[00:00:07]
[1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER]
LET'S CALL THE MEETING OF THE CHARTER TOWNSHIP MERIDIAN PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING OF APRIL 22ND, 2024 TO ORDER.>> ALISANDE SHREWSBURY CHAIR IS HERE. THANK YOU.
NOW IS THE FIRST POINT IN OUR MEETING WHERE WE HAVE PUBLIC REMARKS, IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO GIVE PUBLIC COMMENT NOW.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC HEARINGS TONIGHT, SO THIS WOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK IF YOU'D LIKE TO.
SEEING NOBODY, WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA,
[4. APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT.>> I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA FOR THE APRIL 22ND.
>> MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SCALES, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BLUMER.
>> AGENDA IS APPROVED. THEN NOW WE ARE TO ITEM 5, THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MARCH 25TH,
[5. APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
2024 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING.NEXT MINUTES ARE IN THE PACKET.
>> I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
>> THANK YOU BY COMMISSIONER BROOKS AND SUPPORTED BY COMMISSIONER SCALES.
A DISCUSSION ON THE MINUTES BEFORE WE APPROVE.
THERE WAS ONE NOTE WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CHANGE IN STRUCTURE TO THE BOARD A COMMENT ATTRIBUTED TO ME THAT SAID WE WERE DOING IT BECAUSE OF COMPARABLE SIZE AND QUORUM.
I WENT BACK AND RE-LISTENED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S WHAT IT'S MINOR, BUT I DIDN'T SAY WE WERE DOING IT BECAUSE OF QUORUM.
I SAID THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD ASKED, THAT ARE DECISION TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF THIS WAS NOT RELATED JUST TO CHAIR SPACE ON THE DIS BUT THAT WE HAD ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE IMPACTS.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT MATTERS TO CLARIFY THAT.
>> I CAN CLARIFY THAT HOWEVER YOU WANT.
>> WE DISCUSSED A NUMBER OF TOPICS, BUT NOT THAT THAT WAS WHY WE WERE MAKING THE CHANGE.
I JUST DON'T WANT IT SAID THAT WE'RE MAKING THE CHANGE BECAUSE OF QUORUM.
>> I'LL GO BACK AND LISTEN AND CATCH THAT BETTER.
>> THAT WOULD BE GREAT. OTHER THAN THAT, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING SPENDING ON US.
>> GREAT. WITH THAT, I'M IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES WITH THAT MINOR AMENDMENT. AYE.
[00:05:02]
MINUTES ARE APPROVED WITH A SLIGHT CHANGE.
ANY COMMUNICATIONS, ITEM 6, THAT WE HAVEN'T ALREADY HAVE ANYTHING ON THE AGENDA IN THE PACKET.
>> NO PUBLIC HEARINGS, ITEM 7.
FINISHED BUSINESS. WE HAVE NONE.
I THINK WE'RE DOWN TO ITEM 9, OTHER BUSINESS.
[9.A. Village of Okemos Concept Plan]
FIRST IS THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS CONCEPT PLAN.>> BRIEFLY, UNDER THE MEPA ORDINANCE, THERE IS A SECTION THAT ALLOWS DEVELOPERS TO SUBMIT FOR CONCEPT PLAN INTERVIEW TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE TOWNSHIP BOARD.
STAFF PLAYS ESSENTIALLY NO ROLE IN THIS AT THIS POINT.
WE ARE HERE TO FACILITATE ONLY AND RECEIVE THE FEEDBACK.
I'M GOING TO USE SCRIBBLING NOTES CURIOUSLY AS WE GO ALONG.
I DON'T HAVE TO BECAUSE WE'RE RECORDING THIS.
BUT THE DEVELOPER IS LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON THE MODIFIED PLAN FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS AND WHAT YOU HAVE THIS EVENING ARE TWO CONCEPTS.
YOU HAVE TWO CONCEPTS IN FRONT OF THIS EVENING A AND C, AND I APOLOGIZE.
MY MEMO SAYS A AND B. IT'S A AND C, B WAS TOSSED OUT.
IN BUILDING A, BUILDINGS WILL BE LOCATED ON OKEMOS ROAD TURN THE CORNER AT HAMILTON, ABOUT 100 FEET, ALMOST IDENTICAL NORTH AND SOUTH.
THERE'S 78 DWELLING UNITS ABOUT 2,500 SQUARE FEET OF COMMERCIAL.
PARKING TO THE REAR, AND I DO WANT TO NOTE IN BOTH PARTS BOTH CONCEPT PLANS, THERE IS PARKING LOCATED ON THE FORMER PROPERTY ZONED BY RENE COREY THAT I'M HIGHLIGHTING HERE AT THE CORNER OF CLINTON AND OKEMOS.
PLAN B WOULD PUSH THE TWO BUILDINGS ONTO ARDMORE STREET, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT.
THE NORTHERN BUILDING WOULD BE 96 DWELLING UNITS AND ABOUT 2,700 SQUARE FEET COMMERCIAL.
SOUTHERN BUILDING WOULD BE 102 AND ABOUT 2,700 SQUARE FEET COMMERCIAL.
PARKING WOULD BE THEN TO THE NORTH OR TO THE EAST ALONG OKEMOS ROAD, AND AGAIN, ON THE COREY PROPERTY.
IN BOTH SCENARIOS, THEY DO ALSO INCLUDE THESE PROPERTIES ALONG.
THIS IS A PARK SLASH STORMWATER DETENTION AREA THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE PROJECT.
ADDITIONALLY, IN BOTH SCENARIOS.
THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR A SECOND PHASE, BUT THAT IS NOT UNDER REVIEW AT THIS TIME.
AT THIS POINT, I THINK WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TURN IT OVER TO THE APPLICANT, LET THEM TALK ABOUT THIS FURTHER AND THEN ALLOW THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THE APPLICANT TO HAVE A DIALOGUE ON THE PLAN. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, TIM. GOOD EVENING.
I'M WITH ADVANCE STREET DEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS, REPRESENTING THE OWNERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TEAM FOR THE VILLAGE OF OKEMOS.
WITH ME TODAY, I HAVE JOHN PECKHAM WITH THE ADVANCE REVILEMENT SOLUTIONS, AND AJ IS WITH KBS ENGINEERING, AND WE ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AFTER I'VE GIVEN AN OVERVIEW FOR THE PROJECT IN BOTH PLANS.
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD OVERALL. IS THIS THE ONE YOU SENT? DO YOU HAVE THE ONE WITH THE HIGHLIGHT ON IT BY CHANCE?
I'M GOING TO JUST ILLUSTRATE SO YOU CAN PUT EVERYTHING IN PERSPECTIVE FOR WHAT HE HAD SAID.
THERE'S ANOTHER DRAWING HERE THAT HE'LL BE BRINGING UP HERE IN A MOMENT.
BUT THIS BLOCK RIGHT HERE, THIS OBVIOUSLY SHOWS WHERE THE BUILDINGS WERE IN BLOCK 2 AND BLOCK 1 IS THIS NORTHERN BLOCK AND THESE ARE THE TWO DEVELOPMENT BLOCKS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE FRONT EDGE ALONG OAK MOSS ROAD.
THE RENE COREY PARCELS THAT HE WAS REFERRING TO ARE DOWN HERE.
WHEN YOU SEE THE OUTLINE, IT'LL MAKE A LOT OF SENSE AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO TIE EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO THE TWO PLANS.
THEN WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE LIBINS PARCEL IS DOWN IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA HERE.
IT IS THREE TAX ID NUMBERS, GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE CORNER, COMES ON AN ANGLE THIS WAY AND INVOLVES THESE PARCELS DOWN IN HERE.
THIS GOES BACK AND YOU'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THIS PROJECT FOR YEARS.
WE STARTED PRE-COVID AND UNFORTUNATELY, COVID HAD A BIG TURN FOR NOT ONLY US, BUT A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
OUT OF COVID, A LOT OF COMMERCIAL ASPECTS HAVE CHANGED.
THE WORLD CHANGED DRAMATICALLY WITH ONLINE SHOPPING.
THERE WAS REALLY NO DEMAND FOR COMMERCIAL,
[00:10:02]
NOR COULD ANYBODY FINANCE COMMERCIAL COMING OUT OF COVID.THERE WERE NO LENDERS THAT WOULD FINANCE COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENTS.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM THAT WE HAD WITH THIS PARTICULAR DEVELOPMENT WITH THE AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR IN THAT ORIGINAL PROJECT.
OUT OF COVID THEN CAME INFLATIONARY ASPECTS OF LABOR MATERIALS THAT ADDED MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO OUR PROJECT JUST IN VERTICAL CONSTRUCTION IN ADDITION TO OUR UNDERGROUND AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS.
THEN ON THE HEELS OF THAT, TO CURB INFLATION WERE HIGHER INTEREST RATES.
THIS PROJECT, BEING FULLY BUILT OUT, BETTER THAN $90 MILLION HAD BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION QUITE QUICKLY, LIKE A LOT OF PROJECTS OF THIS SCALE.
WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE ARE WITH THE REDUCED PLANS, AND THEN I'LL GO BACK TO PLAN A.
LET'S SEE IF WE GOT PLAN A VERSUS PLAN B.
THAT'S PLAN A. I CAN GET THAT OFF.
THERE WE GO. PLAN A, MEANING EVERYTHING IS FRONTING ON OAK MOSS ROAD AS TIM HAD EXPLAINED.
IN THE FOUR BUILD OUT, THERE'S A TOTAL OF FOUR BUILDINGS, TWO ON EACH BLOCK.
WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS TO TAKE THE ORIGINALLY APPROVED AND MORE RECENTLY APPROVED AMENDED MUPUD, AND WE'RE BREAKING OFF THE BUILDING THAT FRONTS HAMILTON AT THIS PASS THROUGH POINT HERE ON BOTH BLOCKS THAT WERE ORIGINALLY LEADING TO A PARKING STRUCTURE THAT WAS ON BOTH BLOCKS, IF YOU CAN FOLLOW MY OUTLINE IN MY HAND.
IT'S A NICE NATURAL BREAK FOR THE PROJECT TO COMPLETE IN A TWO PHASE APPROACH.
PHASE 2, WHATEVER THAT PROJECT MAY LOOK LIKE GIVES THE FLEXIBILITY TO CONTINUE DOWN HAMILTON ROAD TO THE WEST ON BOTH BLOCKS.
WHAT WILL BE TRIGGERED IS SURFACE PARKING WILL THEN BE CONVERTED TO STRUCTURED PARKING, LIKE THE ORIGINAL PLAN IN THE ORIGINAL AND AMENDED MUPUD.
THIS TWO PHASE PROJECT WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT.
IMPORTANT FACTS THAT YOU SAW IN TIM'S MEMO THAT I'D LIKE TO MENTION, WHICH ARE POINTS OF DISCUSSION, WE HAD ALWAYS PLANNED THAT THIS PART WHERE I'M HIGHLIGHTING HERE ON BOTH BLOCKS, THIS IS WHERE THE POWER LINES ARE LOCATED.
THOSE WOULD BE UNDERGROUND POWER LINES, SO THAT'S THE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER THAT IS THERE.
VERY EXPENSIVE TO UNDERGROUND, AND IF THE TOWNSHIP CAN FIND THE MEANS AND THE METHOD TO FINANCE THAT, THEN THIS PLAN CAN MOVE FORWARD.
THE OTHER ADVANTAGE IS TO THIS PLAN, BE IT EXPENSIVE WITH THIS BOULEVARD ON HAMILTON THAT YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DESIRABLE WHEN WE DID THE AMENDED MUPUD.
THAT BOULEVARD CAN STAY INTO THE PLANS IF THE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES ARE BURIED.
IF THE HIGH VOLTAGE POWER LINES ARE NOT BURIED, WE WERE PIVOTING TO WHAT HE ALLUDED TO AS A PLAN B.
