798 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f533edfaaae34ebf9e1b299a434e871c.jpg 32d611a2eee5b4ffedcec5c9babef03b Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_LS00406 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1937 Title A name given to the resource Pompeii: House of Silver Wedding Description An account of the resource Black and white lantern slide of the peristyle of a Pompeiian house. Serie Artistica No. 11387 Subject The topic of the resource Lantern slides Pompeii (Extinct city) Ruins Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/06feff09fbb4766a5351a7e26b435438.jpg 978f5c633751e96e7e9389c9d5f905e7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_ProcessFilm_P_214 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1939-08-31 Title A name given to the resource Pompey's Pillar (windy) Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a stone pillar. The image is somewhat blurry. Subject The topic of the resource Yellowstone National Park Wyoming Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0ea0e66c345207b9ebf2b298443f23e3.mp4 7a6d63958ab91dcd7eb8fa9a2f62c3bb https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6b0145e193345e72d58cf10ef351063e.pdf c0cefcb4e77f8ffa17e3c809b0d0ad73 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview James Pond Length: 45:31 (00:00) Background Information • James was born in 1925 in California and enlisted in the Navy in 1943 • James went to high school in Santa Ana and had wanted to join the Navy when he was 16 years old, but his parents would not let him • They were reluctant for him to join because he already had two older brothers in the war, but allowed him to join when he was 17 • James had lost interest in school and dropped out during his senior year (2:15) Navy • After enlisting James had taken a train to Idaho for training at a base in the mountains • During boot camp everyone had to take turns with boiler room watch at night to make sure heat stayed on • While on duty they also had to watch out for grizzly bears • James decided that he wanted to be a signal man and would like to go through signal school after boot camp • He was sent to Chicago for signal school after training in Idaho for 3 months (5:30) Signal School • Signal school was held in a large stadium at Stagg Field at the University of Chicago • They had very nice living quarters and ate in a fancy dining area �• They were working on the field near men who were training for signal school in the Army • The men in the Navy had to take turns on guarding the perimeter of the field, but were only given wooden rifles to practice with • The men in the Army school did not work much and the men in the Navy thought they were lazy • They later found out that they had been working on an atom bomb at the university and the Army was actually there guarding a nuclear reactor • James also trained on a destroyer called the USS Van Valkenburgh with 300 other men • He was then transferred to the Brooklyn Navy Yard where he boarded the USS Davidson, another destroyer (9:15) Overseas • The trips were top secret and James never knew where he was going until the last minute • He did not know any of the other men he was working with on the destroyer • James was assigned on KP and became very ill the first 3 days of the trip • They were escorting a convoy of ships to Belfast, Ireland and passed Greenland and Iceland on the way • The convoy consisted of 40 ships and they traveled at 10 knots • They once detected an enemy submarine and began their depth charge runs • They did not have time to remain in the area and confirm their hit, but did see lots of black material emerging on the surface • The government was building up US troops in Ireland for the invasion of Normandy • James took a second trip to Ireland and it had gotten much colder; the men had to work on deck and chip off ice with hammers • He had some time off on liberty in Ireland �(15:20) Ship Signaling • After the second trip to Ireland the ship was put in dry dock for repairs • They then found that the ship had been hit by an enemy submarine missile dud • James had worked on ship signaling while on the trips • Sometimes he would be reading a certain signal on deck for a half hour at a time and staring into the arctic sun • The arctic sun eventually burned his retinas and he could no longer see well enough for signaling • He was allowed to go to another Class A school for training in a different field (17:30) Hospital Corps School • James was sent to the Bainbridge Naval Base in Maryland in 1944 • He enjoyed his classes very much and became a hospital corps man • James had duties that normally a nurse would have, but he worked under the supervision of nurses • He wanted to be an operating room technician and worked in surgery for a while • James was sent to Fort Eustis in Virginia • There was a WWI Army base that had not been used in about 20 years • It was a one story vintage-looking hospital that they had to restore because it had just been re-commissioned (20:05) Hospital Work • James helped to clean up the grounds and restore the hospital • Trains were then arriving and bringing in wounded marines from the West Coast �• Most of the wounded were from Guadalcanal and they had all different types of injuries • James worked for a while in the psych ward at night and there were no lights • He volunteered to work in the Fleet Marine Forces, which was part of the Marines, but did not have their own medics • James was sent to a debarkation point in California 3 weeks later (21:35) Okinawa • James boarded the USS Bingham, a troop transport ship headed to Okinawa during the invasion • He had been traveling in the Pacific on the ship for 3 weeks when they heard the news that the bombs were dropped and the war was over • James was sent to Fleet Hospital 116, which was a 1500 bed tent hospital in Okinawa • When he arrived in Okinawa, it was in the middle of a terrible hurricane and he had to take shelter in a cave • The hurricane destroyed the base, all the Quonset huts, and the entire hospital (29:30) Transferred • James was transferred to work on a ship that had no doctors to work in its pharmacy • They felt that he was qualified to be the doctor of a 56 man ship with his training and experience • The ship traveled to Sasebo, Japan, which had been occupied by US troops • James worked on the ship while it remained at a dock for months • They ship then moved on to Nagasaki and James continued working, but also helped Japanese locals and made a few friends �• It is possible that he may have come into contact with radiation from the bomb and has since had 25 cancerous areas removed from his skin • James learned that he had enough points to be discharged, but was made to remain working on the ship for another 9 months (35:15) Samar Island, Philippines • James had received a half dingo puppy while in Okinawa and brought it with him to the Philippines • He had the dog tied up outside the barracks at night and was not allowed to bring it inside • The day before he left to go back to the US, the dog’s leash had been cut and it was missing • He was very sad to not take the dog home with him and especially disturbed by the fact that Filipinos eat dogs • James left the Philippines on a troop ship and arrived in San Francisco • The Red Cross was there and actually charging the returning troops money for donuts (38:05) After Service • James had been discharged from the Navy on April 26, 1946 • After leaving the base and traveling home, James stopped in an ice cream shop where he spotted a very pretty girl • James and the girl from the ice cream shop got married 5 weeks later • He was able to get his old job back in a butcher shop and worked there for 6 months • He then got a job as an officer for the police force, where he worked for about 5 years • In 1952 James was transferred to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and he worked there until 1958 �• James became the Deputy Coroner of Orange County • He moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1964, which was where his wife was from and then began working in real estate � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PondJ Title A name given to the resource Pond, James (Interview outline and video), 2009 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pond, James Description An account of the resource James Pond was born in Santa Ana, California in 1925. He became very bored with school during the war and dropped out when he was 17 to enlist in the Navy. James went through boot camp in Idaho and then went to signal school in Chicago. After signaling on destroyers in the Arctic, James retinas became burned and he could no longer work as a signal man. He went back to school to become a hospital corps man and was sent to work in a hospital in Okinawa after the invasion. James also worked as a doctor aboard a ship stationed outside of Sasebo and Nagasaki, Japan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource McCauslin, Kelly (Interviewer) Spring Lake District Library (Spring Lake, Mich.) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2009-02-07 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1b38ae7ce76202919b6ce3ad1f5a6cae.pdf b18868610b01342d9e3de4470bbfeb47 PDF Text Text PONTL\C '.2010 A ~'E\V REALIT1.· A Comprehensive Plan for the City of Pontiac. i\lichigan �FRO M THE LIBRARY OF Pl ann:n6 B< Z::.,1:nJ Center; Inc~ PONTIAC 2010 A NEW REALITY A Comprehensive Plan for the City of Pontiac, Michigan City of Pontiac Planning Commission The development of this Plan was made possible through funding from the: • • • l..· Economic Development Division, Oakland County, MI. Tax Increment Finance Authority, Pontiac, MI. Community Development Block Grant Program, Pontiac, MI. �CITY OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN Wallace E. Holland, Mayor PLANNING COMMISSION Robert English, Chairperson James McMillan, Vice Chairperson Sharon Brooks Nicholas Dinkins Alice Griffin Jules Lavalais Jean Milton, Past Vice Chairperson Dorothy Quince Daniel Rath OFFICE OF LAND USE AND STRATEGIC PLANNING Owen E. Winnie, A.I.C.P., P.C.P., Administrator Richard Hahn, A.I.C.P. , P.C.P., Planner III Larry Lewis, Planner III (deceased) Douglas Borisen, Graphics Coordinator Maryann Burnett, Secretary CITY COUNCIL John P. Bueno, District 3, President Everett Seay, District 7, President Pro-Tern W. Campanella Russell, District 1 Peter V. Tenuta, District 2 Michael E. Willis, District 4 Clarence Phillips, District 5 Tracy A. Miller Sr., District 6 PLANNING CONSULTANT Robert K Swarthout, Incorporated 2151 Livernois, Suite 320 Troy, Michigan 48083 400 South Dixie Highway, Suite 121 Boca Raton , Florida 33432 �TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Chapter 1 RESIDENTIAL AREA LAND USE POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ....................................................................................... 1.1 Chapter2 OFFICE, RETAIL and OTHER COMMERCIAL AREA LAND USE POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ....................................................................................... 2.1 Chapter3 URBAN DESIGN POLICIES for THOROUGHFARES with Related Data and Analyses ....................................................................................... 3.1 Chapter4 INDUSTRIAL LAND USE POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ....................................................................................... 4.1 Chapter5 THOROUGHFARE and TRANSIT POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ....................................................................................... 5.1 Chapter6 PARK and RECREATION POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ....................................................................................... 6.1 Chapter 7 PONTIAC CIVIC CENTER ANALYSIS and PRELIMINARY OPTIONS and CONCLUSIONS .............................................................. 7.1 Chapter8 GROWTH ENHANCEMENT POLICIES and DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL REPORT A Summary of Findings with Pertinent Policies ............................................................ 8.1 Chapter9 HIGHWOOD and SILVERDOME INDUSTRIAL PARKS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ....................................................................................... 9.1 Chapter 10 SILVERDOME STADIUM SITE LAND USE and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ..................................................................................... 10.1 Chapter 11 HISTORIC PONTIAC A Personal Architectural View by Edward D. Francis, F .A.I.A. ................................. 11.1 �TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE Chapter 12 CLINTON VALLEY SITE LAND USE and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ..................................................................................... 12.1 Chapter 13 DOWNTOWN LAND USE, URBAN DESIGN and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES with Related Data and Analyses ..................................................................................... 13.l Chapter 14 FUTURE LAND USE MAP and MAP POLICIES with Related Explanations ............................................................................................... 14.l ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ \ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ �Chapter 1 RESIDENTIAL AREA LAND USE POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses INTRODUCTION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Following this introduction, the chapter is organized into two main sections entitled "Residential Policies" and "Backgrowid Information." The residential policies are grouped into seven residential policy clusters. Each residential policy is stated as the topic sentence of a paragraph. The balance of the paragraph contains data and analyses which are related to the policy. The seven policy clusters are as follows: Cluster 1: Encourage New Residential Development Cluster 2: Protect Existing Residential Development Cluster 3: Help Meet Housing Assistance Needs of Low Income Residents Cluster 4: Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities Cluster 5: Policies for Specific Sites and Sub-Areas in Residential Planning Area 1 Cluster 6: Policies for Specific Sites and Sub-Areas in Residential Planning Area 2 Cluster 7: Policies for Specific Sites and Sub-Areas in Residential Planning Area 3 Residential Policy Cluster 4 is particularly important. It calls upon the City of Pontiac to prioritize its neighborhood improvement efforts based on one of five strategies which are detailed in individual Cluster 4 policy statements. Clusters 5, 6 and 7 provide policies which are particularly applicable to concentrating improvement efforts on Residential Planning Areas 1, 2 or 3, respectively. Clusters 5, 6 and 7 also contain policies which could well be applied city-wide whether or not revitalization efforts are to be focused on the Residential Planning Area with which they are associated. The "Background Information" section contains two important analytical maps and related explanatory material. The two maps are entitled "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas" and Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities." The first of theses two maps synthesizes a good deal of data about the character of the city's residential areas. The second map sets forth areas where five different revitalization policies might be appropriate. Although it contains policy recommendations, this map is considered background information rather than a policy document per se because it would be impossible to fully implement its policy suggestions within the city's resource limits. The additional priority setting called for in Policy Cluster 4 is required. Chapter 14 of this plan contains additional residential land use policies . The policies in Chapter 14 relate particularly to the Future Land Use Map. Page 1.1 �RESIDENTIAL POLICY C L U S T E R S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Residential Policy Cluster 1: ENCOURAGE NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT The city should set its sights on good quality single-family housing by tapping the private market potential which is within its reach. The primary thrust of this plan is to encourage new homes in the upper ranges of moderately priced units. The objective is to provide housing opportunities for the middle income population. A housing market study was conducted during the early stages of the preparation of this plan. The market study reported that new houses of 1,500 square feet on 65 foot lots could be delivered in Pontiac for between 15 and 20 percent less than the same size home and lot in Waterford or Auburn Hills. The study also pointed out ... "there are relatively few existing opportunities for large lot residential development in the city. While 8,000 to 9,000 square feet (say 70 feet x 130 feet) may be common in suburban areas, they are an exception in the City of Pontiac. Consideration should be given to the platting and development of a large lot subdivision by a public or quasi public body. The finished lots could be made available to custom home builders, initially at less than market prices." The new Land Use Plan has identified a corridor, primarily north of Walton Boulevard, with a small pocket just south of Galloway Lake, for residential use at five units per net acre. This area contains a considerable amount of vacant acreage parcels and affords the city the best opportunity in which to achieve this goal. Aggressive code enforcement efforts are needed in order to stimulate new housing construction as well as to protect existing housing resources. The existing housing stock must be protected from further decline not just for its own sake but in order to stimulate new construction. Past declines in maintenance standards for the existing housing stock has be a serious damper for new housing construction. Continued decline will be a serious damper for future new housing. Specific policies which the city should pursue in order to protect its existing housing stock are listed below and explained in detail in Residential Policy Cluster 2. The city should enact and vigorously enforce an inspection-on-sale program for all housing units, particularly owner-occupied units. 1 An "existing housing code" with somewhat lower standards than applicable to new construction should be enacted by the city as the standard for an inspection-on-sale program. I l The city should enact and vigorously enforce a periodic inspection program for all rental housing units. The rental inspection program should put speci~l focus on inspecting conversion rental units. The cost of inspections can and should be fully born by inspection fees. The city should vigorously enforce minimum standards for the upkeep of private yards. The city should set moderately high minimum area requirements for single-family lots in newly developed areas. Moderately large lots would give the city a single-family residential asset that will be increasingly rare in areas with higher land costs. This plan recommends a standard of approximately 6,200 square feet per lot for most of the city and a standard of approximately 8,700 square feet per lot in northern portions of the city. Page 1.2 1 �The city may, at times, accept single-family attached condominium housing in lieu of single-family detached housing. The residential market study conducted during preparation of this plan noted that the potential for new attached condominium housing is stronger than the detached single family potential. Two- and three-bedroom units ranging from 1,000 to 1,200 square feet can probably be delivered for five to 30 percent less than new low-priced starter single-family homes. Condominium associations offer assurance that maintenance standards will be uniform and acceptable to potential buyers. Quadraplex clusters or townhouse-type units are most likely to be desired. Stacked flat and apartment-type condominium projects are not likely to be successful. The city should be willing, as a matter ofpolicy, to make all required off-site infrastructure improvements necessary to realize new housing construction potential. The housing market in Pontiac is not strong enough to support off-site infrastructure improvements. New private market housing will not develop unless the city makes any necessary off-site infrastructure improvements. This policy commitment is intended as a commitment in principal, not a binding pledge. It is intended that the city weigh all relevant facts before committing to any specific off-site improvements to facilitate a particular housing project. The Pontiac Community Development Department believes that consideration should be given to using tax increment financing revenues for such infrastructure improvements, where eligible. The city should concentrate infrastructure improvements meant to stimulate new private market housing in carefully selected areas. Individual infrastructure expenditures designed to stimulate new housing should be coordinated with each other and should be coordinated with comprehensive neighborhood improvement strategies. Residential infrastructure expenditures could be concentrated north of Walton Boulevard where there are many prime locations for new owneroccupied development. Residential infrastructure expenditures could also be concentrated in key revitalization areas; vacant and redevelopment sites near Crystal Lake offer strong potential. The city should use Michigan's Blighted Areas Act to facilitate better land configurations for residential development. There are a number of parcels in the city which, if combined with neighboring parcels, would create larger tracts better able to accommodate desirable, market rate housing. Michigan's blighted areas act provides municipalities with the authority to condemn, acquire and rep lat such vacant land and then put it on the market for private development. The city should resist the development of less desirable uses on or near sites that have strong potential for owner-occupied residential development. Mobile home development and non-residential development should be resisted on prime single-family sites. In particular, mobile home and non-residential development should be avoided on the residential sites this plan designates north of Walton Boulevard. Such development should also be avoided on the residential sites near Crystal Lake and other desirable lakes. The city must use moral persuasion and information plus whatever economic clout it has to encourage lenders to appraise new housing based on comparable new housing sales rather than on older housing sales. New residential construction simply will not occur unless lending provides a reasonable proportion of the financing. As of 1989, a new home in Pontiac typically appraised for 25 percent below construction cost. This is partly because Pontiac is perceived as a relatively high risk housing market. It is also because there was at that time practically no sales of new housing. Moral persuasion should be carried out between the highest levels of city government and bank administration. Information can be provided to banks if the city would retain the services of an independent appraiser to monitor housing sales and report to banks Page 1.3 �on positive as well as negative trends. The city's econormc clout includes how it allocates its own banking business and how it can persuade others to allocate their banking business. The city should use its influence with the school board and other relevant decision makers to establish neighborhood schools and magnet schools as the norm in Pontiac, and to eliminate bus sing for the purposes of racial balance. Significant new residential construction simply will not occur unless people with the resources to exercise housing choice are more satisfied with Pontiac schools than they or current residents have been in the past. The need for neighborhood and magnet schools was very strongly expressed during focus group meetings with Pontiac residents leading to the preparation of this plan. Participants in these focus groups expressed dissatisfaction with bussing, which was perceived to have chased many desirable families , both black and white, out of Pontiac or at least out of Pontiac public schools. Neighborhood schools are schools attended by people living in the immediate neighborhood. The neighborhood school concept applies particularly to elementary schools. Magnet schools are schools which are open to and which attract students from the entire district because they offer a specialized or otherwise superior educational program. The city's property tax burden should be lowered. New construction of existing housing and private investment in older housing will be seriously retarded unless the city's property tax rate is lowered. An 81 mill rate was in effect at the time this plan was under preparation. This rate is greater than the market will support, in no small measure because the value received is not perceived to justify the cost. This is particularly so with respect to schools. The city must do all that it can to effectuate lower rates even though it is directly responsible for only about one-fourth of the overall rate. Infill housing is desirable when it is compatible in design and scale with the existing neighborhood into which it is placed. Pontiac has about 2,800 vacant lots. Most prospective home buyers will not pay new construction costs in older subdivisions. In the most desirable westside areas, compatible new homes can not be constructed for acceptable prices. Infill compatibility can be readily achieved in an area of well-kept bungalows. The city may, at times, accept new rental housing development in lieu of new owner occupied housing. This policy will enable the city to take advantage of existing market realities to attract new development. At the time this plan was prepared, the potential for new rental development was strong and expected to remain so for the foreseeable future . W oodcrest Commons and Bloomfield on the River have been renovated and\.eceived good market success. Their success indicates that better-quality rental developments can be accepted in Pontiac by middle-income households. Crystal Lake Apartments plus three north-end projects are expected to put 600 new rental units on the market by the end of 1990. Successful rental projects will be priced under the market of surrounding communities. Successful rental projects will be visible and accessible to employment and/or natural amenities. About one-fourth of the rental demand will come from the elderly. This demand can be satisfied with smaller units. Multiple-family housing development should be given priority in areas with the least potential for owner-occupied housing. The subdivision review process and the site plan review process should be used to help ensure good design of both single-family and multiple-family residential development. The subdivision ordinance should incorporate both quantitative and qualitative standards of subdivision design; all single-family detached and two-family subdivisions should be reviewed based on those standards. The zoning ordinance should establish quantitative and qualitative standards of site Page 1.4 �design for single-family detached and two-family condominium developments ; all such developments should be reviewed based on those standards. Finally, the zoning ordinance should establish quantitative and qualitative standards for all types of multiple-family residential and nonresidential development; all such development should be reviewed based on those standards. Qualitative standards are sometimes called discretionary standards. In Michigan law, qualitative or discretionary site plan review standards are standards which can be determined to have been fulfilled only by exercising discretionary judgment. Michigan law specifies that, if reasonable discretionary judgment determines that all qualitative standards have been met and if all applicable quantitative standards have also been met, then site plan a pproval must be granted . Residential Policy Cluster 2: PROTECT EXISTING RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT Protecting the substantial value in the city's existing housing stock is the most important and feasible housing policy the city can pursue. It is easier to protect the value of existing housing than to create new housing assets from scratch, at least from a long term perspective. In the short run, new housing can be built and existing housing rehabilitated, thus creating new housing assets. However, these assets will not be enduring unless the city is willing and able to ensure protection of its existing housing stock with appropriate code enforcement. Value is strongest in the west and north sides of town. A substantial number of homeowners have taken out home improvement loans in these areas , according to the housing market study conducted while this plan was in preparation. The city should enact and vigorously enforce an inspection-on-sale program for all housing units, including owner-occupied units. One of the ways to ensure maintenance of the existing housing supply is to require every house and apartment in the city to be inspected and brought up to code every time it changes ownership. An "inspection-on-sale" program requires periodic reinvestment in homes at the time when equity is freed due to a sale. Thus no one who has a home is forced out by a requirement to bring it up to code. A certificate of occupancy must be issued before a new owner can move into or rent a property. The certificate of occupancy is given only after the building has been inspected and found in compliance with all relevant codes. It is usual to allow seller and buyer to negotiate who pays for bringing a house up to code. Sellers who wish top dollar will get an inspection and make necessary repairs prior to negotiating a sales contract. They can then be issued a certificate of occupancy good for any new owner. The certificate of occupancy can be good for six months or a year. Prospective buyers then know that they can move in without another inspection. Alternatively, sellers can provide prospective buyers with inspection results and negotiate a sales price based on both parties expectations and estimates for the cost of the work. At the same time, it increases the willingness of owners to invest the money necessary to keep their house in reasonably good condition since it assures them that other owners in the neighborhood will be doing the same. Inspection-on-sale programs have been successful in other cities, including Detroit and Dearborn. An "existing housing code" with somewhat lower standards than applicable to new construction should be enacted by the city as the standard for an inspection-on-sale program. Many, if not most, of the city's older housing units were originally constructed to standards far below those applied by new construction codes. It is not feasible that these older houses be brought up to new construction code standards. The existing housing code should include minimal health and safety standards, standards which are less demanding than those of the city's new construction code. The existing housing code should include appearance standards that will ensure neat and well maintained exteriors and paved areas. Page 1.5 �The city should enact and vigorously enforce a periodic inspectio_n program for all rental housing units. Past efforts have been inadequate to prevent substant:ial deterioration in the rental housing stock. Therefore, it will be necessary to vas tly expand the scope of past rental inspection efforts . Every rental unit should be immediately identified by a survey of building permits, utility records and field conditions. Then every rental unit should be inspected each year. That means more inspectors will have to be hired. The cost of these inspectors can and should be fully born by inspection and/or rental housing licensing fees. Fees should be kept in a special ear-marked account, not in the general fund. The general fund should provide seed money to get the rental inspection program started. The rental inspection program should put special focus on inspecting conversion rental units. Conversion of single-family structures to multiple-family structures has produced serious housing problems. Many conversion units are way below current code standards and only marginally suitable to living requirements. They often receive inadequate ongoing maintenance which results in accelerated deterioration. Deterioration and overcrowding ultimately results in neighborhood decline. Therefore, it is particularly important that conversion rental units be identified and incorporated in a rental inspection program. A systematic field survey may be needed. Individuals, block clubs and community organizations should encourage residents to report conversion units. Building permit and utility records should be periodically checked to identify unauthorized conversions. Any change to an existing building which increases the number of residential units should be subject to special scrutiny to ensure that minimum housing standards are met. Something like the Federal Housing Administration's Minimum Property Standards, no longer thought necessary for Federal housing insurance programs , may be very necessary and appropriate for City of Pontiac rental units. The availability of large old homes in areas which are not desirable for single-family housing is a factor which stimulates conversion. Conversion is most prevalent in the two blocks around Wide Track Drive. Residential Areas 2 and 3 are where most conversion and rental unit maintenance problems exist. The cost of inspections can and should be fully born by inspection fees. It is not feasible to finance an inspection on sale program from the general fund. Nor is it possible to operate an inspection on sale program unless the proceeds of inspections are earmarked to cover all costs, including municipal overhead costs directly attributable to the program. A separate account should be established for on-sale inspection income and costs and periodic inspection income and costs. In no instance should inspection income be mingled with the general fund. The city should vigorously enforce minimum stanrt,ards for the upkeep of private yards. Yard debris and inoperative motor vehicles should bring a violation ticket to the owners and/or occupants of