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Our mission: to inform and involve ALL Birmingham citizens.
Our mission: to inform and involve ALL Birmingham citizens.
Friday, September 02, 2005
Dearth of candidates for City Commission
With just 19 days to go before the filing deadline of Sept. 20, only one candidate has filed a petition to run for City Commission.Stuart Sherman, 39, a tax attorney and partner in the law firm of Jacob & Weingarten, of Troy, filed his petition this summer. Assistant City Clerk Laura Broski said no other candidates had submitted petitions as of Thursday.
In November, the terms of Mayor Rackeline Hoff and commissioners Don Carney and Gordon Thorsby expire. None has filed petitions. Thorsby, who has missed numerous commission meetings over the past two years, is not expected to seek re-election.
Sherman, who signaled his intent to run more than two years ago, has been a frequent observer of City Commission meetings over the past several years. He is a member of the Board of Review, which hears property tax appeals, and he is the city's Hearing Officer, in which role he hears appeals of city invoices for such services as snow removal and grass cutting.
He says he is running "because the city has to invest significant sums in its infrastructure over the next several years to remain a vibrant community, and if we don't, we're all going to pay the price. I want to make sure that the right decisions are made."
Sherman lives on Stanley Blvd. with his wife, Eileen, and children Alexandra, 9, and Justin, 6.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
City hopes to slow traffic on narrower Southfield Road
Birmingham's boldest experiment in traffic calming will be unveiled this fall when Southfield Road between Fourteen Mile and Maple roads reopens.Twenty-five feet wide at many points, the reconstructed road -- traditionally a major artery for traffic into and out of Birmingham from the south -- will be narrower than many residential streets in town.
It will allow two lanes of traffic. Parking will be prohibited, and disabled vehicles will have no shoulder for refuge. Rights of way on both sides of the street have been expanded, and new grass and existing trees will line the road.
Pedestrians and homeowners on the street are likely to enjoy the new look, and motorists who used feel comfortable driving 40 miles per hour through the 25-mile-per-hour zone might be less inclined to do so when the road reopens.
The design is the most vivid example of the city's attempts to slow traffic and promote walkability. "The design was suggested by Traffic Engineer Michael Labadie, who is normally not so inclined to narrow roads," said City Manager Tom Markus, who lives on Southfield. "The removal of the ghost third lane should calm traffic considerably."
Southfield has traditionally carried some 10,000 vehicles a day through Birmingham, according to City Engineer Dennis Dembiec. The project involved the replacement of sewers, water mains and the entire road, Dembiec said.
"The next major roadway to be considered is likely North Old Woodward, and yes, some width reduction should be expected," said Markus. "How much is not yet determined."
Since Southfield was already an improved road, the city bears the entire cost of the project. Only roads considered unimproved require public hearings and special assessments to property owners.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Self Portrait with Algae
Thanks to Detroit News Staff Photographer Brandy Baker for this image of the algae on Quarton Lake and her own shadow taken from the new dock on Lakeside.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Detroit News: Develop Triangle District
"Birmingham has a chance to regain its reputation as a forward-thinking community friendly to development" by encouraging the Triangle District to develop "its own look," the Detroit News says in an editorial published Thursday. The city should lift height restrictions in the district and allow the area to develop its own "distinct personality," the News said. Click here to read the editorial.Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Commission wants feedback on Shain Plan v2
The Birmingham City Commission Monday night asked its Shain Park Study Committee to review and comment on a revised plan for Shain Park submitted by the formerly anonymous architects at Ron & Roman Design.
The revision is a result of both cost concerns and refinement of the original plan, Ron Rea told the commission.
The plan reduces the amount of underground parking, thus reducing the cost of the parking component to around $2 million, according to its sponsors. It adds parking to the south end of the park, and suggests that the Community House utilize a portion of the rear of its property for parking.
Lot 7 contains currently around 150 spaces. The original anonymous plan had one level of underground parking with around 110 spaces, with additional parking around the perimeter of the park. Two levels of underground parking would have provided 230 spaces at a cost of nearly $9 million.
The plan gives a nod to architects Roger Gienapp and former City Commissioner Russell Dixon, who presented an alternative plan to the commission that suggested linking City Hall and Baldwin Library with Shain Park.