WHEN WE MET WITH TOWNSHIP REPRESENTATIVES A LITTLE MORE THAN A MONTH AGO, THE PLAN B WAS TO TAKE THESE SAME BUILDINGS AND SLIDE THEM TO THE WEST ENOUGH DISTANCE TO ALLOW FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF OAK MOSS ROAD AND THE RELOCATION OF THE POWER LINES STILL OVERHEAD.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT TOOK A LOT MORE ACREAGE THAN WE HAD ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED BECAUSE WE NEVER SPENT THE ENGINEERING TIME WITH MR. KILPATRICK THERE.
WHAT WE ENDED UP DOING IS BAILING ON PLAN B, IT WAS NOT FEASIBLE.
THEN WE GO TO PLAN C. JUST SCROLL DOWN. THANK YOU.
IN PLAN C, WE FLIP THE BUILDINGS FROM ALONG OAK MOSS ROAD TO THE ARDMORE AVENUE SIDE OF THINGS.
WE'RE WRAPPING THE CORNERS, SO WE HAVE THAT HARD CORNER ON EACH END.
THEN IN PHASE 2, THEN THAT CAN CONTINUE TO THE EAST TOWARD OAK MOSS ROAD.
PARKING WOULD THEN BE ON THE OAK MOSS ROADSIDE, YOU'D BE LOOKING IN FROM OAK MOSS ROAD INTO THE DEVELOPMENT AT THIS ANGLE. THANK YOU.
AS HE'S DOING THAT, IN BOTH PLANS, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN DISCUSSED, THE GOAL IS TO HAVE COMMERCIAL ON THE CORNER, WHETHER IT'S ON OAK MOSS ROAD IN HAMILTON, THE TWO HARD CORNERS THERE OR ARDMORE IN HAMILTON.
WE HAVE ACTUALLY PRODUCED THAT IN BOTH OF THESE APPROACHES.
[00:15:05]
>> THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH MY COMPUTER.
>> THAT IS MY WORST NIGHTMARE GIVING PRESENTATIONS.
THAT'S THE WORST. I GOT A QUESTION.
>> WELL, AND I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION FOR STAFF.
I'M SURE WE HAVE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ON THIS, BUT JUST STAFF, YOU COULD CLARIFY OUR ROLE TONIGHT IS TO HEAR THIS AND ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS.
>> CONCERNS. A LOT MORE INFORMATION.
>> I'M SURE WE ALL HAVE A LOT AND IS THIS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY THAT THE VIEWING PUBLIC HAS TO SEE THIS OR IS THIS PRESENTED IN OTHER VENUES AS WELL?
>> NATASHA BOARD WILL ALSO GET THIS ON MAY 9TH.
>> THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANTED TO SHARE WITH US OR CAN WE START?
>> YEAH, JUST A COUPLE OF FINAL POINTS FOR BOTH OF THESE.
AGAIN, BOTH PLANS AND THE COMMERCIAL ON THE CORNERS OF THE INTERSECTIONS.
ONE THING THAT'S AN ADVANTAGE TO PLAN C VERSUS PLAN A.
OBVIOUSLY, OKEMOS ROAD IS A HIGHLY TRAVELED ROAD.
PLAN C DOES GIVE A BETTER LIVING EXPERIENCE FOR THE RESIDENTS IN THE BUILDINGS HERE AT THIS LOCATION.
THE ONLY WAY THAT PLAN A GETS BUILT AGAIN IS THE BURIAL OF THE POWER LINES.
PLAN C ALLOWS FOR THE PROJECT TO MOVE FORWARD.
AT SOME FUTURE DATE UNDER PLAN C, JUST SO YOU HAVE THE FULL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WOULD BE HAPPENING IS IF PLAN C GOT APPROVED AND WAS BUILT, AND A PHASE 2 WAS TO GET COMPLETED HERE.
THE BURIAL OF THE POWER LINES WOULD BE REQUIRED IF CONSTRUCTION WAS GOING TO GO TO THE FULL CORNER.
PLAN A BEING FLIPPED VERSUS PLAN C. THE BOULEVARD WOULD HAVE TO GO AWAY AT THAT POINT IN TIME AS WELL.
THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND, IF PHASE 2 MOVES FORWARD AND THEY STAY OVERHEAD, THE BUILDING WOULD HAVE TO BE PULLED SHORT OF OKEMOS ROAD ON BOTH BLOCKS.
THAT'S A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THAT.
THE LAST POINT I'M GOING TO MAKE IS THIS PROPERTY THAT'S ALONG THE LIVERANCE, AS WE CALL IT ALONG RED CEDAR.
FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THE DDA AND WORKING WITH THE DDA VERY CLOSELY.
BECAUSE WE HAVE A STORMWATER MANAGEMENT REQUIREMENT, CURRENTLY, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE DONE IN OUR CALCULATIONS WITH AJ'S FIRM, IS THAT THIS IS WHERE THE STORM WATER WILL BE HELD.
THERE'S A PIPE THAT COMES IN HERE ACROSS LIVERANCE.
WE COLLECT EVERYTHING HERE THAT FLOWS OFF OF THE DEVELOPMENT ITSELF BEFORE THEN IT DISCHARGES, SO IT'S A CLEANSING AND IS ALSO GOING TO BE A VERY NICE AMENITY.
WE'RE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING EITHER THROUGH EASEMENT OR JUST THROUGH PLAN OUT GIVING THIS TO THE TOWNSHIP FOR A PARK IN THE VILLAGE, WILL BE VERY ACCESSIBLE PARK FOR NOT ONLY OUR DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA TO BASICALLY ENJOY AND BE ABLE TO HAVE A PATH.
THIS SHOWS A CONCEPT PLAN OF A PATHWAY AROUND THE PROPERTY AND SOME AMENITIES THAT WOULD BE ON THE RIVER AS WELL.
THAT LOCATION, AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTED IS HERE, YOU CAN SEE IT IF YOU FOLLOW MY ARROWS ALONG THE RED CEDAR RIVER.
THAT'S THAT PROPERTY I WAS JUST DESCRIBING THERE.
THAT'S IT WITH THAT. IT'S A BIG OVERVIEW OF IT.
I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.
>> COST. THE BURIAL OF THE HPV IS IN EXCESS.
THE LAST ESTIMATE WE GOT FROM CONSUMERS ENERGY WAS IN ACCESS [INAUDIBLE].
>> I BEG IT PICKED UP ON THE MICROPHONES.
>> THE BURIAL OF THAT POWER LINE FROM CONSUMERS IS IN EXCESS OF $4 MILLION.
THAT WAS THE LAST COST LATE ASSESSMENT, WHICH WAS.
>> THAT WAS PROBABLY NOW I'M GOING TO SAY SIX MONTHS AGO.
>> SIX MONTHS AGO. JUST TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH ON THAT POWER LINE?
>> COMMISSIONER SCALES. GO AROUND UNTIL WE'RE DONE.
>> YEAH. THANK YOU. JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS,
[00:20:01]
I'M NOT SURE IF YOU CAN ANSWER THEM.BUT IN TERMS OF, I SEE THAT IS MIXED USE MULTI USE ZONING OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT'S A PLAN.
WILL IT BE STRUCTURED WHERE COMMERCIAL IS ON THE BOTTOM AND RESIDENTIALS ON THE TOP OR SIDE BY SIDE?
>> YES. THE PLANS ARE, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY SHOWN IN EARLIER ILLUSTRATIONS FOR PLAN A.
FOR THIS PARTICULAR CORNER HERE, IT'S FIRST FLOOR COMMERCIAL THAT WRAPS AROUND THIS EDGE HERE, AND THEN COMMERCIAL CAN CONTINUE DOWN THE STREET IN PHASE 2.
IN PLAN C, COMMERCIAL IS AT THIS CORNER RIGHT HERE, AND THIS IS ON BOTH BLOCKS, SO I KNOW I'M ONLY HIGHLIGHTING ONE, BUT IT'S LIKE A MIRROR IMAGE OF EACH OTHER.
THEN AGAIN, WHEN PHASE 2 MOVES FORWARD, PHASE 2 CAN CONTINUE ON THE STREET FRONT OF HAMILTON.
EVERYTHING IS ANCHORED BY THE CORNERS AND THEN FRONTS HAMILTON.
>> THAT'S FIRST FLOOR. ALL FIRST FLOOR.
>> I JUST HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS REAL QUICK. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
IN TERMS OF THAT AREA, THE PARKS TYPICALLY FLOOD A LOT, BUT IS THERE A CONCERN ABOUT I MEAN, I KNOW YOU'RE FURTHER DOWN, BUT IS THERE A CONCERN ABOUT FLOODING THERE? I KNOW THERE'S A FLOOD PLAIN HERE AND ZONE AND ALL THAT.
BUT ANY WAY TO ALLEVIATE ANY TYPE OF CONCERNS?
>> WE CAN ALLEVIATE IT. WE CAN IMPACT THAT, UNFORTUNATELY. THAT IS WHAT IT IS.
THAT'S WHAT THESE TWO LINES ARE SHOWING HERE.
YOU HAVE FLOOD PLAIN AND FLOOD WAY.
THESE ARE THE BOUNDARIES THAT WE CANNOT IMPACT.
EVERYTHING ON THIS SIDE OF THE LINE TO THE RIVER DOES FLOOD OCCASIONALLY? THE LAST FLOOD WAS THE HUNDRED-YEAR FLOOD, I BELIEVE, WHICH WAS FIVE.
THERE'S ACTUALLY A HOME RIGHT HERE THAT YOU CAN SEE ALONG LIVERANCE DID FLOOD VERY CLOSE TO THAT HOUSE THAT'S THERE, BUT IT IS TECHNICALLY IN THE FLOOD PLAIN.
>> THEN LAST ONE, YOU TALKED ABOUT A PARKING STRUCTURE.
ARE YOU TALKING LIKE A PARKING GARAGE?
>> IT WAS A TWO-LAYER PARKING DECK IN THE AMENDED MUPUD THAT YOU CAN FIND ON THE WEBSITE THAT WAS APPROVED.
I KNOW THAT VADA THIS WAS PRE MOST OF YOU HERE ON THE BOARD.
LET ME GO BACK TO THAT DRAWING.
THERE WAS AN ENTRANCE ON EACH SIDE OF THE STREETS IN THESE BACK STREETS HERE, FOR PLAN A, AND YOU WOULD ENTER ON ONE LEVEL FOR THE LOWER LEVEL, AND ON THE OTHER SIDE, THE OTHER ENTRANCE ON THE SIDE STREETS WOULD GET YOU TO THE SECOND LEVEL.
IT WAS A TWO LEVEL GROUND AND SECOND LEVEL. YEAH.
>> THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SCALES.
>> SURE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING IN AND BRINGING THIS TO US AND EXPLAINING IT TO US.
YOU AND I GO BACK TO THE WAYS.
HISTORICALLY, ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES TO STOP THIS PROJECT FROM MOVING FORWARD HAS BEEN THE BURIAL OF THOSE POWER LINES AND WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR THEM.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY TOLLING BECAUSE THAT'S MUCH HIGHER THAN WHAT I REMEMBER IN THE PAST.
IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE 1.2, 1.5 MILLION TO BURY THOSE CABLES.
I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT AND FOCUS ON THE PROJECT OF IF THE CABLES ARE NOT BURIED.
I HEARD TWO DIFFERENT CORNERS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT BASED ON ONE, IF THE CABLES ARE BURIED COMMERCIAL BEING ON OKEMOS AND HAMILTON ROAD.
CORRECT. TWO, THE COMMERCIAL BEING ON ARDMORE, DID I HEAR HAMILTON AND ARDMORE ALSO?
>> THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT CORNERS.
>> THEY ARE. LET ME GO BACK TO PLAN A AND THEN I'LL LAND WHERE YOU WANT TO LAND, WHICH IS THE ONE WITHOUT THE PERIO.