offending property. The city should establish a cooperative working relationship with landlords. Over 4,000 of the city's single-family housing units are rental properties. This represents high percentage of the city's entire housing stock. There is no way that the city can be a well maintained, desirable place to live if rental properties are not well maintained. One type of cooperative effort is the Pontiac Community Development Department's on-going program to facilitate rental housing upgrade by providing landlords with rehabilitation loan guarantees funded through the Community Development Block Grant. This program puts the city at risk to the extent of 50 percent of a loan, but leaves the landlord and bank both at risk to the extent of 25 percent each. Landlord and bank risk is necessary to ensure that sound rehabilitation investments are made. Other opportunities for the city to cooperate with landlords should be initiated when opportunities are identified. Page 1.6 'I I 'I II �The city should concentrate its rehabilitation assistance efforts _if they are to be fruitful. If this is not done, then the city's rehabilitation efforts will not stimulate the private investment so essential if Pontiac as a whole is to be revitalized. City government does not have the assets necessary to correct all housing and neighborhood deterioration . It never will. No outside assistance in adequate proportions will ever be available. In concentrating its rehabilitation efforts, the city must carefully select the areas where the efforts will bear the most fruit. All areas of the city are not equally likely to benefit from rehabilitation efforts. The quality of original construction varies throughout the city; the houses in some neighborhoods were built better than those in others. The extent of housing deterioration also varies throughout the city; more houses have deteriorated more severely in some neighborhoods than in others. The presence of neighborhood assets such as parks and desirable non-residential land uses varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. The ability of municipal government to improve neighborhood circumstances by augmenting positives and eliminating or reducing negatives varies from neighborhood to neighborhood. Finally, the city does not have nearly enough resources to correct all housing and neighborhood deficiencies. For all of these reasons, it is absolutely necessary that the city concentrate its rehabilitation assistance efforts in neighborhoods where they can be most effective. The Pontiac Community Development Department should, in consultation with the Mayor and City Council, select a strategy for concentrating rehabilitation and code enforcement efforts. Potentially effective strategies are diagrammed in the map entitled "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities" and the explanatory text that goes with it. The strategies set forth in this map were based on the analysis summarized on the map entitled "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas." This map and the explanatory text related to it can be consulted for further explanation of the recommended rehabilitation and code enforcement strategies. Federal Community Development Block Grant funds received by Pontiac should be used exclusively for residential and business rehabilitation and other vital neighborhood revitalization activities rather than distributed to sub recipients. The city has very limited Block Grant allocations. The 1989 allocation was 1.4 million dollars; subsequent years will be less. Concentration of Block Grant dollars for revitalization is necessary in order to help ensure their effectiveness. Distribution of Block Grant dollars among eligible but diverse activities will dissipate their impact. In some, but not all cases, large old homes should be converted to serve multiple-family residential use or non-residential uses. Many of the city's large old homes are located in the Seminole Hills subdivision and on local residential streets which are part of the Franklin Boulevard Historic District. These large old homes should be retained for single-family use because the introduction of multiple-family residential use in these areas would be detrimental. Some of the city's large old homes are located in the Fairgrove Historic District. Most of these have already been converted to multiple-residential use. This multiple-residential pattern may already be too well established to alter. Zoning regulations in the Fairgrove Historic District could allow two- or threefamily use, but with high minimum unit size requirements to help ensure good quality units that are consistent with the objective of preserving the historic quality of the district. Other large old homes are located on major thoroughfares and in neighborhoods which are not sufficiently desirable to support single-family residential uses in large structures which are costly to maintain and operate. It is not feasible to require single-family use of these structures. Two-family or three-family residential uses or even non-residential uses could be permitted in some of these locations. However, Page 1.7 �such use should be subject to carefully tailored regulation which protect the architectural integrity of the buildings themselves and the areas in which they are located. Site.design controls should ensure that adequate parking is provided, but not in front yards. Front yard parking should be prohibited because it is aesthetically incompatible with the overall architectural integrity of the site and building. When rear yard parking space is limited, uses should be limited to those which generate minimum parking demand. The intrusion of strip non-residential uses into residential areas should be avoided. The intrusion of strip non-residential uses into residential areas adjoining to the rear is undesirable and should almost never be permitted. Such intrusion usually manifests itself by construction of parking lots on formerly residential lots. In Pontiac, the need to expand strip commercial properties can usually be accomplished on adjacent sites fronting on the same thoroughfare as the use being expanded rather than on adjacent sites to the rear which front on a local residential street. On rare occasions intrusion of non-residential uses into residential areas may be necessary in order to accommodate the expansion of uniquely important employment and tax base assets. Then it should be permitted but regulated to minimize negative impacts. Residential uses should be appropriately screened from the non-residential uses. There are many areas where residential and non-residential uses abut each other or lie across the street from each other. Screening should be ensured by strong screening and buffering requirements in the Pontiac zoning ordinance. Figures 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 are conceptual illustrations of desirable screening possibilities. They are provided as examples, not as specific recommendations to be incorporated exactly as shown into the zoning ordinance. In addition to property line screening, trash receptacles and outdoor storage areas should be screened and kept neat. It should be possible to incorporate some maintenance and possibly screening requirements in a general ordinance from which no grandfather privileges would be available rather than in a zoning regulation from which grandfather privileges would be available. \ Page 1.8 -- - - -- --- ---- - �Figure 1.1 SCREENING OF RESIDENTIAL USES FROM LARGE-LOT, LOW AND MEDIUM INTENSITY NON-RESIDENTIAL USES ·----~ ·-··A·-·-·-·-·-·- PLAN OPTION 2 4 ~ ~ ELEVATION from RESIDENTIAL SIDE KEY: 1. PAVED and STRIPED PARKING. 2. CONTINUOUS CURB. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. ADEQUATE OVERHANG DISTANCE; MAY BE GRAVEL or PAVED. FIVE FOOT HIGH MASONRY SCREEN WALL. CONSTRUCTION DISTANCE if NEEDED. PROPERTY LINE SUGAR MAPLE (ten year height 23 feet; mature height 120 feet) or SIMILAR SPECIES. Page 1.9 �Figure 1.2 SCREENING OF RESIDENTIAL USES FROM SMALL-LOT, LOW INTENSITY NON-RESIDENTIAL USES .-:.-.·.-:.-:.-:.-.·.-:.·:.·.1 ·::,:.:-:-:-:-:-:-:•:-:·:-:-:-:·: i :-:·:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-: i ·:-:·:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:-:·:-:-:\ ::/\::::::::::::::::···::::::::::::\::::::::\::::::\:::::::::>l ........... ·.-:.-:::::::::::::.-:.-::, j I I ELEVATION from RESIDENTIAL SIDE KEY: NOTE: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. REAR YARD LANDSCAPING PROVIDED ON RESIDENTIAL SIDE. NO LANDSCAPING REQUIRED IN REAR YARD OF NON-RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY BECAUSE OF SMALL LOT SIZE AND REQUIREMENT THAT BUILDING DESIGN CONFORM TO NEIGHBORHOOD DESIGN STANDARDS. PAVED and STRIPED PARKING. CONTINUOUS CURB. ADEQUATE OVERHANG DISTANCE. AVE FOOT HIGH MASONRY WALL CONSTRUCTION DISTANCE if NEEDED. PROPERTY LINE. LANDSCAPED FRONT YARD. Page 1.10 �Figure 1.3 SCREENING OF RESIDENTIAL USES FROM LARGE-LOT, HIGH INTENSITY NON-RESIDENTIAL USES SECTION 80 feet ,: d '. ~, "~! .. ·'ml!~V'.'IPl,' . ~~- . ,. ELEVATION from RESIDENTIAL SIDE KEY: 1. BERM. 2. DOUBLE ROW of CANADA HEMLOCK, AMERICAN ARBORVITAE or SIMILAR SPECIES SPACED to CREATE CONTINUOUS SCREEN. 3. SUGAR MAPLE (ten year height 23 feet; mature height 120 feet) or SIMILAR SPECIES. 4. WELL MAINTAINED LAWN on ALL AREAS VISIBLE from RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY or PUBLIC RIGHTS-of-WAY and NOT OTHERWISE LANDSCAPED. 5. OTHER LANDSCAPE MATERIAL. Pagel.11 �Residential Policy Cluster 3: _ HELP MEET HOUSING ASSISTANCE NEEDS of LOW INCOME RESIDENTS City housing policy should be responsive to the housing needs of low and very low income households, but city housing policy should be primarily guided by a firm determination to make Pontiac a desirable place to own property for those households and businesses which can afford to pay property and other taxes necessary to support reasonable municipal services. Within Pontiac, the housing needs of a very large number of low and very low income households are met, but it will not be possible for the city to meet all the needs of such households. Attempts to do so through direct subsidy are obviously out of the question. Attempts to do so by relaxing property upkeep requirements are likely to discourage investment in property by those who can afford to keep it up and pay the taxes necessary to support reasonable municipal services. The following facts are relevant to this policy: A substantial proportion of the population of the City of Pontiac is unable to compete effectively in the market for new housing because of their low incomes. Nearly 54 percent of all households in Pontiac are classified as "Lower Income," i.e. having an adjusted household income of less than 80 percent of the area median income for a family of three. About 60 percent of the lower income households are classified as ''Very Low Income," i.e. an income less than half of the area median. While not all lower income households are inadequately housed, a substantial proportion of them are, primarily as a result of their limited ability to pay for standard housing. In 1980, of the lower income households in the City of Pontiac, some 32 percent (4,358) were categorized as having housing need. State wide, close to 39 percent of the lower income households were reported to be in need, so Pontiac households were somewhat more likely to be adequately housed. The city has seven percent of Oakland County's population, but 30 percent of its subsidized housing. There are approximately 3,600 assisted housing units in the city; these units amount to nearly 20 percent of the total number of units in the city. Since 1980, there has been an increase in total housing need in Pontiac. Also, the proportion of all lower income households with housing need has increased by 13 percent. In the short term future , it is anticipated that similar conditions will prevail. Since Pontiac has less than 13 percent of the lower income housing need in Oakland County, city residents are considerably more likely to be able to obtain a subsidized unit than their suburban counterparts. The number of new assisted housing units added to the supply in Pontiac since 1980 is approximately equal to t\ie absolute increase in need during the same period. Nevertheless, over the next five years, Pontiac will have to add an average of more than 80 subsidized units a year to maintain the same record of improvement. The rental inspection programs could have a negative impact on the lowest-income households because they will reduce the supply of the cheapest housing. It is desirable that the city seek to provide housing assistance for those households which will have their housing choices reduced by the program. However, it will not be possible for Pontiac to provide alternative housing for all of the very low-income households that may be affected by the rental inspection program or may otherwise need assistance. Page 1.12 - - - - -- �Trends in Housing Need 1980 Households 1988 Households 1993 Households 12,017 13,271 14,121 Total in Need Percent 4,358 36.2 4,927 37.1 5,352 37.9 Elderly Small Family Large Family 1,986 2,061 311 2,202 2,379 346 2,420 2,574 358 Total Lower Income Source: Development Research Associates, Incorporated In allocating limited resources to meet the housing assistance needs of low income households, substantial emphasis should be given to the needs of the low income elderly. The needs of low income elderly are expected to grow rapidly in the years immediately ahead. The elderly have roots in the community. These roots should be respected by providing, to the extent possible, standard housing within the city. An additional 100 assisted housing units should be provided for the elderly. These units are needed to meet the growing need for elderly assistance. Innovative use of private market units should be made to more fully meet elderly need. Programs of home repair, chore service and home health care may be the most appropriate means of addressing their problems. Residential Policy Cluster 4: NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT and REHABILITATION POLICIES and PRIORITIES The city will work to improve its overall residential quality by focusing neighborhood improvement assets according to one of five specific strategies, or a combination thereof. Subsequent to the adoption of this plan and pursuant thereto, the city should select and follow one or a combination of the following five strategies as the basis for prioritizing municipal neighborhood improvement expenditures : Neighborhood improvement efforts should focus on Residential Planning Area 1 because it has the best potential for improvement. Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on Residential Planning Area 2 because it might quickly deteriorate ifleft unattended and it might potentially revive if given concentrated attention. Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on Residential Planning Area 3 because it has Page 1.13 �Ill the most serious deterioration and socio-economic problems in the city. Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on concentrated neighborhood improvement sub-areas with historic resources. Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on concentrated neighborhood improvement sub-areas with high visibility. These strategies are described in detail in subsequent policy statement paragraphs. These strategies are based on the map entitled Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities. This map divides the city into different neighborhood improvement areas. Residential Planning Areas 1 through 6 establish the basic divisions. Areas 1, 2 and 3 require the most active public involvement to encourage private investment while areas 4, 5 and 6 require less active public involvement. The residential planning areas are themselves divided into improvement sub-areas. Improvement sub-areas include new residential development, concentrated neighborhood improvements, and on-sale code enforcement for owner-occupied housing plus periodic code enforcement for renter-occupied housing. Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on Residential Planning Area 1 because it has the best potential for improvement and its improvement can do the most for the overall quality of the city. Residential Area 1 has the best potential for improvement. Indeed, it is the key residential area in the city, at least insofar as Pontiac's overall residential viability is concerned. It is the key because it has a unique combination of assets and liabilities which make it particularly suitable for improvement. The assets outweigh the liabilities by a substantial amount, but the liabilities are of sufficient magnitude to pose a serious threat of spreading future blight. Major assets include substantial areas with a low frequency of building deterioration and substantial areas with a strong potential for concentrated neighborhood improvement. (See map entitled Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas.) The best housing is in the Seminal Hills subdivision. This well built housing has provided one of Pontiac's most important residential assets over the past several decades and it can continue to do so in the future. Many of the Seminal Hills homes have historic value. In addition to sound housing, Residential Planning Area 1 has other significant assets which include: Franklin Boulevard Historic District. Crystal Lake Apartments. In-fill housing potential in the Franklin Neighborhood Housing Services Area. Vacant land with residential development potential. Pontiac Municipal Golf Course. Beaudette Park. \ Crystal Lake Park. Planned Orchard Lake Boulevard improvements. Pontiac General Hospital. Future neighborhood shopping center potential. Pontiac State Hospital Site. Major liabilities in Residential Planning Area 1 include several small sub-areas with a very high frequency of building deterioration. (See map entitled Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas.) These areas are in close proximity to each other. They constitute the point about which the city's hope for a strong residential future could collapse. Deterioration could spread from these areas or they could be cleared to provide opportunities for redevelopment. Redevelopment potentials include new single-family homes like that being developed in the new Orchard Creek subdivision and non-residential uses. Other substantial liabilities in Residential Planning Area 1 include Lakeside Homes and Martin Luther King Terraces. Page 1.14 •Ill Ill Ill •II II • • • • • �Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on Residential P.lanning Area 2 because it might quickly deteriorate if left unattended and it might potentially revive if given concentrated attention. Residential Planning Area 2 contains a large number of substandard housing units and substantial environmental problems. Problems are most prevalent in the southern portion of Area 2 close to downtown. Residential Planning Area 2 also contains some housing assets , including two residential historic districts listed on the National Register, the Modem Housing Corporation Addition Historic District and the Fairgrove Historic District. In addition to these two historic districts, Residential Planning Area 2 includes another neighborhood in which aggressive code enforcement and rehabilitation assistance could bear fruit. The difficult planning problem with Area 2 is the question of priority for action. Area 2 offers a strong potential for success, just as does Area 1. However, the significance of success in Area 2 may not be as great as success in Area 1. Unfortunately, diverting the necessary resources to Area 1 for a period of years may result in further decline in Area 2. Area 1 may decline if it is left unattended while Area 2 receives the bulk of the city's revitalization resources and efforts. Both may decline if resources and efforts are split. Other assets include Aaron Perry Park, Oakland Park and the historic Oak Hill Cemetery. Adjacent uses are assets, particularly the rehabilitated two-family residential area on the northeast side of East Montcalm and the Pontiac Division Headquarters on the north side of Montcalm. Perry Street, a main artery through Residential Planning Area 2, is an attractive street, particularly north of Area 2. This is an asset for the area. Oakland Avenue, another main artery through Area 2 is very unattractive, thus a liability. Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on Residential Planning Area 3 because it has the most serious physical deterioration and socio-economic problems in the city. Residential Planning Area 3 contains the largest number and most extensive concentration of substandard housing and environmental problems in the city. Most of the substandard housing and most of the environmental problems are concentrated in the portion of Area 3 located west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. Residential Planning Area 3 also has some sound housing, most of which is concentrated east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. The best is the Oakland Homes development located between Michigan Avenue and M-59. Oakland Homes is a non-profit housing developer that builds and finances its projects. There is also a small core of sound housing at O'Riley Court on the west side of Residential Planning Area 3. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard functions as a major route through the city connecting South Saginaw and M-59, and linking Area 3 to Residential Areas 2, 4 and 5. Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on the concentrated neighborhood improvement sub-areas with important historic resources. This strategy can be justified on two grounds. First, historic districts are per se desirable candidates for renewal. Their intrinsic historic value makes them more likely to attract private reinvestment and thus highly susceptible to successful renewal efforts on the part of the city. Second, two of Pontiac's three residential historic districts are particularly good candidates for renewal. The Franklin and Fairgrove historic districts are in basically good condition and they are located near other residential uses and near nonresidential uses which are positive influences and thus would make good neighbors for a neighborhood receiving a concentrated renewal effort. Neighborhood improvement sub-areas with the most important historic resources are sub-area "a" in Residential Planning Area 1, the Franklin neighborhood, and sub-area "a" in Residential Planning Area 2, the Modern Housing Corporation Addition neighborhood. Sub-area ''b" in Residential Planning Area 2, the Fairgrove Historic District, presents more difficult revitalization problems because of its small size and the serious deterioration around it. These sub-areas can be seen on the map entitled Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities. Page 1.15 �Neighborhood improvement efforts could focus on the neighborhood improvement subareas with the highest visibility. Sub-areas with the highest visibility are those located along major arterials, including Huron, Orchard Lake, Oakland. Perry, University and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. An extensive amount of residential development fronts on each of these major arterials. Up-grading this residential development will definitely enhance the overall appearance of the city more than any other residential policy. It will also help encourage private investment in adjacent areas. Particularly benefited will be adjacent areas which have their own strengths. Fo r example, upgrading the residential development along Huron and Orchard Lake Road will benefit the Franklin Historic District and the Seminole Hills neighborhood. Residential Policy Cluster 5: POLICIES for SPECIFIC SITES and SUB-AREAS in RESIDENTIAL PLANNING AREA 1 Most of the policies set forth below stand on their own as sound planning actions which the city should undertake. However, they are particularly relevant to the policy of concentrating neighborhood improvement efforts in Residential Planning Area 1. The city should facilitate the expansion of the Orchard Creek Subdivision. The Orchard Creek subdivision is a new single-family neighborhood developed by Oakland Homes, a non-profit developer with a successful track record in Pontiac and elsewhere. Orchard Creek has 29 homes in its first phase. Subsequent phases are planned. At the time this comprehensive plan was prepared, most first phase units had been sold, some to families who could not qualify for the modest subsidy available from the non-profit developer because their incomes were too high. This success proves that Pontiac can be attractive to families with sufficient resources to exercise housing choice. Orchard Creek is the fulcrum for leveraging the construction of substantial amounts of new housing and stimulating substantial reinvestment in the maintenance and upgrading of existing housing. The Franklin Neighborhood Historic District should be the focus of comprehensive improvement efforts. This area has many fine historic homes suitable for residential use. In older cities throughout the country, such historic districts have led rehabilitation and renewal trends. Franklin is well placed to function as the leading area for a larger private rehabilitation trend. This is so because of its proximity to downtown, to Pontiac General Hospital and to other areas of sound housing. \ The Franklin Boulevard Historic District should be the focus of comprehensive improvement efforts. This area has many fine historic homes suitable for residential use. In older cities throughout the country, such historic districts have led rehabilitation and renewal trends. Franklin is well placed to function as the leading area for a larger private rehabilitation trend. This is so because of its proximity to Downtown, to North Oakland Medical Center (Pontiac General Hospital Division), and to other areas of sound housing. Furthermore, first class housing should extend beyond the limits of the historic district itself to logical neighborhood boundaries. Logical boundaries are the non-residential districts on the east, Huron Street on the north, North Oakland Medical Center and Johnson Street on the east, and Orchard Lake Road on the south. The refined Historic District Plan should set high "curb appeal" standards for homes in this area, and these standards should be implemented in the zoning ordinance. Housing conditions throughout the Franklin neighborhood must be first class if it is to successfully attract middle-income residents. Page 1.16 II II �The city should vigorously disseminate and utilize the Franklin Neighborhood facade study prepared by William Kessler and Associates. Property owners have already been contacted about this work by mail, telephone and in person. Presentations have been made to home owner groups. The whole process should be repeated periodically, perhaps annually. Planning Division personnel should be assigned responsibility for building vigorous resident involvement in the maintenance of historic standards. Critical to this initiative is the provision of adequate financing for those costs of historic preservation which exceed the costs of comparable standard rehabilitation. Additionally, general rehabilitation assistance should be made available to low and moderate income homeowners in this area. Community Development Block Grant (C.D.B.G.), as well as other public funds may be utilized for this purpose. The Franklin Boulevard urban design conceptual plan set forth elsewhere in this Comprehensive Plan should be refined in detail with the participation of residents and implemented, perhaps with T.I.F.A., D.D.A., and/or C.D.B.G. funds. In addition to the restoration/preservation of the historic buildings, the city should consider installation of historic street lighting, street trees, and other public improvements designed to maintain a higher standard than applicable to the city in general. Again, this higher standard could be financed by T.I.F.A, D.D.A, C.D.B.G., and/or the General Fund. The city should vigorously disseminate and utilize the Franklin Boulevard facade studies prepared by William Kessler and Associates and Kirk & Koskela Architects. Property owners should be contacted about this work by mail, telephone, and in person. Presentations should be made to homeowner groups. The whole process should be repeated periodically, perhaps annually. The city should provide an adequate commitment of staff support, particularly from the Office of Land Use and Strategic Planning, as necessary to build vigorous resident involvement in the plan refinement process, as well as in the maintenance of historic standards. A qualified and well managed non-profit de·veloper should be sought to build new in-fill housing in the Franklin Road NHS area. There is potential for new in-fill construction in the Franklin Road Neighborhood Housing Services area, an area bounded by Bagley, Rapid, Franklin Road , South Boulevard and the back lot lines of developments facing Woodward Avenue. This new construction potential could be realized if a qualified non-profit developer with a track record were to take an aggressive interest. It is important that the non-profit developer have a proven track record. Pontiac's past experience with inexperienced non-profit developers has not been good. Many other cities have had the same kind of negative experience with inexperienced non-profit developers. New residential development sub-areas within Residential Planning Area 1 should receive off-site infrastructure priority to stimulate new construction. Significant new residential development sub-areas are located in Residential Planning Area 1. These sub-areas are designated R-13, R-14, R-15 and R-16 in the maps entitled Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas and Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities. They provide an opportunity for the construction of new housing. Construction of new housing in these sub-areas should receive priority over all other new housing except expansion of the Orchard Creek subdivision. Page 1.17 �Beaudette Park must receive priority over other city parks in the allocation of maintenance and policing resources. Beaudette is one of the city's most attractive·and intensively used parks. It is an important asset for the west side of Pontiac and it can remain so, but only if it is well maintained and policed. • The Pontiac municipal golf course should be retained at its present location for the immediate future. At various times during preparation of this plan, consideration has been i;iven to redeveloping the north half of the golf course for quality market rate housing. Such redevelopment has been considered only in conjunction with development of golf course facilities at an alternate location, such as the Kennett Road land fill site. Although golf course redevelopment has been considered, it has not been adopted as a policy of this plan. Interest by Pontiac residents in maintaining a complete 18 hole golf course is too great at this time to do otherwise. Whether redeveloped in part or in total for housing or retained in full as an 18 hole golf course, the site is and will remain an important asset for Residential Area 1. Municipal ownership of the golf course is not necessary to preserve its use as a golf course. Residential uses should be appropriately screened from the non-residential uses. There are many areas where residential and non-residential uses abut each other or lie across the street from each other. Screening should be ensured by strong screening and buffering requirements in the Pontiac zoning ordinance. Figures 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 are conceptual illustrations of desirable screening possibilities. They are provided as examples, not as specific recommendations to be incorporated exactly as shown into the zoning ordinance. In addition to property line screening, trash receptacles and outdoor storage areas should be screened and kept neat. It should be possible to incorporate some maintenance and possibly screening requirements in a general ordinance from which no grandfather privileges would be available rather than in a zoning regulation from which grandfather privileges would be available. Pontiac General Hospital should maintain good buffers and screening between itself and its residential neighbors. Pontiac General is a community-wide asset as wel1 as a benefit to the neighborhood. It provides employment and generates a residential market in Residential Planning Area 1. Nonetheless, it should have an adequately buffered and attractive line of interface with its residential neighbors. The zoning ordinance now incorporates screening and buffering requirements intended to establish an appropriate interface between the hospital and its residential neighbors. Such regulations must be enforced and upgraded if desirable. The city should pursue prompt upgrading of Orchard Lahe Road. As of preparation of this plan, boulevard construction with median landscaping has been planned but not budgeted. It should be budgeted. This improvement is a very important part of a comprehensive strategy for concentrating improvement efforts in Residential Area 1. The city should pursue development of a neighborhood shopping center on Orchard Lake Road. There is potential for a future neighborhood shopping center on Orchard Lake Road. A well designed center with adequate parking and good landscaping and screening would be a real asset for the surrounding neighborhoods. An ideal location for the center would be on the north side of Orchard Lake Road between Green and Johnson where it could facilitate the redevelopment needed in this area. However, until the exact scope of the potential center emerges as a specific proposal, it should not be shown at a specific site on either the future land use map or the zoning map. Page 1.18 II �Residential structures on West Huron and Orchard Lahe Road should be on the fi,rst priority list for rehabilitation assistance. The homes on West Huron and Orchard Lake Road are important to the image of Pontiac as a whole and to the west side of Pontiac in particular. They are important because of the large amount of traffic entering and leaving the city by West Huron and Orchard Lake Road and because existing building and site conditions along these routes are already quite good. Planned boulevard improvements will make Orchard Lake Road even more attractive than at present. Residential structures on Telegraph, West Huron and Orchard Lake Road may be converted to non-residential use or raised and their sites redeveloped for non-residential use, but only in an orderly sequence commencing with an existing non-residential use. This means that conversion or redevelopment can be permitted for a residential structure next to an existing non-residential structure or use. However, conversion or redevelopment should not be permitted for a residential structure located between two residential structures. The Lakeside Homes public housing project should be sold and its client population should be accommodated at dispersed locations. Lakeside homes, like so many similar public housing projects around the country, is a liability for its neighborhood as well as for many of its tenants. Concentrating households with deep social and economic problems has not proved workable anywhere. It may be possible to rehabilitate the structures for a mix of market-rate and modestly assisted households. However, its current use might produce considerable market resistance if rehabilitation rather than redevelopment is employed. The Crystal Lake Park adjacent to Lakeside Homes has recently been upgraded with a new dam. Earlier dredging has made the lake increasingly attractive. Recently added viewing areas are a plus. Further improvements are needed to allow the park to realize its full potential. Such improvements should be coordinated with the conversion of Lakeside Hornes to other than public housing use. Inoperative vehicles and other environmental problems must be controlled on a priority basis in Residential Planning Area 1. At various times during preparation of this plan, environmental problems were observed in Residential Area 1. These environmental problems include inoperative motor vehicles, smaller items of junk in residential yards, and poor yard maintenance. They also include home repairs and improvements commenced, but left uncompleted for a substantial period of time. These environmental problems are not at all pervasive in Area 1 or any particular part ofit, but they did appear with modest frequency in the southeast part of Area 1. They should be combated with specific code prohibitions and vigorous enforcement. Area 1 should receive top priority for such environmental code enforcement. Page 1.19 �0 ,, = 8 N 0 Page 1.20 II �Figure 1.4 FRANKLIN HISTORIC DISTRICT and FAIRGROVE HISTORIC DISTRICT URBAN DESIGN CONCEPT PLANS Opposite Page Notes for Figure 1.4 Franklin Historic District: l. An entryway should be developed at key approaches to the historic district. The entryway could incorporate an architectural "gate," brick pavers and special landscaping. The architectural gate should be coordinated with the proposed architectural fence (see 2 below). The entryway concept is shown at Franklin and Huron and at Franklin and Orchard Lake. It is also shown at Pike and the east neighborhood boundary. 