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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRDA MINUTES 2003-05-15 MINUTES OF THE 146th REGULAR MEETING OF THE PLYMOUTH ,, ROAD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF LIVONIA The 146th Regular Meeting of the Plymouth Road Development Authority of the City of Livonia, Michigan was called to order at 3:05 p.m., Thursday, May 15, 2003 in the 4th floor conference room of City Hall. Members Present: Mayor Jack Kirksey Mr. Scott Grace, Chairman Mr. John Walsh,Vice Chairman Mr. Lowell Peterson Mr. Bill Pike Mr. Stan Anderson Mr. Dennis Kujawa Mr. Wes Graff Members Absent: Mr. Duane Wolfgang (excused) Mr. Marvin Walkon(excused) Mrs. Toni Mette (excused) Mr. Jerry Wordhouse (excused) Others Present: Mr. John Nagy, Director Mr. Jeff Bryant, Economic Development Director (he Messrs. Tim Knutsen&Howard Nauboris, Beckett& Raeder Mr. Steve Levesque, Commercial Mowing Services Messrs. Steven Schafer& Bruce Michael, Phoenix Land Dev. Mr. Christopher Martin, Citizen Ms. Marge Roney, Secretary 1. Roll was called. Mr. Grace welcomed Wes Graff as a new member of the PRDA Board. The City Council formally approved Mr. Graff's appointment to the PRDA, as a representative of the Livonia Chamber of Commerce, at the City Council Regular Meeting of May 7, 2003 by Council Resolution 216-03. 2. Adoption of the 144th Regular Meeting Minutes. On a motion by Mr. Pike, seconded by Mr. Anderson, and unanimously adopted, it was #2003-12 RESOLVED, that the Minutes of the 144th Regular Meeting, held on March 20, 2003, by the Plymouth Road Development Authority are hereby approved. Mr. Grace, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. Cre 1 Mr. Grace stated that the Minutes from the Regular Meeting of April 17, 2003, did not need to be approved because a quorum was not present. He did request that a correction be made regarding the delayed installation of brick piers at the Target Store at Wonderland Mall (Page 4, Item 6, Polling of the Board Members, second paragraph, last line). The words"at this time"will be added to the last sentence to make it clear that the piers will be installed at this location at a later date. 3. Comments from the Chairman: Mr. Grace noted that a drive-by inspection of the Plymouth Road corridor was needed to identify items that need to be fixed. He mentioned traffic signs, fences not properly installed between pillars, duplicate signs where old street signs remained in place, and that at main intersections,the "no turn on red" signs that were taken down during construction should be re- installed. Mr.Nagy stated that the problems with the installation of the new fences have been brought to the attention of the contractor and it is on their punch list for correction. Regarding the"no turn on red" signs, Mr.Nagy suggested that a letter be sent to Wayne County asking for an evaluation of the signage with recommendations for what should be installed. Mayor Kirksey suggested that Wayne County be contacted for only an inventory of what existed before construction,noting that we may see further intrusion into those areas by the County. An inquiry was made on the status of tree replacements by the Irish Landscaping Company that was discussed at the last meeting. It was noted Assistant City Attorney Mike Fisher did respond regarding the warranty language, and he will indicate when we are ready for the next step. 4. Construction Report-Beckett& Raeder: Tim Knutsen introduced Howard Nauboris, the new Project Landscape Architect for Beckett& Raeder. He is replacing Ben Baker. Mr.Nauboris will be on the project for the duration of the streetscape construction. He reported that they are on schedule with Phase V, Part B of the project. They have just completed all the concrete work, including the foundation for the piers, and will proceed with the landscaping and irrigation. The curbs at the new corners of Plymouth and Merriman need to be straightened, and some work needs to be done regarding the cyclone fence that was removed prior to construction. Beckett& Raeder prepared a change order to address those areas and asked for PRDA approval. The added areas to the Scope of Work include replacement of 30 flags of sidewalks,replacement of a crushed driveway near the Quality Inn and a few other areas that have just been noticed,plus the piers at Wonderland. Three items have been removed from the work order: (1) The piers and fence in front of the Target Store at a cost reduction of$10,087. It was noted that this is a temporary postponement until the store completes it expansion. (2) Seven piers will not be installed at the Bill Brown Ford(Terrace Theatre) location at a cost reduction of$29,184 in order to save the trees in front. (3) Carpet World, work reduction in the amount of$216.00. Mr. Grace said in the past they have just approved items like these,but for better cost accounting and auditing purposes,the new practice will be to get a formal PRDA resolution for such expenses. 