THE COMMERCIAL HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO ANCHOR BOTH CORNERS, AND ORIGINALLY, IT WAS PRESENTED AND APPROVED IN THE AMENDED MUPUD AS IN ONE PHASE,
[00:25:01]
AND BOTH CORNERS WERE GOING TO HAVE COMMERCIAL AS WELL AS FRONT EDGE DOWN HAMILTON.NOW WITHOUT BEARING THIS, THIS IS WHERE MAYBE PART OF THE CONFUSION COULD COME IN IS THIS, LET'S ASSUME THIS IS PLAN C. THE BARREL LINES DON'T OCCUR.
THIS IS WHERE A COMMERCIAL WOULD BE LOCATED WHERE YOU SEE MY HAND HOVERING THERE AND THIS LOCATION AS WELL, RIGHT HERE.
PHASE 2 WOULD MOVE TO THE EAST ON BOTH BLOCKS WITH THE BALANCE OF THE BUILDING TO THE EXTENT IT CAN DEPENDING ON THE BURIAL OR NOT BURIAL.
LET'S SAY MIRACULOUSLY SOMEHOW THE TOWNSHIP FINDS THE MONEY AND CONSUMERS PRICE GOES DOWN OR WHATEVER, THEN YOU CAN GO BACK TO A HARD CORNER IN THAT PHASE 2 WITH COMMERCIAL AND THIS LOCATION.
IF NOT, IT WOULD BE THE BUILDING WOULD BE PULLED SHORT IT WOULDN'T BE MUCH OF AN AD.
IT WOULD CONTINUE DOWN, BUT IT'D BE STOP SHORT ABOUT HERE, AND IT COULD HAVE COMMERCIAL THERE.
BUT IT WOULDN'T BE ALL THE WAY UP TO THE CORNER IF THE LINES DON'T GET BURIED IN THAT THEY'RE STILL OVERHEAD.
BUT THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE'RE PROPOSING, WHICH IS A SINGLE PHASE.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT FORM PHASE WHO WOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE, BUT THIS IS THE PLAN THAT WE'RE PRESENTING.
>> HOW CLOSE TO THE CURVE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
>> ARDMORE OR IS THAT WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
>> IT'S ESSENTIALLY ZERO LOT LINE, BUT AJ, WHAT IS IT ROUGHLY?
TWENTY-TWO FEET ALONG ARDMORE.
>> AND THAT IS BECAUSE A LOT OF SIDEWALK IN PARKING.
SO WE'RE ADDING PARKING ON ARDMORE, YOU CAN SEE HERE.
WE'RE SHOWING ANGLED PARKING ON ARDMORE.
AND IS IT PARALLEL PARKING ON HAMILTON AND THEN SIDEWALKS AND PLANNINGS, AND THEN THE BUILDING.
>> SO SCALING THAT FOR ME, IS THAT LESS OR MORE SIDEWALK THAN WHAT CURRENTLY EXISTS?
>> MUCH MORE WALKABLE, MUCH MORE DESIRABLE.
>> COMMISSIONER BULAWIN, OR YOU WILL JOIN IN A SECON?
>> I'VE ALWAYS BEEN UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO MAKE AN INVITING AND ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY DOWNTOWN AREA.
THAT'S THE REASON FOR AN MUPUD.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT UNDER YOUR PLAN C, OKEMOS ROAD SEES NOTHING BUT A VERY LARGE PARKING LOT.
AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THERE'S EVER GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT FINANCING FOR PHASE 2.
SO IT SEEMS TO ME THAT PLAN C, ALTHOUGH IT IS MORE FINANCIALLY AVAILABLE AND POTENTIALLY, I SUPPOSE, EVEN EASIER TO BUILD, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT IT DEFEATS THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE MUPUD.
IT DOESN'T CREATE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY ATTITUDE IF YOU'RE DRIVING UP OKEMOS ROAD.
ALL YOU SEE IS A HUGE PARKING LOT.
I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS, DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO IMPROVE THE AESTHETICS OF THE PARKING LOT AS YOU DRIVE BY ON OKEMOS ROAD, IF THAT'S WHAT YOU ULTIMATELY LOOKING FOR? CERTAINLY. THIS WOULD BE LANDSCAPED, AND WE COULD DO SOME REALLY NICE THINGS TO BUFFER THAT FROM OKEMOS ROAD.
I UNDERSTAND A LOT OF PEOPLE FEEL THAT THIS IS THE FOUR CORNERS, LET ME GO TO THIS AERIAL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT AN AERIAL, YOU'RE THINKING, THIS IS KIND OF THE VILLAGE DOWNTOWN.
IT'S THESE FIVE BLOCKS. AND THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE NATURALLY THINK.
WHEN WE WERE DOING ALL THE CHARRETTES AND WORKING WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION THAT THIS ROAD IS SO BUSY AND CARRIES SO MANY CARS AND IT IS SO LOUD AND PEOPLE SCREAM THROUGH HERE THAT IT'S NOT REALLY INVITING.
OKEMOS ROAD SHOULDN'T BE THOUGHT OF AS THE MAIN ROAD.
WHAT SHOULD BE THOUGHT OF AS THE MAIN ROAD IS ARDMORE, AND HAMILTON, THIS BEING THE MAIN INTERSECTIONS.
SO LOOKING AT GRANTED, THERE'S FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT PROPERTY OWNERS IN HERE.
YOU'VE GOT THIS NICE HISTORIC BRICK BUILDING THAT'S LOCATED THERE, AND THIS BLEEDS OFF INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED THE DOWNTOW JUST BECAUSE IT'S SEPARATED BY SUCH A BUSY ROAD.
[00:30:04]
THINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT WHEN THE CONCEPT OF THE BYPASS WAS THOUGHT OF.IT WAS TALKED ABOUT THE ROAD COMING OVER HERE AND COMING IN THIS WAY, SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I MAY BE A LITTLE BIT, AJ, BUT IT'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THIS CORNER IN PLAN C BECOMES THE FOCAL POINT INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY DOWN THE ROAD FOR REDEVELOPMENT.
WE'VE LOOKED AT ALTERNATE PLANS.
OBVIOUSLY, DOUGLAS SHEA OWNS THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK HERE.
A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OWNERS IN THIS LOCATION.
I DON'T DISAGREE WITH YOU, THAT'S WHAT THE IDEA WAS ALL ALONG, BUT WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH WHAT'S HERE TODAY.
WE HAVE OKEMOS ROAD, AND WE HAVE THESE BIG POWER LINES.
>> THANK YOU. SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OKEMOS ROAD AND THE TRAFFIC ON IT, I WONDER IF YOU MIGHT REVIEW FOR US A LITTLE BIT HOW THE CHANGES TO THE LANE CONFIGURATION OF OKEMOS ROAD, HOW THAT COMES TO BE.
JUST GLANCE AT THE DRAWINGS, YOU SEE MORE LANES AND THAT'S GOT TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
SO IF YOU COULD REVIEW HOW THAT PART WORKS.
AND ALSO ALMOST UNDERSTAND HOW THE BOULEVARD CAN'T AND CAN'T EXIST IN DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT I HAVEN'T QUITE GOT MY HEAD AROUND THAT YET.
SO THOSE ARE MY TWO QUESTIONS.
I WANT TO HAVE AJ ACTUALLY HELP ME WITH THAT FIRST QUESTION RELATED TO THE DESIGN OF OKEMOS AND THE LANE.
>>THE WIDENING OF OKEMOS ROAD AND TRAFFIC STUDY?
>> SO OKEMOS ROAD WOULD BE WIDENED TO THE WEST INTO OUR DEVELOPMENT.
WE'D BE ADDING AN ADDITIONAL LANE ON THE WEST SIDE OF EACH.
IT WOULD START AT THE INTERSECTION OF METHODIST, WOULD BEGIN WIDENING SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A LEFT TURN LANE AND THEN TWO PASS THROUGH LANES.
THEN THOSE TWO PASS THROUGH LANES WOULD COME THROUGH AND THEN IT WOULD BRING IT BACK TO JUST FOUR LANES AT THE INTERSECTION OF CLINTON.
THIS CONFIGURATION ALSO WIDENS THE RADIUSES AT THE OKEMOS-HAMILTON CORNER THAT WOULD ALLOW A TURN LANE.
I BELIEVE IT'S AT LEAST ONE TURN LANE, IT MIGHT BE TWO, GOING SOUTH ONTO CLINTON OR SOUTH ONTO OKEMOS ROAD.
AND WE'VE GOT RIGHT TURN ON HAMILTON AND STRAIGHT ON HAMILTON.
ACTUALLY, IT'S A RIGHT TURN STRAIGHT, AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A LEFT TURN.
THE ENTIRE SIGNALIZATION OF THAT INTERSECTION WOULD BE ADJUSTED AS WELL AND TIMED ALONG WITH THE WHOLE OKEMOS CORRIDOR.
>> EXCUSE ME. WHILE YOU GET RIGHT ON THAT TOPIC, IS HAMILTON ROAD CURRENTLY WIDE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THAT OR WOULD YOU HAVE TO WIDEN HAMILTON ALSO?
>> IT'S FAIRLY WIDE RIGHT NOW.
THE WHOLE RIGHT OF WAY IS ABOUT 99 FEET WIDE, SO THERE IS ROOM FOR THAT TO WORK.
>> ALL OF THESE ROADS WOULD BE COMPLETELY RECONSTRUCTED : OKEMOS, METHODIST, ARDMORE, HAMILTON.
>> AND ALL THE UTILITIES, ESPECIALLY THE WATER SANITATION DUE TO THEIR AGE.
>> IN ORDER TO ADD THAT ADDITIONAL LANE ON OKEMOS, THE RIGHT OF AWAY WOULD GET WIDENED INTO WEST.
>> EFFECTIVELY GRANTING AN EASEMENT TO THE ROAD DEPARTMENT?
>> YES. THAT ROAD WIDENING IS WHAT IS CAUSING THE OVERHEAD WIRES TO NEED TO BE MOVED CLOSER INTO THE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH PUTS IT CLOSER TO THE BUILDING.
>> SINCE YOU'RE ON THAT TOPIC, HE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE BOULEVARD AND WHY IT CAN STAY AND WHEN IT CAN'T STAY AND DUE TO THE FIRE.
>> FOR FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH THE OVERHEAD WIRES THERE, IF YOU HAVE A FIVE STORY BUILDING, THEN YOU'RE USING THE LARGE FIRE TRUCKS WITH THE LADDERS, AND THEY CANNOT FIGHT THE FIRE UNDERNEATH THE POWER LINE FROM OKEMOS ROAD, WHICH MEANS THEY HAVE TO COME ON TO HAMILTON IN ORDER TO SERVICE EITHER ONE OF THE BLOCKS WITH THE TALLER BUILDINGS.
WITH THE BOULEVARD, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM THERE FOR FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES TO ACCESS AND PROTECT.
[00:35:02]
>> THAT'S WHY WE LOSE THE BOULEVARD IN THE SCENARIO WHERE WE CAN'T BURY THE POWER LINES?
>> IT'S NOT THAT YOU CAN'T GET CLOSER TO OKEMOS WITH THE BUILDINGS, IT'S JUST IN ORDER TO FIGHT THE FIRE ALONG HAMILTON.
>> THERE MAY BE A PARTICULAR HEIGHT OF THAT COULD BE POSSIBLE, BUT IF THEY'RE GOING TO TRY AND FIGHT THE FIRE FROM OKEMOS ROAD, THEN THERE CAN'T BE A BOULEVARD.
>> WE TALKED ABOUT DOWN THE ROAD, WE DON'T KNOW, JUST CONCEPTUALLY TRYING TO PLAN FOR THE FUTURE.
WE COULD STEP THE BUILDINGS TO THE EAST, STEP THEM DOWN, SO THAT THEY GET A LITTLE BIT LOWER TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S A POSSIBILITY, BUT AGAIN, SOMETHING WE'RE NOT WORKING ON RIGHT NOW.