2. An historic architectural fence could be built to reinforce the distinct character of the district. The fence should be constructed with brick columns and iron rails and stiles. Existing fences should be the model for the proposed fence. The historic fence is shown along Huron from the east neighborhood boundary to Pontiac Central Hospital and along the Orchard Lake neighborhood boundary. 3. Ornamental trees could be installed to reinforce a distinct neighborhood character. Ornamental trees are shown along Huron from the cast neighborhood boundary to Pontiac Central Hospital and along the Orchard Lake neighborhood boundary. Ornamental trees are also shown along Franklin from Huron to Orchard Lake and along Pike Street from Franklin to the east neighborhood boundary. Ornamental trees could be extended along Pike to Wide Track Drive West. 4. The public infrastructure should be maintained in a first class condition along important historic streets. Priority should be given to street pavement, curb and sidewalk improvements along Franklin from Huron to Orchard Lake and along Pike from Franklin to the cast neighborhood boundary. 5. Brick pavers could be installed to highlight key intersections. Special intersection pavers are shown at Franklin and Pike and at Pike and Williams. They should be coordinated with entryway pavers (see 1 above). 6. Historic street lighting should be installed along Franklin and Pike. The light poles should be low in height. 7. "Woonerf" improvements could be installed in the residential sections of the neighborhood, particularly along Mary Day and Henry Clay. "Woonerl" is Dutch for "living street." A woonerf or living street is designed to be comfortable and attractive for pedestrians and those who just want to sit on a bench. Also, children should be able to play in a wooneifwith relatiue safety. A woonerfprovides for motor vehicle access to individual properties and it may provide extra on-street parking spaces, but is not a comfortable street on which to drive any great distance. Woonerfs in the Franklin Historic District can incorporate h1ick pavers, histonc street furniture and histonc street lighting. 8. Certain local streets could be closed to through trallic to help m:untam quietude and secunty. Closure possibilities are shown beyond the historic district limits in order to mcorporate immediately adjacent residential areas mto the residential part of the historic dist1;ct. The closure concept and specific closure locations should be evaluated by neighborhood residents. 9. Priority pavement, curb and sidewalk improvements could be extended along Pike between the east historic district boundary and Wide Track Drive West. So could ornamental trees and historic street lighting. The neighborhood "gateway" shown on Pike at the east neighborhood boundary could occur instead at Pike and Wide Track D1;ve West. The buildings and parking areas along the segment of Pike west of Wide Track Drive should be upgraded in accordance with appropriate historic design standards. One set of appropriate standards is given in the Downtown chapter of this plan. All or some of these approaches would strengthen the important link between downtown and the Franklin Historic District. 10. Franklin Historic District boundary. 11. Huron Street. 12. Orchard Lake Avenue. Fairgrove Historic District: 1. An entryway should be developed at Perry and Fairgrove. The existing vacant lot at this intersection could be acquired for this purpose. The entryway could incorporate an architectural "gate," brick pavers and special landscaping. 2. "Woonerl" improvements could be installed along Fairgrove. "Woonerf" is Dutch for "living street." A woonerf or living street is designed to be comfortable and attractive for pedest1;ans and those who just want to sit on a bench. Also, children should be able to play in a woonerf with relative safety. It may provide extra on-street parking spaces, which would be particularly important in Fairgrove because of the multifamily use. However, a woonerfis not a comfortable street on which to drive any great distance. The Fairgrove woonerf, if built, can incorporate brick pavers, historic street furniture and historic street lighting. 3. Certain streets could be closed to through traffic to help maintain quietude and security. One closure possibility is shown at Fairgrove and Saginaw. This would completely eliminate through traffic and concentrate all ingress and egress at Perry, which is, overall, a more attractive approach to the district. Other closure possibilities are also shown. The closure concept and specific closure locations should be evaluated by neighborhood residents. 4. Fairgrove Historic District boundary. 5. Perry Street. 6. Saginaw Street. Page 1.21 �Figure 1.5 WOONERF or LIVING STREET CONCEPTS for the FRANKLIN and FAIRGROVE HISTORIC DISTRICTS II lm: .IF· ·· ···· :::::::. ·.·.·.·.·.·.··. ······· ··· .. ··· ·· · . ;.-p,.......=--c (»'!""!'~ ~ ~ '--······· i ··- --~ ~ ~ ~ Page 1.22 :~ ... ··•··· i~ : �Residential Policy Cluster 6: POLICIES for SPECIFIC SITES and SUB-AREAS in RESIDENTIAL PLANNING AREA 2 Most olthe policies set forth below stand on their own as sound planning actions which the city should undertake. However, they are particularly relevant to the policy of concentrating neighborhood improvement efforts in Residentw.l Planning Area 2. The Modern Housing Corporation Addition Historic District should be the focus of comprehensive improvement efforts. This district contains well built homes with modest historic value. Though less impressive than the Franklin Historic District, it is still of sufficient value to lead revitalization of all of Residential Planning Area 2. Critical to this initiative is the provision of adequate financing for those costs of historic preservation which exceed the costs of comparable standard rehabilitation. Additionally, general rehabilitation assistance should be made available to low and moderate income homeowners in this area. Community Development Block Grant (C.D.B.G.), as well as other public funds may be utilized for this purpose. An urban design plan should be developed for Modern Housing Corporation Addition Historic District. In addition to the restoration/preservation of the historic buildings, the city should consider installation of historic street lighting, street trees, and other public improvements designed to maintain a higher standard than applicable to the city in general. These higher standards could be financed by T.I.F.A., D.D.A., C.D.B.G., and/or the General Fund. An historic facade study should be prepared for the Modern Housing Corporation Addition Historic District. The Facade Study prepared for the Franklin Historic District provides a model of the type of study that is needed for the Modem Housing Corporation Addition Historic District. Once the study is prepared, property owners should be contacted about this work by mail, telephone and in person. Presentations should be made to homeowner groups. The whole process should be repeated periodically, perhaps annually. The city should provide an adequate commitment of staff support, particularly from the Office of Land Use and Strategic Planning, as necessary to build vigorous resident involvement in the plan refinement process, as well as in the maintenance of historic standards. The Fairgrove Historic District should be the focus of comprehensive improvement efforts. This area has fine historic homes. They were originally designed as single-family structures, but now most have been converted for multiple-family use. It may be that the historic value of these structures coupled with a revitalization of the nearby downtown could lead to the reconversion of these homes for single-family use. However, it is not likely that city regulations can successfully facilitate or even force such conversion over the near or medium term. Zoning regulations in the Fairgrove Historic District could allow two- or three-family use, but with high minimum unit size requirements to help ensure good quality units that are consistent with the objective of preserving the historic quality of the district. Regulations should also ensure that multiple-family conversions have adequate parking and site amenities. Housing conditions on Fairgrove and on the immediately adjacent streets should be first class if property owners are to be encouraged to keep their structures in good condition. Page 1.23 �Critical to this initiative is the provision of adequate financing for those costs of historic preservation which exceed the costs of comparable standard rehabilitation. Additionally, general rehabilitation assistance should be made available to low and moderate income homeowners in this area. Community Development Block Grant (C.D .B.G.), as well as other public funds may be utilized for this purpose. The Fairgrove urban design conceptual plan set forth in this comprehensive plan should be refined in detail with the participation of residents and property owners and implemented, perhaps with T.I.F.A., D.D.A., and/or C.D.B.G. funds. The urban design conceptual plan is shown in Figures 1.4 and 1.5. It calls for the following capital improvements in the Fairgrove Avenue Historic District: entranceway features; historic street lighting; specially designed on-street parking areas interspersed with wide sidewalks and landscaping; closings of Fairgrove Avenue at Saginaw Street to keep non-local traffic out of the neighborhood. In addition, the refined historic district plan should set high "curb appeal" standards for homes and these should be implemented in the zoning ordinance. Streets, curbs and sidewalks should be maintained to a higher standard than applicable to the city in general. Again, this higher standard could be financed by T.I.F.A., D.D.A, C.D.B.G., and/or the General Fund. An historic facade study should be prepared for the Fairgrove Historic District. The Facade Study prepared for the Franklin Historic District provides a model of the type of study that is needed for the Fairgrove Avenue Historic District. Once the study is prepared, property owners should be contacted about this work by mail, telephone and in person. The whole process should be repeated periodically, perhaps annually. The city should provide an adequate commitment of staff support, particularly from the Office of Land Use and Strategic Planning, as necessary to build vigorous resident involvement in the plan refinement process, as well as in the maintenance of historic standards. Aaron Perry Park and Oakland Park must receive priority over other parks in the city in the allocation of maintenance and policing resources. These parks can be important assets for Residential Planning Area 2 only if they are well maintained and policed. Residential structures on University and Perry should be on the first priority list for rehabilitation assistance. The homes on University and Perry are important to the image of Pontiac as a whole and to the northeast side of Ponti a~ in particular. They are important because of the large amount of traffic entering and leaving the city by University and Perry and because existing building and site conditions along these routes are already quite good, particularly as they approach the city limits. Inoperative vehicles and other environmental problems must be controlled on a priority basis in Residential Planning Area 2. During preparation of this plan, substantial environmental problems were observed in Residential Planning Area 2. These environmental problems include inoperative motor vehicles, smaller items of junk in residential yards, and poor yard maintenance. They also include home repairs and improvements commenced, but left uncompleted for a substantial period of time. These environmental problems are most pervasive in the portions of Residential Planning Area 2 than in Area 1 and less pervasive than in Area 3. They should be combated city-wide with specific code prohibitions and vigorous enforcement. Residential Planning Area 2 should receive top priority for such environmental code enforcement, if it is to be the Page 1.24 •II Ill II II •II • �focus of a concentrated upgrading effort. Residential Policy Cluster 7: POLICIES for SPECIFIC SITES and SUB-AREAS in RESIDENTIAL PLANNING AREA 3 Most of the policies set forth below stand on their own as sound planning actions which the city should undertake. However, they are particularly relevant to the policy of concentrating neighborhood improvement efforts in Residential Planning Area 3. The area around O'Riley Court should be on the first priority list for rehabilitation assistance and for clearance of dilapidated structures. O'Riley Court is a short cul-de-sac on the west side of Residential Area 2. It was built as a redevelopment project in the 1960's. It contains just a few single-family homes, most of which are well maintained. O'Riley Court shows that a small enclave of good housing can survive near serious deterioration, particularly if designed as a neighborhood onto itself and if accessible to major thoroughfares. Pontiac's vigorous policy of condemning and demolishing nearby substandard homes has no doubt helped make more viable than it might otherwise be. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, Marshall and parallel streets just to the west should be on the first priority list for rehabilitation assistance and for clearance of dilapidated structures. Homes on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard provide a locus of stability for adjoining neighborhoods and an image benefit to the city. Many of the older homes are sound; some are particularly attractive and well maintained. In addition to sound older homes, new single-family homes were developed along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard just prior to preparation of this plan. These new homes are a potential asset for the neighborhood although they initially were not well received by the market. South of Auburn, Marshall (the first street west of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard) has many well maintained homes. North of Auburn, Marshall plus several other parallel streets to the west have well maintained homes. The city should continue to vigorously weed out seriously dilapidated structures in Residential Planning Area 3. For decades, the high concentration of substandard structures in the western portion of Residential Area 3 has been the object of Pontiac's most vigorous and extensive code enforcement efforts, particularly efforts to have unsafe structures demolished. The result is a high frequency of vacant lots and a corresponding reduction in the number of substandard structures. The city's demolition efforts have not yet run their full course. When they have, the resulting vacant property will be a neighborhood and community asset. The removal of substandard structures should continue by implementing the policies and priorities shown on the Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities Map. The city should pursue development of a neighborhood shopping center on Auburn Road. There may be potential for a future neighborhood shopping center on Auburn Road. This potential has been studied by more than one public interest groups seeking such an asset for the neighborhood. A well designed center with adequate parking and good landscaping and screening would indeed be an asset for the neighborhood. However, there is strong competition from supermarkets located just east of Opdyke Road and therefore the strength of the Auburn Road potential is uncertain. This uncertain potential should be accommodated by making policy provision for such a center, but not designating a specific site in either the future land use plan map or on the zoning map. Page 1.25 �The city should pursue the redevelopment of the area north of South Boulevard for industrial use. There are approximately two dozen homes east of Ma_rtin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard between the abandoned Michigan Air Line railroad right-of-way and South Boulevard. These homes lie in the center of some of the city's potential industrial land. The future land use map should provide for the redevelopment of these homes for industrial use. Zoning for industrial use should occur when there is a comprehensive industrial redevelopment plan ready to be implemented. Murphy Park should be scaled back in area in order to provide a new residential development opportunity and in order to facilitate better policing. At the time this plan was prepared, and for many years prior, Murphy Park had been a liability to the neighborhood. It was the locus of antisocial behavior, including drug dealing and drug use. A key part of the problem has been the secluded parking area which can be accessed from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, but which is not visible from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, or practically any public or private property. Murphy Park contains beautiful natural topography and vegetation. These assets have been used successfully for supervised, active recreation. However, Murphy Park contains more acreage than can be put to safe, supervised recreation use. This surplus acreage has residential development potential. This residential potential could be combined with adjacent vacant land on the north and east sides of Murphy Park. Some block faces on Auburn Road should be reserved for residential development rather than allowing strip commercial uses to be scattered along its entire length. There are examples throughout Oakland County of decent and, in some cases, very expensive residential development on major thoroughfares. Although recent single-family development experience on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard suggests that new strip residential potential is not strong on the east side of Pontiac, it is very possible that it will one day be feasible. Furthermore, it is even more likely that there never will be sufficient demand for commercial or other non-residential sites to absorb all or even most of the Auburn Road frontage. Such demand as there may be for additional non-residential use of vacant lots on Auburn should be accommodated on those block faces which already have a significant pattern of non-residential development. Inoperative vehicles and other environmental problems must be controlled on a priority basis in Residential Planning Area 3. During preparation of this plan, substantial environmental problems were observed in Residential Planning Area 3. These environmental problems include inoperative motor vehicles, smaller items of junk in residential yards, and poor yard maintenance. They also include home repairs and improvements commenced, but left uncompleted for a substantial period of time. These environmental problems are most pervasive in Residential Planning Area 3 than in any other part of ~he city. They should be combated city-wide with specific code prohibitions and vigorous enforcement. Residential Planning Area 3 should receive top priority for such environmental code enforcement, if it is to be the focus of a concentrated upgrading effort. RESIDENTIAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ This section contains two important analytical maps, identified as Figures 1.6 and 1.7, and related explanatory material. The two maps are entitled "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas" and "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities." The first of theses two maps synthesizes data about the character of the city's residential areas. The second map sets forth areas where five different revitalization policies might be appropriate. Although it contains policy recommendations, this map is considered background Page 1.26 • •II II II II II II II II II �information rather than a policy document per se because it would be ill].possible to fully implement its policy suggestions within the city's resource limits. The additional priority setting called for in Policy Cluster 4 is required. The two maps show the city divided into six Residential Planning Areas (RPA's). The area boundaries were chosen because they lie along major divisive elements such as railroad lines, major thoroughfares and substantial non-residential areas. All neighborhoods within each individual Residential Planning Area can be expected to share a common future of improvement or deterioration, depending on the overall level of public and private upgrading effort. Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas The "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas" map synthesizes data about the character of the city's residential areas. The data synthesized includes land use and building condition data. Both the land use and the building condition information was obtained from surveys completed by the Pontiac Planning Division and by the consultants for this plan. Pontiac Planning Division land use information dates from a comprehensive survey done in 1985 and updated periodically based on observations of the staff. Pontiac Planning Division building condition data dates from a comprehensive windshield survey done in 1976. The findings of this survey were updated by consultant surveys done during 1989 and 1990. The map indicates the following eight neighborhood development, redevelopment and rehabilitation areas, each of which is explained on notes which appear on the opposite page of the map: Very High Frequency of Building Deterioration High Frequency of Building Deterioration Moderate Frequency of Building Deterioration Low Frequency of Building Deterioration Strong Potential for Concentrated Neighborhood Improvement Neighborhood Assets Predominantly Non-Residential Areas Vacant Land with Residential Development Potential Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities The "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Policies and Priorities" map sets forth the following areas, each of which is explained on notes which appear on the opposite page of the map: New Residential Development Sub-Area Concentrated Neighborhood Improvement Sub-Area Systematic Code Enforcement to Remove Unsafe Structures and Other Severe Environmental Blight Sub-Area On-Sale Code Enforcement for Owner-Occupied Housing and Periodic Code Enforcement for Renter-Occupied Housing Private Sector Landscaping and/or Other Beautification Page 1.27 �R -~~------::~-~:t I ' -~ ;:-_:,_ --, ---" .·--=-= ·: ii=§] ·; ~· =~ - ,=-;, _,' . . '/ 1 ---1 ' \ · H1 ;rr=-;~;;, .: l,"r--• w I , I .- ··-•, ; _, _ 'I , · .:;::L....:.5 1--,-G ,_ I R 5: i I I I ,; 1, 1 I \ - \ ~-j 1 l ~m1u1 B I Page 1.28 1 Predominant! Y Non-Residential Area Vacant Land wtth . Residential Develop ment Potential �Figure 1.6 NEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT, REDEVELOPMENT AND REHABILITATION AREAS Opposite Page Notes for Figure 1.6 The "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehabilitation Areas" Map sets forth the following are as: Very High Frequency of Building Deterioration: In aggregate, homes in these areas are in the won;t condition in the city. Many of those in poor condition are of inadequate original construction, a circumstance which is particularly common in the southeast part of the city (RPA 3). Many of the homes have deteriorated to the point that they may be classified "substandard" or "major repair" structures. Substandard homes are so seriously deteriorated that the cost of making them sound would exceed the value of the property in sound condition. Major repair homes require substantial investment to bring them to a sound condition. Major redevelopment of areas classified "Very High Frequency of Building Deterioration" would be appropriate if funds for such redevelopment were available. Public investment in rehabilitation would not likely result in an overall upgrade of the neighborhood because the funds available would be inconsequential in proportion to the magnitude of the problem. Despite the overall high level of deterioration, some homes in these areas are in relatively good condition. These few homes can be classified as "minor repair" or "sound." There are even a few block faces where most of the homes are in quite good condition. Strong Potential for Concentrated Neighborhood Improvement: Areas so designated ulfor some promise for responding tu consecrated neighborhood improvement e fforts . Goud quality UJiginal housing stock coupled with moderate detenoratiun of some of the structures 1s the common basis for this classification. Neighborhood Asset: A. variety of sites are classified as neighborhood assets. Parks and lakes are classified as assets. The golf course and cemeteries are also classified as assets because they provide attractive open space. Certain major school sites are assets and so too is Pontiac General Hospital. Major assets provide a strung positive physical influence upon which neighborhood revitalization efforts can build. Predominantly Non-Residential Areas: These areas which 111-e not part of the residential fab1ic of the neighborhoods. They nonetheless can have an important positive or negative influence on neighborhood revitalization efforts. Vacant Land with Residential Development Potential: Not all land so classified need necessarily end up in residential use. However, the city will benefit from the expansion of a middle-class residential base. New development will obviously facilitate such an expansion. High Frequency of Building Deterioration: In aggregate, homes in these areas are very much like the areas classified as "Very High Frequency of Building Deterioration," but with a somewhat lower proportion of substandard and major repair structures. These areas are not good prospects for upgrading through rehabilitation assistance. Moderate Frequency of Building Deterioration: In aggregate, homes in these areas are in relatively sound condition. Substandard and major repair structures can be found, but they are closer to being exception rather than the rule. There are numerous minor repair structures. Private investment in these areas is substantial. Investment of public funds for rehabilitation might make sense in these areas because of their basically sound condition. However, there are insufficient public funds to 1-espond to all of the deterioration even in these areas. Their long term well being will depend on continued ptivate investment in upkeep. Low Frequency of Building Deterioration: In aggregate, homes in these areas need only minor repair or they are sound. However, there are some low substandard and major repair structures. Page 1.29 �- - - RI -- ~ Ra ~ ./ --:::.--·- - ~ - - - - __, - - - ·- - - -~- - - - R6 i_,,. 'L•. _... -1. ' ---------t •Rg ·= . I ·- - - - - - A3 __ ,,, • • • I ~ - ~. -1- · • .,. I Rs \..-, , t' .. :: ;_ ·-. - ... R7 -· Ra --'=---- I : ::J : I I I I - 'I'' ' I 11-.:...• I I. , ! ;.- - 6~ _,' : /. ·.-,-_ 3-1 '.-=-- -~•..:•'" -I I ' J• ·•:~•-: Ir /:_) .. , _. -···:(le;:, ·; ,·! Ru ; .. I _, • 1 ··-- · 1 I ) 8 11TW] l I ( 'oncentrutcd Ncighhorhood Improvements: Code Enforcement. llehabilitaiton Ass1stnncc. Neighborhood Capital Improvements !-,vstemnttc Code Enforcement to llemovc Unsafo Structures and Other Severe 1!:nvironmental 131ight I=- - 'I On-Sale Code 1!:nforccment for Owner-Uccuptcd Housing and l'e nodic Code l!:nforccmcnt for Rcnter-Occuptcd Housing Private ::iector Landscaping and/or Other llca uttlicat1on Page 1.30 '' I ' I \ �Figure 1.7 :'-IEIGHBORHOOD DEVELOPMENT. REDEVELOPMENT AND REHABILITATION POLICIES AND PRIORITIES Opposite Page Notes for Figure 1.7 The "Neighborhood Development, Redevelopment and Rehahililalion Policies and Prioril1es" map sels forth the following: New Residential Development Sub-Area: Siles shown fur new residential development are vacant land areas. Most have never heen developed. Ar()as here noted as R-15 and R-16 once accommodaled buildings which have now heen razed. Most of the new residential development areas were des1gnaLcd for low density residential development in the ?011.twc :1.000 Plu11. The areas here noted as R-11 and R-12 were designated as park land in lhe Ami we :I.IXJO l'/wi, lhey mdude land which is now part of Murphy Park and land Lo the nonh and east which is not now nor never was part of Murphy Park. The area designated R-15 was designated as park land in the Po11/iiu: :1.000 JJ!wL . The area noled as R-13 was designated for medium dens1ly development in the Pontwc :2.(XJO Pltm. The areas noted as R-4, R-5 and R-6 have poor soil and drainage conditions. These conditions may necessitate cluster dcvelopmcnl or a planned development configuration which blends singlefamily detached with single-family attached or even multiple-family development whilll leaving other areas as open space. Concentrated Neighborhood Improvement Sub-Area: Concentrated neighborhood improvement areas arc key arl!as for the revitalization of the entire city. They a1'l! the arnas in which most of the city's limited rchabililation and code enforcement 1-csourccs should he concentrated. Th()se areas should also receive priority in the allocation of neighborhood capilal improvements. Neighborhood capital improvements directed particularly toward these areas should indude: reconsl1uclion of substandard local st1'l!ets, curbs and sidewalks; modification of local streets and intersections to divert through trallic away from residential a1'l!as; and residential st1'l!el tree planting. Concentrated neighborhood improvement a1'l!as should be given prio1ity in the systematic code enforcement effo1t to rnmove unsafe structures and other severn environmental blight, even though these problems occur less fre4uenlly in concentraled neighborhood improvement arnas than in some other areas. Concentrated neighborhood improvement areas should he given prio1ily in the effo1t to inspect owner-occupied homes on-sale and the eff01t to inspect rental-occupied dwelling units periodically, at least to the extent that any primities a1'l! given in these programs. In theory, no p1ioritizing of these efforts should be necessary since they are intended to he city-wide programs financed from foes charged for inspections and licenses. Sub-Area: The;;e areas have Lhe lea;;t potential for 1mmeci1aw improvement. Housing conallions an, u, 0 severely cictenorawa lur ava1iahle n!hahilitation a.~s1stance assets to he used elfuct1vely. i\!o1'l! detenoralion and demoiILion wtil <,ccur nefore these areas hecome prom1smg prospects 1ur puhlic improvement expenciitures. fn the meantime, the most scnous envll'onmcntal blight must be addresseci on an ongomg hasis. This means that st1uctures which arc a threat to health and safoly must come down as fast as the city can complete the necessary due process µrocedUl'l!S. Puhlic rehalnlitat10n dollars should not he expended in these a1·eas. Other puhlic capital improvements should be avoided, except as necessary to o.:nsu rc minimum acceptahle levels of health and safoly or except as may be necessary and dirt.!clly related to efforts to improve concentrated neighborhood improvement areas. The area should he suh1ect to on-sale code enforcement for owner-occupied houses and pe1iodic code enforcemtJnt for rental propc1t1es. On-Sale Code Enforcement f,,r Owner-Occupied Housing and Periodic Code Enforcement f'or RenterOccupied Hou.,ing: The map designates this category for all areas of the c1Ly not designated m one oflhe three preceding categones. Actually, on-sale code enforcement and pe1iodic code enforcement should occur m all developed a1'l!as, as is noted in the discusswns ahove. On-sale code enforcement for owner-occupied st1uctures is Lnggercd hy the sale of an ownl!r-occup1ed properly. All properties for which there is no rental license issued arc considered owner-occupied. Every owner-occupied residential unit is inspected and brought up to code at the time its ownership changes. An "existing housing" code can be the ba.