The design includes a small amount of parking at the south end of the park covered by a wooden trellis/pergola. Parking ramps for the single level of underground parking also would be covered by trellises. It also suggest enhancing the appearance of the SBC central office with the addition of Boston Ivy.
It omits several "monuments" that had been included in the original plan.
Rea said the plan was inspired by urban planner Andres Duany, who helped write the city's downtown 2016 master plan. He said a specific design for the pavilion/bandstand could result from a design competition.
Click here to view a high-resolution image of the surface portion of the revised plan.
Click here for a high-resolution image of the underground portion of the revised plan.
Library board seeks increased millage
Saying that Baldwin Library is strapped for cash and needs money to improve its building, the Library Board and administrators asked the City Commission Monday night to place a millage increase on November's ballot. The increase would add about $50 to the tax bill of the average Birmingham property owner, Library director Marti Custer said. City Manager Tom Markus has an alternative plan that would have the city loan money to the library for the fixup. The commission put off a decision till Aug. 22.Planning Board to hold hearing on Triangle district
The Birmingham Planning Board is scheduled to hear ideas from the public on how to develop the Triangle District at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at City Hall. Click here for the Detroit News' Aug. 5 report on the district.Monday, August 08, 2005
Parks board questions Roeper purchase
As the City of Birmingham inches toward a purchase of parkland at Roeper School, members of the Parks Board are raising questions about the $2 million-plus price of the land and the wisdom of purchasing it.City Manager Tom Markus has acknowledged that he is "in active negotiation" with the school over the acquisition, and the Birmingham City Commission has met with him several times over the past year in closed session to discuss it.
Roeper is on the west side of Adams Road, just north of Maple. The 1.46-acre property is at the south end of the school, and is currently used as a park and playground.
At its July meeting, the Parks Board, faced with updating its Recreation Master Plan, asked Markus for an update on Roeper. In order to receive government grants, the city is required by law to update its master plan every five years. Board Chair Therese Longe questioned the rationale for the purchase, the intended use of the property, how it would impact the “recreational capacity” of the city and, noting, "The economic situation is different now than it was five years ago," asked for justification for the purchase.
The city’s current Recreation Master Plan includes the acquisition of Roeper as one of its goals, and the commission has repeatedly authorized Markus to continue discussions with Roeper.
Little has been heard about Roeper in open session of the commission for several years. But plenty of talk occurred when the school sought in 2000 to amend the special land use permit that governs its use of the property, and asked for approval of a new gymnasium. Relations between the school and neighbors already were strained because of traffic, noise, parking and other issues, and in the face of vigorous opposition, the commission denied the requests.
The talk continued in 2001, when the commission sought and obtained voter approval to issue $25 million in bonds to acquire and upgrade city parkland. Those discussions included the dredging of Quarton Lake and upgrading the surrounding park; of acquiring Barnum School, and of acquiring a piece of Roeper.
The commission moved quickly to issue $15.7 million of the $25 million, spent more than $2 million on Quarton, more than $8 million on Barnum and spent or committed around $3 million on other projects, including a major upgrade to Booth Park.
The Roeper property was not for sale at the time the bonds were issued, but Markus budgeted $2.4 million of the $15.7 million for Roeper once negotiations for the property took hold.
Longe noted that if that money is spent, it would come close to exhausting the initial issue, leading to worries that other future park projects, such as possible upgrades to Shain and Kenning parks, won’t get done. Some commissioners have expressed reservations about issuing the remaining $9.3 million in bonds because it would lead to increased taxes. Shain Park is located in downtown Birmingham; Kenning Park is on E. Lincoln and contains the Birmingham Ice Arena, skate park, tennis bubble and several baseball diamonds.
In response to the Parks Board request, Markus sent a two-page memo saying the acquisition "is part of a larger concept to resolve long-standing issues created over the conversion of a public grade school into a private middle/high school. In addition to land acquisition, the discussions are attempting to resolve other neighborhood/school issues such as school parking in the neighborhood, building build-out, enrollment, traffic concerns, road improvements, etc."
"The property acquisition will continue to provide important open space for this part of the community and will further insure that the property is not developed for non-park uses by either the school or other future owners," Markus told the Buzz. "No public disclosure of the price has been made, but for purposes of budgeting the remainder of the park bond's first issue -- an amount of $2,430,000 -- has been shown. I do support the acquisition and believe the city has made a commitment to the neighbors to attempt to buy this property."