>> THANKS. ONE LAST THING IN THE A VERSUS C, SOME OF THE ON-STREET PARALLEL PARKING IS SHOWN AS OUTDOOR SEATING CLASSES.
THOSE ARE JUST DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF HOW TO USE THAT REAL ESTATE, YEAH?
>> YEAH. IN PLAN A, THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN FLUSHED OUT WITH LANDSCAPE ISLANDS OR AREAS AND PARK BENCHES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO FLUSH OUT THE LANDSCAPING WITH PLAN C, BUT THERE'S AMPLE SPACE AVAILABLE IN HERE.
RIGHT NOW, THERE'S A SEVEN OR EIGHT FOOT WALK WE'RE SHOWING GOING THROUGH, AND THEN WE STILL HAVE 15 FEET OF RIGHT NOW, IT'S SHOWN AS GREEN SPACE, BUT THAT CAN BE TURNED INTO SOME TYPE OF OUTDOOR SEATING PLAZA TYPE ACTIVITY AREA.
>> THE PLAN A DESIGN WAS NEARLY 100% CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS.
WELL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN SPENT ON THAT OFF SITE DESIGN OF OKEMOS ROAD AND HAMILTON, ALL THE UTILITIES AND THE ENGINEERING ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
SO PLAN A WAS DEFINITELY WHAT WE WERE GOING FOR UNTIL THE PRICES AND EVERYTHING UNLESS MONEY CAN BE FOUND TO BURY THE POWER LINES.
>> WELL, THANK YOU. I'LL GO NOW IF ANYONE ELSE IS STILL THINKING.
I HAVE TO SAY I AM REALLY DISAPPOINTED.
I RECOGNIZE THE REALITIES OF ECONOMICS AND FINANCE, BUT OUR TOWNSHIP GETS ONE CHANCE TO DO THIS RIGHT.
HAVING JUST BEEN DOWNTOWN IN BRIGHTON THE OTHER DAY MEETING FRIENDS FOR DINNER AND SEEING HOW GREAT THEIR DOWNTOWN LOOKS, I FEEL LIKE THIS HAS SHRUNK AND IT'S CONTINUED TO SHRINK TO TURN INTO SOMETHING THAT COULD POTENTIALLY END UP LOOKING LIKE A STRIP MALL FROM OKEMOS ROAD, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PARKING SPACE ON THE STREET, AND THEN BUILDING SET BACK AND ALL YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IS THOSE BUILDINGS AND A BUNCH OF CARS.
I DON'T CARE HOW WELL YOU LANDSCAPE IT.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE DOWNTOWN THAT WAS INITIALLY PROPOSED.
I GET THAT THERE'S REALITY AND ALL OF THAT, BUT IT IS INCREDIBLY DISAPPOINTING AND SEEING THE CONCEPT OF THE BOULEVARD AND THE OUTDOOR SEATING FOR RESTAURANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT DOWN HAMILTON ROAD THAT WOULD START TO BRING THAT COMMUNITY THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR AND THAT FEELS AS IF THAT'S GONE BY THE WAYSIDE.
IF I UNDERSTOOD YOUR RESPONSE TO COMMISSIONER SCALES QUESTION ABOUT ARDMORE, WHEN HE ASKED ABOUT PLAN C WITH THE COMMERCIAL THERE, IT'S ONLY FACING HAMILTON.
THE FRONT THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE ARDMORE FACING, WOULD THAT BE COMMERCIAL ALSO OR WOULD THAT BE RESIDENTIAL?
ONLY WRAPS THE CORNER RIGHT THERE, DOES NOT CONTINUE DOWN.
IT WAS NEVER GOING TO HAVE COMMERCIAL DOWN THAT ROAD, NOR WAS OKEMOS ROAD.
THE FOCUS WAS ALWAYS HAMILTON, BOTH HARD CORNERS EVENTUALLY AND HAMILTON.
IT WAS NEVER ARDMORE OR OKEMOS ROAD TO HAVE COMMERCIAL.
>> THE AMENDED MUPUD SHOWS THAT TOO.
IT WAS NEVER COMMERCIAL ON THOSE TWO ROADS.
>> BUT THERE WAS COMMERCIAL ON HAMILTON IN A WAY THAT GAVE YOU TWO FACING BLOCKS OFF ANOTHER.
I'M JUST SAYING I KNOW THAT THE REALITY IS A REALITY.
I DON'T IN ANY WAY DISPUTE THE ECONOMICS OF WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I'M SAYING THAT WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED NOW IS VERY, VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WAS INITIALLY ENVISIONED, AND THAT'S JUST A REALLY HARD STEP TO TAKE.
I DON'T KNOW THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CONTROL THIS, BUT IT'S A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING.
>> SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE NOT AWARE OF TOO OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND MR. SCHMIDT AND AMBER KNOWS AS WELL VERY WELL.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD WITH THE STATE.
WE'VE GOT GREAT SUPPORT FROM EAGLE GRANTS AND LOANS RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS, JUST IN ENVIRONMENTAL.
THESE ARE ONE OF THE SITES AS HAZARDOUS.
THEY'RE BOTH VERY CONTAMINATED.
[00:40:02]
WE STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH ALL OF THAT.YOU HAVE SUCH EXPENSE IN THE OFFSITE INFRASTRUCTURE AND THEN ADDING THE BURIAL OF THE POWER LINES.
NOBODY IS SADDER THAN THE DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND OWNERS BACK IN CALIFORNIA.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT. THEY'VE SPENT MILLIONS.
THEY'VE ACQUIRED THIS LAND WITH THE PRICING AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GONE UP TO FINANCE THIS.
IT'S EVIDENCED IN ALL OF THE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'VE DONE TO THE PUD PROCESS, HOW COMMITTED THE TEAM WAS TO TRYING TO GET TO WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING AND WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING.
THIS GETS US TO A PROJECT, AND WITHOUT THE SUPPORT THAT WE THOUGHT WE HAD, WE HAD A LOT OF PROMISES FROM VARIOUS STATE AGENCIES.
IT DIDN'T COME THROUGH, UNFORTUNATELY, AND WE'RE LEFT WITH TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THE BEST WE CAN.
>> I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHY THE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE COMMERCIAL SPACE BETWEEN PLAN A AND PLAN C. PLAN C IS LIKE HALF AS MUCH COMMERCIAL SPACE VERSUS PLAN A?
>> THEY BOTH HAVE AROUND 5,000 SQUARE FOOT OF COMMERCIAL ALONG HAMILTON SPLIT UP FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE.
PLAN A ALSO HAS A BASEMENT AREA AT METHODIST AND OKEMOS THAT IS A FITNESS CENTER.
WELL, IT'S CALLED THE BASEMENT COMPARED TO THE FIRST FLOOR, BUT BECAUSE METHODIST DROPS DOWN IT'S [OVERLAPPING].
>> LIKE A GARDEN. YES, EXACTLY.
>> THAT WOULD BE ADDITIONAL. IT'S ALMOST 4,000 SQUARE FOOT.
>> I THINK RESIDENCE AND THEN IT WILL ALSO GOING TO BE [OVERLAPPING].
>> YES, IT WAS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
>> FOR SURE. ONE OF THE COMMENTS YOU HAD TOO ABOUT, I DON'T FORGET WHICH ONE YOU HAD, ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL.
WE WERE GOING TO ANCHOR THE TWO CORNERS.
THE IDEA WAS WITH A RESTAURANT ON EACH OF THOSE.
I KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY DESIRABLE TO A LOT OF FOLKS.
THE AMOUNT OF PARKING THAT TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT TAKES AND REQUIRES IS ANOTHER FACTOR IN THE PLANS THAT YOU SEE HERE NOW.
THAT'S WHY IF SOME TIME DOWN THE ROAD, THAT THAT IS TO HAPPEN AND BE ALLOWED TO DO A PHASE 2 A PARKING STRUCTURE IS BUILT THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE THE AMOUNT OF VOLUME THAT WOULD COME WITH A RESTAURANT OF THAT SIZE.
BUT COMMENT ABOUT BRIGHTON, I LOVE BRIGHTON.
I USED TO LIVE JUST OUTSIDE OF BRIGHTON FOR YEARS AND DOWNTOWNS LIKE THAT OR HOWELL THAT YOU SEE THOSE KIND OF COOL QUAINT DOWNTOWNS, WE DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF DENSITY.
BRIGHTON AND HOWELL THE DENSITY IS TREMENDOUS.
OUR DENSITY HERE IS MUCH MORE SPRAWLY IN NATURE, AND ALL OF THE ACTIVITY IS OUT ON GRAND RIVER, FOR THE MOST PART, FROM A COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT.
WE WOULD BE DRAWING. THIS WOULD BECOME A VERY QUAINT, VERY SMALL, VERY UNIQUE, LOCALIZED USE.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE COMMERCIAL THAT WE HAVE IN PLAN C, AND THEN MAYBE IT'S SOMEDAY IN PHASE 2, THAT COULD FRONT HAMILTON AS FAR AS WE COULD GO TO THE EAST.
WE'LL OFFER THOSE SMALLER TYPE SHOPS.
ONE OTHER THING THAT WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THAT IS IN OUR LETTER, WHERE IT WAS INSPIRED WOULD BE POP UPS IN THE SUMMER.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU READ ABOUT THAT, BUT TO ACTIVATE HAMILTON UP THROUGH OKEMOS THAT CORNER IN PLAN C, WE COULD HAVE THOSE POP UPS.
THAT WOULD ALLOW FOR LOTS OF DIFFERENT [NOISE].
>> SOUNDS TOO BAD. [LAUGHTER].
>> THAT IS SOMETHING, TOO, THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY OPEN.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO ACTIVATE AND MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE LIVELY AND WALKABLE AND FOR OTHER USES.
IN THE WINTER, THINGS DIE DOWN, AS YOU KNOW, WHEN PEOPLE WALK AND SO FORTH.
THIS WOULD BE MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE IN THE SPRING THROUGH FALL.
>> BY POP UPS, I DID READ THAT, AND THAT SOUNDED INTERESTING.
DO YOU ENVISION LIKE YOU DESCRIBED IT AS SOMETHING, BUT I HADN'T BEEN TO THE DETROIT EXAMPLE THAT YOU MENTIONED.
IS IT LIKE FOOD TRUCK COURT OR IS IT LIKE STRUCTURES LIKE THEY HAVE IN DOWNTOWN LANSING THAT END UP BEING LIKE A FARMER'S MARKET TYPE THING OR?
THEY'RE PHYSICAL STRUCTURES IN NATURE, THEY'RE MOVABLE, AND THEN THEY CAN BE RENTED
[00:45:04]
OUT AND LOCKED UP AND CLOSED UP AT NIGHT WHERE PEOPLE CAN KEEP IT.YOU CAN ACTUALLY GOOGLE IT AND FIND IT, AND THERE'S SOME REALLY GOOD RENDERINGS AND SOME PICTURES.
DOWNTOWN MUSKEGON HAS A VERY SIMILAR ONE TOO, WHERE THEY HAVE THOSE POP-UPS AND THEY MOVE IT AROUND, AND THEIR PLAN WAS TO MOVE IT AROUND.
IT'S THIS SPRING THROUGH FALL USAGE.
IT'S A SIMILAR TYPE THING, AS THE WELL IN MUSKEGON.
THAT'S ANOTHER IDEA YOU CAN LOOK AT THE MUSKEGON WEBSITE, AND LOOK AT THAT.
THOSE ARE JUST IDEAS THAT WE TOTALLY OPEN WORKING WITH THE TOWNSHIP ON TO CONTINUE ACTIVATION.
>> WHEN YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING IN THE PARKING LOT?
>> UP ALONG HAMILTON, CORRECT.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS.
GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER BROOKS.
>> JUST BEAR WITH ME FOR A FEW MINUTES.