~is of the inspection program so that older homes do not have to meet the highest new housing standards. Pllriodic code enforcement of renter-Occupied units is intended to occur on an annual hasis at the time of rental license renewal. Inspectors must allocate some of their time to identifying unlicensed rental units and enforcing licensing re4uircments. It is expected that the full costs for hoth onsale and pe1iodic inspections and enforcement will be fully horn by inspection fotas. Inspcclwn fees are to he set aside in an earmarked account and not mingled with the general fund. In addition to on-sale and pc1iodic inspecl10ns of housing units. minimum standards for yard upkeep should he enforced. On-sale and pe1iodic code enforcement programs arc discussed in more detail in Lhe resid1mtial policies of the plan. Private Sector Landscaping and/or Other Beautification: Private sector landscaping and/or other heautilication is designated for areas where maJor nonresidential development is already located or anticipated. Such landscaping is needed to make the overall character of the city desirnhle for current and prospective residents. Sy.~tematic Code Enforcement to Remove Unsafe Structures and Other Severe Environmental Blight Page 1.31 �Chapter2 OFFICE, RETAIL and OTHER COMMERCIAL AREA LAND USE POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses INTRODUCTION-------------------------- Following this introduction, the chapter is organized into one main section entitled "Office, Retail and Other Commercial Policy Clusters." There are four policy clusters. Each pol' cy is stated as the topic sentence of a paragraph. The balance of the paragraph contains data and analyses which are related to the policy. 'The four policy clusters are as follows : Cluster 1: Provide Commercial Land to Serve Residents' Needs and Capture Markets Outside the City Cluster 2: Regulate Existing Commercial Uses and Guide their Expansion to Benefit the General Health, Safety and Welfare Cluster 3: Encourage Development of New Commercial Uses and Improvement of Existing Commercial Uses Through Special Capital Expenditures and Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Assistance Cluster 4: Encourage Improvement of Existing Commercial Uses Through Special Municipal Service Programs Chapter 14 of this plan contains additional office, retail and other commercial land use policies. 'The policies in Chapter 14 relate particularly to the Future Land Use Map. OFFICE, RETAIL and OTHER COMMERCIAL POLICY CLUSTERS _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Commercial Policy Cluster 1: PROVIDE COMMERCIAL LAND to SERVE RESIDENTS' NEEDS and CAPTURE MARKETS OUTSIDE the CITY Limit the amount of commercially designated land in small lots fronting on major thoroughfares to an amount proportional to the needs of Pontiac's population. The future land use plan and the zoning map should designate somewhat more commercial land than will actually be needed. This ensures competition and keeps the price of commercial land reasonable. However, the future land use plan and the zoning map should not designate vastly more commercial land than will be needed. 'The amount of commercial land in Pontiac and that provided for in past planning efforts is as follows: Developed commercial land already provides an adequate supply. There are over 600 acres in retail, office and service commercial uses. This amounts to about five percent of the city's total land area and eight to nine acres of commercial land per 1,000 population. 'This supply is within the "normal" range, that is the range within which most cities fall . However, in addition to its own commercial land area, Pontiac is served by Summit Place and Miracle Mile, both just outside the city limits . Auburn Mills, a new regional mall with approximately 2,000,000 square feet of gross lea sable acres, is being developed on a 220 acre site off I-75 Page 2.1 �between Baldwin and Perry. Additional related retail facilities are expected to be developed on out parcel. According to the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments' Regional Impact Review, this center will be a "value oriented" discount retail and entertainment complex with a 40-mile trade radius. It will be only the third of its type known to exist in the country. A small part of the site will fall within the City of Pontiac. The rest will lie just north of Pontiac in the City of Auburn Hills. Past planning concepts considered by the city provide excessive commercial land. Commercial land use designations set forth in the Pontiac 2000 Plan and the unadapted plan of the mid 1980's overreached the city's commercial potential. Commercial land designations for the unadapted plan of the mid 1980's totaled 908 acres exclusive of the downtown and exclusive of the 50 acre Oakland Point shopping center which subsequently developed at the northeast corner of Telegraph and Elizabeth Lake Road. This amounts to almost 13 acres per 1,000 population and over seven percent of the city's total land area, both very high ratios. There is no reason to believe that these ratios are sustainable, given the limited spending power of Pontiac residents and the difficulty that Pontiac sites will have attracting retail and office uses in the very competitive Oakland County market. The benefits for limiting commercially designated land are as follows: Avoid mixing commercial uses with vacant land. An excessive supply of commercial land may result in commercial uses being thinly scattered among vacant lots which may not develop because they are less attractive for residential use than they would be if they did not have commercial neighbors, and there is insufficient demand from non-residential use. Avoid mixing commercial uses with residential uses. An excessive supply of commercial land may also result in commercial uses being thinly scattered among residential uses, for which they will not make good neighbors. When commercial uses are clustered together, the amount of interface between commercial and residential uses is minimized. Maximize the impact of positive developments. Changes in the building environment come slowly. The strip commercial pattern observed by the Pontiac 2000 Plan did not change during the 1980's. It is very possible that it will not change much during the next 10 to 20 years. Yet despite the persistence of urban form over time, change does occur. Old buildings and uses are abandoned and new ones spring up. This process can be better managed for the benefit of the city if the available locations for new development are more limited than they have been in the recent past. The result of excessive supply of commercial land is that such new development as does occur is so scattered that it has no real impact on any one area. Its benefits are swamped by the liabilities of the areas in which it locates. \ Take advantage of suburban commercial development potentials at the peripheries of the city. The most important new commercial development in and around Pontiac orients itself away from the city. Oakland Pointe shopping center is built on the edge of the city and is named for the County, not the city. Across Telegraph, Pontiac Mall made major improvements and changed its name to Summit Place. To the north, the proposed manufacturer's mall is initially planned with its storm water retention facilities within the city limits and its building outside the city limits. It is oriented to I-75 traffic, not traffic which will flow through the city. To the east, extensive office development is taking place in the Oakland Technology Park; the area will be home to the newly developed Chrysler Technology Center and many other office and technology-based businesses. Reject requests from property owners for "spot" commercial zoning unrelated to specific policy objectives of this plan. Such spot commercial zoning is illegal under Michigan zoning case Page 2.2 �law because it is done for the benefit of the individual property owner rather than for the general health, safety and welfare in conformance to a comprehensive land use:Strategy. [See Clan Crawford, Michigan Zoning and Planning, 3rd Edition; Institute for Continuing Legal Education, University of Michigan, 1988; page 237.] The benefits for rejecting spot commercial zoning requests are as follows: Avoid mixing commercial uses with vacant land. Spot commercial zoning can result in commercial uses being thinly scattered among vacant lots which may not develop because they are less attractive for residential use than they would be if they did not have commercial neighbors, and there is insufficient demand from non-residen tial use. Avoid mixing commercial uses with residential uses. Spot commercial zoning can also result in commercial uses being thinly scattered among residential uses, for which they will not make good neighbors. When commercial uses are clustered together, the amowit of interface between commercial and residential uses is minimized. Maximize the impact of positive developments. Changes in the building environment come slowly. The strip commercial pattern observed by the Pontiac 2000 Plan did not change during the 1980's. It is very possible that it will not change much during the next 10 to 20 years. Yet despite the persistence of urban form over time, change does occur. Old buildings and uses are abandoned and new ones spring up. This process can be better managed for the benefit of the city if the available locations for new development are limited to those which are predesignated in conformance with an overall strategy rather than in response to the potentials of the moment. The result of spot commercial zoning is that such new development as does occur is so scattered that it has no real impact on any one area. Its benefits are swamped by the liabilities of the areas in which it locates. Commercial Policy Cluster 2: REGULATE EXISTING COMMERCIAL USES and GUIDE THEIR EXPANSION to BENEFIT the GENERAL HEALTH,SAFETYandWELFARE Do not permit the intrusion of strip commercial uses into residential areas. The intrusion of strip commercial uses into residential areas adjoining to the rear is generally undesirable, but sometimes necessary in order to accommodate expansion of important employment and tax base assets. Such intrusion usually manifests itself by construction of parking lots on formerly residential lots. In Pontiac, the need to expand strip commercial properties can often be accomplished on adjacent sites fronting on the same thoroughfare as the use being expanded rather than on adjacent sites to the rear which front on a local residential street. Similarly, the city might consider conversion of residential structures located along major thoroughfares such as North Telegraph Road, Baldwin Avenue, North Perry Street and University Drive, to non-residential use or their demolition and redevelopment for non-residential use, but only in an orderly sequence commencing with an existing non-residential use. This means that conversion or redevelopment can be permitted for a residential structure next to an existing non-residential structure or use. However, conversion or redevelopment should not be permitted for a residential structure located between two residential structures. Review and revise as may be necessary the zoning regulations which set commercial on-site parking and loading standards. These standards have been in place for over ten years. The Pontiac 2000 Plan identified a need for more rigorous standards. The Planning Division believes that need still exists based on the experience of the past ten years. Page2.3 �Review and revise as may be necessary the zoning regulations which govern adult entertainment uses. Adult entertainment regulations were enacted several years prior to preparation of this plan. These regulations require adult entertainment uses to be dispersed rather than congregated in close proximity to one another. This dispersal strategy is based on experience which has shown that the concentration of adult entertainment uses can have a blighting influence on nearby uses, both residential and non-residential. This experience has been documented by the City of Detroit. Based on the City of Detroit documentation , the Supreme Court of the United States upheld Detroit's dispersal requirement. The City of Pontiac should evaluate how well its dispersal regulations have worked since enactment and consider whether or not refinements are necessary. It may be desirable and reasonable to enact refinements which explicitly exclude adult uses from certain key areas of the city, for example, in the downtown area and along the most heavily traveled, image-important thoroughfares such as Huron Street, Orchard Lake Road and South Saginaw. However, it would most likely be unconstitutional to explicitly exclude such uses from the city as a whole or even to enact regulations which had that effect without doing so explicitly. Review and revise as may be necessary zoning regulations governing site plan review; site plan review regulations should include discretionary standards which allow the city condition approval of commercial site plans upon a discretionary determination that they incorporate sound site design principles. The principles incorporated in discretionary site plan review standards should address : 1) the internal arrangement of buildings and other site design elements and 2) the relationship of site design elements to surrounding land uses and the public street system. Provision should be made for considering the location of curb cuts and the impact of future street widening on site layouts. Review and revise as may be necessary zoning regulations governing building and parking setbaclls for commercial and other non-residential buildings and the width of landscaped buffer strips. In general, setbacks and landscaped buffer strips should be greater on major thoroughfares which carry heavy traffic volumes, although more intensive screening and landscaping can serve in lieu of greater setbacks. Setbacks on thoroughfares which may be widened in the future should be sufficient to leave a workable site after widening, but they should not be based on an envisioned future right-of-way because to do so might constitute a taking of property without compensation. Develop Specific Plans to govern and coordinate development and redevelopment along major thoroughfares and in other key areas; incorporate such plans in the city's zoning regulations either directly or by reference with prevision for enforcement via the site plan review process. Efficient development and redevelopment of small commercial parcels usually requires that development on adjacent parcels be coordinated. Specific plans provide a mechanism for accomplishing such coordination. They are less detailed than site plans, but more detailed than traditional zoning regulations. While traditional zoning regulations typically establish minimums or maximums for building setback, building height, parking spaces and landscaping, specific plans may establish the exact location of front facades, the exact location of pedestrian circulation ways, the exact location of automobile circulation isles linking adjacent properties and the placement of curb cuts. Specific plans should be worked out at the expense of the city, but in cooperation with property owners and they should be adopted following one or more public hearings. They may be implemented through site plan review provisions of the zoning ordinance, but this practice may be an innovation in Michigan, an innovation which is as yet untested in state appellate courts. In lieu of implementation of specific plans via the site plan review process, they can be implemented by the acquisition of limited property rights, either through voluntary sale or condemnation. Such acquisition might be an eligible block grant expenditure. Page 2.4 �Utilize on-street parking as a buffer between thoroughfares and sidewalks with heavy pedestrian traffic potential, provided that such on-street parking does not seriously impede essential traffic flow. On-street parking was once viewed as undesirable because it impedes the flow of traffic in two ways: 1) it reduces the amount of thoroughfare width available for traffic movement, and 2) it causes friction between through traffic and vehicles turning into and out of onstreet parking spaces. By the time this plan was prepared, a very substantial body of professional opinion held that on-street parking provides a desirable buffer between pedestrians and heavy traffic. This professional opinion is the basis for this policy. Enact more restrictive appearance controls so that future convenience food stores are more attractive neighbors for residential uses. Appearance controls should address the following issues: 1. Restrictive sign controls should be enacted and enforced. Sign controls should limit the size and number of temporary and permanent window signs. Temporary outdoor signs should be prohibited. 2. Garish paint should be prohibited. Figure 2.1 of this plan includes a color chart which suggests the range of colors that could be permitted and prohibited. However, it is not the intention of this plan to finally establish that range. Enactment of a specific approved color range should follow a special public review process including public hearings. 3. Site and building maintenance should be required as a condition for the renewal of business licenses. 4. Architectural design controls should make building bulk more compatible with adjacent homes. 5. Parking should be provided, where possible and where not likely to bring excessive traffic into a residential area. 6. Unattractive features of buildings and sites should not be exposed to view from public ways or from adjacent houses. Code enforcement should be tied to business occupancy certificates and business licenses in order to upgrade strip and other commercial areas. Occupied, but poorly maintained commercial buildings are a significant condition and cause of blight in Pontiac. Buildings which are unsafe should be condemned. Buildings which are a blighting influence because of poor maintenance should be upgraded. Property owners should be pursued with the full force of the law. Upgrading can be forced on existing properties by making them subject to building and property maintenance codes. Inspections can be made: 1. Prior to issuing certificates of occupancy for new owners and tenants, 2. Prior to issuing or renewing occupational and business licenses, and 3. Periodically, for example, annually or semiannually. The cost of inspections should be fully born by the businesses which seek the certificates of occupancy of business licenses. An occupational or business license can be required in order to use a Page 2.5 �retail or office building to "warehouse'' or otherwise store goods. This will enable the city to force better upkeep of buildings which are boarded up. The problem of business appearance is discussed in detail in the section of this plan entitled ''Thoroughfare Urban Design." • • Vacant commercial buildings should be subject to the same upkeep requirements as occupied buildings and structures which are not maintained should be razed. Vacant, poorly maintained commercial buildings, many of which are obsolete, are a significant condition and cause of blight in Pontiac. Buildings which are a blighting influence because of poor maintenance should be upgraded. Property owners should be pursued with the full force of the law. Upgrading can be forced on existing properties by making them subject to building and property maintenance codes. Inspections can be made on a systematic basis with inspectors initially concentrating on areas which will reinforce housing and neighborhood improvement priorities. The cost of inspections could come from fees charged for business licenses, if the city attorney thinks that such a funding approach would be reasonable. If not, the cost of inspections should come from the general fund or from any of various special funds such as appropriate tax increment financing funds. Continue to study amortization of certain non-conformities as a means for improving the commercial environment of Pontiac. In calling for the amortization of non-conforming uses, the Pontiac 2000 Plan recognized that substantial improvement to the viability and appearance of Pontiac commercial districts will require the removal of many blighting commercial uses. Unfortunately, amortization is still not an available option under current Michigan zoning case law. The Michigan Supreme Court has ruled that amortization is not permissible, not because it is unconstitutional, but because cities lack the statutory authority. [See Clan Crawford, Michigan Zoning and Planning, 3rd Edition; Institute for Continuing Legal Education, University of Michigan, 1988; page 12.] If Pontiac decides to substantially upgrade its appearance in a reasonable amount of time, it could mount a serious lobbying effort to convince the State Legislature to add at least a limited amortization authorization to the zoning tool box. Amortization could be most effective if applied to eliminate inappropriate land uses. It could also be very effective even if applied only to eliminate certain undesirable characteristics of uses, such as: 1. Excessive signage; 2. Clutter building materials and garish paint; 3. Unscreened or inadequately screened dumpsters; 4. Unscreened or inadequately screened outdoor storage; 5. Inadequate parking; 6. Unpaved and uncurbed parking areas; 7. Inadequate landscaping. Page 2.6 \ • �Commercial Policy Cluster 3: ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT of NEW COMMERCIAL USES arid IMPROVEMENT of EXISTING COMMERCIAL USES THROUGH SPECIAL CAPITAL EXPENDITURES and REHABILITATION and REDEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE Invest public funds in public streetscape improvements, but only in the downtown and on major traffic routes where the private business environment is sound and in reasonably good physical condition; utilize no maintenance or low maintenance improvements. The improvements referred to include special street and sidewalk paving, street furniture, median and right-of-way landscaping and similar improvements. Over the past decade, the city made a major investment in such public streetscape improvements on South Saginaw. The investment was made in an area with substantial blight, including many vacant and boarded up and marginally utilized buildings. The investment did not result in a revitalization of the business climate or a reversal of blight, and they deteriorated rapidly. This is almost universally the experience of other cities which have attempted to upgrade a derelict area with cosmetic public infrastructure improvements. Cosmetic improvements, no matter how costly, simply will not work unless the receiving area is simultaneously the subject of substantial private investment attention. (If the receiving area is the subject of private investment interest, then public improvements may be necessary to bring it forth , but cosmetic improvements alone will not stimulate the interest when it does not otherwise exist.) Since the city has limited assets for cosmetic improvements, it must invest where its resources will do the most good. Investments in key portions of the downtown are likely to meet this test. Investments on West Huron are also likely to do much good. South Saginaw would have been better served by the razing of one or two derelict buildings than by the kind of expensive streetscape improvements which it received. Make rehabilitation loans and/or grants to business property owners, but only: 1) in the downtown development authority area and downtown in general, 2) in tax increment finance authority areas, 3) on major traffic routes where the private business environment is sound and good looking, and 4) in strategic thoroughfare residential areas where one or two loans or grants will eliminate serious appearance problems or blight. At the time this plan was prepared, it was expected that the city might be able to provide very limited assistance for the rehabilitation of business properties. Community Development Block Grant funds may be available for areas and activities which qualify. Other funding sources might include tax increment finance authority funds, Economic Development Administration funds and Department of Commerce funds. These funds could be utilized to revitalize some existing neighborhood strip commercial areas. If used strategically, they might generate private investment in a three to one private-public ratio. Such a ration will be necessary if the effort is to prove worthwhile. No single funding source or combination of funding sources will provide sufficient resources to do all that needs to be done. Thus, publicly assisted commercial redevelopment achievements cannot possibly make a major improvement in the overall quality of Pontiac's physical environment. Therefore, it is absolutely essential to target such funds where they will do the most good. The central business district, West Huron and Orchard Lake Road offer the best potentials at the time of plan preparation. Other opportunities might materialize over the mid range future. Page2.7 �:,Iost Acceot:ible Colors •68 us Least Acceptable Colors :S1.,'YBERS C'IDICATE PANTO:-."E /R\ COLOR CODE DESIGNATION High Contrast Unacceptable -.-.~~- --r,,, ,_...~~ .· . . , ~"'J,..T-"'!t: Convenience Store Improvement Concept . ,.,.,..,,, ::""\'••: •... - - -:::.::~. · -- · -_:. :t~~·=.. r.v.-~r. .:~/ --·\. / ...... I I t-"",~ail:J--_=:1.-i-.L..:,_--.-===~~~~~:::::...·,_ 1 --==r--. -~~ /- ~ iff1 . ._, b:== ·' ---- Page 2.8 0 9 I �Figure 2.1 SUGGESTED RANGE of PERMITTED and PROHIBITED COLORS for Convenience Stores and Other Commercial Uses Opposite Page Above Figure 2.2 CONVENIENCE STORE IMPROVEMENT CONCEPT an example based on the photograph in Figure 2.1 Opposite Page Below 1) Remove plywood window areas and replaced with break resistant Plexiglass. 2) Remove front signs and replace with one facia mounted sign naming the store and several discrete, coordinated window signs identifying products and announcing specials . 3) Install canvas awning for appearance and to conceal roll-up security shutters for front windows . 4) Replace cyclone fencetype security gate with iron rail and stile-type gate that can open into roofed over front ''vestibule." 5) Remove paint from front facade to reveal original brick or repaint facade the color of the original brick. 6) Repaint side facade the color of the front facade. 7) Re-size side wall sign and place it to coordinate with architecture, i.e. place it ''breathing'' distance behind the brick-concrete block joint and align the top and bottom with the top of awning and the bottom of the front windows. 8) Provide paved, on-site parking spaces behind low screen wall if there is adequate site area. 9) Provide paved parking space in the right-of-way if there is not adequate area for on-site parking. Page 2.9 �Commercial Policy Cluster 4: ENCOURAGE IMPROVEMENT of EXISTING COMMERCIAL USES THROUGH SPECIAL MUNICIPAL SERVICE PROGRAMS Encourage owners of existing convenience stores to voluntarily improve the appearance of their properties in compliance with new zoning regulations. Encouragements should include the following mnnicipally financed activities: 1. At city expense, prepare individual building improvement plans and site improvement plans with cost estimates and present these plans to convenience store owners. An example of a convenience store improvement concept appears in Figure 2.2. Other suggestions appear in Figures 3.8 through 3.11. 2. Invite convenience store owners and managers to periodic special lnncheons and /or dinners hosted by the Mayor. Make these occasions pleasant for the guests while using them as an opportnnity to lobby for upgraded appearance. 3. Have the Mayor give annual , semi-annual or other periodic awards for the best appearing convenience store or stores in the city. 4. Have the Planning Division and/ or the city's Director of Publicity prepare press releases praising award winners and explaining the appearance standards to which the city aims. 5. Have the Planning Division monitor appearance of each convenience store in the city and use this information in making awards and preparing press releases. Cooperate with businesses seeking additional parking by developing municipal parking lots supported by special assessment districts. It is sometimes possible to provide parking for more than one business in a separate parking located within easy walking distance of all the businesses served. Acquisition of land and construction of parking facilities can be financed by a special assessment against the business properties which would benefit. Cooperate with businesses wishing to expand by vacating streets, alleys and municipal easements, where possible. Sometimes, expansion of commercial properties can be accomplished to its full potential by vacating alleys or mnnicipal easements. Sometimes such vacations are necessary to provide continuity between two separate properties which must be assembled in order to facilitate desired expansion. The city should cooperate by vacating rights-of-way and easements that are not absolutely necessary to effective traffic fl~w or other essential public purposes. Cooperate with businesses seeking better security by coordinating municipal policing with private policing. Mnnicipal police services will never be able to provide all the policing desirable in an urban environment. Some businesses will want to secure private police services to supplement municipal services. Public and private police services should be coordinated provided that coordination does not involve inequitable distribution of public police services. Page 2.10 • �Figure 2.3 DESIRABLE SCREENING for OUTDOOR STORAGE AREAS \ \\ 5 OR 6 FOOT MASONRY WALL FRONT YARD 1- w w a: I- "' a: 0 z :E NOTE: WHEN SITE SIZE PERMITS, DUMPSTERS SHOULD BE PLACED in REAR DELIVERY AREAS SCREENED with 5 or 6 FOOT HIGH MASONRY WALLS. IF THE ANGLE of VISION FROM STREETS and NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES to DUMPSTERS IS SMALL, then NO GATE NEED BE REQUIRED. WHEN DUMPSTERS ARE PLACED in SIDE or FRONT YARDS, THEY SHOULD BE SCREENED with A 5 or 6 FOOT MASONRY WALL and a GATE. THE GATE SHOULD FACE AWAY from MAJOR STREETS. MAJOR STREET Page 2.11 �Chapter3 URBAN DESIGN POLICIES for THOROUGHFARES.......;..__ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses INTRODUCTION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Following this introduction, the chapter is organized into two main sections entitled "Background Information" and "Urban Design Policies for Thoroughfares." The "Background Information" section explains that all cities have both urban design assets and liabilities. It points out that Pontiac has substantial assets, but also very significant problems. Finally, it cites research work done which shows that, although aesthetics is generally believed to be a matter of individual taste, there are a number of urban design aesthetic preferences that are so widely held and recognized that they must be given great weight in planning. The "Policies" section groups policies into three clusters. Each policy is stated as the topic sentence of a paragraph. The balance of the paragraph contains data and analyses which are related to the policy. The three policy clusters are as follows : Cluster 1: Enact Regulations which can Help Eliminate Pontiac's Major Urban Design Liabilities Cluster 2: Make Municipal Capital Improvements Conform with Regulations Applicable to Private Development Cluster 3: Expend Public Revitalization Funds in Areas with Strong Urban Design Assets BACKGROUND INFORMATION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ No city, no matter how rich or endowed with natural beauty, is perfect from an urban design perspective. All cities have urban design liabilities and assets. Some cities are famous for their assets. Other cities are famous for their liabilities. Florence, Italy and Boston, Massachusetts are known as important examples of the former. Oakland, California, justly or not, is known as an example of the latter. Pontiac is endowed with some particularly remarkable urban design assets. These assets offer the prospect that it could be among the best cities in terms of overall urban design quality. Pontiac's important assets include rolling topography, lakes and large public open spaces. Pontiac also has some very interesting historic architecture, particularly in the downtown area, but also along its thoroughfares. Unfortunately, Pontiac has very serious urban design liabilities. Most of these derive from the inadequate maintenance of private property and lack of respect for public taste. A drive down the city's thoroughfares is, in many instances, a depressing display of one of the worst kept urban environments in southeast Michigan. The most prevalent problems are not unique to Pontiac. They can be seen in other Oakland County communities, across the state and across the nation. However, they appear with much greater frequency in Pontiac than in most other communities. Pontiac's most Page3.1 �serious urban design liabilities were documented by a 1989 survey of th_e following thoroughfares: South Saginaw Street from South Boulevard to Wide Track Drive Perry Street from Wide Track Drive to Walton Boulevard Orchard Lake Boulevard from Telegraph Road to Wide Track Drive Auburn Avenue from Opdyke Road to Wide Track Drive East Oakland Avenue from the western city limits to Wide Track Drive Huron Street from the western city limits to M-59 Telegraph Road from Golf Drive to the Oakland County Government Complex University Drive from Wide Track Drive to the eastern city limits Walton Boulevard from Perry Street to the western city limits The thoroughfare urban design survey identified the appearance problems relating to: Problem parking lots Unsightly signs Fenestration eyesores Cyclone fences Visually cluttered or garish buildings Weeds, trash, dumpsters and outdoor storage The negative findings of the thoroughfare design survey are mapped in Figures 3.1 through 3.6. Some of the positive findings are mapped in Figure 3. 