Parks Board member Art Stevens, while expressing support for the acquisition, questioned the price, saying he was “shocked” and calling a $2 million-plus price "exorbitant." Small lots in Birmingham regularly sell for upward of $50 per square foot, and one-acre parcels have sold for around $1 million. A comparable recent sale of property by the Birmingham School Board may provide a clue to the value of the Roeper property: In 2003, the school district sold 1.75 acres across from Pierce School to private developers for $2.48 million.
Resident Gordon Rinschler, who lives close to Roeper and is president of the South Poppleton Homeowners Association, said, “That’s a legitimate discussion: How much is too much for an acre of land? The question of why we are ‘taking the trip’ – that’s something that was discussed a long time ago. That Roeper line item has been in the budget for a long time. … The only issue I have is, are we sure we’re getting the best deal?”
Rinschler said relations between the neighborhood and school, “acrimonious” since the early 1980s when Roeper first occupied the school, have improved. He said neighbors hope a purchase of the property will prevent the school from paving over a portion of the park for parking, and a deal involving the Birmingham School District to allow parking at Derby would resolve the parking issue. He said neighbors have agreed to stop complaining about parking while the city negotiates with the school.
In his memo, Markus said neighbors support the acquisition because it would satisfy their longstanding concerns "to ensure that the school was capped in its growth as a school, and that the property would not be sold for development."
Markus said the special land use permit currently allows the city some control over the school's use of the land, but added, "The state of Michigan has taken a somewhat dim view of city government control over public schools vis-à-vis zoning enforcement. This could morph to private schools, thus abating the status of this property as quasi-public open space." Furthermore, he said, "I believe the school could sell off the property. Would the subsequent owner be able to develop? I suspect so ... and a developer would have some basis/argument for some level of reasonable development."
"I can assure you, based on my constant communication with various neighborhood representatives, that an abandonment of this acquisition will be viewed with significant dissatisfaction towards the city government," Markus told the Parks Board. "The adjoining neighborhood representatives clearly believe this acquisition was part of the equation in their support of the park bond issue. Now that 1) Quarton Lake reconstruction is nearing completion; 2) Barnum has been acquired, and 3) Booth Park has received significant improvement funding, the Adams Road/Roeper neighborhoods would likely feel like they were betrayed. Personally, I could completely understand this position. Ultimately, this is a City Commission decision, and to date the commission has been fully supportive of the acquisition."
Indeed, at the August Parks Board meeting on Tuesday, resident Bill Dow, who lives on Yorkshire not far from Roeper and supports the purchase, questioned the questioning and argued forcefully in favor of purchasing the land.
Even Markus was sensitive to the questioning. "I suspect that at least some in our community support an overall parks program with parks in all parts of our community, not just in one particular neighborhood. However, I am also realistic enough to know that there are those who may be quite happy to have their park improved or land purchased in their area and quite frankly don't really care about other areas that they may not feel benefits them directly. ... Of course now that the economy has turned sour and many are concerned about property taxes, it is easier to champion the so called prudent approach to expenditure, especially when one has his or her favorite project taken care of. My objective is to view parks from a community perspective and not from just one neighborhood or the other."
Markus told the Parks Board: "Balancing dollars spent geographically is an issue that does surface occasionally in Birmingham."
"Once the property has been acquired, it is expected that it will remain as open space used in much the same way as it is currently," Markus said. "Future changes will be coordinated by joint review of both the city and Roeper School. The big difference will be that we will have assured its future as open space for the future use of our community. Once the negotiations have concluded, the decision will be brought before the City Commission for a decision in an open, public meeting, allowing for comments by the public."
Rinschler said that if the city acquires the land, neighbors will approach improvements to the park in much the same way as the community approached improvements to Booth Park, by recruiting volunteers, presenting a plan for improvement to the city and soliciting donations if necessary.
