Downtown Development Authority Minutes

Also Present: City Manager Gary Word, DDA Director Lori Ward, Councilmembers Tom Swigart and Jerry Mittman, DPW Director Jim Gallogly, Police Chief Jim Petres, Recording Secretary Carol Kasprowicz, Northville Record Reporter Maureen Johnston, Bob Buckhave

Chairman Johnson called the meeting to order at 8:10 a.m.

Director Ward presented a revised Parking Management Plan for final review prior to submission to City Council for approval. The specific recommendations included:

- Recommendation: Reduce by half or eliminate entirely the orange dot spaces in the Wing Street and Marquis parking lots. Discussion took place regarding the timing of reducing the orange dot spots, and the conflict of having possible development on the Wing/Dunlap lot.

Motion Shaffner, seconded by DeHaan to recommend to City Council to reduce the orange dots on both parking lots (Dunlap/Wing lot and Marquis Theater lot) by one-half commencing on June 1, 2004. Motion carried unanimously.

Motion Shaffner, seconded by Long to recommend to City Council to change current on-street parking time limits from two hours to one hour.

- Recommendation: Request that the Planning Commission review the method of calculating parking requirements when a development and/or change of use is proposed. Comment: The Planning Commission will be meeting that evening and the request will be submitted at that time.

- Recommendation: Sign all parking lots for public use. Currently, there are two public lots located in the downtown that are not signed for public use. They include the lot between Main Street Bank and Northville Rehabilitation, and the lot in front of Margo’s of Northville along Cady Street. Motion DeHaan, seconded by LaChance to recommend to City Council that all public parking lots be signed for public use, and that orange dots be proportionately placed at Margo’s and the Northville Rehabilitation Center. Motion carried unanimously.

- Recommendation: Purchase equipment and fund labor costs for snow removal of downtown sidewalks. Discussion led to the consensus that individual business owners be held accountable for snow removal, as required by City Ordinance.

A discussion ensued regarding the parking spaces available to the public at the MainCentre parking deck. The administration was directed to investigate the feasibility of a more definitive arrangement regarding available parking for the general public.

Parking Deck Construction – Director Ward reviewed alternative options for downtown deck parking with two options for the Wing Street deck and two options for a Marquis Lot deck. A suggestion was made to build one three-story translating deck on Wing Street and postpone building a second deck. Discussion ensued regarding the building of one deck versus two decks. It was reiterated that size and mass of the previously proposed deck were the main objections.

An extensive discussion took place regarding the need for an updated plan/study to substantiate the DDA’s conclusions regarding the necessity of a deck. It was suggested that Bob Gibbs of the Gibbs Planning Group be contacted to explore the feasibility of an updated version of the 1997 Gibbs/Green Report. It was also suggested that recent communications and studies done regarding downtown development and downtown parking be summarized and printed for public distribution.

Lot 21 - Director Ward reviewed the progress made thus far in creating a parking area behind the properties located near the corner of Church Street and East Cady. A major factor in the development of the parking area will be the configuration of a possible project on the corner of Cady and Griswold.

Respectfully submitted,

Carol T. Kasprowicz, Recording Secretary