2 On a motion by Mr. Pike, seconded by Mr. Peterson, and unanimously adopted, it was #2003-13 RESOLVED, that the Plymouth Road Development Authority does hereby approve an additional expenditure in an amount not to exceed $25,000.00 to Peter A. Basile Sons, Inc., 13000 Newburgh Road, P.O. Box 532530, Livonia, Michigan 48150, as described in the Change to Scope of Work, dated May 14, 2003, prepared by Beckett & Raeder, Inc., in connection with increased project construction costs for the Plymouth Road Streetscape Middlebelt Road to Sears Drive, Phase V, Part B project. Mr. Grace, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. Stan Anderson stated that potholes at the entry to Harrison Road south need to be repaired. Mayor Kirksey indicated that Plymouth is a state road maintained by the County and the City of Livonia is not authorized to make repairs on Plymouth Road. If the potholes are on Harrison proper, the City can then fix them. There was discussion of the problem of a white substance on the brick pavement. Steve Levesque, Commercial Lawnmower, said an acidic product can be used to clean the brick. It is an item to be included in regular maintenance. He further stated that maintenance is on schedule with grass mowing,trash pickup, and that the irrigation system has been activated. They plan to check the sprinkler heads constantly, and they have already made three full trips inspecting heads. They have a good inventory of replacement parts on hand; and he provides charts to Beckett& Raeder for repair purposes. It was noted that sidewalks need to be repaired at Deering Avenue and that Ameritech equipment was a problem there. It was mentioned that suckers are starting to grow from where dead ash trees were attacked by the ash bore. Commercial Lawnmower will try to keep this under control. 5. Committee Reports: Public Relations: Mr. Anderson reported the latest newsletter was mailed to only locations on the corridor. Vacant Buildings: No report Construction Committee: Mr. Pike noted that the Middlebelt Road sign needs repair. Mr.Nagy said he would make a call on it. Inspection: No report 3 Development Assistance: The George Burns sign is down and the demolition of (0, the theatre should be completed by the end of the week. Mr. Steve Schafer, Phoenix Land Development, addressed the matter of street lights on Plymouth Road. MDOT has approved the lane change and they are now processing the permits. Eight street lights must be moved for this new turning lane. The price quoted by C. E. Gleeson Constructors,the same electrical contractor used for Walgreens, is $11,200. Mr. Grace questioned if the PRDA should consider making improvements in front of vacant property until it was known what they were going to do? He stated that a decision on how to address this must be made now because it will be setting a precedent. Mr.Nagy stated that when the Parkside Credit Union reworked their property,the cost was borne by the credit union. They used our contractor, and we just made sure it was done correctly. Mr. Grace stated that they were remodeling. What the PRDA was dealing with at the George Burns property were changes that were being mandated by MDOT. The street lights need to be moved back six or eight feet and Phoenix Land Development is asking for financial assistance. Mr. Pike stated that he wants to see the plan. Mr. Nagy stated that the lights need to be moved six feet from the curb,to be extended in an easterly direction. Mr. Pike insisted that a directional bore be used and that missies won't do the job properly and again asked to see a set of prints. Mr. Anderson stated that the new stores and condos will need an additional turn lane, and that is is mandated by MDOT. Mayor Kirksey said that he would be interested in knowing where the original street light poles were located. We need to know if our poles replaced Detroit Edison poles before final action is taken. Also, we should receive two additional bids or quotes before action is taken. Chris Martin, citizen, inquired as to what their intent was when they bought the parcel of property. Mr. Bryant asked if Phoenix want us to pay