Monday, July 25, 2005
Upgraded broadcast system is improvement
The city's new broadcast system for City Commission and other meetings held in the commission's chambers at City Hall is a big improvement over the previous system. The visuals are better (we're getting close-ups of people, and labels indicating their names and positions) and the sound is a vast improvement. We haven't experienced the webcast yet, but we've watched a rerun of a commission meeting. If you're interested in the reruns of any of the local government meetings, a listing can be found under the "Channel 15" link at the Birmingham Cable Board website.Monday, July 18, 2005
It's time for Friends of Parks
The City Commission has asked the Parks & Recreation Board to come up with a policy for the acceptance and recognition of donations to the city's park system. The request was prompted by a group of residents who have promised to raise $150,000 to help pay for renovations to Booth Park, but the policy is expected to cover any future donations to the park system. ( The policy of Mercer Island, WA, will be used as a model.) Given that city voters think enough of the park system to have approved a few years ago a $25 million bond issue to upgrade the system, it makes sense to not only establish such a policy, but to establish a foundation -- let's call it "Friends of Birmingham Parks" until a better name arises -- that would actively solicit and spend money on our parks.Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Split commission OKs first step on Bates
The city took its first step toward redeveloping N. Bates Street Monday night when the City Commission voted 4-3 to authorize City Manager Tom Markus to look for an urban planning consultant to help the city write an RFP for private developers.Commissioners Tom McDaniel, Dianne McKeon, Scott Moore and Julie Plotnik supported the move. Mayor Rackeline Hoff and Commissioners Don Carney and Gordon Thorsby opposed it.
Markus said he would return to the commission for authorization to hire the consultant, and he estimated the cost at $5,000 to $10,000. He also said the city would be under no obligation to accept any proposals that result.
Commissioners opposed to the project did not dispute the its merit; rather, they said they were concerned about the timing, suggesting that the city had enough on its plate with the Booth and Shain Park projects and development of the Triangle District either already in gear or high on their priority list.
Commissioners who supported the authorization said the time was right to begin a long process that was recommended in the 2016 Plan and that woud most likely take several years to plan.
The move was recommended by Buzz editors Clinton Baller and Christopher Longe, who showed the commission rough drawings of the possibilities for the area produced by Andres Duany during the 2016 planning process, and by Planning Board member Mark Nickita, of Archive Design Studio, an urban planning firm in Detroit.
Click here to download a 4MB+ .pdf of the presentation to the commission.
Baller said he was pleased with the outcome, but would have preferred a unanimous vote. "I understand the concerns of the commissioners who opposed the move," he said. "But they will have plenty of opportunity to vote against the project as it moves forward. There were many good reasons put forth for going ahead with the project -- making better use of the property, adding to the tax base, etc. The overriding reasons for the opposition, however, appeared to be fear of change and fear of the unknown, which are natural and understandable. But as we move ahead, we'll get lots of information, and people will become more comfortable with any proposed changes, and the unknown will become known. I'm hopeful that the commissioners who opposed the project will eventually come around."
Commissioner Scott Moore, a parishioner of First Baptist Church, which abuts the property, said he supported the move -- and that the church supports development of the surrounding neighborhood in general -- because he views the neighborhood as the city's "backyard," and "one of the most valuable and beautiful, if not the most beautiful, pieces of property in the city."
Markus said it would be several weeks, if not months, before he returns to the commission for authorization to hire the planning consultant.
Sunday, June 26, 2005
Police to alert merchants to crime
Birmingham police plan to notify businesses of thefts or other incidents to keep them informed and help make arrests. Click here to read the June 19, 2005, report in the Birmingham Eccentric.Friday, June 24, 2005
Memo on garages to Eccentric's Jay Grossman
From : 'Clinton Baller'To : Jay Grossman
Much of the discussion [of garages] is the continuation of a debate that has been going on for a very long time: Is Birmingham a city or a town/village?
In many ways, the question has been answered that Birmingham is a city, particularly downtown, with the implication that density goes with the territory. For neighborhoods, the question has been answered -- mainly by the marketplace -- for some. The rules that allow density in general (not necessarily the garages specifically) have been on the books for a very long time. The first large houses on small lots went up in the late '70s, early '80s, and despite the Bigfoot Ordinance, we still allow a lot of density. It's just that the density was increased in only a few selected neighborhoods, based primarily on land values and the marketplace. Now that those neighborhoods (Holy Name, Quarton Lake, CBRA) have been "densified," it is moving to other neighborhoods. Absent government intervention, really, it remains a function of the market. But that's where the question gets interesting: Should the government intervene?