7. Figures 3.8 and 3.10 provide photographic examples of survey findings. Figures 3.9 and 3.11 incorporate sketch suggestions based on the photographic examples in Figures 3.8 and 3.10, respectively. Environmental aesthetics is not just a matter of individual taste; all hinds of people share measurable expectations for an acceptable visual environment. City planners, both professional and lay, have long believed that an unattractive environment is an undesirable environment. This belief was a major force in the City Beautiful movement, which created the American planning profession in the early decades of the twentieth century. During the past 30 years, studies have been done to evaluate the importance of the visual environment to the general public. Two kinds of findings have emerged. First, people desire and respond favorably to a coherent, orderly environment. Second, people also desire and respond positively to visual stimulation and complexity. A visual environ in which either the desire for order or the desire for stimulation is out of balance is an unattractive environment. One study recently reported in the professional literature is particularly significant for Pontiac. This study used 400 interviews of residents and visitors to determine what people liked about the appearance of Knoxville and Chattanooga. The interviews revealed public agreemeJt about what constitutes a visually likable environment. The great majority of respondents liked: greenery; open space; water bodies and water courses; interesting topography; well-maintained buildings and sites; well-designed buildings; orderly areas; historically significant areas; and older neighborhoods with good quality homes. Page 3.2 �In general, the great majority of respondents disliked: traffic congestion ; billboards and chaotic signs; industrial buildings and sites; utility poles and wires; dilapidated buildings; poorly kept sites; and dirty neighborhoods. The ''principle of the second man" provides a positive paradigm for acting on many of the most often expressed urban appearance likes and dislikes. This principle is illustrated and explained in Figure 3.12 and its caption. URBAN DESIGN POLICIES for THOROUGHFARES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Urban Design Policies for Thoroughfares, Cluster 1: ENACT REGULATIONS which CAN HELP ELIMINATE PONTIAC'S MAJOR URBAN DESIGN LIABILITIES Enact building occupancy or occupational licensing regulations which require that parking lot surfaces be well maintained. Of the 200 parking lots identified by the thoroughfare urban design survey as having visual liabilities nearly one-half had poorly maintained surfaces. Some lots have substantial potholes while others have only cracked or pitted surfaces. Unpaved parking lots and parking lots with grass and weeds growing through the surface as a result of either deterioration or thinness were noted. Enact zoning or other regulations which require that parking lots have continuous concrete curbs. Of the 200 parking lots identified by the thoroughfare urban design survey as having visual liabilities, about one-fourth lacked continuous curbing and as a result looked unkempt or otherwise poorly maintained. Some lots without continuous curbing had crisply maintained pavement and/or peripheral landscaping so that they present a neat appearance. Such lots are not included in the tabulation of urban design liabilities. There are some very acceptable parking areas which utilize perimeter bumper stops rather than curbs. However, curbs at the perimeter are a more effective way to make a parking lot look neat and finished. Perimeter bumpers may not be maintained properly. Enact zoning regulations which require parking lots to be screened or landscaped so that they present an attractive appearance from public thoroughfares. Of the 200 parking lots identified by the thoroughfare urban design survey as having visual liabilities, about one-third were deficient in landscaping. Parking lots with inadequate landscaping include those without any landscaping whatsoever, those with such a minimal amount of landscaping it is almost nonexistent, and those large parking lots which may have a reasonable amount of perimeter landscaping but little or no interior landscaping. A low masonry screen wall may serve effectively in lieu oflandscaping where sites are small. Initiate a program to install and maintain trees between the curb and sidewalk along all thoroughfares as well as local streets. The decision to invest in property improvements is Page3.3 �effected by the perception of Pontiac as a desirable place to live and work. The aesthetic condition of the city's streetscapes significantly impacts this perception. Consequen.tly, public landscape improvements to enhance the streetscape positively impacts the decision to invest in property improvements by the private sector. Individual citizens and groups should be encouraged to involve themselves in the subsequent maintenance of the landscape improvements in the public right-ofway. Review recently enacted sign control regulations in order to improve the appearance of the city and the economic utility of signs; revise regulations as may be necessary. Signs which advertise products and services are certainly necessary. However, the type, number, and condition of signs combined to create a signage landscape that can be either aesthetically pleasing or blatantly unattractive. The thoroughfare urban design survey identified 241 sites where existing signs create a negative visual impact as a result of their type, number or condition. Specific problems include the following: Undesirable sign types: Billboards Garish signs Off-premise advertising signs Oversized signs Unnecessary pole signs Portable signs Projecting signs not coordinated with architecture Roof signs not coordinated with architecture Signs advertising defunct businesses Garish streamers or banners Make-shift signs Excessive number of signs: Sites containing a multitude of signs which give the immediate impression of being "too many" Poor sign condition: Signs with no faces or no copy Faded or peeling wall signs Signs in poor physical (structural) condh.ion "Homemade" signs which are cheaply constructed, poorly painted, and amateurish in nature Recognizing the unattractive signage landscape that had been created in Pontiac, the city Planning Division undertook to revise sign regulations during the same time period that this comprehensive plan was in preparation. Following enactment of these new sign regulations, they should be vigorously enforced. They should also be monitored for effectiveness and refined, if necessary, after they have been in effect long enough to gage their utility. Consideration should be given to amending the new regulations, if necessary, by prohibiting or restricting the undesirable sign types, excessive signage and poor sign conditions. Enact building code or other appropriate regulations which establish minimum aesthetic and workmanship criteria for boarding-up buildings and filling in building fenestration. Page 3.4 �Throughout Pontiac, once attractive or at least inoffensive buildings have been made ugly by unsightly modifications to the original fenestration pattern. The thoroughfare urban design survey observed 44 sites with window problems. These fall into two categories: Boarded-up windows: Boarded-up windows have been closed off completely, usually because the building in which they are located is not being used at all or because it is being used for a purpose for which security is more important than light. Windows which are boarded up are very often the most disturbing visual impression obtained by the passing motorist. There is probably nothing that makes an area appear to be depressed and run down more than a series of such windows. Unsightly fenestration in-fills: These modifications often amount to little more than the boarding up of windows, but they leave some portion of the original window area glazed. Modifications are made without any consideration for the aesthetic effect. Out of the 44 deficient sites noted, about 40 percent contained boarded-up windows. Over half contained windows that had been filled in an inept and unsatisfactory fashion. Enact zoning or other regulations which prohibit cyclone fences from front yards and along public thoroughfares and/or which establish aesthetic and maintenance standards for cyclone fences which are pennitted. Cyclone fences, in reasonable numbers in certain areas for specific purposes, are acceptable. Cyclone fences become a problem when there are so many that the city looks like a war zone. Barbed wire at the top intensifies the "war zone" effect. If the fences are in poor condition, the visual impact is worse. Inadequate original construction such as the absence of a top rail almost always means a fence in poor condition. Metal slats designed to "screen" unsightly views are themselves unsightly. Cyclone fences with dark finishes look better than those with the standard finish. The green fence around the Pontiac Municipal Golf Course on Golf Drive is an example. The black fence around the parking lot of the Michigan Family Services facility on Orchard Lake Road is another. The thoroughfare urban design survey observed approximately 60 cyclone fences which surrounded either parking lots, entire sites, or portions of sites. The visual effect of all these fences is certainly a negative one. The one bright note is that of all the cyclone fences noted, less than 15 percent are in a tattered, broken, falling-down condition. Enact zoning or other architectural design control regulations which prohibit visually cluttered and garish buildings and which explicitly define the design elements which constitute same. Visually cluttered buildings contain an excessive variety of different construction materials. As an extreme example, there are buildings on which can be found all of the following: brick and stone; horizontal wood siding in one color and vertical wood siding in another color; metal siding; concrete block; and glass doors and windows. This is too much for one building; the result is visual chaos. Garish buildings use glaring, bright and/or contrasting colors that assault the eye and make quiet enjoyment of surrounding property difficult. Buildings which lack continuity of architectural style have a negative visual impact, though this is a less dramatic problem than visual clutter and garishness. Review the recently enacted zoning regulations which set screening requirements applicable to commercial and other non-residential general outdoor storage areas; revise as may be necessary. Outdoor storage areas, which are a necessary component of certain commercial and industrial enterprises, should be screened from view from the street. The thoroughfare urban design survey identified about 35 sites that have outdoor storage areas which are unsightly and not screened. Most have chain-link or cyclone fences for security, but these fences usually are negative visual elements. Many sites are auto sales or service establishments which are Page 3.5 �crowded with vehicles: both vehicles which are for sale and vehicles which are waiting to be repaired. Maintain and enforce zoning regulations which set screening requirements applicable to commercial and other non-residential outdoor trash storage areas; revise as may be necessary. Dumpsters are necessary but they are not very attractive They should be screened from view. The thoroughfare urban design survey identified about 35 sites that have unsightly dumpsters in a relatively prominent location visible from a public thoroughfare. Pontiac has enacted zoning regulations which require dumpsters to be screened with a solid masonry wall with a gate. These regulations should be maintained and enforced. Enact building occupancy or occupational licensing regulations which require that pervious surface areas, both required and unrequired, be kept with healthy vegetative cover and be free of trash and debris. The thoroughfare urban design survey identified nearly 20 sites with poorly maintained landscaped areas and/or trash and debris. These sites include sites with grassed or otherwise landscaped areas that are not maintained and are taken over by weeds. These sites also include sites with an accumulation of trash, both from on-site and off-site sources. Some of the sites identified are vacant lots which thoughtless people have used as dumps. Both the poorly maintained vegetative areas and the trash produce an unattractive environment. Review and revise as may be necessary recently enacted zoning regulations which set general screening requirements applicable to commercial and other non-residential uses which are adjacent to residential uses. General screening requirements for commercial and other non-residential uses adjacent to residential uses were enacted several years prior to preparation of this plan. Such regulations should be vigorously enforced. They are desirable to protect residential uses from unattractive views of commercial and other non-residential uses. Figures 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 illustrates desirable screening possibilities. These figures appear in the Residential Area Land Use Policies section of this plan. Urban Design Policies for Thoroughfares, Cluster 2: MAKE MUNICIPAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS CONFORM with REGULATIONS APPLICABLE to PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT Municipal parking lots and parking structures should be developed to the same high urban design standards applicable to private par~ing lots. The City of Pontiac should set a good example when developing municipal parking lots and parking structures. It is important that city parking lots and parking structures be designed, constructed and maintained to the same high standards which are established for private facilities by Cluster 1 of the Urban Design Polices for Thoroughfares. It would be preferable if the City of Pontiac municipal facilities exceeded the standards established for private facilities. There will always be budgetary excused for not following this policy. Such excuses should be shunned except in the most extreme circumstances. Other municipal facilities should also conform to the same high urban design standards applicable to private facilities. The City of Pontiac should set a good example in the design, construction and maintenance of municipal facilities other than parking lots. Such facilities include buildings, grounds, outdoor storage areas, signs and the like. Page 3.6 �Urban Design Policies for Thoroughfares, Cluster 3: EXPEND PUBLIC REVITALIZATION FUNDS in AREAS with STRONG URBAN DESIGN ASSETS Expend public funds to upgrade the commercial environment in areas which already have substantial visual assets. The thoroughfare urban design survey identified 74 significant visual assets which help improve the urban design quality of Pontiac. Walton. Perry and University had the most with 16, 15 and 11 respectively. Telegraph had seven, a relatively large number for a short stretch of thoroughfare. South Saginaw, Oakland Avenue and West Huron had relatively few. Visual assets appear as many different land uses. Over 20 percent of the sites identified as visual assets are in multiple-family residential use. Walton Boulevard has the most, but they are also represented on Perry, University, Auburn and Telegraph. Over 20 percent of the visual asset sites are parks, cemeteries or other open space. This fact emphasizes how important Pontiac's rather substantial park facilities are to the appearance of the city. About 12 percent of the visual assets are institutional uses such as schools and churches; many of these have large sites with well-maintained landscaping making them a special type of open space. Almost 15 percent of the visual assets are commercial uses. A few are shopping centers. Another 15 percent are office uses. The commercial and office uses are not examples of "award-winning" architecture and site design. Their visual value is magnified by their context, which is generally so bereft of visual value. Most are merely neat, inoffensive buildings that do not contribute to the clutter which is otherwise so prevalent. Some might be considered visual liabilities in other cities. For example, the east facade of the Truck and Bus plant on Saginaw is an asset in context. However, it falls short of what would be an acceptable suburban commwiity standard. A few of the commercial assets are shopping centers. Some are fast food businesses which are noteworthy for their meticulous landscaping and upkeep, not for their architecture. The fast food industry's contribution to Pontiac's visual environment is evidence of its economic viability in the city. There are a few industrial and distribution service assets. The outstanding Huburt Distributors site is additional evidence of what profits can do for the visual environment. The most modest and perhaps the most interesting of the industrial assets is Scott & Sons' Speedometer Service on Walton; this asset is achieved with attention to maintenance and daily housekeeping. It is a marked contrast to the vast majority of wispeakably ugly automobile repair uses in the city. Page 3.7 �Figure 3.1 PROBLEM PARKING AREAS Walton Blvd. • • -------..,;::. - .. • ~.. •!~--~.~~•~-----·•...a:______ ,:i • • • •• •• V, Ol C ii -0 Columbia Ave. <D '. • 0 1 MILE ~ Page 3.8 iii--- ... �Figure 3.2 UNSIGHTLY SIGNS ,,11 • •• • ----~------. .••• . • ~ • e,,___,.w ...,a..11.,o~n.s..1.v.d..._ _ '"••·· ... .,,,: ~-- A ,U ._. ,._..,,. ,. tia fa . . . - C.f ._ ... . ,:j , _,•_.'!...~.•·.,.,.- ----•a:-. :_____ .••· Columbia Ave . ~ • • ~ , I,? -~e -- ,~~ , j, .,. · ··•'-' __ .'.l :i Featherstone Ave. • Elizabeth Lake Rd . 0 M-59 1 MILE .. l J ll Page3.9 �Figure 3.3 BOARDED OR UNSATISFACTORY WINDOW AREAS . .... ---: ~· . . .... 1"'!11 0._--0 - .., -.1 ZJ ft • a.i ~1 • • _______ c .. § : 32 .:i > <i: . ID 'l >- ~ vi ~ <II ' , __._ , .1 ~.- ·-· _ _. Walton Blvd . > -' Columbia Ave. <i:;...._..;.,...;....;;.....;.;..;... _!Sennett .'\;If Q) :Q : (!) . : c · 0 -, "'Ol , c . i5 . .., . _____...,. e:,'-· Montcalm St. ~~ ..,~e. ~ .;/'. Featherstone Ave. ~ ,.--. 1--.. ~ .' , I ! Page 3.10 ~ ....,_, _ . "' ct �Figure 3.4 UNATTRACTIVE CYCLONE FENCES 1 1il lloil.- M 11,.◄ ...... YI 4.a ,.;;.,. Walton Blvd. J 3 J ... ~ ,_. _ , ,. Mil ..... . / ~ 0------..0 i .- •• • Columbia Ave. ': l Kennett ' / ' Featherstone Ave.; M-59 Huron St. Auburn Ave . • 0 1 MILE \ 1 ·;. :I "\ } u. _.:i . '"l • - . J .. J :l ~ .J I : ll 0. --~0 Page3.11 �Figure 3.5 VISUALLY CLUTTERED OR GARISH BUILDINGS Walton Blvd. ffl'l9t , ..!!!!liilli§il ' 1-- ,:j • a: ,,, J Ol ' c : <Ii · > • <C ; : 3 i5 "C ' ('.i ; Columbia Ave . Q) > <( i l- ---.' C >--,-::,o _______ _ _ -;;; 0 ✓- · . ... -~ -- MontcalmSt. • --,_ \ _.,, / __;;~ 0 Page 3.12 1 MILE Featherstone Ave. : · mm �Figure 3.6 WEEDS, DUMPSTERS, OUTDOOR STORAGE I - -- - -~ . . . - . . Clli'iU liiN W ~ .J Walton Blvd. • • ., a~_--a W ~-' . • J -=-" .. j • • ~ 000$ 1'a • ·~-_a M ~• ,...._ ,,_ -M . . . - ~ --- - - - M • •• l ' <1> 1 ,.., Kennett ,H Columbia Ave. l1 .,, , , , ✓.c. a. ca ~ / /1 ~ M-59 J 3 I Auburn Ave. I ,::._,,.., 0 1 MILE --~:::t • - •::i j • ui .!: 32 C e u. .---;j .., 1 -:. J ' . ._ . ·--.a I I ~J ~ fl" II ~ J l II •a Page 3.13 �Figure 3.7 VISUAL ASSETS , a .- a a o,.,u 1a -.;, a ~....- • -----®-6-~-@ @ e'--_- - e ~ .tt~ ;W .g ~ Walton Blvd. ... ~ ~ ~ a.i . . . i;,, .. .- ..,_,,.. -.. ,...;; _ • ......,. Ill llill ......a ~ (,]@ 01 0 Columbia Ave. Montcalm St. 'l ~ South Blvd. 0 1 MILE 1 .., .:.J ---• . Park and Open Space Areas 0 CD Page 3.14 Major Visual &sets (see key on page 3 .15) Other Visual &sets (see key on page 3 .15) .l ....... ... - '!!11 �_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ VISUAL ASSET MAP KEY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ SOUTH SAGINAW: 1) Heat Treating Services Corporate Offices, 2) Detroit Ball Bearing Corporate Office Building, 3) Truck and Bus Group Plant, east facade with landscaping. PERRY STREET: 1) Walton Square Shopping Center, 2) Wetland, 3) Turtle Creek Multifamily, 4) Old Oak Square Multifamily, 5) Oakland Catholic High School, 6) Perry Place Apartments, 7) Oakland Technical Center, 8) James Madison Junior High School, 9) Kinney Shoes/ Foot Locker, 10) Pinewood Apartments, 11) Perry Mowit Park Cemetery, 12) North Perry Baptist Church, 13) David Ewalt Community Center, 14) Galloway Park, 15) Open Space. ORCHARD LAKE ROAD: 1) Open Space, 2) Orchard Woods Apartments, 3) Goldner-Walsh Nursery, 4) Hatchett, DeWalt and Hall Offices, 5) Pontiac Nursing Center, 6) Mount Hope Cemetery. AUBURN AVENUE: 1) North Oakland County Community Credit Union, 2) Social Security Offices, 3) Renaissance Court Apartments, 4) Auburn Hills Townhouse Apartments, 5) Auburn Professional Center, 6) Huburt Distributors, Incorporated. OAKLAND AVENUE: 1) Wetland, 2) United Parcel Service, 3) Wimsatt Building Materials, 4) Oakland Engineering. EAST HURON: 1) Oak Hill Cemetery, 2) Open Space along Clinton River, 3) Silverdorne. WEST HURON: 1) Pontiac Central High School, 2) Pontiac General Hospital, 3) Urban League Offices (historic home), 4) YWCA (historic home). TELEGRAPH ROAD: 1) Oakland County Government Center, 2) Pontiac State Hospital (open space), 3) Oakland Pointe Shopping Center, 4) Acorn Kitchen and Bath, 5) Rainbow Plaza, 6) Pizza Hut, 7) Bloomfield-on-the-River Apartments. UNNERSITY DRNE: 1) Havenwyck Hospital, 2) University Place Apartments, 3) Newman Court Apartments, 4) Medical/ Dental Offices, 5) Wetlands, 6) Wooded Area, 7) Oak Hill Cemetery, 8) Oak Hill Cemetery, 9) Mobile Gasoline, 10) Palmer Village Cooperative Apartments, 11) Church of Christ. WALTON BOULEVARD: 1) Open Space, 2) Silver Lake Center, 3) Burger King, 4) Jaycee Park, 5) UAW Local 653 Headquarters, 6) Walton Place Apartments, 7) Auburn Heights Apartments, 8) Oakwood Park Hornes, 9) Colonial Square Apartments, 10) Knob Hill Apartments, 11) Grandville Townhouses, 12) Industrial Building with offices, 13) Michigan Bell Industrial Building, 14) Scott & Sons Speedometer Service, 15) Hillcrest Church of the Nazarine. Page 3.15 �Figure 3.8 PHOTOGRAPHIC EXAMPLES of SURVEY FINDINGS Opposite Page Figure 3.9 URBAN DESIGN SUGGESTIONS BASED on FIGURE 3.8 Below 1) Eliminate pole siRll to reduce visual clutter. 2) Enlaf!!e fascia lo accommodate signs; eliminate high contrast battens to reduce visual clutter. 3) Remove plywood fenestration in fill; replace with glass or reflective spandrel material; utilize low• contrast mullions; incorporate sign freeze of mullion material. 4) Paint side of building to match front. 5) Remove guard rail in front ynrd locations; replace with bollards or low masonry WRll. 6) Replace pole sign with ground sign to reduce Visual clutter. 7) Deepen fascia to allow room for a s1R11 to lit cumfortnbly; pamt fascia and other mntenal an acceptable color. paint other parts of building an acceptable color that does not s harply conlTast with trim (see Figure 2.1). 8) Incorporate canopy supports and gas pumps into one unified structure (see typical I 991 British Petroleum station design for example). 9) Remove plywood fenestration in fill; replace with glass or rellective spnndrel material with low-contrast mullions: incorporate sign frieze of mullion material. 10) Paint entire facade Rn acceptable color (see Figure 2.1 ). 11) Eliminate pole sign. 12) Enlarge sign freeze to accommodate sign. 13) Eliminate parking in narrow front yards and in rightsof-way. 14) Eliminate false "mansard" front . 15) Reduce fascia signage and replace with store name in individual letten, placed lo coordinated with fascia design. 16) Eliminate window signs and greatly reduce wnll signs. 17) Eliminate pRrking in narrow front yards and in rights-of~wRy. 18) Eliminate front yard parking; replace with landscaping. 19) Place parking in side yard behind low masonry screen wall, or in screened rear yard (see Figure 1.2). 20) Install low masonry screen wall to shield parking and vehicular display areas. 21) Eliminate pole signs and install wallmounted type signs on low masonry screen wall. 22) Eliminate erratic light poles and slTeamers; replace with globe lights at uniform height. 23) Plant trees. 24) Rip up deteriorated pavement and re-pave. 25) Relocate newspaper boxes to side of building to reduce visual clutter, eliminate window signs. 26) Eliminate portable sign. 27) Eliminate pole sign. 28) Enlarge fascia to give sense of architectural solidity. Page 3.16 ��Figure 3.10 PHOTOGRAPHIC EXAMPLES of SURVEY FINDINGS Opposite Page Figure 3.11 URBAN DESIGN SUGGESTIONS BASED on FIGURE 3.10 Below 1) Construct masonry screen wall to conceal vehicles: use iron rail and stile type design rather than cyclone. 2) Plant trees. 3) Paint overhead doors to match building to reduce visual clutter. 4) Remove makeahill; entrance to reestablish the architectural integrity of the original structure. 5) Repave front court are.a. 6) Eliminate "gingerbread" to minimize visual clutter. 7) Construct masonry screen wall. 8) Plant trees. 9) Remove plywood siding and replace with fenestration which carries through the three-part division of the facade established by the upper story windows; use siding and framinl{ to match the onginal s tructure: paint to match original structure. 10) Construct low masonry wall for sign. 11) Reduce number of signs and sign information. 12) Construct high masonry screen wall to shield vehicles; prohibit storage in front yard or right-of-way. 13) Plant trees. 14) Design additions to match original architecture. if original architecture is to remain. 15) Eliminate pole sign. 16) Eliminate pole sign. 17) Construct low masonry screen wall. 18) Eliminate gable to reduce visual clutter. replace with sign frieze. 19) Screen dumpster; include well constructed gate. 20) Eliminate excess wall signs, ice machines and other equipment. 21) Pince telephone and news stands at side of building or behind low screen wall. not free-standing in front of building. 22) Finish front of building primarily in one material. preferably a brick W match the adjacent church. 23) Simplify architectural overhang. 24) Reduce number of signs. 25) Eliminate window signs. 26) Paint side of building to match fronL 27) Construct low masonry screen wall to shield parking. 28) Construct penthouse to screen mechanical equipment. 29) Install electrical conduit inside, not on face of building. Page 3.18 +---------- ·--··· - - · -- - - ~--------- --------·- -----. ��Figure 3.12 THE PRINCIPLE of THE SECOND MAN The "principle of the second man" was first articulated by Edmund Bacon. Mr. Bacon, who participated in the preparation of this plan, restates the principle here along with the historic engraving he used to illustrate the principle in his book Design of Cities: Continuity in the urban environment is essential to good urban design. Freedom of architectural expression is, when not in the hands of a great artist, destructive of continuity. It is the second man to participate in any urban design effort who is most responsible for continuity. He has the power to follow through with already established design ideas or to work counter to them. This principle is relevant to Pontiac and to any other city. No where is it more clearly demonstrated than in the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata in Florence. Here, the great Brunelleschi designed the arcade of the Foundling Hospital shown at the right in the engraving above. This elegant arcade established the architectural spirit of the piazza. Over a period of 89 years, other architects added other facades to the piazza. These "second men" decided to submerge their own desigk egos in favor of repeating the theme established by Brunelleschi. The work of Antonio da Sangallo the Elder opposite Brunelleschi's Foundling Arcade is particularly noteworthy. Although a talented architect in his own right, Sangallo designed his arcade to be virtually the same as Brunelleschi's. Page 3.20 �Chapter4 INDUSTRIAL LAND USE POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses INTRODUCTION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Following this introduction, the chapter is organized into two main sections entitled "Industrial Land Use Policy Clusters" and "Background Information." There are three policy clusters. Each policy is stated as the topic sentence of a paragraph. The balance of the paragraph contains data and analyses which are related to the policy. The three policy clusters are as follows: Cluster 1: Facilitate Retention of Existing Industrial Facilities and Development of New Industrial Facilities Cluster 2: Protect Residential, Retail and Office Areas from the Negative Impacts of Industrial Facilities Cluster 3: Protect Residential Areas from the Encroachment of Industrial Facilities The "Background Information" section points out that Pontiac has no significant industrial development potential because it has no significant parcels of land which are ready for the construction of new industrial buildings. It identifies some types of development which the city could expect to complete if there were adequate parcels available. Chapter 14 of this plan contains additional industrial land use policies. The policies in Chapter 14 relate particularly to the Future Land Use Map. INDUSTRIAL LAND USE POLICY CLUSTERS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Industrial Land Use Policy Cluster I: FACILITATE RETENTION of EXISTING INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES and DEVELOPMENT of NEW INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES Retain industrial land use designations for major areas now in industrial use. It is probable that Pontiac will never enjoy the level of industrial employment that it once did. Notwithstanding, this plan provides for retention of existing industrial areas in industrial use. The plan does so for two reasons: 1. Industrial density trends clearly indicate that the industrial facilities of the future will need more land per employee than industrial facilities of the present or past. 2. Redevelopment trends nation-wide indicate that large industrial buildings and sites, including those which are unutilized or marginally utilized, are more likely to be redeveloped for a relatively high value use, such as manufacturing, than for a relatively low value use such as housing. Some relatively small industrial buildings can be retrofitted for housing, office and/or commercial facilities. Pontiac's relatively large industrial buildings do not appear to be well suited for such retrofitting. Page 4.1 �Although the above trends support the reasonableness of retaining industrial land use designations, they do not guarantee the success of that policy. Sometime near the encl of the 1990's the city will have to evaluate its success in attracting new industrial development to replace existing obsolete facilities. It may at that time consider alternate policies for obsolete and vacant industrial facilities. Encourage the reuse or redevelopment of presently underutilization General Motors facilities and land . .Reuse or redevelopment is necessary to correct a major land use vacuum. Obsolete General Motors' facilities occupy a very high percentage of Pontiac's total land area. Idle and probably obsolete facilities include the Pontiac Central Plant on South Boulevard (trucks), the foundry on Montcalm and the Fiero plant on Baldwin north of Kennett. The Woodward Avenue plant operates at reduced output. Only the new S-10 plant on Opdyke Road and the parts facility at Columbia and Joslyn have a utilization expectancy in the foreseeable future. In total, General Motors has in Pontiac about 20,000,000 square feet of plant space, about half of which is idle. Nationwide, General Motors is estimated to have about 55,000,000 square feet of idle plant space, making the idle Pontiac space about 20 percent of its nation-wide total of idle space. Idle and obsolete General Motors' facilities represent a substantial opportunity cost to the City of Pontiac. Reuse and redevelopment concepts for General Motors sites on South Boulevard are shown in Figures 4.2 through 4.5. Retain long-standing plans to allow redevelopment of residential areas surrounded by the G.M. north campus. Past plans of the city have envisioned expansion of the General Motors north campus into strategically located adjacent residential areas. Such expansion could accommodate General Motors or it could accommodate other industrial firms. First priority should be given to meeting the needs of the major industrial user in the area, whether that be General Motors or others. The strategically located residential enclaves are: 1. northeast of the Montcalm-Baldwin intersection, 2. south of Columbia and west of Joslyn, and 3. between the GMC Parts facility and Walton Boulevard. The area northeast of the Montcalm-Baldwin intersection has experienced some residential deterioration. The other two areas have experienced less deterioration. Redevelopment of all three areas is not now necessary based on housing conditions alone. Such redevelopment should occur only when it is absolutely necessary to facilitate the use of existing industrial sites and/or facilities by providing room for expansion and or necessary support facilities. Within each area, redevelopment should occur only by razing the entire ar~a for new industrial uses. Within each area, industrial uses should not be permitted on individual lots nor on groups of lots if the balance of the area is to remain residential. Until such time as redevelopment of an entire area is necessary to facilitate use of the large existing industrial neighbor, the residential integrity of each area should be preserved. Residential zoning and housing code enforcement policies should be applied with the same vigor as appropriate to any residential area. Industrial development trends over the past decade suggest that the "rust belt," including Michigan, has good potential for attracting major industrial facilities. Even if domestic heavy industries, such as automobile manufacturing, are downsized, there will still be development of new state-of-the-art facilities to replace existing obsolete facilities, albeit not at a one-for-one ratio. Furthermore, there are now few greenfield sites, such as the Orion General Motors site, available in appropriate locations. Therefore, the General Motors north campus could become a desirable location for a major new industrial facility. Figures 4.7 and 4.8 compare the size of the north campus to the site boundaries and industrial plant for two recently constructed General Motors facilities. Page4.2 �Retain the long-standing plans to allow redevelopment of residential areas north of South Boulevard between Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and