to move the street lights away from this new turn lane. He then stated that in his judgment,this is not an add-on luxury item for Phoenix. "We have the taxes coming in and that's what it exists for, to assist in these matters." Mr. Schafer said that he will prepare information for the PRDA to review for the next meeting and will get copies to John Nagy right away. Banner Committee: The Committee did not meet. It was indicated that a meeting will be held on June 3`d to review this matter before the Great Race. Great Race: Mr. Anderson reported that the Great Race is progressing very well. Every committee reported progress. Regarding the Car Show portion, over 2,000 invitations have been sent to car owners inviting them to participate in the show. The show area will allow people to view cars and talk to the drivers and get acquainted with racing. The race will proceed down Plymouth Road. We have food vendors, entertainment and ceremonies planned. It's going to be a big day. Mr. Grace questioned, "Is there something the PRDA wanted to consider doing on Plymouth Road for the people who will be driving through?" Mr. Nagy said that banners could be put up,but the timing may not accommodate that. Mr. Grace suggested a sign with date and time to let people know that the Great Race will be going by and to encourage people to watch. Mayor Kirksey stated that the City tr' would be happy to promote this. The sale of Great Race T-shirts and other items 4 will help defray expenses for this event. John Walsh stated that Schoolcraft College will host a social event and VIP evening. The Great Race will be a spectacular event generating three-quarters to $1 million in revenue. 6. Finance Report: Mr. Slater was not in attendance to present the financial report so the members read over the report. It was noted that the payment of$656.00 to the Accident Fund Insurance Company is a one-time annual payment. The payment of eWave Digital of$150 represents a monthly payment of$50.00 a month for updating the PRDA web page. For the end of April, 2003, assets were reported to be in the amount of$1,947,079.68,total liabilities were listed as $47,453.43 with a total fund balance of$1,899,626.25. 7. Director's Report: Mr.Nagy stated that The Detroit News will publish an article about the PRDA and the George Burns theater. Town Peddler, on the south side of Plymouth Road, will be making improvements to the front of the building. Walgreens is coming along at a good pace. 8. Polling of Board Members: Jeff Bryant: The Stark Road/Levan Road railroad crossing should be open next week by Friday. The switch gears burned and blew up. GM has submitted a tax incentive application for a$28.6 million project in the city. Within the next 30 - 60 days, an announcement is expected to fill the vacancies at the old Modern Building Supply and Leone's buildings. Mr. Anderson asked if the opportunity presented itself to talk to the real estate and broker at Wonderland. Mr. Bryant has visited some of the tenants to offer assistance in relocating their businesses. John Walsh: Schoolcraft College will have its annual golf outing on June 2. It will cost$200 per golfer for lunch, dinner and prizes. Chris Martin: The Hot Rod Show at the Wilson Barn is a family event. This is a good way to help the Wilson Barn and families in the area. They provide $500 in scholarships and help Emerson families in need. He had posters for local business to put up to promote the event. It is a tax exemption organization. He is looking for donations and placing of posters in high traffic areas. The Chamber of Commerce and Schoolcraft College will take posters. It was suggested that the poster be put in car parts stores. PRDA plans to discuss becoming involved in this event. Mayor Kirksey suggested that the next PRDA meeting be held at the Community Recreation Center. C 5 (16 On a motion by Mr. Peterson, seconded by Mr. Anderson, and unanimously adopted, it was #2003-14 RESOLVED, that the 147Th Regular Meeting of the Plymouth Road Development Authority, to held on Thursday, June 19, 2003, shall be held at the Livonia Community Recreation Center, 11500 Hubbard. Mr. Grace, Chairman, declared the motion is carried and the foregoing resolution adopted. 9. Adjournment: On a motion duly made, seconded and unanimously adopted, the 146th Regular Meeting held by the Plymouth Road Development Authority was adjourned at 4:35 pm. The next meeting of the Plymouth Road Development Authority will be held on Thursday, June 19, 2003, at the Livonia Community Recreation Center. Marge Roney, Secretat (ar /mr 6