Left to the marketplace, as it was in other neighborhoods, Alice's and other neighborhoods will see increased density and all that accompanies it. As far as what should be done, I personally agree with many on the commission and planning board who have said that our residential zoning ordinances are, on the one hand, too one-size-fits-all, but on the other delicately balanced. You have to be careful not to upset the balance, and to be fair. I do not want to see a return of the garage front home. But I also don't want to see Wolmanized exterior staircases to 22-foot flat-roofed garages!
You know, people opposed to the status quo always shout the loudest. For every Alice Thimm, there is someone who purchased a small house with the intention of working within existing rules to make it bigger and, in their minds, better. Since the existing rules are on the side of these people, they don't shout as loud as Alice. They may not shout at all, really, unless they feel threatened, and soon I predict you'll hear more and more people who feel threatened standing up to Alice.
Your challenge is to go beyond the loud voices to find the people who may not be talking, or not talking as loudly, but whose opinions are just as valid. So go out there and find some of those people. It's not as easy, because Alice finds you. She makes sure you hear her opinion. You need to get out and find the other opinions. And remember that it's not always black-and-white. Certainly, I am not black and white on this, and as much as I disagree with the way Alice is working this issue, I am inclined in some ways to agree with her.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Briggs addition gets PB approval
Architects rendering of Briggs Building with addition at southeast corner of Maple and Old Woodward.
Architects rendering of Briggs Building addition and new five-story building on Old Woodward.
The historic Briggs building downtown will get another story, a five-story building will go up between the Midtown Cafe and Ceresnie & Offen Furs, and a parking structure will occupy the rest of the land adjacent to the Birmingham Theatre under a final site plan approved Wednesday night by the Birmingham Planning Board.
The Briggs Building, which runs along Maple between Woodward and Old Woodward, and then south along Old Woodward to the Midtown, is home to such businesses as the UPS Store on Maple and Starbucks on Old Woodward. Built in the late 1920s, it was originally designed to be four stories, but the Great Depression forced a change in plans, and only two stories were built. Under current building codes, the foundation will support only three stories, said architect Christopher Longe, who designed the project. (Longe is an editor of the Buzz.)
Construction is set to begin late this summer or in the fall, after the Woodward Dream Cruise, said Longe. He said Maple, Old Woodward and Peabody streets are to be barricaded similar to the Burton-Katzman project on Willits, but with taller barricades to promote visibility and access to existing businesses. All businesses in the building will remain open, but about 21 on-street metered parking spots will be eliminated for the duration of construction, which is expected to take 12-18 months, Longe said.
The third-floor Briggs addition will be occupied by offices, as will three of the five stories of the new adjacent building. The first floor of the new building will be retail, and the fifth floor will contain two residential rental apartments. Each floor of the new building will be 8,000 square feet.
The new parking structure will hold 156 cars on three levels. The current surface lot holds 90 cars. Access to the structure will be off Peabody Street. Some parking may be lost during construction, but Longe said it would impact transient parkers more than permit parkings. The lot and the Briggs Building are privately owned by Central Park Properties.
Birmingham developer Brian Timlin recently got an Oakland County judge's approval to purchase the Midtown Cafe from the estate of the late Bruce Cameron. Timlin told the judge he intended to close the Midtown and move the liquor license to a new development on Bowers Street.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Triangle District, residential zoning top PB agenda
A master plan for the so-called Triangle District and a careful review of residential zoning ordinances will top the Planning Board's agenda over the next several months. The priorities were set during a joint Planning Board/City Commission meeting Monday night.Calling for a proactive approach to master planning the area bounded by Woodward, Lincoln, Adams and Bowers, Planning Board member Mark Nickita urged immediate action on a plan. Birmingham developer Brian Timlin has acquired several parcels along Bowers and has told an Oakland County judge that he plans a $50 million-plus mixed-use development in the area. While Bowers Street was included in the 2016 Plan, little else of the district was included, and parking remains an issue.
Other matters of priority for the board include changes to Ring Road that were anticipated in the 2016 Plan, and a sidewalk plan for the Eton Road corridor.
Approximately 35 residents showed up to the meeting, an extraordinary number for such a workshop. Most were there to express concern over the residential zoning ordinance that allows two-story detached garages. Commissioners expressed sympathy for the residents, and said a review of the ordinance ought to be part of a comprehensive review. Residential zoning ordinances have not been changed since standards governing lot coverage overall height were approved more than five years ago.
