Downtown Development Authority Minutes

Present: DDA: Christopher Johnson, Margene Buckhave, Jim DeHaan, Jim Long, Greg Presley, Rick Shaffner

City Council: Kevin Hartshorne, Jerry Mittman, Tom Swigart

Planning Commission: Jay Wendt, Marc Russell, Nancy Chiri, J. Christopher Gazlay

Board of Zoning Appeals: Jim Bress

Northville Public Schools: Dr. Len Rezmierski, Joan Wadsworth

City Staff: City Manager Gary Word, Assistant City Manager Nickie Bateson, DDA Director Lori Ward, DPW Director Jim Gallogly

Others: Planning Consultant Don Wortman, Matt Jobin of Rich & Associates, reporters from Detroit News, Northville Record, Northville Journal, and Community Crier, and 25 citizens

Mayor / DDA Chairperson Christopher Johnson opened the meeting at 7:00 PM by stating the purpose of the meeting was to receive public input regarding parking in the downtown, and specifically address concerns and comments regarding the proposed parking deck on Main and Wing Streets.

Don Wortman of Carlisle/Wortman Associates, the City’s planning consultant, reviewed the agenda for the evening and proceeded to facilitate the flow of comments and information generated by the audience. Among the comments given regarding parking were:

• There is a shortage of parking spaces during the day.
• Is there a shortage of parking or a shortage of convenient parking?
• Employee parking should be better managed.
• There is a need for handicap parking spaces on Main Street
• Put all "orange dot" parking (employee parking) on Cady Street.
• Escalate penalties for consistent parking violators.
• There is a need for better parking signage.
• Signage is confusing.
• Arrange for a shuttle bus from parking to downtown businesses.

Comments pertaining to the parking structure were:

• Size of the parking structure proposed was the deciding factor for rejection.
• There is need for more participation and more information.
• There is a direct connection between the approval of a specific parking project and the approval of the bond issue.
• What solution would net the most spaces?
• Match the solution with the lifestyle of Northville.
• Northville is to either grow or decline. It cannot stagnate.
• Desire to retain a small town feel to Northville.

DDA member Presley spoke briefly of the history and substance of Mainstreet ’78, which dealt with major street improvements of Northville’s downtown, and Mainstreet ’93 which dealt with the reconstruction of one parking deck and the construction of a new parking deck in the Cady Street corridor. He also spoke of the recommendations put forth by the Gibbs/Green Group in their report of 1997 whereby they recommended reinforcing the present downtown with the development of businesses on Hutton/Dunlap and placing a deck behind these "liner" businesses.

Wortman spoke of the parking management survey and subsequent plan that was formulated in 1999. A parking space inventory was conducted, and future parking needs were projected based

on possible retail, office, or restaurant developments. Additionally, recommendations were made regarding management of existing parking spaces, and the building of a new parking deck.

DDA member Buckhave reported on the activities and findings of the Parking Committee which was formed to study the more recent parking conditions. Recommendations of the Parking Committee consisted of reinstituting the "orange dot" (employee) parking management program, and investigating a long-term parking solution of constructing a parking deck. It was noted that 20 possibilities were explored regarding the type, location, and size of deck.

Planning Commissioner Marc Russell briefly outlined a long range plan formulated to project possible areas of development in the downtown area. A significant factor in the planning was to insure that each block of development would accommodate its parking needs.

Ward reviewed the list of possible sites and deck configurations that were investigated by the Parking Committee. In listing the factors involved in the Wing/Main Street deck, it was pointed out that a significant portion of the parking lot was privately owned and two projects were recently proposed for the site. She also stated that the borrowing capacity for a bond issue was capped at $5 million, per the advice of the City’s bond counsel.

Comments submitted by audience members regarding possible parking solutions included:

• Developing a parking structure at Ford Field.
• Move all orange dots south of Cady Street.
• Build a parking deck on the MGM parking lot.
• Construct a walkway from Cady Street to Main Street west of existing MainCentre deck.
• Park on top of buildings.
• Expand Cady Street parking deck over Cady Street.
• Purchase CVS property and build a deck.
• Acquire land from racetrack to build a parking deck.
• Buy the Long property located at Wing and Main Street.

Further comments included:

• Parking is essential to keeping the downtown vital.
• Northville is a "destination" city; customers need parking nearby.
• Consider the Master Plan with regards to building height.
• Parking requirements should include the needs of everyday patrons and employees.
• Increase parking ticket fines for habitual violators.

Mayor Johnson closed the meeting by reiterating the commitment of the DDA to review the information garnered at the meeting, re-examine the financing possibilities, investigate scaling down the parking deck, work on other possible solutions, and continue the dialogue with the public.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol T. Kasprowicz
Recording Secretary