I'M GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO I'M JUST GOING TO RATTLE THROUGH THEM ONE BY ONE.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, YOU MENTIONED THE BOULEVARD.
DOES THAT GO AWAY IN BOTH PHASE IIS?
>> I THOUGHT YOU MENTIONED THAT THE BOULEVARD DISAPPEARS IN PHASE II IF MY POINT IS ACCURATE.
>> IF YOU WANT TO GO FULL CORNER AND ALL THE WAY UP TO OKEMOS ROAD, THE WAY IT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED AND HAVE THAT FRONTAGE, THE BOULEVARD WOULD HAVE TO GO OR WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL IT SHORT SOMEWHERE LIKE WHERE MY HAND IS.
IF WE PULL IT SHORT AND MAYBE STEP IT DOWN, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BOULEVARD WOULD HAVE TO GO AWAY FOR THAT PHASE II.
>> THANK YOU. MY QUESTION FROM THAT IS, DOES THAT HAPPEN IN BOTH PLANS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, OR IS IT JUST PLAN C?
>> IT'S JUST PLAN C. PLAN A ONLY GETS BUILT IF THE POWER LINES ARE BURIED, JUST SO WE'RE VERY CLEAR.
PLAN A CAN ONLY BE BUILT [OVERLAPPING]
>> YEAH. THE PLAN B THAT WAS ALLUDED TO IN HERE, WHICH WE TALKED TO STAFF AND WE THOUGHT CONCEPTUALLY WOULD WORK WAS TO TAKE THE PLAN A BUILDINGS AND SHIFT THEM FAR ENOUGH AWAY FROM THE POWER LINES.
BUT IT PRETTY MUCH LANDED THE BUILDINGS OVER HERE.
WE LOST NO WAY TO ACCESS THIS FRONT PART BETWEEN OKEMOS AND WHERE THE NEW FRONT OF THE BUILDING WOULD BE ALONG THERE.
WE LOST WAY TOO MUCH ACREAGE AND TOO MUCH PARKING.
JUST ATE UP TOO MUCH OF THE LAND.
SO YEAH, PLAN A HAS TO HAVE THE BURIAL OF THE POWER LINES.
>> IT'S THE BURIAL OF THE POWER LINES THAT DICTATES THE REMOVAL OF THE BOULEVARD, NOT THE TYPE OF PLAN.
>> WE MAY HAVE TO MODIFY SOME THINGS IN PHASE II OF PLAN C BECAUSE THAT HASN'T BEEN LOOKED AT, BUT YES, IT'S THAT.
ANOTHER FACTOR, TOO, I KNOW EVERYBODY LIKED THE BOULEVARD.
THAT'S ANOTHER COSTLY ITEM, AND HOW MUCH PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE CAN THE TOWNSHIP ABSORB? THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE TO THINK ABOUT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT PROJECTS AND TRY TO LOOK AT CUTTING COSTS, THAT IS ONE THING THAT JUMPED OUT IN CONVERSATIONS; WAS TO REMOVE THAT BOULEVARD.
>> IS THERE AN EXAMPLE OF THE BOULEVARD THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE LARGER LANSING AREA YOU'RE AWARE OF?
>> I'M THINKING OF ONE. THE ONLY ONE I'M THINKING OF IS MICHIGAN UP TO WASHINGTON.
>> THERE'S A BOULEVARD IN ANNA [OVERLAPPING]
>> RIGHT THERE AT THAT CORNER WHEN YOU COME UP TO THE ROUNDABOUT.
IT'S GOT A LEFT TURN, BUT THEY RUN INTO A ROUNDABOUT.
NOTHING'S JUMPING OUT, THAT'S EXACTLY THE SAME.
[LAUGHTER] BUT THE BOULEVARD FIELD THAT I'M THINKING OF IS THE ONE ON MICHIGAN AVENUE, DOWNTOWN LANSING AS YOU GO WEST TOWARD THE ROUNDABOUT OF WASHINGTON AVENUE RIGHT BY WASHINGTON SQUARE.
JUST AFTER GRAND AS YOU'RE GOING WEST.
>> YEAH. IF THAT ADDS ADDITIONAL COSTS, SO WHY DID WE ORIGINALLY REQUEST THAT? OR WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF THAT?
[00:50:02]
>> WITH THE ORIGINAL MUPUD THAT HAD COMMERCIAL FRONTING ON HAMILTON ON BOTH SIDES, WE WERE GOING TO DO INNOVATIVE LIGHTING.
WE'RE GOING TO STRING LIGHTS ACROSS THE STREETS TO SET IT UP SO THE STREET COULD BE SHUT DOWN AND YOU COULD HAVE AN EVENING CITY CENTER THROUGH THE ENTIRE STREET.
THE BOULEVARD ALLOWED FOR THINGS TO BE PLACED IN THE MIDDLE TO OPEN THINGS UP.
>> AND ON THE ROAD ONCE IT WAS CLOSED.
>> IT SLOWS DOWN TRAFFIC, BASICALLY?
WHEN PEOPLE SEE BOULEVARDS LIKE THAT, THEY TEND TO SLOW UP. [LAUGHTER]
>> YEAH, NO. AS WE'VE LEARNED FROM THE ISLANDS ON GRAND RIVER.
I REALIZE THIS IS IN THE FUTURE, BUT JUST TOUCHING ON THE POWER LINES AGAIN.
IF WE ELECT OR OPT TO MOVE THE POWER LINE BURIAL TO THE FUTURE, WHO WOULD PAY FOR THAT?
>> THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE A TOWNSHIP EXPENSE AS WELL. YES.
>> YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN BOTH PLANS, THE TOWNSHIP WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POWER LINE BURIAL?
>> YES, IN ALL INFRASTRUCTURE.
PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE, NOT PRIVATE.
>> SOME OF THESE ARE GOING TO JUMP AROUND, SO I'M SORRY.
I'M TRYING TO DO THEM IN ORDER, BUT [NOISE] THEY MAY JUMP AROUND A LITTLE BIT.
DO YOU CURRENTLY OWN THE LIVERMORE PARK AREA ALREADY?
>> CORRECT, AND THE RENEE QUARRY PARCELS. WE OWN EVERYTHING.
>> OKAY. THIS IS A HIGHER-LEVEL QUESTION.
IF COMMERCIAL IS SUCH A PROBLEM, WHY ARE YOU PROPOSING ANY COMMERCIAL? IF IT'S THAT DIFFICULT TO DO.
>> THERE STILL IS A DESIRE TO HAVE SOME COMMERCIAL THAT ACTIVATES IT.
CONVERSATIONS ARE WE DON'T WANT JUST A STRAIGHT-UP APARTMENT BUILDING.
THIS ALLOWS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY, THE ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE, INITIATE THAT COMMERCIAL, AND THEN IF AND WHEN A PHASE II OCCURS, THEN THAT CAN CONTINUE HOPEFULLY IN THAT PATTERN.
THERE IS COMMERCIAL, AND UNDER PLAN A, THERE IS COMMERCIAL ON THE CORNER OF HAMILTON AND OKEMOS, RIGHT?
>> UNDER THOSE TWO, OR UNDER JUST THAT.
NO, UNDER BUILDING A AND BUILDING D THERE.
>> CORRECT. BOTH. ALONG WITH THE GYM ON OKEMOS UNDER HERE, THE GARDEN LEVEL.
>> THERE'S A GARDEN-LEVEL GYM THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, YES.
>> IN THE BASEMENT-LEVEL GARDEN LEVEL?
>> THE GRAY DROPS OFF SUBSTANTIALLY AS YOU GO NORTH, AND SO ALL OF THAT HAS DAYLIGHT WINDOWS INTO THAT.
IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY LOCATION TO DO THAT.
>> IS THAT GYM OWNED BY THE DEVELOPERS OR IS THAT ANOTHER BUSINESS ENTITY?
WE'VE GOT SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S EITHER.
>> SPEAKING OF THAT, DO YOU HAVE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT YOU'VE THOUGHT OF FOR THE COMMERCIAL LOTS ALREADY?
>> NO. EARLY ON BEFORE COVID, WE WERE TALKING TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
WE HAD RESTAURANTS AT ONE TIME.
AFTER COVID, THINGS DROPPED OFF DRAMATICALLY.
WE DID DISCUSS IN THE LAST YEAR, GOING BACK LAST YEAR BEFORE WE STARTED GOING DOWN THIS ROAD, HOW WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THIS PROJECT WITH KEY BROKERS IN THE MARKET, AND THE AMOUNT WE CAN GET IN RENT PER SQUARE FOOT DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO MEETING OUR COST TO CONSTRUCT.
THERE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT SUBSIDIZE THE COMMERCIAL, AND THERE WAS DISCUSSIONS EARLY ON WITH THE TOWNSHIP THROUGH THE DDA, THAT THE RENTS COULD BE SUBSIDIZED IN ORDER TO CARRY THE LOAD FOR THE DEFICIENCY IN THE RENTS.
OBVIOUSLY, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY WITH THE REDUCED COMMERCIAL.
BUT THAT DOES OCCUR IN SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY DESIRE A COMMERCIAL IN ORDER TO TRY TO PROP IT UP FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AND TO GET THAT BUILT.
[00:55:05]
>> TOUCHING ON THE PARKING, IS THE PARKING THAT'S PROPOSED THAT'S PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE, IS THAT GOING TO BE CHARGED PARKING OR IS THAT FREE PARKING?
>> WE HADN'T MODELED IT THAT WAY.
THAT WAS A DISCUSSION ITEM THAT WE LAID OUT THERE.
DEPENDS ON WHO MANAGES IT, MAINTAINS IT, THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS.
YOU DON'T HAVE A PARKING SYSTEM, THAT'S ONE THING. WE'RE IN A DDA.
THE NATURAL THING IS THAT DDAS DO IT OFTEN, BUT THIS WOULD BE A NEW ITEM FOR THEM.
WHAT WE HAD, THOUGH, THERE WAS A LOT OF FLEX PARKING INSIDE OF THAT PARKING STRUCTURE.
WHEN THE RESIDENTS ARE GONE, IT WAS OPEN AND AVAILABLE TO MORE OF THE COMMERCIAL TENANTS AND PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE THERE.
HOWEVER, AS TENANTS WOULD COME IN, THOSE WOULD START TO LOAD UP FOR THOSE FLEX SPACES.
SO THERE WAS A COMBINATION OF THOSE GOING ON IN THE ORIGINAL AMENDED MUPUD.
ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE EARLIER WAS ABOUT BASICALLY, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WOULD WANT TO LIVE ON OKEMOS ROAD OR YOU'D WANT TO LIVE ON ARDMORE BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC.
I WAS CURIOUS, DO WE KNOW ACTUALLY HOW BUSY OKEMOS ROAD IS EXCEPT DURING PEAK TRAFFIC TIME? THERE WAS A TRAFFIC STUDY, JOHN.
HOW LONG AGO WAS THE TRAFFIC STUDY DONE? DO YOU REMEMBER? IT WAS A WHILE BACK.
>> THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN 24. I BELIEVE IT WAS COMPLETED EARLY IN 2022.
>> WE COULD PULL THAT. I DON'T RECALL AND DON'T HAVE THAT HERE, BUT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT.
>> ONE MORE AND THEN WE'LL PASS IT OFF TO SOMEONE ELSE.
GO AHEAD AND ASK ONE MORE BUT THAT.
>> WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO SAY AND THEN YOU CAN COME BACK IF YOU HAVE MORE.
>> I KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED A LOT OR WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE FINANCING OF THIS PROJECT.
I CAN'T RECALL WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THIS WAS.
IS THERE FUNDING FROM THE CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATIONS IN THIS DISTRICT THAT IS HELPING TO FUND PART OF THIS PROJECT?
>> WE DID GET A PORTION. MISS CLARK.