the Grand Trunk Western belt line. The area is already predominated by industrial and similar development, including the Fleet Carrier yard, General Motors employee parking, General Motors storage yards, and the U.S. Army storage facility. Houses are scattered along Bedford Street, Tex Avenue and Meadow Avenue. Some of these houses are in substandard or near substandard condition. Redevelopment through city land assembly would provide a well-located tract of about 175 acres. A redevelopment concept for the north side of South Boulevard east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard is shown in Figure 4.6. Rezone existing residential areas which are plan designated for future industrial use only when there is a specific redevelopment plan which eliminates residential uses or protects remaining residential uses from the negative impacts of industrial development. Where this plan calls for existing residential areas to be changed to industrial use it does so subject to the qualification that the change not occur by eating away at the existing residential fabric with one, then another, then still another small industrial use. Such piecemeal redevelopment would not be desirable. Until such time as major and comprehensive redevelopment is ripe, the existing residential areas that are to be redeveloped are to be accorded the full protection of their residential environment accorded to any other residential area. Accommodate quality incubator industries and other quality small industrial enterprises at various locations throughout the city. Many industrial operations start in small, inexpensive buildings. Many profitable industrial operations remain in such facilities. It is therefore important to maintain such an inventory. The major industrial firms developing in Oakland County are likely to generate the need for such incubator and other small scale sites given the Boston and Silcon Valley experience. Some incubator and other small scale operations should be in areas regulated to ensure good quality development. Appropriate locations for such facilities include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. the Cass Avenue mini-industrial corridor; the Howard Street area, including former General Motors facilities; the Brush Street area south and west of downtown; the Sheffield strip along the Grand Trunk Western belt line; and the Featherstone corridor. Accommodate incubator industries and other marginal industries with reasonable regulations at locations where their potential to cause blight will do the least harm possible. Some industrial operations seek the lowest cost sites available, even if such sites are in unattractive areas. Such operations can be accommodated with reasonable regulations in certain areas of the city without causing serious blight. The Howard Street industrial area is one possible location for such uses. Industrial Land Use Policy Cluster 2: PROTECT RESIDENTIAL, RETAIL and OFFICE AREAS from the NEGATIVE IMPACTS of INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES Review and revise as may be necessary the zoning regulations which set industrial on-site parking and loading standards. These standards have been in place for over ten years. The Pontiac 2000 Plan identified a need for more rigorous standards. The Planning Division believes that need still exists based on the experience of the past ten years. Page4.3 �Review and revise as may be necessary zoning regulations governing site plan review; site plan review regulations should include discretionary standards-which allow the city condition approval of industrial site plans upon a discretionary determination that they incorporate sound site design principles. The princip1es incorporated in discretionary site p1an review standards should address: 1 ) the internal arrangement of buildings and other site design elements , and 2) the relationship of site design elements to surrounding land uses and the public street system. Provision should be made for considering the location of curb cuts and the impact of future street widening on site layouts. Review and revise as may be necessary zoning regulations governing building and parking setbacks for industrial buildings and the width of landscaped buffer strips. In general, setbacks and landscaped buffer strips should be greater on major thoroughfares which carry heavy traffic volumes, although more intensive screening and landscaping can serve in lieu of greater setbacks. Setbacks on thoroughfares which may be widened in the future should be sufficient to leave a workable site after widening, but they should not be based on an envisioned future right-ofway because to do so might constitute a taking of property without compensation. Industrial Land Use Policy Cluster 3: PROTECT RESIDENTIAL AREAS from the ENCROACHMENT of INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES Do not permit the intrusion of industrial uses into residential areas. The intrusion of industrial uses into residential areas adjoining to the rear is generally undesirable, but sometimes necessary in order to accommodate expansion of important employment and tax base assets. Such intrusion usually manifests itself by construction of parking lots on formerly residential lots. In Pontiac, the need to expand industrial properties can often be accomplished on adjacent sites fronting on the same thoroughfare as the use being expanded rather than on adjacent sites to the rear which front on a local residential street. The Future Land Use map and map policies establish a Transitional Industrial land use category to allow limited expansion of certain industrial areas while at the same time protecting adjacent residential areas. Figures 4.9 and 4.10 illustrate how the Transitional Industrial category can be used. Do not permit industrial uses in shallow strips along the city's major thoroughfares, particularly adjacent to residential uses. Many industrial uses have operational characteristics which are not compatible with the appearance standards to which major thoroughfares should be held. Problem characteristics often associated with ind~strial uses include unscreened outdoor storage, unscreened heavy vehicle parking, low quality building design and construction, poor building maintenance and poor site maintenance. These characteristics are often manifested when industrial uses are located on shallow strips along thoroughfares. They occur less frequently in industrial parks and in large site industrial developments. Do not permit industrial uses in the downtown area. Industrial uses have operational characteristics which are not compatible with the appearance standards to which the downtown must be held if it is to be a successful economic and residential hub. Problem characteristics often associated with industrial uses include unscreened outdoor storage, unscreened heavy vehicle parking, low quality building design and construction, poor building maintenance and poor site maintenance. Page 4.4 �Do not permit industrial development on the Clinton Valley site of the Pontiac State Hospital; there are other potential uses of that site which would be of greater benefit to the city. The PHH Fantus Company concluded that the Clinton Valley site is not well located for industrial uses, primarily because it is relatively far removed from the interstate freeway system. Despite this fact, it would no doubt be possible to find an industrial user if the land is offered at a low enough price. Pressure to do so may be strong in the short run because of the limited industrial land available in the city. This pressure should be avoided, however. The city should seek to establish the Clinton Valley site as a major residential development, or as a mixed-use development with a major residential component mixed with some retail and office uses. Such uses will do the city more good than an industrial use at the Clinton Valley site. BACKGROUND I N F O R M A T I O N - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pontiac has no significant industrial development potential immediately at hand because it has no significant sites to accommodate such potential. At the time this plan was prepared, the Silverdome Industrial Park had only seven acres of vacant land, most of which (four acres) is best suited for expansion of existing plants. The configuration of Highwood Industrial Park limits its vacant land to smaller plants. A few small vacant tracts with industrial use potential are scattered throughout the city's older industrial areas. The combination of scarce land and a negative image have resulted in Pontiac getting a very small share of Oakland County growth. The unemployment rate in the city continues to be about twice that of the County. During the 1984-1988 period, the city experienced only a 6,700 increase in jobs out of the County-wide increase of almost 120,000. The competitiveness of the work force is a factor. The 1989 Fantus study prepared for this plan suggests that in addition to the land inventory constraints, the city continues to suffer an image problem when competing with other suburban Detroit municipalities. This image problem includes high crime rates, poor schools, high property taxes and the perceived lack of a cohesive, targeted economic development effort. According to the PHH Fantus study, Pontiac's best potential niche in the industrial and related market is distribution facilities and the best location is on the east side of the city. In arriving at this conclusion, PHH Fantus evaluated the following six major economic development categories: Headquarters Office Facilities, Back-Office Facilities, High-Tech Manufacturing, Traditional Manufacturing, Distribution Facilities, and Retail PHH Fantus formed the opinion that distribution potential would be strongest on the east side of the city because that is where access to I-75 is best. Page4.5 �Figure 4.1 MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AREAS in PONTIAC Walton Blvd. S l3"Ylh.. v~· ' ~ ,j 'I ___ ,,~ ., Central ... '·-' Foundry ") Division ~ - .,.. 0 ~ ~ ~ ~ ./i ,. " .;r' . ,,,,. / - ~.~11-sn .7 I. 1 1 ~ ':l ~ l~--•1 i1 ·'"Wl,- cl- 1 MILE General Motors Industrial Parks Prime Opportunity Areas Other Opportunity Areas Page 4.6 .-. �Figure 4.2 GMC TRUCK and COACH SAGINAW SITE REDEVELOPMENTCONCEPTl j 0 feet 1,000 feet "1" designates existing industrial structures. "2" designates new industrial structures. "3" designates new office structures. "P" designates parking areas. "L" designates loading areas. P/L p 1 L p 1 L SOUTH BOULEVARD Page 4.7 �Figure 4.3 GMC TRUCK and COACH SAGINAW SITE REDEVELOPMENTCONCEPT2 j o feat 1,000 feat "1" designates existing industrial structures. "2" designates new industrial structures . "3" designates new office structures. "P" designates parking areas . "L" designates loading areas. 7 ( Page 4.8 p p 3 3 SOUTH BOULEVARD P/L �Figure 4.4 INDUSTRIAL REDEVELOPMENT CONCEPT for GMC TRUCK and COACH SOUTH BOULEYARD SITE: CONCEPT 1 SOUTH BOULEVARD II ~ 4 a a: § 3 4 I I] [D /.J.J :5 0 p QJ p t;0~ lill p 1 L 1 L 1 p 2 p '1' designates existing industrial structures. '2' designates new industrial structures. '3' designates existing office structures. '4' designates new office structures. •p• designates parking areas. 'L' designates loading areas. j O feet 1,000 feet Page4.9 �Figure 4.5 INDUSTRIAL REDEVELOPMENT CONCEPT for GMC TRUCK and COACH SOUTH BOULEYARD SITE: CONCEPT 2 SOUTH BOULE VARD □ &~3~ 1 [ § 1--------, Lu 5 0 Q) c;- 0, II ~ 8 2j tJ I I I I CTI I OJ I [nJ " I 1 1 I i 1 I I 1 II '-----3 2 ' I - - - - . . J 1 _L ~ I I I 1 1 1 '- I DJ I OJ 1 I 1 I I w 1 / DJ I ____JI!'--_1__. L--1 ·1 • designates new industrial structures. ·2• designates existing office structures. •3• designates new office structures. Page 4.10 j o feet 1 ,000 feet �Figure 4.6 INDUSTRIAL REDEVELOPMENT CONCEPT for NORTH SIDE of SOUTH BOULEVARD a a: ci:: > w w :) D:=J ..J 0 co [I] [I] I- (/) ci:: w [I] 0 [I] [I] CD ~ dJ Qo 0 0 I 31 3 SOUTH BOULEVARD 1 "l " designates t!Xisting industrial structures. "2" designates new indust1;aJ structurl!s. "3" designates new office stn1ctures. SOUTH BOULEVARD j 0 feet 1,000 feet Page4.11 �Figure 4.7 GENERAL MOTORS ORION SITE and PLANT COMPARED to PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION and GENERAL MOTORS CENTRAL FOUNDRY DIVISION SITE (General Motors north campus) Note: General Motors north campus sites are shown in aerial photography. The General Motors Orion site is shown by dashed line and the Orion plant is shown in white. Page 4.12 �Figure 4.8 GENERAL MOTORS CENTRAL INDUSTRIAL PARK (POLETOWN) SITE and PLANT COMPARED to PONTIAC MOTOR DIVISION and GENERAL MOTORS CENTRAL FOUNDRY DIVISION SITE (General Motors north campus) Note: General Motors north campus sites are shown in aerial photography. The General Motors Central Industrial Park site is shown by dashed line and the Central Industrial Park plant is shown in white. Page4.13 �Figure 4.9 HOWARD STREET INDUSTRIAL AREA REDEVELOPMENT CONCEPT Key: 1) Retail/ Office Redevelopment Area; 2) Retail/ Office in Existing Buildings; 3) Transitional Industrial Redevelopment Area; 4) Industrial Development Area; 5) Industrial Development in Existing Buildings; 6) Screen Wall and Planting; 7) Redevelopment Area Boundary; 8) Johnson Street Extended with Landscaping; 9) street closed; 10) Baldwin Avenue; 11) Howard Street. Note: Transitional Industrial Areas are meant to serve as a buffer between industrial uses and less intensive uses. Transitional industrial areas may be used for: 1) employee parking, but not heavy truck maneuvering and parking; 2) offices which serve industrial uses; and 3) indoor storage facilities and other buildings containing "quiet" uses, provided that no activity is generated on the sides of buildings facing residential development. -.. .............• • . ..........,............... .......... . :• .•••• . • .,,...............,,.........•""•"'·""•""'••.,,.•"'•""•""· ·e ·-_ ""'. --.··. • : :I • -· ·1 •·· ....'.1 __. I --' 11 . ~--:--i ... -·· LJ __.. : --• • ~r:• [! ..••• • 0 E) i-·-~ !:·- j ' > LJ 1,--, ~ lc- J·- / V " :0 .-, ---' "" ' '/ ✓ ,~ni -~ f~ Page 4.14 i I :__J L..-, �Figure 4.10 PADDOCK STREET INDUSTRIAL AREA REDEVELOPMENT CONCEPT Key: 1) Transitional Industrial Redevelopment Area; 2) Industrial Development and/ or Redevelopment Area; 3) Street Closure; 4) Cul-de-Sac; 5) Redevelopment Area Boundary; 6) Screen Wall and Planting; 7) Woodward Avenue/ Saginaw Street; 8) South Boulevard; 9) Paddock Street; 10) Irwin Street; 11) Central Avenue. Note: Transitional Industrial Areas are meant to serve as a buffer between industrial uses and less intensive uses. Transitional industrial areas may be used for: 1) employee parking, but not heavy truck maneuvering and parking; 2) offices which serve industrial uses; and 3) indoor storage facilities and other buildings containing "quiet" uses, provided that no activity is generated on the sides of buildings facing residential development. " /< .,,:-- ,. ' ~:, ' ~ , ·'"--. . / v~ '- •,. / " , '•. 0 -~--. ··•·•··•··· 'r..9 '' . J i . .: wt '·--· ' •. : -- :1....---------------..... ·················o····-_-·~··o.J. I ~; ~ ~~~ f L: A~ ooi 0 -, 9 \ \ ~ ,1. :' ' --------------~~~--'-------··-·····-··--·-·- Page 4.15 �Chapters THOROUGHFARE and TRANSIT POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses INTRODUCTION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Following this introduction, the chapter is organized into two main sections entitled "Thoroughfare and Transit Policy Clusters" and "Background Information." There are two thoroughfare and transit policy clusters. Each policy is stated as the topic sentence of a paragraph. The balance of the paragraph contains data and analyses which are related to the policy. The two policy clusters are as follows: Cluster 1: General Thoroughfare and Transit Policies Cluster 2: Thoroughfare Improvement Priority Policies The "Background Information" section notes that, aside from Huron Street in the downtown , thoroughfare congestion in Pontiac is now negligible and can be expected to remain so even if the city's underutilized industrial areas become fully utilized. M-59 presents both problems and opportunities. The portion of the M-59 route which runs through downtown Pontiac is inadequate and will remain so even after the necessary Grand Trunk Western underpass is completed. The "Background Information" also addresses transit. Fixed route and demand-responsive transit services are observed to be essential modes of transportation for many Pontiac residents. Intercity passenger rail service is not expected to be available within the foreseeable future. THOROUGHFARE and TRANSIT POLICY CLUSTERS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Thoroughfare and Transit Policy Cluster 1: GENERAL THOROUGHFARE and TRANSIT POLICIES Motorist and pedestrian safety ranks equal with traffic fiow as a goal for street improvements. Many of the City's most significant safety problems can be redressed with improved intersection geometrics. Priorities for both types of improvements are identified in policy cluster 2. Street improvements will be phased in over time because there is a need for more improvements than Pontiac can finance within the immediate future. Progressing on these improvements requires decision-makers to reach a consensus on a prioritized and realistic schedule that matches the limited resources available. If gateway landscaping improvements are to be made, they will have to be very carefully prioritized along with other street improvements. General phasing expectations are identified in policy cluster 2. More specific phasing should be done pursuant to capital improvements programming. The appearance of Pontiac's most highly traveled streets should be upgraded where possible through swale and median landscaping. In most urban environments, it is desirable to use tree plantings and other streetscape improvements to upgrade the appearance of the principal streets providing access to downtown and other important development areas. Municipal street tree planting and landscaping programs must compete with other improvement activities for very limited Page5.1 �funds. When possible, the city should attempt to heep non-local traffic off local residential streets, but not expect to keep residential development off non-local streets. Non-local traffic can be kept off local streets by: Providing adequate collector and arterial streets, Traffic management devices such as stop signs and turn restrictions , and Interrupting the continuity of local streets so that traffic is encouraged to take collectors and arterials. It is not usually possible or desirable to permit non-residential development on all major streets in a city. Most cities simply do not have sufficient demand for commercial land to line all their heavily traveled thoroughfares with it. In general, thoroughfare and land use planning should be predicated on functional thoroughfare classifications; this plan recommends classifications depicted in Figure 5.1. The functional thoroughfare classifications depicted in Figure 5.1 are defined as follows: Local Streets: Local streets are intended primarily to provide access to individual parcels of land. Most streets in the city are local streets. Most local streets serve residential parcels because there are more residential parcels than non-residential parcels. Local streets also serve commercial, industrial and institutional development. Local streets are not shown in Figure 5.1. Many decades ago, 50 feet was considered to be a desirable right-or-way width for local streets. In the less distant past, 60 feet became the standard. Today, many planners consider 50 feet to be quite adequate and even preferable to a wider street. However, in addition to lowering traffic volume or speed, reducing the right-of-way width may result in reduction or even elimination of: on-street parking and/or sidewalks and/or trees between curb and sidewalk. Major Collector Streets: Major collector streets fall in the hierarchy between local streets and arterial streets. In theory, major collectors funnel traffic from local streets to arterials; they also carry through traffic, but at lower volumes than major arterials. It is desirable that major collectors not have to provide access to large numbers of individual lots, but they are not expected to be free of local access respon~bilities. Major collectors should have rightof-way widths of at least 60 feet. Major Arterial Streets: Major arterial streets function primarily to move large volumes of traffic over substantial distances. They are appropriate for journeys through several neighboring jurisdictions. In an ideal world, major arterials would provide access to very few individual parcels of land. Major arterials should have right-of-way widths of at least 90 feet, but this is not always possible, particularly in built-up areas where traffic volumes have increased after development has already occurred close to relatively narrow roads before they became heavy traffic carriers. Trunklines: Trunklines are major arterials which carry very large volumes of traffic over great distances. Trunklines in Pontiac include: 1) M-59; 2) Telegraph Road; and 3) the Woodward-Saginaw-Wide Track-Oakland route running along a diagonal from the southeast to the northwest. Trunklines should have right-of-way widths of at least 120 feet. Page 5.2 �Figure 5.1 PRIORITIZED THOROUGHFARE IMPROVEMENT See Figu re 5.3 and 5.4 for unprioritized improvements Columbia Ave. Montcalm St. I' '\.. --...~ ~i ..c.~· '... " ' ~ • o, ' / ~ i..;. , i_/ '°":. -~-:~ // ;j- ··• ··· •·•··•·· · Huron St. •• • • • • .•· / ' .... ~ j / ' ~ . l . v•: Li-- ~,._., ~ Elizabeth Lake Ad .• ' j_r ! Featherstone Ave. : ~ M-59 ~.;,,--------➔•---Auburn Ave. ···················· ..................•• • , .... , _ _ _ _ _ \""4 m -5 :, ...J ..... - .- - ... 0 1 MILE ... . :, .---------- .• , 1 Thoroughfare Improvement ~ First Priority ( 1990-2000) Ie I • South Blvd . ui C: 32 .,, C: (1) i.t Grade Separation First Priority ( 1990-2000) ,. ._ ... Intersection Improvement First Priority (1990-2000) Boulevard and/ or Side Landscaping First Priority ( 1990-2000) 1 .a Thoroughfare Improvement Second Priority ( 1995-2000) Thoroughfare Improvement 4 r--• 0-"---<'0 Third Priority (All.er 2000) Page5.3 �Figure 5.2 THOROUGHFARE FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION ()1--,- - 0 "'O a: Walton Blvd. (I) Ol C i5 ai "'O > ~ -----....;;<t:*_.;c;,;;o;,;,;lu;.;,m;,;;b;;i;,a.;.A;,;v,;;e;...- • • • - - - ai 0 > <( C >, vi 0 -, Montcalm St. -d a: ..c a. ~ •j ~ Ol Q) ~ M-59 Elizabeth lake Ad. I j Huron St. l Auburn Ave. > -:----.l ffi Ol C 'i2 ·---- ~ <ii ..c :5 ....J C 't "' ~ 0 1 MILE iii South Blvd. \ ,£; 32 C ~ u.. 1 ... - - - 1'•--••A Freeway: right-of-way 250 feet Trunklines: right-of-way 120 to 250 feet Major Arterial: right-of-way 90 to 150 feet Major Collector: right-of-way 60 to 150 feet Note: Roads not shown on this map are classified local. ;~.!I i l 1,.... 1 4 . ,- ' I ]~ ~~ Page 5.4 ~-- .• .... J l 10 �Freeways: Freeways are limited access arterials. Their principal function is to carry large volumes of traffic over great distance at relatively high speeds. ~By definition and design they provide no direct access to individual parcels of land. Thoroughfare and Transit Policy Cluster 2: THOROUGHFARE IMPROVEMENT PRIORITY POLICIES The thoroughfare improvement priority policies set forth below are detailed and specific responses to land use and thoroughfare planning needs as perceived at the time of plan adoption. The categorization of specific projects as first, second or third priority reflects available data, analysis and judgment. These first, second and third priority rankings are subject to refinement and modification pursuant to the six-year capital improvements programming process recommended elsewhere in this plan. The numbering of projects within first, second and third priority categorizations is for convenience; no particular sub-prioritization is intended by this numbering. First Priority Projects, 1990-1995 1. Huron Street Railroad Crossing: Issue: Some 40,000 vehicles per day cross the railroad tracks at grade on the western edge of downtown, major congestion and delays result. The situation will be much worse when M-59 begins to carry traffic generated by the Oakland Technology Park. A 1988 study by the Michigan Department of Transportation projected future traffic volumes at 50,000 vehicles per day and indicated the need for a grade separation. Opportunity: A grade separation is needed to keep M-59 traffic from coming to a standstill. The underpass should be of sufficient dimension to accommodate a widened West Huron Street roadway between at least West Wide Track Drive and State Street. Relocation ofM59 would provide an alternate for M-59 traffic, but would still leave the problems for local traffic. 2. West Huron: Issue: West Huron is a downtown gateway to very high traffic volumes. It will become even more important if the M-59 route continues to run through downtown, which seems most probable. Opportunity: Implement tree planting and other streetscape improvements. Incorporate a boulevard configuration, if possible. 3. M-59 Relocation Downtown: Issue: The current M-59 route through downtown is five lanes. The current west-bound M59 route through downtown is made difficult by turns at University and Mill and at Mill and Huron. The situation will be much worse when M-59 begins to carry traffic generated by the Oakland Technology Park. A 1988 study by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDT) indicated that average daily traffic volumes would increase from the current 28,000 to 39,000 range to a projected 40,000 to 50,000 range. Thus thoroughfare level-of-service could drop from the E range to the F range. Peak hours could see grid-lock conditions. The MDT report did not pose any solutions; it instead indicated the need to study potential improvements. Opportunity: Extend westbound M-59 from University Drive south to connect to Huron, Page 5.5 �preferably east of the Furlong Building or at the Furlong Building site if good highway geometrics make this necessary. 4. State Street: Issue: State Street relieves West Huron Street of downtown and M-59 traffic because it feeds the newly widened Elizabeth Lake Road. Therefore, widening is recommended, particularly ifno major improvement to M-59 is envisioned. Opportunity: Widen to five lanes and provide landscape median. 5. Baldwin Avenue: Issue: Baldwin carries over 20,000 vehicles per day north of Walton. The planned 2,300,000 square foot discount mall will substantially increase volumes. Baldwin now has two lanes south of Columbia and four lanes north of Columbia. Opportunity: Widen to five lanes north of Walton Boulevard. 6. Orchard Lake Road: Issue: Orchard Lake carries over 10,000 vehicles per day. It is an important connection between Telegraph Road and downtown. As a downtown gateway from an important market area, it could be given priority consideration for tree planting and other streetscape improvements. Orchard Lake now has two lanes. Opportunity: Widen to four lanes with turning lane. Implement tree planting and other boulevard streetscape improvements. Reconstruct Railroad overpass with preservation of portion of historic structure, if possible. As of the date of adoption of this plan, these Orchard Lake Road improvements were included in the city's capital improvement program. 7. Auburn Avenue Streetscape: Issue: Auburn is a downtown gateway from I-75; it could be given priority consideration for tree planting and other streetscape improvements. Opportunity: Implement tree planting and other streetscape improvements east of Wide Track Drive. \ 8. Intersection Improvements: Issue: At least five intersections that will not be impacted by other projects listed herein, warrant additional turn lane capacity to further both safety and capacity objectives. The five intersections are: Wide Track Drive and Orchard Lake Road; Wide Track Drive and Oakland Avenue; South Boulevard and Franklin; Baldwin and Montcalm; and Telegraph and Voorheis. Opportunity: Make intersection improvements. Page5.6 �Second Priority Projects, 1995-2000 1. Connect Franklin Road with Bagley north of Rapid: Issue: Franklin can provide better access to the west side of downtown with this improvement. Orchard Lake Road provides an alternative. Opportunity: Connect Franklin Road with Bagley north of Rapid. 2. Montcalm Widening between Perry and Joslyn: Issue: Currently this short segment is only two lanes. It connects with four-lane segments to the west and south. It creates a bottleneck at this time. It will be a more serious bottleneck if employment increases at the General Motors north campus. Opportunity: Widen this short segment of Montcalm to five lanes including a center leftturn lane. Opportunity: Extend Telegraph. 3. Franklin Road Widening: Issue: Franklin provides a direct access to downtown from Telegraph Road. Widening from two to four lanes would improve downtown accessibility, though with some cost in environmental quality to the adjacent neighborhood. This neighborhood is the focus of a revitalization effort through Neighborhood Housing Services Program. Orchard Lake Road provides an alternative. Opportunity: Widen Franklin Road. Also, the segment of Rapid Street which links Franklin to Saginaw should be upgraded. 4. Oakland Avenue Turn Lane Construction: Issue: Oakland Avenue is four lanes north of Montcalm, but lacks turn lanes thus reducing the efficiency of traffic flows. Opportunity: Improve Oakland Avenue north of Montcalm with turn lanes. 5. University Drive: Issue: University carries over 10,000 vehicles per day in the vicinity of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. It provides access to the Silverdome and Auburn Hills. University now has two lanes. Opportunity: Widen to five lanes from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard to city limits. As an option, include a boulevard to match that in Auburn Hills east of I-75. Page5.7 �Third Priority Projects, after 2000 1. Telegraph Road Extension: Issue: Currently a 3,500 foot segment of this road is missing between Oakland Avenue and a point on the edge of Hawthorne Park, south of Walton Boulevard. This connection would relieve traffic pressure on other streets serving the northern Pontiac industrial commuters. Construction of a one-block segment at the northern city boundary would also complete the direct connection to I-75 and the new shopping center. Opportunity: Construct new 3,500 foot segment of Telegraph between Oakland Avenue and Walton Boulevard. 2. Golf Drive Widening: Issue: Currently Golf Drive is a two-lane roadway. Widening to four lanes is important at such time as there is greater employment at either of the General Motors South Boulevard facilities. Opportunity: Widen Golf Drive to four lanes. 3. Johnson Avenue Railroad Crossing and Johnson Avenue Extension and Improvements from Grand Trunk Western Railroad to Bald win: Issue: The Johnson Avenue grade crossing is a bottleneck in the Montcalm-CassElizabeth Lake connection between the northern and western parts of the city. The north and central parts of the City could be better linked to areas to the west by improving the Johnson Avenue railroad crossing and by extending Johnson Avenue to connect with Baldwin Avenue. Improvements should also be made to existing portions of Johnson Avenue east of the railroad. Opportunity: Make grade crossing improvements; extend and widen Johnson Avenue to provide for two-way traffic. Consideration should be given to second priority designation for these improvements at such time as major employment increases occur at the General Motors North Campus. 4. Kennett Road: Issue: Kennett carries over 10,000 vehicles per day between the northern GM plant area and the Oakland Avenue-Route 10 intersectioJ. There is no alternative route for this desired line. Kennett has two lanes. Opportunity: Widen to three lanes, including a center left turn lane. 5. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard Widening: Issue: Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard carries over 10,000 vehicles per day, but also has mostly residential frontage. Widening could have a negative impact on the adjacent homes. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard is potentially an attractive corridor through which to bring traffic. Opdyke Road and other thoroughfares will provide optional routes. Opportunity: Widen to five lanes including a center left-tum lane. Alternatively, consider providing a marginal access road for those residences along one side of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. This improvement would require the acquisition and clearance of the Page5.8 �existing homes on one side of the street and consequently, may be undesirable for the neighborhood. Similar concerns apply to the less beneficial concept of providing a landscaped median between the north and south bound lanes. Other Potential Projects Identified but not Prioritized for the Immediately Foreseeable Future Although these projects have not yet been prioritized for the immediately foreseeable future, one or more of them may indeed be desirable or even necessary in the very near future. They are included here to keep them before the public eye and as a reminder that they merit periodic consideration for inclusion among prioritized projects. 1. Railroad Right-of-Way Modifications: Issue: There is a severe conflict between the vehicular traffic on M-59 and the train traffic on the Grand Trunk Western Railroad line which crosses M-59 just west of Wide Track Drive West. Up to 40 trains per day are reported on the railroad. Many are very long and slow moving. Some 40,000 vehicles per day cross the railroad at grade on the western edge of downtown, major congestion and delays result. The situation will be much worse when M-59 begins to carry traffic generated by the Oakland Technology Park. A 1988 study by the Michigan Department of Transportation projected future traffic volumes at 50,000 vehicles per day and indicated the need for a grade separation. However, the grade separation, indicated as a first priority project in this plan, is at least several years from completion. Indeed, construction most likely will not commence until 1993. When construction does begin, the construction process itself will likely entail serious traffic congestion lasting for several years. Many businesses will be forced to relocate. Finally, the grade separation W1ll leave many other conflicts between railroad and vehicular traffic. Opportunity: As a possible alternate to the proposed grade separation, consideration could be given to re-routing Grand Trunk through Pontiac so as to bypass the downtown area. A proposed re-routing is shown in Figure 5.3. This proposed re-routing would relieve the conflict between trains and motor vehicles on South Saginaw as well as on M-59. The reroute would start at the existing route near the south city limits. It would cross through the parking lot of the closed Pontiac Truck and Buss plant on South Boulevard east of Saginaw. It would utilize the closed grade-separated crossing over South Boulevard and the functioning grade-separated over M-59 near the Silverdome. The feasibility of the rerouting depends on General Motors intentions for the parking lot through which the route would have to pass. It also depends on General Motors intentions for the Truck and Bus plant on South Boulevard west of Saginaw; this plant, which is scheduled to close soon, could not be served by the proposed re-routing. In addition to the intentions of General Motors, other factors would have to be assessed. A detailed engineering study will be required. 