Table Program for 2025. The township already has a $46,800 grant for picnic tables for 2024 for Quirk Park;
• Approved the selection of Vin-Con Inc., second-lowest of 13 bidders, for the Van Buren Park Structure Demolition Project at a cost of $22,800. Parks Director Locke said this is to clean up the park of old trash, including the trash bin behind the building, an old concession building, an unusable storage garage, a former electrical service panel, and poles and other parts of a former camp near the beachhouse;
• Approved William Miner’s personal service agreement for the position of Water and Sewer Superintendent. He just retired as deputy director at Allen Park, where he had worked for 25 years. He also served in the U.S. Marine Corps. He said he is not ready to retire. He has his S-3 certificate and eventually will get his S-1 certificate;
• Approved an agreement between the township the Michigan State Housing Development Authority for the award of a Housing Readiness incentive grant. Director Akers said in January they submitted a request for a grant to find the housing needs in the township. It is for $45,000 with the township paying $5,000. Trustee Kevin Martin said housing is a problem throughout the country and he appreciates this grant. Supervisor McNamara said, “We need this grant to get more money”;
• Approved the Preliminary Plan and Special Land Use approval for a revision to the Cobblestone Creek Planned Residential Development by David Straub of M/I Homes of Michigan, who is completing a subdivision that was started 20 years ago. There was much discussion on the water drainage, since one of the Cobblestone homeowners’ associations petitioned the county for the cleanout and maintenance of Jewett Drain. This petition was approved at a recent hearing;
• Heard a resident of Hull Road speak during public comment at both the beginning and end of the meeting. It is his contention that the retention ponds in Cobblestone subdivisions need to be enlarged to keep the land along the Jewett Drain from flooding. A long discussion on drains ensued. One of the Homeowners Association at Cobblestone petitioned the county for cleanup and maintenance of the Jewett Drain and after a recent public hearing, the county approved the project. Property owners along the drain in Van Buren Township and Belleville will be billed on their property taxes for the cleanup. Treasurer Sharry Budd said when the Cobblestone development was approved, township engineers approved the drainage system. She said, “Wayne County hasn’t cleaned in years. People are paying for drains that aren’t being cleaned”;
• Approved the supervisor’s appointments of Stacy English and Mark Woodson to the Recreation Committee with terms to expire Feb. 1, 2025;
• Approved the supervisor’s appointment of Gina Dorazio to the Local Development Funding Authority with a term to expire Aug. 1, 2025; and
• Approved the supervisor’s re-appointment of Charles Larocque as a standard, at-large member of the Board of Zoning Appeals instead of the former alternate status with a term to expire Dec. 1, 2025.