WHAT WAS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE GOT FROM THE LEASE APPROPRIATION? WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? JUST BALLPARK. YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE ME AN EXACT NUMBER, ARE YOU? [LAUGHTER].
>> IT WAS FAR LESS THAN WHAT WE HAD HOPED.
>> GOOD EVENING. THE COMMUNITY PROJECTS FUND HAS A SYSTEM OF APPROPRIATION, AND SO WE HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED $1.65 MILLION TOWARD THIS PROJECT.
THERE WERE SOME SPECIFIC PARAMETERS ABOUT THE PROJECT TYPE, THE UNIT COUNT AND AFFORDABILITY.
BUT YES, IF THE PROJECT WERE TO GO FORWARD, THAT'S HOW MUCH THE PROJECT WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THE DDA.
>> THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, AMBER.
MAJORITY OF THIS PROJECT IS WORKFORCE HOUSING, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE PARAMETERS THAT SHE'S REFERRING TO, AND IT WAS ALSO ONE OF THE PARAMETERS IN SOME OF THE OTHER APPLICATIONS THAT WE WERE SEEKING FOR FUNDING TO GO TOWARDS THE COSTS OF THIS PROJECT.
WE SUBJECT TO THE AWARD, WE'RE STILL COMMITTED TO DELIVERING THAT IN BOTH PLANS, SO YOU'RE AWARE.
WE WON'T LOSE THAT FUNDING. [LAUGHTER] AS LONG AS WE BUILD THAT.
>> GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
>> WELL A COMMENT ON ANY QUESTION.
THE CREATION OF A PARK IS A HUGE AMENITY, IN MY VIEW.
RIVERFRONT PROPERTY IS AT A PREMIUM.
I UNDERSTAND THE PRACTICAL MOTIVATION TO BUY POSHLAN YOU GOT TO DIG A HOLE IN TO CAPTURE THE STORM WATER.
BUT IT LOOKS TO ME LIKE THE APPLICANT WENT WELL BEYOND THAT AND HAS INVESTED REAL MONEY IN REAL PROPERTY THAT WILL TURN INTO ONCE IN A LIFETIME AMENITY.
SURE, YOU CAN GET FROM THIS PROPERTY DOWN ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND GET TO WATER PARK IN FERGUSON PARK, AND THAT'S GREAT.
IF YOU HAVE LIMITED MOBILITY, BEING ABLE TO GET DOWN TO THAT RIVER FRONT TO ME IS A HUGE DEAL.
I JUST WANTED TO UNDERLINE THAT.
THE OTHER ISSUE NOT TO GET TO THE END TOO QUICKLY, BUT THERE'S A PLAN X AT THE END HERE IT SAYS, FOLKS TALK ABOUT HAVING IT GREEN IN THE MEANTIME.
THERE'S SOME PORTION OF THE SITE THAT COULD BE PLANTED OUT WHILE THE GEARS MOVE.
[01:00:06]
I'M WONDERING IF WE CAN GET SOME INFORMATION, NOT NECESSARILY RIGHT TONIGHT, BUT MAYBE TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION ABOUT WHAT THOSE AREAS ARE AND WHAT YOU THINK MIGHT WORK THERE IN TERMS OF TURF GRASS OR SOME FORM OF REMEDIATION NATURALIZATION, WHATEVER IT IS.I CAN IMAGINE THERE BEING SOME AVAILABILITY ON THE TOWNSHIPS PART TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT.
>> THANK YOU. I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP.
I DIDN'T WANT TO CLOUD ALL THE DISCUSSION HERE WITH THAT.
WE ARE DEFINITELY IN FAVOR OF DOING THAT.
HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME PRACTICALITY ISSUES THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH BECAUSE OF THIS PROPERTY.
OBVIOUSLY, OVER ON THIS CORNER HERE.
THIS IS OBVIOUSLY THE AERIAL WITH THE BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE, BUT THIS HAS BEEN COMPLETELY EXCAVATED, AND THERE'S A HOLE IN THE GROUND.
THERE'S SHEETING AND SHARING THAT'S AT THE CORNER, AND THAT WAS DUE TO A HAZARDOUS EXCAVATION.
THERE IS GOING TO BE A PARTIAL BASEMENT.
THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN IN THAT LOCATION.
THAT AREA IS STILL SIGNIFICANTLY CONTAMINATED.
WE PURPOSELY DID NOT REMOVE THE ASPHALT AND THE CONCRETE ACROSS BOTH BLOCKS UPON DEMOLITION OF THE BUILDINGS.
WHEN WE DEMOLISHED THE BUILDINGS, WE DID REMOVE COMPLETE FULL EXTENT OF FOOTERS, FOUNDATIONS, AND BASEMENT WALLS.
NOTHING WAS LEFT IN PLACE, INTENTIONALLY.
WE ENGINEERED BACK FILLED IT PROPERLY, AND THEN WE PUT SEVERAL FEET OF CRUSHED STONE AT A CERTAIN ELEVATION SO THAT RAINWATER WOULD GO OFF OF THAT AREA OVER THE ASPHALT AND CONCRETE SO THAT WE WERE NOT GOING INTO THE SUBSURFACE WITH RAINWATER.
WE CANNOT REMOVE THE CONCRETE, THE ASPHALT, OR THOSE IMPROVED AREAS WHERE THE BUILDING FOOTPRINTS WERE BECAUSE WE WOULD BE [NOISE] AND INTRODUCING RAINWATER INTO THE SUBSURFACE, WHICH WOULD EXACERBATE THE CONTAMINATION THAT'S THERE.
WE HAVE THREE PETROLEUM PLUMES FROM FORMER PETROLEUM PRODUCTS AND GAS STATIONS AND UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS, AS WELL AS THE FORMER DRY CLEANER THAT WAS THERE AND CHLORINATED SOLVENTS.
THAT WOULD AT THE DIRECTION OF GROUNDWATER IS THIS WAY HERE AND THAT WOULD THEN FLUSH CONTAMINANTS TO THE RED CEDAR RIVER.
THIS HAS BEEN VERY CAREFULLY PLANNED WHEN WE DID THE DEMOLITION AND EVERYTHING.
WHAT CAN BE DONE WOULD BE THE PERIMETERS OF THE PROPERTY, MUCH MORE EASILY TO OBSCURE AND GREEN AS YOU LOOK IN.
BUT OUR PLAN IS TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION WHEN WE GET THROUGH ALL THE PROCESS AND EVERYTHING.
IF WE MOVE FORWARD WITH PLAN C, WITHIN THE YEAR, HOPEFULLY, EVEN THIS YEAR, DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY THIS PART OF THE PROCESS CAN MOVE FORWARD.
THAT'S WHAT THE OWNERS WOULD LIKE TO DO.
WHATEVER WE SPEND THIS YEAR, JUST KNOW IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE RIPPED UP SO KEEP THAT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND.
>> COMMISSIONER BROOKS, DID YOU HAVE ANY MORE? DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING? COMMISSIONER SCALES GO AHEAD.
>> IF I HEARD YOU CORRECTLY, THE CONTAMINANTS ARE CONTAINED? THEY HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETELY REMOVED?
>> NO. NOR WOULD THEY EVER BE 100% REMOVED. THAT IS CORRECT.
>> THEY HAVE EVERY PETROLEUM PRODUCT BETWEEN POLY NUCLEAR AROMATICS AND B TEX.
YES, RELATED TO UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS, AND THEN WE HAVE CHLORINATED SOLVENTS.
>> WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? TO GET SOMETHING MOVING ON THIS PROJECT.
>>WELL, PLAN C IS THE QUICKEST AND OOPS.
I'M LOOKING AT THE WRONG THING HERE.
PLAN C IS THE QUICKEST AND OBVIOUS OF THE TWO BECAUSE IT AVOIDS DEALING WITH ONE MAJOR COST BEING THE BURIAL OF THE POWER LINES THAT'S A MAJOR SAMPLING BLOCK..
>> THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS A DECISION, YES.
EITHER PLAN C OR PLAN A, BUT PLAN A IS A MUCH BIGGER DISCUSSION FOR THE TOWNSHIP I THINK, WITH THE COST OF BEARING THOSE POWER LINES.
IT'S JUST A FEELING THAT I GET THROUGH THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER SUAREZ.
[01:05:04]
>> I'M NOT SURE I'VE EVER KNOWN WHAT THE RESIDENTIAL OPTIONS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN EITHER SCENARIO.
JUST REAL QUICK, WHAT DOES THAT MIX LOOK LIKE IN THE 198 UNITS IN PLAN C VERSUS PLAN A?
>> I THINK IT'S OVER. [OVERLAPPING] WE CAN'T ZOOM IN, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN TAKE A PICTURE AND PULL THAT UP.
>> IT DOESN'T HAVE THE BEDS IN THERE.
IT'S A MIX OF STUDIO, ONE BEDROOMS, TWO BEDROOMS, AND THEN I BELIEVE THERE'S ONE, THREE BEDROOM ON ONE OF THE FLOORS.
>> IT DOESN'T MATTER WHICH PLAN, THAT'S THE ROUGH MIX.
WE DO HAVE COUNTS ON ALL OF THAT, AND THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL SIT, [INAUDIBLE]
>> SEE IF I CAN FIND IT REAL QUICK.
>> IN THE PLAN FOR THESE THESE WOULD BE RENTALS, NOT CONDOS?
>> CORRECT. I BELIEVE THAT THE MIX WAS JUST OVER 50% WAS ONE BEDROOMS AND STUDIOS AND THEN ABOUT 40 SOME PERCENT WAS GOING TO BE TWO BEDROOMS, AND THEN THE REMAINDER WOULD BE THREE BEDROOM.
>> I GUESS WHAT'S THE TARGET MARKET FOR THOSE RESIDENTIAL SPACES?
>> THE TARGET MARKET WORKFORCE HOUSING, 80 TO 120% OF THE AREA MADE IN INCOME.
MOST OF LANSING, INCLUDING THIS AREA.
WE TEND TO BE OVER IN THIS AREA A LITTLE HIGHER OF THAT SPECTRUM.
MORE IN THAT 90-120? IF YOU GO TO OTHER AREAS, THE GREATER LANSING AREA, THEY TEND TO BE IN THAT 60-90 REALM.
WE START GETTING INTO AFFORDABILITY BELOW 80%.
BUT WE'RE TALKING TEACHERS, NURSES, FIREFIGHTERS, POLICE PEOPLE.
WE'RE TALKING PEOPLE THAT WORK AT RESTAURANTS IN SERVICE ORIENTED FOLKS IN THAT WORKFORCE REALM.
>> I BELIEVE IT WAS BETWEEN 1100.
WHEN I'M DOING THIS REMEMBER HERE, I CAN PULL THIS UP HERE.
IT'S 11 TO 2,400 IS IF MEMORY SERVES 11-2400 A UNIT, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE UNIT.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS?
>> ALMOST DONE. THINKING ABOUT THIS EVEN FURTHER INTO THE FUTURE.
THIS IS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT, AND THEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE SECOND PHASE OF THE DEVELOPMENT ON THESE SPECIFIC BLOCKS.
THERE I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THIS WAS MENTIONED, AND I'M SORRY, IF THIS IS REPETITIVE.
THE OTHER TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY ACROSS ARDMORE TO THE WEST.
ARE THOSE ALSO POTENTIALLY DEVELOP BULL OR IS IT JUST THE SOUTHWESTERN ONE?
>> I BELIEVE IT'S JUST THE SOUTH.
>> [OVERLAPPING] OH, OKAY. YOU'RE TALKING.
NO, THAT ONE. YEAH, HERE I CAN HOVER.
THERE'S MULTIPLE PROPERTIES HERE, MULTIPLE OWNERS.
IN THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK, THEY NEED TO BE LAND ASSEMBLY FOR SOMETHING OF THE SCALE THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE.
THIS BLOCK IS OWNED ENTIRELY BY DOUGLAS J.
THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PART OF THE PROJECT AND AN EARLY CONCEIVED PLAN AND WORKING WITH THEM.
AGAIN, COVID CHANGED THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, AND SO THEY'RE STAYING PUT IN THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK AND ARE NOT PART OF THE PROJECT.
ORIGINALLY, THEY WERE GOING TO BE A MAJOR ANCHOR.
IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND WAS MAINLY ONE OF THE DRIVERS TO THE LARGE AMOUNT OF COMMERCIAL THAT WE HAD IN OUR BLOCK BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO RELOCATE THEIR OPERATIONS THERE.
THAT WAS GOING TO FREE UP THIS BLOCK FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT WHEN THEY RELOCATED INTO OUR TWO BLOCKS.
[01:10:03]
IT WAS GOING TO BE THIS CORNER.ANYHOW, YES, THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT WE DON'T CONTROL THAT.
THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS OPERATIONS.
>> YEAH. BUT IN TERMS OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY OWNED, IT'S THE-
>> RIGHT HERE, YES, THE RENE COREY PARCELS RIGHT HERE.
THEN ALL OF THE PARK PROPERTY THAT WIN STORMWATER RETENTION.
THEY'RE NOT UNDER OPTION OR PURCHASE AGREEMENTS, THEY'RE PURCHASED.
>> THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS THAT I JUST WANT TO OFFER AS A CITIZEN SEEING THIS.
I REALIZED THAT THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY BEING SPENT BY THE WHO YOU'RE REPRESENTING.
BUT THERE'S ALSO A BUNCH OF STATE AND LOCAL MONEY THAT'S BEING OFFERED HERE.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO THINK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE RESOURCES COLLECTIVELY AND THAT THE STATE AND LOCAL IS A LARGE AMOUNT.
YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE MONEY THAT YOU'VE SPENT, BUT YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO MAKE MONEY FROM THIS PROJECT AND YOU'RE TARGETING THIS PLACE BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE MONEY IN THIS GREAT COMMUNITY THAT WE REPRESENT.
THEN MY LAST COMMENT IS, I THINK WE ALL HAVE PROBABLY HEARD ABOUT THIS PROJECT, BUT SINCE A LOT OF US WERE NEW, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND FUTURE POTENTIAL CONVERSATIONS TO THINK MORE HOLISTICALLY ABOUT THE PROJECT SO THAT WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THESE KINDS OF CONVERSATIONS JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF HOW LONG THIS PROJECT HAS PROGRESSED.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE ANSWERING ALL MY QUESTIONS, AND I REALLY DO WANT TO SEE THIS MOVE FORWARD AND TURN INTO SOMETHING THAT WE CAN HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
>> CAN YOU SHOW US ON THE MAP? THE BURIAL OF THE POWER LINE, WHICH IS CREATING SUCH A DILEMMA FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED.
WHERE DOES IT START AND STOP? HOW LONG FOUR MILLION DOLLARS TO BURY HOW MUCH LINE?
>> THEY'RE BEARING TWO BLOCKS A LINE ONLY.
THEY WILL COME BACK UP ON THE OUTSIDE OF OUR TWO BLOCKS TO ALLOW FOR THIS TO OCCUR.
BUT IT CONTINUES BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH DOWN OAKHAM ROAD.
>> JOHN PECKHAM WITH ADVANCED REDEVELOPMENT SOLUTIONS.
I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO UNDERSTAND REGARDING THE POWER LINE IS IT'S A HIGH VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION LINE.
IT'S NOT A SERVICE LINE THAT COMES TO THE TOWNSHIP OFFICES.
IT'S A DISTRIBUTION LINE THAT GOES TO THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.
THE COMPLEXITY TO WHICH IT'S GOING TO BE ENCAPSULATED.
MY LAST UNDERSTANDING WAS IT WOULD BE IN CONCRETE OR SOME STEEL STRUCTURE SO THAT IT CANNOT BE RUPTURED IN THE FUTURE [OVERLAPPING] AND ACCESSED.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THERE IS AT&T FIBER OPTICS THAT'S BURIED IN OAKHAM ROAD RIGHT NEAR WHERE THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO GET BURIED.
BETWEEN SANITARY SEWER, STORM SEWER, WATER, PUBLIC STREETS, THE HIGH VOLTAGE DISTRIBUTION LINE, THE AT&T FIBER OPTICS, YOU HAVE GOT SPAGHETTI.
IT SOUNDS REAL SIMPLE TO JUST BURY A LINE FOR TWO BOX, THE COMPLEXITIES THAT ARE GOING TO GO INTO THAT, AND I'M NOT JUSTIFYING ANYTHING.
I'M JUST STATING WHAT THE CHALLENGES ARE TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE ALL LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN. I HOPE THAT HELPS OUT.
>> AGAIN GIVEN THAT THE LINES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE WHEN THE PROJECT WAS FIRST CONCEPTUALIZED, WASN'T THAT AN ISSUE RIGHT FROM THE START FOR THE DEVELOPERS?
>> YEAH. IT WAS A MUCH LOWER COST.
WE HAD FINANCING AT THE TIME COVID HIT.
[01:15:02]
AGAIN, I'M GOING BACKWARDS I KNOW, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT RAISED NOT ONLY THE COST OF OUR DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALL OF THE OFFSITE.>> I REMEMBER ALSO, THERE WERE SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RAISING THE LINES.
YEAH. WHAT WAS THE RESOLVE OF THAT? WAS THAT NOT PRACTICABLE?
>> IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN AND JUMP IN.
WE WERE ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THAT WAS AN OPTION, BUT THAT IS NOT AN OPTION UNDER THAT PLAN.
YEAH. BUT WE HAVE PLENTY OF DISCUSSION AND DOCUMENTS ON THAT AND MEETINGS ON THAT.
>> I BELIEVE EVEN WITH IT RAISED.
YOU STILL EMERGENCY THEY WOULDN'T PUT THE LADDER TRUCK UNDERNEATH THE LINE. YEAH.
>> YEAH THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCOVERED LATER IN THE PROCESS WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ON FLAT C WITH THE BUILDINGS CLOSER TO RNMRE.
WHAT WOULD THE FACE OF THE SIDE THAT FACES OKEMOS ROAD LOOK LIKE.
IT'D BE A WOULD IT BE A FOUR STORY.
I'M SORRY. WITH DECKS OVERLOOKING THE PARKING LOT, OR IS THAT THE SIDE THAT LIKE WHAT ARE YOU ENVISIONING AS THE ELEVATION FOR THAT?
>> WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN TO THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL.
WE WANTED TO START WITH THE CONCEPT PLANS AS FAR AS THAT, BUT THAT CLEARLY WOULD BE SOMETHING OF DISCUSSION.
>> THEN THE SIDE THAT FACED ARDMORE SAME, OR DO YOU HAVE A VISION FOR THAT ALREADY?
>> PROBABLY MORE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PORTRAYED IN THE PRIOR MUPUD WOULD BE ALONG ARDMORE.
YEAH. BUT AGAIN, THIS BUILDING HASN'T BEEN DESIGNED YET, AND IT'S NOT THROUGH THE PROCESS LIKE WE HAD ON PLAN A.
>> FOR SOME REASON, I THOUGHT THAT AT ONE PART OF THE PLAN, THERE WAS SOME ACCESS OR COMMERCIAL ON THAT SIDE OF IT, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT'S NEVER BEEN THE CASE.
>> ON THE PLAN, BUT NOT ON THE SO THE KMS FRONTAGE ON THE FIRST FLOOR WOULD HAVE BEEN RESIDENTIAL? YES. IT WAS WALK LIKE RIGHT DRIVING BY?
>> THAT STILL WOULD BE IN PLAN A.
WE DO HAVE VISUALS AND THOSE ARE PRESENT IN PRESENTATIONS.
>> THEY'RE ON THE TIME IT'S BEEN A WILE. YEAH.
>> THAT'S OKAY. FROM ABOUT THIS POINT HERE WHERE MY HAND IS THE SAME THING ON THE OTHER SIDE, RUNNING THIS WAY TO STOPPING TO RIGHT HERE, THERE'S RESIDENTIAL.
THEN THAT'S WHERE THE GYM PICKS UP, AND THEN SAME THING ON THIS SIDE GOING SOUTH ABOUT THIS LOCATION, ALL THE WAY DOWN WAS RESIDENTIAL.
YEAH, YOU'LL SEE THOSE SIDEWALK GOING BY, IT WAS LANDSCAPED.
IT WAS LIKE A PRIVATE LITTLE PATIO AREA THERE FOR THE FIRST FLOOR RESIDENCE.
>> ANYONE ELSE HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, THOUGHTS?
>> HOPEFULLY, THE WINDOWS OF THE GYM WILL HAVE A NICER VIEW THAN THEY CURRENTLY WOULD.
>> NOW WHAT? WE'VE HAD OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS WHAT WE'RE THINKING NOW.
THAT'S THE WHAT'S OUR NEXT STEP?
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE PLAN NEEDS TO DO.
WE WILL TAKE US TO THE TOWNSHIP BOARD AND HAVE A SIMILAR CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
THEN THE DEVELOPER WILL MAKE SOME DECISION HOW THEY WANT TO PROCEED.
>> WE'VE HELPED TO PRACTICE NOW.
UP FOR THE TOWNSHIP BOARD. I APPRECIATE THE TIME.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO ANSWER ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS AND HELP US UNDERSTAND IT BETTER.
I THINK WE ALL WANT TO SEE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
WE ALL RECOGNIZE SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN AN EMPTY LOT, BUT WE NEED TO PROCEED SMARTLY AND WISELY. THANK YOU.
>> BACK TO OUR AGENDA. NEXT AGENDA IS THE ITEM 9 B,
[9.B. RN – Village of Nemoka Ordinance Update Discussion]
WHICH IS THE VILLAGE OF NOMOKA ORDINANCE UPDATE DISCUSSION.>> GOOD EVENING. YOU GIVE ME A SECOND.
I'LL PULL THE PACKET UP. SEE WHAT I'M LOOKING AT.
[01:20:04]
FOR OUR LAST CONVERSATION, STAFF HEARD SOME OBVIOUSLY HEARD THE CONVERSATION WAS GOING ON.WE'VE COME BACK WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS.
JUST TO REMIND YOU, WE'VE TAKEN THE TEXT THAT WAS REFERENCED IN THE CURRENT RN DISTRICT SPELLED OUT THAT TEXT SO YOU COULD SEE IT BOTH IN LAND USES AND DIMENSIONAL REGULATIONS.
THEN LOOKING THROUGH IT, WE MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS, LIKE I SAID, UNDER PARAGRAPH B.
WE PROBABLY DON'T NEED ITEM 5 TEMPORARY BUILDINGS.
THAT LANGUAGE IS REDUNDANT AND FOUND ELSEWHERE IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE, IT'S ALREADY COVERED.
WE DO RECOMMEND DELETING ITEM 7 GOLF COURSES.
WHILE IT'S NOT LIKELY A GOLF COURSE WOULD COME TO PASS.
IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHAT MAKES THE VILLAGE OF NOMOKA AREA UNIQUE, I DON'T THINK A GOLF COURSE IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
WE DON'T NEED ITEM 10 BECAUSE SIGNS ARE LIKEWISE REGULATED.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE FINISHING UP RIGHT WHEN I STARTED WAS A MASSIVE SIGN ORDINANCE OVERHAUL.
IT'S WORKING REALLY, REALLY WELL.
UNDER PARAGRAPH C IN SPECIAL USE PERMITS.
WE SHOULD ADD GROUP CHILDCARE HOMES THAT CONFORMS WITH STATE PLANNING LAW.
AND THEN ALSO UNDER SPECIAL USE PERMITS, YOU CAN DELAY ITEM 4 INCIDENTAL COMMERCIAL SERVICES.