2. Voorheis Road: Issue: The segment between Orchard Lake Road and Telegraph Road is a connector. But less than 10,000 vehicles per day use it and widening to four lanes would impact the quality housing along its frontage. Opportunity: Widening should be programmed only if necessary to relieve acute problems on Huron or other streets. Page 5.9 �3. Paddock Street: Issue: Paddock provides a north-south connection between Perry Street and South Boulevard. However, like Voorheis, most of its frontage is residential. The neighborhood is in need of revitalization; a four-lane connector would not help this effort. Opportunity: Widen to four lanes only if congestion on Wide Track and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard become acute. 4. Collier Road: Issue: As the adjacent industrial park develops, Collier will be an important alternate connection to I-75 and the northern suburbs. Opportunity: Widen to four lanes if necessary. 5. M-59 One-Way Couple in Downtown: Issue: The current M-59 route through downtown is five lanes. The current west-bound M59 route through downtown is made difficult by turns at University and Mill and at Mill and Huron. The situation will be much worse when M-59 begins to carry traffic generated by the Oakland Technology Park. A 1988 study by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDT) indicated that average daily traffic volumes would increase from the current 28,000 to 39,000 range to a projected 40,000 to 50,000 range. Thus thoroughfare level-of-service could drop from the E range to the F range. Peak hours could see grid-lock conditions. The MDT report did not pose any solutions; it instead indicated the need to study potential improvements. Opportunity: M-59 could be realigned within downtown Pontiac by extending University north to align with Carter and by extending Carter to join West Huron just east of West Wide Track Drive. Building demolition would be required, but downtown Pontiac would be better off without at least some of the buildings in the path of this route. The improvement would link directly to the proposed grade separation at West Huron and the railroad. 6. South Saginaw Street: Issue: South Saginaw Street between Wide Track Drive and South Boulevard does not provide the landscape median which otherwise is provided beyond (south) South Boulevard. Additionally, most of the existing development along South Saginaw Street between Wide Track Drive and Wilson Street i~ marginal, inappropriate or a blight on the streetscape. Opportunity: Consider acquisition and clearance of properties along South Saginaw Street between Wide Track Drive and South Boulevard, as necessary to remove marginal or inappropriate development and blight, and to provide the additional right-of-way required to facilitate continuation of the landscape median separating northbound and southbound traffic on South Saginaw Street. Page 5.10 �Figure 5.3 ALTERNATE RAILROAD ROUTE to BYPASS DOWNTOWN 1 ,. .... • ~ ~ ca r~ ~ • :Ql o a. ~ • >l!I ~'""' • ..i a Mi""'- a... 11:.1 . . - w au ~•a..,...~ m a i:.-" -ci i a: ::: Walton Blvd. 1 j I . Columbia Ave. . ~ J .r• ~ ., ~~- ✓ -------~¥ Montcalm St. .,.,.;......._ ve. . Huron St. 0 1 MILE Existing Route J Alternatie Route Page 5.11 �Figure 5.4 OTHER UNSCHEDULED THOROUGHFARE IMPROVEMENTS _· ◄ - - M 0~ .,- ~ - fiill ~ N W . . . _ . . . . 6'-.:.. I 0'la ~ -- ;a e;a - - - - M ~ - .... ~ .. 1"' Walton Blvd. l ✓- / A j ·, Kennett Columbia Ave. 1 J ~ j j I Montcalm St. J • Ave. Huron St. 0 1 MILE Highly Desirable Thoroughfare Improvement Needed to Support Industrial Development f........, Boulevard and/ or Side Landscaping ;.2•- Thoroughfare Improvement to be Made Only if Absolutely Necessary to Serve Increased Traffic ... -- ,l Page 5.12 - -.,1 1 • �7. South Boulevard: Issue: South Boulevard, east of Franklin Road to Opdyke Road does not provide the landscape median which is provided west of Franklin Road. As a major entryway from Auburn Hills, the aesthetic condition of South Boulevard is a significant image factor. Opportunity: Enhance the appearance of the South Boulevard streetscape by providing a landscape median from Franklin Road to Opdyke Road. Previously Considered Project which should not be Considered in Future Planning 1. Montcalm Street Extension: Issue: Montcalm Street attempts to accommodate the flow between the northern GM plant and the vicinity of the Telegraph Road-Elizabeth Lake Road intersection. Traffic must now use a circuitous route via Cass Street and the Johnson Avenue railroad grade crossing. An extension of Montcalm to Telegraph would provide a much better route with the added benefit of facilitating private development of the Clinton Valley site. A bridge over the railroad would be necessary. It would be best if the proposed extension ran along the north side of the Clinton Valley site. Unrealistic and Improbable Opportunity: A 1970 Harley Ellington Associates engineering feasibility study considered the feasibility of re-routing of M-59 along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Montcalm across a Montcalm Extension over the railroad. This concept requires extensive right-of-way acquisition along Montcalm. It would bring more traffic past the Clinton Valley site thus facilitating private development. It would divert traffic from the downtown. It would present M-59 alignment problems west of Telegraph, problems arising from the development which has occurred in the 20 years since 1970. The Michigan Department of Transportation 1988 M-59 study observed that the environmental problems associated with lakes and residential development make M-59 alignment changes west of Telegraph very problematic. This opportunity is so improbable that it should not be part of future planning. No project or development opportunity should be put on hold with the expectation that this improbable opportunity might come to fruition. Unrealistic and Improbable Opportunity: As an alternate, consideration could be given to a link between Wide Track and Montcalm. Such a link could utilize the proposed Montcalm Extension overpass then follow Cass eastbound and Oakland westbound. Or, it could follow the current route within Wide Track Drive and utilize the drainage right-of-way just west of the railroad. This route concept is a variation of a 1967 Barton-Aschman plan prepared for the city. It would keep M-59 traffic in the downtown area thus facilitating revitalization. The need to widen Montcalm and/or State would be reduced, i.e. avoid the adverse frontage impact thereon. This opportunity is so improbable that it should not be part of future planning. No project or development opportunity should be put on hold with the expectation that this improbable opportunity might come to fruition. BACKGROUND I N F O R M A T I O N - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Oakland Technology Park will have a major impact on Pontiac because of the M-59 link between the city and the Technology Park. Oakland Technology Park will have a thousand acres of office and technological facilities. It is estimated that total build-out will result in a work force of Page 5.13 �G0,000 employees. Since Chrysler Corporation announced plans to develop almost 500 acres in the park as their research headquarters. the area has rapidly developed. Hotels are being planned, as well as corporate offices for businesses which work closely with or supply products to Chrysler. In addition, some of the national firms with offices in the park are: the GM/UAW training headquarters, GMF Robotics, EDF Computers, World Computers, l'IT, and Comerica Data Center. The Oakland Technology Park is a major component in showcasing Michigan's ability to attract new technology development as part of the "Greater Detroit-World Technology Center." M-59 is the most important thoroughfare problem and opportunity facing Pontiac; this is so because of the important residential and business areas to which it links the city. Significant areas linked to Pontiac by M-59 are: Northwestern Oakland County, Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills, The Silverdome Oakland University (10,300 students), Auburn Hills Campus of Oakland Community College (9,000 students), and Oakland Technology Park. M-59 route through downtown Pontiac is inadequate and will remain so even a~er the necessary Grand Trunk Western underpass is completed. The situation will be much worse when M-59 begins to carry traffic generated by the Oakland Technology Park. A 1988 study by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDT) indicated that average daily traffic volumes would increase from the current 28,000 to 39,000 range to a projected 40,000 to 50,000 range. Thus thoroughfare level-of-service could drop from the E range to the F range. In the E range, traffic volumes are at or near capacity and significant delays are common. In the F range, speeds are extremely slow and actual stoppages are common; peak hours can see grid-lock or near grid-lock conditions. (A complete description of roadway levels-of-service from A to F is given in Table 5-2 on page 5.18.) The MDT report did not pose any solutions; it instead indicated the need to study potential improvements. Over the past two decades, four potential solutions to the M-59 question have been identified. These four solutions are as follows: 1. M-59 could be realigned within downtown Pontiac by extending University south to align with Huron west of State. Possibly the connechon could be made east of the Furlong Building, which is an architectural asset. If the Furlong Building is not required to make the connection between University and Huron, then only two buildings of very limited value would have to be demolished. It would be better to make the link than not make the link, even if the site of the Furlong Building is required, provided there is no other economically feasible way to improve traffic. Linking University with Huron will allow westbound M-59 traffic to move as smoothly as possible through downtown thereby keeping economic development there highly visible. 2. M-59 could be realigned within downtown Pontiac by extending University north to align with Carter and by extending Carter across Wide Track and the Grand Trunk Western Railroad to rejoin West Huron west of State. Substantial building demolition would be required. The cost could well be prohibitive. 3. A 1970 Harley Ellington Associates engineering feasibility study considered the feasibility Page 5.14 • • • • • "• II II II •11 11 �of re-routing ofM-59 along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Montcalm across a Montcalm Extension over the railroad. This concept requires extensive right-of-way acquisition along Montcalm. It would bring more traffic past the Clinton Valley site thus facilitating private development. It would divert traffic from the downtown. It would present M-59 alignment problems west of Telegraph, problems arising from the development which has occurred in the 20 years since 1970. The Michigan Department of Transportation 1988 M-59 study observed that the environmental problems associated with lakes and residential development make M-59 alignment changes west of Telegraph very problematic. 4. As an alternate, consideration could be given to a link between Wide TracK and the Montcalm Extension. Such a link could utilize the proposed Montcalm Extension overpass then follow Cass eastbound and Oakland westbound. Or, it could follow the current route within Wide Track Drive and utilize the drainage right-of-way just west of the railroad. This route concept is a variation of a 1967 Barton-Aschman plan prepared for the city. It would keep M-59 traffic in the downtown area thus facilitating revitalization. The need to widen Montcalm and/or State would be reduced, i.e. avoid the adverse frontage impact thereon. Aside from Huron Street downtown, thoroughfare congestion in Pontiac is negligible compared to rapidly growing areas of the country. Table 5-1 shows the lane widths, daily traffic volumes and level-of-service for the major streets in Pontiac. Only five streets are shown to have level-of-service problems. Walton Boulevard improvements have already been completed, thus correcting one of the five problem streets. Plans are in place to improve three of the other four problem streets. The problem streets and the completed improvement and plans which apply to each are as follows: • Huron Street in the downtown: Huron street in the downtown will remain a problem even after the planned nnderpass is constructed at the Grand Trnnk Western railroad route. • Huron Street west of downtown: Since the 1987 volume connt shown in Table 5-1 was taken, Elizabeth Lake Road has been widened to provide a relief route to Huron plus better direct access to the Clinton Valley tract. The proposed widening of State Street would enhance this role of Elizabeth Lake Road as a relief route. If the combined volumes on Huron and Elizabeth Lake (56,000 ADT) were evenly divided between the two roads, each would have an LOS of B. Such an even split may be rm likely, but it is certain that the improvements to State Street and Elizabeth Lake Road will reduce traffic volumes on Huron below what they would otherwise have been. • Walton Boulevard: The widening to five lanes including a center turn lane was completed in 1991. This street should now have a Level-of-Service of A/Bas shown in the table. The 1990 widening of Kennett Road is intended to provide some relief to western Walton. • Baldwin Avenue north of Walton: This two-lane segment (LOS of E) is about to be widened to five lanes including a center turn lane as a second phase of the Walton project and also prompted by the planned shopping mall it will serve. • Montcalm Street (Joslyn-Perry link): This short link to Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Perry Street is now LOS D since it has only two through traffic lanes. • Orchard Lake Road (east of Voorheis): This two-lane segment is slated for widening during the 1990-1995 period. Page 5.15 �Any level of future use that can readily be envisioned for Pontiac 's major industrial areas would still leave very strong thoroughfare levels of service. T woliypothetical cases demonstrate this fact: J oslyn Avenue: If you assume the GMC Parts building were to be converted entirely for manufacturing operations, using the Institute of Transportation Engineers trip generation rate (3.8 trips per 1,000 square feet) , the 6,840 additional cars per day could be accommodated on Joslyn and still maintain an LOS of B. This would be true even if it were entirely warehousing which has a slightly higher trip generation rate. South Boulevard: If two new manufacturing buildings the size of the U.S. Army building were constructed and the Army facility was converted to manufacturing, the additional trips on South Boulevard (4,000 vehicles per day in each direction ) again would still provide an LOS ofB. Fixed route and demand-responsive transit services are essential modes of transportation for many Pontiac residents. More than half the City's residential areas have an above average concentration of transit-dependent residents. Significant parts of the city have very much above average concentrations. Transit dependency is directly related to household size, the number of people over 60 years of age and the number of people nnder 18 years of age; it is inversely related to per-capita income and motor vehicle ownership. In Pontiac, fixed route and demand-responsive transit service is provided by Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). It will be many years into the future before passenger rail service provides a very strong link from Pontiac to downtown Detroit and the suburban communities in between. As of 1990, the history of passenger rail service in Pontiac has been very limited. The distant potential for passenger rail service is not likely to play a major role in any important development decisions. Page 5.16 • • �Table 5-1 ROADWAY LEVEL-of-SERVICE on MAJOR STREETS Street Traffic# of Lanes Left Turn Lanes Roadway Width Average Daily Traffic Volumes Level of Service 4 No 46 13,176 A 2 4 2 Yes Yes No 36 58 22 8,003* 21,330 18,979 A B E 4 4 4 2 4 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes 63 60 63-75 26-30 68 20,732* 17,531 6,909* 8,863 39,109 B A A A E 4 4 Yes One-way Yes Yes Ltd. Access 60 32 60-63 40 48 NA NA 17,358* 10,748* 39,494 A B B 2 4 Yes No 44 44-68 15,283* 18,467* D A 4 3 4 No Yes Yes 44 21,976 23,036 23,644 B C B 4 2 4 No Yes Yes 45 36 44-72 11,012* 16,340* 23,461 A E 4 2 2 Yes No Yes 68 22-38 36 14,982 8,620 NA A A 2 4 2 Yes One-way No 36-48 40 28 12,457 NA 5,887* B A 6 4 Yes Yes 59 44-60 44,200* 17,048 B A 2 4 3-6 6 No Yes One-way Yes 22 58 50-72 88 18,239-23,090* NA 17,600-22,900* 39,013 Auburn Ave. Baldwin Ave.: S. of Montcalm Montcalm-Walton N. of Walton Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. (N. of Elm) Elizabeth Lake Rd. Featherstone Ave. Franklin Rd. Huron St. Johnson: west of railroad east of railroad Joslyn Ave. Kennett Rd. M-59 Expressway Montcalm St.: Joslyn-Perry west of Joslyn Oakland Ave.: north of Montcalm south of Montcalm Opdyke Rd. Orchard Lake Rd.: west of Voorheis east of Voorheis Perry St. South BlvdJGolfView Dr.: east of Franklin west of Franklin State St. University Dr.: east of Expressway Inter. west of Expressway Inter. Voorheis Telegraph Rd.: south of Elizabeth Lake north of Elizabeth Lake Walton Blvd.: 1990 1991 Wide Track Rd. Woodward 2 4 2 60 63 B E NB B!C B NA- Traffic volumes not available. * Pre-1987 count; all other counts 1987-1989. Source of traffic volumes: Oakland County Division of Planning 1988 and 1990 maps. Page5.17 �Table 5-2 . GENERAL CAPACITY of ROADWAYS by DESIGN TYPE and LEVEL-of-SERVICE Roadway Design Type 2L 3L 4LU 4LD 6LD 6LD+FR 4LX 6LX 8LX l0LX LOS A LOS B LOS C LOS D LOS E 9,800 14,900 16,900 22,500 34,800 46,400 47,500 71,000 95,000 120,300 11,500 17,300 20,000 26,300 40,600 54,200 55,700 83,600 111,400 139,300 13,100 19,700 22,700 30,000 46,400 61,800 63,300 95,000 126,600 158,300 15,700 23,600 27,200 36,000 55,800 74,200 75,900 114,000 152,200 190,000 17,400 26,200 30,300 40,000 61,900 82,400 84,400 126,700 169,000 209,000 Roadway levels-of-service are defined as follows: LOSA: Low volumes of traffic flowing freely at high speeds with little restriction on maneuverability. LOSB: Reasonably unimpeded traffic flow at average traffic speeds. Maneuvering is slightly restricted, with only occasional stopped delays. LOSC: Higher traffic volumes associated with those of urban-area roads. Traffic flows are stable, although lower average traffic speeds prevail and occasional backups may develop. LOSD: High traffic volumes and poor signal progression and timing lead to unstable flows. Substantial decrease in operating speed, maneuverability, convenience and comfort may be experienced. LOSE: Traffic volumes at or near roadway capacity. Significant delays are common and flows very unstable. LOSF: Traffic speeds are extremely slow anJ actual stoppages are common. Long delays are expected with drivers having to wait through more than two cycles of a traffic signal. The level of service appropriate for a particular thoroughfare can be determined by the governing body based on the perceived need for development and the ability to finance thoroughfare improvements. A peak-hour level-of-service D is acceptable in most situations. A peak hour level-ofservice E may be appropriate under certain circumstances; F may be unavoidable where development intensities are very high and there is not much potential for street widening. Page 5.18 II II II II II II II II II II II II •Ill • �Chapter6 PARK and RECREATION POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses INTRODUCTION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Following this introduction, the chapter is organized into two main sections entitled "Park and Recreation Policies" and "Background Information." Each policy is stated as the topic sentence of a paragraph. The balance of the paragraph contains data and analyses which are related to the policy. The policies place emphasis on the need to scale back on park costs while providing the most important facilities and services. They also emphasize the need for public involvement in the process of setting priorities. The "Background Information" section explains that communities provide park facilities in accordance with the electorate's desires and ability to pay, not according to national or regional "standards," although national and state-wide standards are often cited in recreation facility planning. When compared with national standards or with other southeast Michigan communities, Pontiac's parks are found to be quite adequate in size and number. The "Background Information" section reviews other issues relevant to park and recreation planning in Pontiac. PARK and RECREATION POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ The park and recreation policies set forth below are intended to offer general direction. Detailed policies should be the work of the Pontiac Park and Recreation Commission and should be expressed in the specific plans of that body. Activate the Pontiac Park and Recreation Commission to provide citizen involvement in the difficult process of setting park and recreation priorities. The Pontiac Park and Recreation Commission has been inactive during recent years. Michigan law envisions an active Park and Recreation Commission to provide citizen involvement in the setting of park and recreation priorities. Such citizen involvement aids sound local government administration. Deal with severe budgetary constraints by employing a broad range of strategies, including reducing facilities and services, imposing user fees and implementing innovative management approaches. The Community and Human Services Department envisions these strategies as including the following tactics: Reduce Facilities and Services Reduce the size and number of parks, Reduce the number of facilities , Reduce recreation programs. Page 6.1 �Impose User Fees on Specific Facilities and Services Sled and special equipment fees, Court fees for individuals, Court fees for leagues, Sports field fees for leagues, Other fees. Innovative Design and Management Programs Remodel parks to the extent feasible to increase natural areas and reduce areas that require high maintenance; Provide only those services which can be most efficiently delivered to the broadest range of park and recreation user; Contract services to get the lowest possible cost; Coordinate leisure services for greater efficiency; Organize an Adopt-a-Park Program to involve the public in park maintenance; Mobilize the public in People Security Patrols equipped with mini bikes and walkie talkies; Mobilize the public, including special groups to provide program delivery; Catalog marketing; and Mobilize volunteer groups in fund raising. Some of these strategies and tactics have been employed during the past five years with success. For example, since 1985 the Community and Human Services Department has been able to use innovative programs to increase program activities forward while reducing the budget by 27 percent. Employ careful 'cutback management' to selectively trim operations and facilities in a way that allows the city to deliver the most effective range of recreation facilities and services at whatever cost the budget can afford. An important 1984 study by Gerald Luedtke and Associates for the Pontiac Community and Human Services Department described the cutback management strategy and associated tactics in detail. In the initial phases, cutback management may only involve elimination of nonessential expenditures. In its more radical form, cutback management can involve closing certain parks or terminating certain recreation programs. Some cutback management tactics may require a higher initial investment for the sake offuture return rather than for current service delivery. However, tactics that appear beneficial in the short term (such as deferred maintenance) are actually extremely wasteful in the long term. Specific cutback management tactics that may be appropriate for Pontiac include the following: 1. Institute a review of parks and recreation se\rvices by preparing a comprehensive schedule of services by output, cost, and usage. All programs and activities should be reviewed on a periodic basis to eliminate those no longer used or needed. Such a review could be conveniently put on a computer for purposes of updating. The city should consider the possibility of staged reductions, such as limiting the hours that parks or community centers are open, or by reducing the frequency of recreation activities. 2. Identify alternative service levels and establish a system for setting priorities among programs and facilities. The city should incorporate this information into its Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Plan in place of the traditional and outdated criteria presently used to measure park and recreation needs. 3. Identify and involve affected parties in the cutback management process, such as employees, unions, and park users. Measure the costs of services in terms that can be understood by these parties (such as the cost of each recreation activity per user). Page 6.2 • • • • • • •II II II II II II �Consider the effects of cuts on equity, to be certain that the burden of such cuts does not fall disproportionately on those least able to pay for alternatives. Communicate these considerations to the affected parties through the use of public hearings, public opinion polls, newspapers, and other media. 4. Examine current and projected changes in population, and subsequent changes in the use of services that may indicate the need to terminate services or shift resources. This tactic is especially important in Pontiac, where the population as a whole is growing much older. Also, there are population movements within the city which suggest the need to geographically shift resources. For example, field observation revealed that in certain parts of the city, basketball courts are overutilized but tennis courts are seldom in use, whereas in other parts of the city, the reverse is true. It appears that resources could be more efficiently used by replacing tennis courts with basketball courts in those neighborhoods where basketball is a popular sport. Similar benefits can be achieved by shifting other facilities to the neighborhoods or community centers where they are most used. 5. Determine short- and long-term maintenance costs prior to developing new facilities or instituting new services. Exercise restraint in accepting Federal or state funds that may carry long-term costs. This tactic is also very important in Pontiac, because the city's difficult fiscal status can be attributed largely to the complex task of maintaining older, deteriorating facilities. New facilities will only compound the problem. 6. Sell surplus property and lease it back when needed or when the city's fiscal status improves. 7. Determine if any recreation or park services are available from other departments within Pontiac government, from the Pontiac Community School District or other units of government or from the private sector at a lower cost. In times of fiscal restraint, cooperation between departments is of utmost importance. Administrators from the Departments of Community and Human Services, Public Works and Service, and Police, as well as other concerned departments and the mayor's office, should meet on a monthly or bi-monthly basis to determine if the responsibility for certain programs or problems should be shared, or if programs should be shifted to other departments for the purpose oflong-term efficiency. 8. Analyze the workload in all departments by time of day and day of week and evaluate the use of part-time staffing in recreational, grounds, and maintenance programs. Parttime staff make up nearly half the seasonal work force in some communities. Pontiac makes good use of part-time seasonal staff. At the time this plan was prepared, the city was employing 13 part-timers out of 29 parks and grounds seasonal employees and 12 part-timers out of 14 golf course seasonal employees. 9. Review insurance coverage and patterns of claims to determine if coverage can be cut back to a more appropriate level in line with sources ofliability. The extra cost of including volunteers under the city's insurance package should be weighed against the expected benefits to be derived from a full-scale volunteer program. 10. Incorporate performance measures and employee incentives that encourage and reward efficiency. Since Pontiac is compelled to exercise fiscal conservation, nonfinancial motivators such as employer and public recognition must be enhanced. Increases in benefits and salaries should be tied to productivity increases that can be realistically measured. Such incentives are not readily apparent in Pontiac; without them, the level of services and productivity is likely to decline. Page6.3 �Improve park security by providing the Community and Human Services Department with its own security budget with which to buy security services from "the Pontiac Police Department. As of preparation of this plan, the CommWlity and Human Services Department had to request police protection for the parks. It was often dissatisfied with the amount of time officers devoted to patrolling parks. The CommW1ity and Human Services Department believes that this problem will be reduced if its budget is increased to allow it to contract directly with the Police Department for specific security patrols at specific times. It is expected that the CommWlity and Human Services Department will be best nble to determine the most important times for providing police patrols in each of the city's parks . The Police Department will retain responsibility for responding to specific criminal activities in parks at all times. BACKGROUND INFORMATION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Communities provide park facilities in accordance with the electorate's desires and ability to pay, not according to national or regional "standards." Wealthy commW1ities can be responsive to the expressed and anticipated desires of recreation facility users. Less wealthy communities must carefully prioritize commW1ity recreation expenditures. Notwithstanding these obvious limitations, it is common for commWlities to consider national or other "norms" to evaluate the adequacy of their parks. The Pontiac 2000 Plan included standards based on recommendations of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the National Parks and Recreation Association, and the Urban Land Institute. The Pontiac 2000 Plan noted that ''These standards are not intended as absolute requirements, but as general guidelines when considering future park development." They suggest a minimum standard of approximately 10 acres per 1,000 people in urban areas. The City of Pontiac met this standard in 1980 and in 1990. The size of Pontiac existing park facilities compare favorably with other communities of similar population. A 1984 study by Gerald Luedtke and Associates foWld that several Michigan communities with populations in the 70,000 to 80,000 range had park systems no more extensive than Pontiac's. Per capita income of the other cities is, on average, higher than Pontiac's. Page 6.4 • • • • • • �, Table 6-1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ MINIMUM RECREATION SITES STANDARDS _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Size Standards per 300 Families or 1,000 Persons Minimum Facility Size Service Area 1/4 acre 1/4 acre 1/8 mile Neighborhood Playground 1.5 acres 4 acres 1/2 mile Neighborhood Park 2.0 acres 6 acres 1/4-3/4 mile Community Park and Playfield 2.5 acres 20 acres 1-1 1/2 miles City-Wide Park 4.0 acres 50 acres 3.0 miles Facility Tot-Lot Source: Pontiac 2000 Plan based on standards published by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the National Park and Recreation Association and the Urban Land Institute. Table 6-2 PARK SYSTEM COMPARISONS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ City Permanent Park Maintenance 1980 Employees Population Acreage CityWide Number of Parks NeighTot Com• munity borhood Lots Pontiac 76,715 590 16 2 9 12 12 Saginaw 77,508 541 38 4 8 19a 4 Kalamazoo 79,722 550 17 2 0 10 9 Royal Oak 70,893 480 20 NA NA NA NA St. Clair Shores 76,210 235b 23 23 0 a) b) c) d) e) sc sd Includes 10 school/park combinations. Approximate city-owned acreage only. Includes marina and fishing pier. Includes 6 school sites not maintained by city. Includes 19 school sites not maintained by city. Source: Telephone survey conducted in April, 1984 by Gerald Luedtke and Associates, Incorporated. Page 6.5 �Table 6-3 PARK AND COMMUNITY CENTER USAGE Percent Who Use Facility Park Community Center Percent Who Use Facility Beaudette Murphy Galloway Lake Hawthorne 12.9 8.4 1.9 19.8 Holland Hayes J ones Howard Dell David Ewalt 8.4 4.2 11.0 8.7 J aycee Aaron Perry Oakland Crystal Lake Other 52.5 None 11.0 6.5 3. 5 2.7 Robert Bowens (Senior) Lakeside None 11.4 0.7 75.3 Source: 3. 