THE USES THERE ARE MORE INTENSE THAN WHAT YOU CURRENTLY FIND IN THE RN DISTRICT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, LOOKING AT THE PARCELS AND THE THINGS THAT ARE CURRENTLY THERE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER ADMINISTRATIVELY REZONING CARE ASSOCIATES OF HAZLETT AT 57 HAMAS FROM R N TO PO.
THE BUSINESSES TO THE SOUTH ARE SIMILARLY ZONED.
THERE IS NO OTHER OFFICE USE IN THE VILLAGE OF NOMOKA DISTRICT.
AT THIS POINT, I CAN TAKE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS.
WE CAN BACK IT UP, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO GO FROM THIS POINT.
IF YOU WANT TO MOVE FORWARD, WE WILL SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING.
>> I THOUGHT LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT HISTORIC DISTRICT.
>> HE DID GOOD RESEARCH ON THAT.
I DID NOT FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF ANY DESIGNATED HISTORIC DISTRICT FOR THE VILLAGE OF NEMOKA.
WHAT I DID FIND WAS AN ISBN REFERENCE TO THE VILLAGE OF NEMOKA STUDY, A NEIGHBORHOOD SURVEY ON RESIDENTIAL NEEDS WRITTEN BY J. W CRAVENS IN 1981.
MR. CRAVENS GOT HIS MASTERS OF URBAN PLANNING FROM MSU IN 1981, AND WHAT I THINK I FOUND WAS A REFERENCE TO HIS MASTER'S THESIS OR A CAPSTONE PROJECT.
I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND THE PROJECT OR FIND THE DOCUMENT.
THAT WAS THE RESULT OF THAT, BUT I DON'T FIND ANY EVIDENCE OF CERTAINLY NOT OF HIS LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT GOAL.
>> THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER SCALES.
>> IF YOU NEED A MOTION, I WOULD MOVE THAT WE AGREE WITH STAFF AND PERMIT THEM TO MOVE FORWARD.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED A MOTION FOR THIS.
>> A VOICE VOTE WOULD BE GOOD.
JUST AN INDICATION WHETHER THIS WOULD BE BACK IN JUNE.
IT'S NOT IN TIME FOR THE MAY 13TH MEETING.
THE 2ND MAY MEETING WAS CONFLICT WITH MEMORIAL DAY.
THIS WOULD BE THE FIRST MEETING IN JUNE.
>> THEN I MOVE THAT WE ENCOURAGE STAFF TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO US.
>> THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? MOVE BY COMMISSIONER SCALES.
SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BLUMER.
ANY MORE DISCUSSION, THOUGHTS?
>> I GUESS WE'RE EXPECTING RESOLUTION AT A NEXT DISCUSSION.
>> FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
>> FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDMENT.
I'LL LEAVE THE REZONING FOR ANOTHER DAY.
I WON'T PUSH THAT UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO.
I JUST WANT TO PUT IT ON YOUR RADAR.
YOU DO HAVE ONE NON-CONFORMING PROPERTY IN THERE AND IT COULD BE MORE APPROPRIATELY ZONED.
>> THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE ACTION REGARDING THAT.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I'LL JUST DEAL WITH THE TEXT CHANGE.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, THOUGHTS, COMMENTS ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ASK? GO AHEAD, PLEASE, YES.
[01:25:04]
SO YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE STRIKING THE GOLF COURSES, THE SIGNS.DOES THAT MAKE THE ORDINANCE DIFFERENT THAN OTHER RN DISTRICT LANGUAGE? BECAUSE YOU'RE STRIKING THOSE?
>> NO. WE HAVE A SIGN ORDINANCE THAT COVERS RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS THAT WOULD APPLY TO THE RN DISTRICT.
THAT'S IN LINE WITH THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE PAST 2.5, 3 YEARS.
WE'VE CLEANED UP A LOT OF THE ORDINANCE AND TAKEN OUT A LOT OF THOSE REDUNDANT REFERENCES.
>> THIS IS THE ONLY RN DISTRICT IN THE TOWNSHIP.
>> BEFORE IT REFERENCED THE RB ZONING, AND NOW THIS IS EXPLICITLY PULLING THOSE THINGS IN THERE AND THEN MAKING IT UNIQUE TO RN SO THAT LISTEN NOW THE FINANCIER, DID I GET THAT RIGHT?
>> I'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION.
>> I THINK YOU WERE. I THINK YOU.
>> I TALK ABOUT THIS IN MORE DETAIL.
>> BUT YEAH. BECAUSE IT WAS CONFUSING TO ME AT FIRST.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT MAY ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
>> WELL, THANKS. ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHERS? YES. ALL IN FAVOR.
WE CAN JUST VOICE VOTE. ALL IN FAVOR?
>> ALL OPPOSED? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR RECORDING THAT.
>> I WAS JUST RECORDING FOR YOU.
[10.A. Township Board update.]
REPORTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS.>> YEAH. I WAS GOING TO SAY HOW LONG DO WE HAVE HERE?
>> THANK YOU. AT THE LAST TOWNSHIP BOARD MEETING, THEY DID APPROVE THE LICENSES FOR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FACILITIES AT JOLLY NOKOMIS AND AT HAZLETS NOKOMIS.
THOSE ARE THE TWO THAT ARE AN EXISTING BUILDINGS.
THOSE ARE THE EASY ONES TO MOVE FORWARD.
THE ONE ON HAGEROR ROAD, THEY HAD AN ADDITIONAL ROBUST DISCUSSION ABOUT AND THAT WE'LL BE BACK FOR A DECISION ON MAY 9TH.
THE TOWNSHIP BOARD ALSO TOOK ACTION AND APPROVED THE ORDINANCE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF PLANNING COMMISSIONERS TO SEVEN.
THIS IS YOUR CURRENT LAYOUT FOR A WHILE.
WE CAN MOVE YOUR SEATS AROUND HOWEVER YOU'D LIKE.
LASTLY, JUST WANT TO THANK ALL THE PLANING COMMISSIONERS FOR THEIR WORK AND ASSISTANCE WITH MY STAFF.
WE, AS I'M SURE YOU ARE AWARE, THE TOWNSHIP BOARD APPOINTED ME AS THE INTER TOWNSHIP MANAGER ON SUNDAY.
INCREASINGLY, BRIAN WILL BE THE MAN FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSION GOING FORWARD, AND I HAVE ALL FAITH THAT HE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ACQUAINT HIMSELF VERY WELL WITH THE COMMISSION.
>> AT LEAST HALF A DOZEN GOOD JOKES BUILT INTO THAT.
>> I KNOW. I AM OBVIOUSLY ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR ANYTHING THAT ANY CITIZEN NEEDS AND MORE THAN ANY THE VOLUNTEERS THAT ARE THE LIFEBLOOD OF US DOING THE WORK OF THE CITIZENRY.
IF YOU NEED ANYTHING FROM ME, I'M STILL DEFINITELY AROUND.
JUST MIGHT BE A LITTLE HARDER TO GET AHOLD OF FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS HERE AS I DRINK FROM THE FIRE HOSE.
>> THANKS FOR YOUR TIME HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
[10.B. Liaison reports.]
DOES ANYBODY HAVE LIAISON REPORTS OR ANY QUESTIONS, I'M SORRY FROM MR. SCHMIDT BEFORE? GO AHEAD.>> ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION. THE APRIL 27 NEXT RECYCLING DAY AT CHIPPEWA DOCUMENT SHREDDING AND COLLECTING BICYCLES AND METALS AND LATEX PAINT, WHICH THEY TURNED INTO MORE LATEX PAINT, WHICH IS KIND OF A MAGICAL THING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS. ALSO, WE AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED BUDGET BY THE TOWNSHIP BOARD FOR SOME OF OUR ONGOING ACTIVITIES SUCH AS WETLAND EDUCATION, FLIERS MAILED TO RESIDENTS ABOUT WETLAND EDUCATION AND OTHER ACTIVITIES.
ARE LOOKING FOR INPUT FROM OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ON PROJECTS THAT THEY BELIEVE ARE OF INTEREST AND FIT WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION'S PURVIEW.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO LOOK AT THE THINGS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION LIST OF THE MASTER PLAN OR IN THE PRESERVING THE ENVIRONMENT SECTION OF THE MASTER PLAN SINCE THAT'S WHAT WE RECOMMENDED.
I THINK THE CAUSES THAT WILL LEAD THE CHARGE ARE THOSE THAT HAVE SOMEONE LEADING THE CHARGE.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE MASTER PLAN THAT'S ENVIRONMENTAL AND YOU WANT TO BE THE CHAMPION, LET'S HEAR FROM YOU.
>> IS THERE A TIME FRAME FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS?
[01:30:01]
>> BEFORE OUR MAY MEETING WOULD BE BEST.
>> THANK YOU. DO YOU HAVE SUGGESTIONS THAT YOU'D LIKE US TO SUGGEST?
>> AT THE LAST WEDNESDAY MORNING GREEN DIALOGUE, A GUEST WAS A FELLOW WHO COMPANY IN ANN ARBOR HELPED US DEVELOP OUR 2004 GREEN SPACE PLAN.
IN OUR MASTER PLAN, WE CALL OUT UPDATING THAT.
THAT'S A PROJECT THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
THE SAME FIRM DID THE RED CEDAR GREENWAY PLAN ON CAMPUS, WHICH IS NOW THE RIVER TRAIL MIXED USE PATH.
THAT'S AT TOP OF MY PERSONAL LIST, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF OTHER STUFF ON THERE ABOUT LOW IMPACT DESIGN AND OTHER THINGS.
WE INVITE YOUR SUGGESTION, THOUGHTS, AND CHAMPIONSHIP.
CIA. THE CIA MADE TWO ACTIONS THAT ARE OF NOTE.
THE FIRST IS THAT THEY APPROVED COMERICA BANK.
THAT IS BASICALLY LIKE THE HOLDING BANK FOR THE CIA'S TIF FOR GRAND RIVER.
THEN THEY ALSO REVIEWED THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE REQUEST FOR QUOTATIONS TO DEVELOP A VISUALIZATION OF WHAT THE GRAND RIVER CORRIDOR COULD LOOK LIKE.
SO I THINK THEY WILL VOTE ON THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
>> THANK YOU. THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING NOW.
ANYONE ELSE WHO HAVE UPDATES TO SHARE? PROJECT UPDATES, WE HAVE A LIST HERE.
[11.A. Project Report]
>> LIST EVERY TIME IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT MAYBE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT I'VE CHANGED.
>> GO AHEAD. PLEASE COMMISSIONER SCALES.
>> THANK YOU. I SEE CARWASH IS GETTING A LOT OF NEWS ATTENTION.
BECAUSE THEY'RE ABOUT TO DEMO THE OMC.
THEY JUST DIDN'T STATE A DATE.
DID YOU KNOW OR DO YOU KNOW THIS IS COMING ABOUT?
>> I THINK WE'VE HEARD DISCUSSIONS, BUT I DON'T THINK WE'VE RECEIVED A DEMO PERMIT AT THIS TIME.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TALK TO BUILDING OFFICIALS TO FIND SOME OF THE STUFF THAT FALLS UNDER THE RADAR AND PUT THIS ON AT THE END.
WHEN YOU GET TO THE END THERE HAZLETS DOING SOME STORE RENOVATIONS.
WE HAVE A HAZLET BARBERSHOP THAT IS UNDER BUILDING REVIEW FOR INTERNAL RENOVATIONS.
KIND OF THINGS THAT IS GOING ON IN THE TOWNSHIP, THAT MIGHT BE NICE FOR YOU TO KNOW, BUT YOU WOULDN'T SEE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO COME IN FOR ANY OF YOUR APPROVALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET SOME OF THAT AND INCLUDE SO YOU GET A A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE, AND I'LL KEEP DOING IT.
>> THANK YOU. PUBLIC REMARKS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER MCCONNELL, IS THERE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER SCALES. ALL IN FAVOR?
>> WE ARE ADJOURN AT 8:02.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.