6 Preliminary results from the 1984 Parks , Recreation, and Transportation Survey, conducted by Gerald Luedtke and Associates, Incorporated. The survey question reads as follows : ''Which Pontiac parks (community centers) do you or your family use or visit most often?" Pontiac residents have reported a reluctance to use parks due to fear for personal security; observations by the Community and Human Services Department confirm low park usership in some parks. In 1984, Gerald Luedtke and Associates did a telephone opinion survey of Pontiac residents. The survey found that: Many Pontiac residents no longer use the city's park facilities because they have a negative image of the parks. These citizens feel that the parks are unsafe, or unattractive, or uninteresting. There has been a definite decrease in park usage by family groups for picnics, family reunions, church social gatherings, etc. To some degree, this poor image is true. Many of the parks do have obsolete equipment, vandalized facilities , substance abuse, theft, and other forms of crime. This negative image was believed to far exceed any real tife problems which actually existed in the parks . However, more recent field surveys conducted by the Pontiac Community and Human Services Department indicate that some parks receive very little patronage. Usage is low in both well-maintained and less well-maintained parks. According to the Pontiac Community and Human Services Department, low park usage is sometimes due to lack of facilities and programs. For example, Beaudette Park is a very attractive facility. However, the Community and Human Services Department believes that a lack of picnic tables and grills has resulted in lower usage than would otherwise be expected. Some parks do not have satisfactory restroom facilities; a complaint that is often heard by the Community and Human Services Department. Page 6.6 II II II II II II II II II II II • • • • �The Community and Human Services Department believes that good recreation programs are one of the best ways to encourage park usage and heep crime_ out of par/ls. Past experience at Murphy Park is a case in point. Attempts to close that Park to keep drug and prostitution traffic out have not always been successful since it is possible to go around the barriers at entrances. However, the Community and Human Services Department's sledding and toboggan program brought in 600 to 700 people per weekend. That kind of legitimate traffic kept illegitimate traffic out. In the more distant past, Pontiac has allowed itself to be over encumbered with recreation facilities which are costly to maintain. The Ewalt, Holland and Dell recreation centers are the most recent indoor facilities. They more than doubled the number of indoor facilities which previously existed, i.e. the Bowens and Hayes-Jones facilities. The five indoor facilities now in the city's inventory put a very difficult strain on the city's recreation facility maintenance and operational budget. In the more recent past, Pontiac has concentrated on providing quality, maintenance free equipment rather than on acquisition or expansion of parks and recreation centers. The Grounds Division's new equipment acquisition policy has placed strong emphasis on putting vandalproof equipment in locations that are easy to patrol. Although this policy has been in effect for nearly a decade, the Grounds Division recommends that future budgets continue to provide for additional vandal proof equipment to replace obsolete equipment and to provide intensive recreational opportunities in appropriate locations. Money for new recreation facilities is available to Pontiac through Michigan's recreation bonding program; this money must be carefully spent. The Michigan Quality of Life Recreation Bond Program provides $70,000,000 state-wide over a period of years. During the past two years, Pontiac became eligible to receive $155,000, contingent upon providing the required but as yet Wlavailable match. Over the life of the program, the city is eligible to receive a total of $750,000. The total matching must amount to one dollar of local money for each three dollars of state money received. A one-to-one match may be required if the city elects to use Community Development Block Grant money for matching. The $155,000 which the city became eligible to receive during the past two years could provide needed restroom facilities at Jaycee Park, Aaron Perry Park and Beaudette Park. Page 6.7 �• Table 6-4 EXISTING PONTIAC PARKS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ II II II II II II II II II II Residential Planning Area 1 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Provided by Pontiac Planning Division Pontiac Central High School Washington Junior High School Crofoot Elementary School Beaudette Park Crystal Lake Park Basley and Brush Park Municipal Golf Course Whittier Elementary and Je!Terson Junior High School Residential Planning Area 2 10. 11. 12. 13. Wisner Stadium and Elementary School (confirm) Walt Whitman Elementary and Lincoln Junior High School Aaron Perry Park McCarmll Elementary School 14 . Oakland Park 15. Mark Twain Elementary School 16. Provided by Pontiac Planning Division Residential Planning Area 3 17. 18. 19. 20 . 21. 22. 23. Human Resource Center/ Oriole Field Longfellow Elementary School Eastern Junior High School Provided by Pontiac Planning Division Robert Frost Elementary School South Kiwanis Park Murphy Park Residential Planning Area 4 24. 25 . 26. 27. 28. Henry Owen Elementary School Louisa May Alcott Elementary School Provided by Pontiac Planning Division NorthKiwanisPark Terry Lake \ Residential Planning Area 5 29. 30. 31. 32. Pontiac Northern H. S. / Madison J . H . S. / Northeast Oakland Vocational Center LeBaron Elementary School Emerson Elementary School Provided by Pontiac Planning Division Residential Planning Area 6 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. Hawthorne Park/ Nathanie / Hawthorne Elementary School Weaver Elementary School John F. Kennedy High School Jaycee Park/ Malkin Elementary School Galloway Park Florence and Mary Herrington Elementary School Page 6.8 Ill Ill Ill •Ill - �Figure 6.1 EXISTING PONTIAC PARKS -~ - - - oil iiiii1i1 . . ..I --a .. liol ~ 0'~- - 0 U iii - >;tt ..,_. - - ,_ fd .... ,-.. . . - -- • - - - - - 1i11i 11111 . . . . . :;I ff ' . ,. ·; t J I :l 00[] Residential Planning Area Designation [0101 Designates Existing Park (see Table 6.4) i " .J ~ ll 0F'-! ___~0 Page6.9 �• • • •II Figure 6.2 DESIRABLE PARKS and PARK IMPROVEMENTS for PONTIAC E) .J E) 0 0 J 0 1111 1 MILE Ill '!-- ~ ~ Residential Planning Area Designation Existing Park New Park (see Table 6.5) ~ ~ Modification to Existing Park (see Table 6.5) Page 6.10 II II II II II II II > ~ J 3 "'... - . z .., ._ ~ .l • • • 1111 �Table 6-5 _ _ _ _ _ DESIRABLE PARKS and PARK IMPROVEMENTS for PONTIAC _ _ _ __ This table and Figure 6.1 present a desirable array ofparks for the City ofPontiac. The array i1Lcludes existing parks and new parl,s. This table calls for reductions in the size of Hawthorne Park and Murphy Parh in order to ,u:commodate plarming objectives which are not directly related to park and recreation needs. In total. the collection of parks shown on this table urul on Figure 6.1 is not completely affordable at this time 1ior for the foreseeable future. The total collection is included as backRrourul information for reference purposes only. It does not constitute a recommended parh system which must be tal,en as a whole in order to be desirable. Residential Planning Areal l. Provide new neighborhood park; a site near Howland Avenue and Crestwood Street would be desirable. 2. Provide new neighborhood tot lot; a location in the northern part of Franklin Street Neighborhood Housing Services area would be desirable. 3. Improve Hayes.Jones Community Center. 4. Develop Seminole Hills Tot Lot. 5. Retain and maintain existing parks. Residential Planning Area 2 l. Retain and maintain existing parks. Residential Planning Area 3 l. Reduce the size of Murphy Park to accommodate private residential development; improve remaining park area; redevelop park so that grounds and facilities are more secw-e and visible from Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. 2. Retain and maintain other existing parks. Residential Planning Area 4 l. Redevelop Optimist Park (West Fairmount near Hollywood). Residential Planning Area 5 l. Retain and maintain existing parks. Residential Planning Area 6 l. Scale back Hawthorne Park to accommodate institutional development, if opportunity arises; retain and maintain remaining land area; redevelop facilities for more intensive use; accommodate the Telegraph Road extension. 2. Develop 50 acre Collier Road Park on the Collier Road land.fill site; consider facilities for sledding, tobogganing and skiing to replace those at scaled back Murphy Park. 3. Provide two new neighborhood parks in the northwest pa1t of Area 6 as residential development occurs; the parks should be north of Walton Boulevard, with the first priority being the area between Telegraph Road and Baldwin Avenue and the second priority being to the west; land acquisition could occw- concurrent with residential development. 4. Provide two new neighborhood parks in the northeast part of Area 6 as residential development occw-s; the parks should be north of Walton Boulevard, one to the west of Galloway Creek near Joslyn and the other to the eru;t of the Galloway Creek in the Giddings Road area; land acquisition could occur concurrent with residential development. 5. Improve Galloway Community Park in accordance with ongoing improvement plan. 6. Retain and maintain existing parks not otherwise mentioned. Page6.ll �Traditionally, park planners have found it desirable to maintair:z, a broad complement of park facilities. Such a complement of facilities might be based on the.following strategies: Provide a community park with a wide range of facilities and programs in each of the seven Council districts. Provide a neighborhood-oriented playground (School Board or city) to serve each of the neighborhoods bounded by arterial streets. Supplement with passive parks where appropriate. In areas of higher density, provide convenient mini-parks when areas are not serviced by other public or private neighborhood parks. In all community parks and where appropriate in neighborhood parks, retain natural areas for both environmental reasons and ease of maintenance. Use resident surveys and park use observations to plan the details of park facilities and programs; since some parks currently seem to receive little use, the reasons should be determined. Table 6-5 and Figure 6.2, both entitled "Desirable Parks and Park Improvements for Pontiac" identify a broad complement of parks which illustrates one way to respond to the above strategies. Traditionally, park planners have found it desirable to allocate park facilities and resources in coordination with a city's overall development, redevelopment and revitalization goals and policies and in accordance with special needs. These considerations can be detailed as follows: Recreation space and facilities should be coordinated with efforts to revitalize areas of the city. Neighborhoods which contain economically and socially disadvantaged citizens should receive some priority in developing recreation areas and programs. The needs of elderly citizens should also receive some priority in program and facility development. Recreation areas should be consistent with objectives to preserve the natural environment and protect sensitive environmental resources from development. Page 6.12 II 11 ~ II II II II II �Chapter 7 PONTIAC CIVIC CENTER ANALYSIS and PRELIMINARY OPTIONS and CONCLUSIONS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ CITY HALL ANALYSIS and C O N C L U S I O N S - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 1. OBJECTIVE To assess the general employment trends and space utilization needs of City Hall to determine if any other departments can be located there or conversely, is there a space shortage. 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS Table 7-1 summarizes the location of the offices in City Hall while Table 7-2 summarizes the departmental employment levels and projections. The latter is based upon interviews with department heads. On balance, there will be a projected staff reduction of about five percent or six people. Given the extent to which employees are now working in converted halls and storage rooms, this will not free up significant space. However, both the Law and Finance Departments indicated that their work flow would benefit from some space rearrangement. The Personnel Department lacks an on-site training or conference room. Such rearrangement should follow an architectural or detailed space needs study of those departments. 3. SERVICE TO PUBLIC The functional allocation by floor and thus accessibility to the public appears to be logical. It follows the pattern typical of most city halls, i.e. City Clerk, citizen-oriented finance divisions and public information on the floor where people enter. 4. CONCLUSIONS City Hall should continue to accommodate essentially the same municipal functions that are located there now. This assumes that option A (page 7.5) is not implemented, i.e. adding a third floor to City Hall. A detailed space rearrangement study should be made of the Finance and Law Departments plus a training room for Personnel. Otherwise, as the minor staff reductions occur, the opportunity should be used to make the interior more "user friendly" by interior design modifications that preserve the architectural integrity. Such improvements might include brighter ceilings and more consistent sign graphics to eliminate the existing wall "clutter." Page 7.1 �Table 7-1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ OFFICE LOCATIONS WITHIN CITY HALL _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Ground Floor: • • Personnel Finance (administration, internal audit, purchasing, data processing, etc.) First Floor: • • • • Finance (income tax and treasurer) Management Affairs (Mayor's office) City Clerk Communications (City Council) Second Floor: • • • • • Law Finance (assessor) Council Chamber Mayor City Council office II II II II II II II II II II II II II • Page 7.2 �Table 7-2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ CITY HALL EMPLOYMENT STATUS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Department Current Full Time Staff Finance 73 • Space adequate although rearrangement desirable • Projected staff reduction 1990-1995 Law 11 • Space adequate although some rearrangement desirable • No staff change Mayor 11 • • Modest staff increase Space adequate Personnel 10 • No change City Clerk 5 • Space adequate/no change City Council 6 • Space adequate/no change Other Locations: Community Development Growth Group P.W. Engineering 37 11 Status or Projections 12 Page7.3 �ONE-STOP DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ANALYSIS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 1. OBJECTIVE To assess the feasibility of placing those agencies responsible for issuing development permits in the same location as a "one-stop" development service office. Agencies responsible for issuing permits include Engineering, Water and Sewer, Inspection Services and Planning. Anyone seeking any kind of development permit could come to this one office which would have technical personnel from several departments at that location. From a locational standpoint, proximity to both City Hall and the Growth Group (economic development agencies) is desirable, particularly the latter. 2. EXISTING BUILDINGS As a result of interviews and site visits, the following has been determined: City Hall: Although some minor space rearrangement is possible to both improve existing offices and free up space, this would not provide enough space for the development services cluster. Transportation Center: Although adequate for Community Development's space needs, there is little excess space and the location is remote from City Hall. Some thought is being given to using this as a conference center. About 8,600 square feet is used by the department. Public Works: This location is even more remote from City Hall and not convenient for visitors. The space is adequate in quantity but not in quality for offices oriented to the public, particularly prospective developers. Some 3,900 square feet is used by Engineering although not all of this is needed for the current staff. 3. THE CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Conceptually there are four components to city government. These components are: Development: The agencies responsible for issuing permits, including Engineering, Water and Sewer, Inspection Services and Planning. These all deal extensively with that portion of the private sector engaged in dev~opment. The Growth Group also deals extensively with the private development community and therefore might be included in this overall cluster. Public Safety: Primarily fire and police. Municipal Services: These are the other line or service agencies such as public utilities, public works, highways, recreation, human services, library and similar line or service agencies. Administration: These are the "staff' offices that serve the above three, e.g. law, finance, personnel, the Mayor's staff, etc. Ideally, each of these components should be physically located in close proximity to one another. However, this is not practical due to the extensive shop and storage facilities of such line agencies as Public Works and Utilities. Page 7.4 II II II II II • �4. THE OPTIONS As shown in Figure 7.1, the civic center campus includes three city buildings (Fire, Police and City Hall), two School Board buildings and the credit union. City Hall itself has a classical symmetry which means any addition would be architecturally problematic. This leaves four basic options if the one-stop development office is to be located near City Hall: A. Add Third Floor to City Hall: There is the potential to add a third floor of some 10,000 square feet. B. Advantages: • • Maximum proximity to Mayor and other City Hall offices. Shares parking space with existing facilities; some additional parking will be needed. Disadvantages: • • Costly in spite of ability to use existing building infrastructure. Space would still be tight with no room for expansion. New Building on the Civic Center Campus: A new building could be constructed between City Hall and the School Board. Advantages: • • • Disadvantages: C. • • Cost of new building. Possible cost of structured parking. School Board Administration Building (should it become available): Advantages: • • • Disadvantages: D. Adequate office space can be provided. Convenient to City Hall and relatively convenient to Growth Group. Shares parking space with existing facilities; some additional parking will be needed. • No construction costs yet a fairly new building. Convenient to City Hall and relatively convenient to Growth Group. Shares parking space with existing facilities. Not available in short run unless School District makes unanticipated changes. Old Pontiac Central School Building (should it become available): Advantages: • Preserves an important historic building and landmark. Disadvantages: • Substantial construction costs for retrofitting. Parking may be inadequate unless additional site area acquired . Only relatively convenient to City Hall and relatively convenient to Growth Group. Not available in short run unless School District makes unanticipated changes. • • • Page 7.5 �E. Water Street Area of Downtown: The Growth Group is now located at Water Street and Saginaw. This option would locate the development service office along Water Street between Saginaw and City Hall in either a recycled or new building. Advantages: • • • Disadvantages: • Optimum proximity to both City Hall and Growth Group. If recycled existing building can be used, less costly than new construction. Most directly assists downtown revitalization in general and bridging "the gap" between the Phoenix Center and the CBD core in particular. Not adjacent to City Hall. This analysis assumes the Growth Group will remain in downtown at their present location. Another option would be for them to join the "development center" at one of the Civic Center sites. Note: THE CIVIC CENTER CAMPUS ANALYSIS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 1. OBJECTIVE To assess the urban design implications of the "City Hall Analysis and Conclusions" section and the "One-Stop Development Services Analysis" section for the campus area. 2. ANALYSIS As indicated in the "One-Stop Development Services Analysis," if any expansion of the City Hall building occurs, it could best be achieved by adding a third floor rather than by ground floor additions. However, the analysis suggests that if the "one-stop" development complex is to be located in the Civic Center, a new building just south of City Hall may be more cost effective. The parking analysis below is particularly relevant. The Police Department building recently went through extensive interior renovation and therefore is generally adequate to serve the foreseeable needs of the department. \ The other components of the Civic Center are as follows: a. School District Administration Office: No physical change anticipated. b. Credit Union: No physical change anticipated. c. School District Human Resources Center: Currently all space is utilized. The Fire Department and continuing education building are across Pike Street; so too is the Old Pontiac Central School Building which now serves as a placement center for the Pontiac School District. Page 7.6 II II II II II II II II II II II II II II • �3. PARKING The three buildings listed above each have there own parking lots. The large lot behind City Hall has 278 spaces and also serves the Police Department building. Obviously, in Wlique situations all four lots (626 spaces) function as one to provide overflow parking. However, the existing lot meets the normal daily needs of the two buildings. Only if a City Hall "annex" is constructed to the south (where a 22-space lot is now located) would additional City Hall parking have to be obtained either by a shared arrangement with the Human Resources Center or construction of a parking deck. The Police Department parking lot on the west side of the Police Department building is often filled with Wlsightly busses. 4. URBAN DESIGN CONCLUSIONS Downtown Linkage: A strong streetscape corridor should be designed and developed along Pike Street to better link City Hall and the rest of the Civic Center complex with downtown and thereby encourage pedestrian traffic. The corridor should have special sidewalk materials, quality street lights, trees and other amenities. A pedestrian linkage at Water Street could be considered. Such a linkage would be more convenient to the core of the Civic Center, but it would probably not be much used Wlless served by a traffic light. A pedestrian bridge could be considered at Water, but this would block the view of the Pontiac Central School Building, which is too important and beautiful a landmark to be effaced by a structure of such questionable necessity. A raised pedestrian pathway should be developed parallel to the east side of Wide Track. Such a pathway would provide a promenade with an elevated view of downtown. It would offer a pleasant opportunity for pedestrians to get from buildings in the Civic Center complex to the proposed Pike Street pedestrian pathway. New Architecture South of City Hall: If a new building is built south of City Hall, it should be designed by a very talented architect who is able and willing to relate it artistically to the existing City Hall building and the existing School Administration building. An architect willing to submerge his design ego as Antonio da Sangallo the Elder did at the Piazza della Santissima Annunciata is needed (see Figure 3.12, Chapter 3 of this plan). Parking: The existing main parking lot would benefit from more trees and landscaping. There should also be better directional graphics. The Police Department parking lot on the west side of the Police Department building should be relocated for aesthetic reasons. Until it is relocated, it should be screened by a low masonry wall or evergreens and it should be used to park no W1sightly or large vehicles. Page7.7 �II II Ill Ill Ill 1111 1111 ... . -~. ., 1'!. .....'"-;\ •·•· .·:. ...•·... II II II II II -~ \ II , ', ~~ ~ ' ' .\ . r·· '; I\ \ Page 7.8 ·••I' \ �Figure 7.1 CIVIC CENTER AREA USES and PROPOSALS Opposite Page Notes for Figure 7.1 1. City Hall: City Hall can be expanded to provide for a "one stop" grouping of municipal development services including Engineering, Water and Sewer. Inspection Services and Planning. The Growth Group could also be included in this array. The original plans for City Hall made provision of a third floor. 2. Open site south of City Hall: This site could accommodate a "one stop" grouping of municipal development services. Construction of a new building at this location would probably be cheaper and less disruptive than would be construction of a third floor on City Hall. The new building would be somewhat less conveniently located to parking. If a new building is built at this site, it should be designed by a very talented architect who is able and willing to relate it artistically to the existing City Hall building and the existing School Administration building. An architect willing to submerge his design ego as Antonio da Sangallo the Elder did at the Piazza della Santissima Annunciata is needed (see Figure 3.12). 3. School Administration Building: If the Pontiac School Board were to relocate its administrative functions elsewhere, the existing building could accommodate a "one stop" municipal development services facility. In either case, no major physical change is anticipated for this building. 4. Old Pontiac Central School Building: If the Pontiac School Board were to relocate its placement functions, this building could accommodate a "one stop" municipal development services facility, but it is less convenient than any of the possibilities mentioned above. The area available for on-site parking is inadequate. 5. Water Street Site Downtown: A site on or near Water Street could accommodate a "one stop" municipal development services facility. Depending on the particular building that might be available, costs could be relatively modest. Downtown revitalization would be promoted. A Water Street location would be very convenient to the Growth Group, less convenient to City Hall. 6. 9. Policy ffepartment Building: No major physical change is anticipated for this building. 10. Municipal Credit Union Building: No major physical change is anticipated for this building. 11. Fire Department Building: No major physical change is anticipated for this building. 12. Streetscape Corridor: A strong streetscape corridor should be developed along Pike Street to link the Civic Center with downtown. The corridor should have special sidewalk materials, quality street lighting, trees and other amenities. 13. Raised Pedestrian Pathway: A raised pedestrian pathway parallel to, but up the hill from Wide Track Drive East could connect the Civic Center to Pike Street. It would separate walkers from the unpleasantness of Wide Track trallic and provide them with an elevated view. The pedestrian way could be developed with a retaining wall and landscaping to form a "base" for City Hall and the other Civic Center buildings. 14. Main Civic Center Parking Lot: This lot has 278 spaces which serve City Hall and the Police Department building. If a new building is constructed at site 2 (see discussion above), some provision will be needed for additional parking. A parking deck is one possibility. Shared use of School Board parking is another. Additional trees are needed whether or not a parking deck is constructed. 15. Pike Street. 16. Wide Track Drive East. 17. Wide Track Drive West. 18. Department of Public Works Facility: Relocation of this facility to either the water distribution site on Opdyke Road or to the sewage treatment site on Auburn Road is possible. If Public Works engineering functions join pe1mit issuing divisions in a "one stop" development services location, then the rational for relocation is strengthened. The existing location is central, but the facility is not modern. 19. Wide Track Drive West. 20. Wessen Street. Growth Group Facility. 7. Transportation Center: This is an inconvenient location for the Pontiac Community Development Department. 8. Police Department Parking Lot: This lot is often home to unsightly busses. It is too visually prominent a location for such parking. A section of the main Civic Center parking lot (site 14) should be cordoned ofJfor such parking. The Police Department parking lot should be ripped up or screened with a low masonry wall and used for passenger vehicles only. Page 7.9 �PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING ANALYSIS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ 1. OBJECTIVE To assess the future of the W essen Street facility. 2. ANALYSIS The 1980 Comprehensive Plan advanced the idea of moving the Public Works Department to a new building either at the Public Utilities/water distribution plant site on Opdyke Road near South Boulevard or the Auburn Road sewage treatment plant site. The existing location may be central to the balance of the city but otherwise hardly provides a modem building in pleasant setting. If the engineering division is moved to a new "development services office," this increases the argument for relocating the "line" functions. The case would be further enhanced if the property could be marketed for redevelopment. The related difficult question is where the Director of Public Works should be located. Some cities have opted for having the director with engineering at the office close to or in the downtown City Hall. Others have opted to keep the director with the line divisions at a location that has to be relatively remote from City Hall in larger cities. There seems to be no ideal solution. 3. CONCLUSION Although not a priority issue, assuming Public Works Engineering is moved to the development services center and there is a reasonable prospect for private redevelopment of the Wessen Street tract, then consideration should be given to moving the line functions to the Opdyke Road location although it is recognized that there is a limited amount of vacant land on the tract. Inevitably there are cost savings by having the Public Works and Public Utilities operations and maintenance facilities adjacent to one another. • • • •II II II II II II II II II II Page 7.10 • • •II �Chapters GROWTH ENHANCEMENT POLICIES and DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL REPORT _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ A Summary of Findings with Pertinent Policies INTRODUCTION--------------------------- The PHH Fantus Company, the nation's oldest and largest economic development consulting firm, prepared development potential and growth enhancement reports for the comprehensive planning program. Fantus' charge was two-fold: 1) to assess Pontiac's development potential for various types of economic activity, and 2) to make recommendations to guide the city in attracting new economic activity. Fantus' analysis and recommendations encompassed the whole city but focused on five designated study areas. Fantus' analysis and recommendations are summarized in this chapter of the plan. Following this Introduction, the chapter is divided into two sections. The first section, entitled "Growth Enhancement Policies," provides recommendations for addressing the city's larger development issues and for developing each of the study areas. The second section, entitled "Development Potential Report," discusses the economic trends affecting Pontiac, examines each of the five study areas, and analyzes how Pontiac's strengths and weaknesses relate to the most important requirements of major economic sectors. GROWTH ENHANCEMENT POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ a Summary of PHH Fantus Recommendations The city should contribute to, encourage and prod efforts by the school board and other relevant parties to improve the local public education system. School deficiencies are the most serious problem the city faces. The city's schools are producing a labor force unequipped to compete in today's market place. Poor schools keep out of Pontiac the middle class population it would like to attract. The city should foster a four part alliance to coordinate public school improvement efforts . The alliance should include the School District, the city, the private sector business community and the United Auto Workers. This alliance should develop a cooperative program for school district improvement. The resources of retired executives and UAW workers should be employed on a volunteer basis. Oakland Community College, Oakland University and Wayne State University should be invited to contribute technical assistance. Financial problems will increase if General Motors wins its tax abatement suit. The year 2001 will bring the end of the tax abatement for Oakland Technology Center. This will double the school district's tax base. The city should contribute to, encourage and prod efforts to improve labor availability and quality. Labor availability and quality are the most important issues in business location decision. Pontiac's resident work force lacks the skills to be competitive. Basic reading and computational skills must be enhanced. A strong vo-tech curricula in the public schools is critical to preparing students for a vo-tech training at Oakland Community College. The city should take meaningful steps to reduce crime. Crime and the perception of crime chases away desirable residents, customers and workers, particularly female workers. A highly visible effort to reduce crime should be concentrated in the downtown. Foot patrol and/or mounted police should be part of the effort, particularly downtown. Page 8.1 �The city as a whole should continue to talze specific and positive steps to improve community cooperation; and so too should each individual elected official and administrator. Progress to this end had been made in the months prior to completion of this plan . However, long standing practices and perceptions are difficult to reverse and are a negative for the city's economic development efforts. The portion of the business community interviewed by the PHH Fantus Company for this plan sees two very serious problems: 1) the lack of cooperation between the Mayor and the City Council, and 2) the lack of appreciation of private sector needs. The following remedial actions are recommended: 1) the Mayor and City Council should conduct a retreat to establish an economic development consensus ; 2) the Growth Group or a third party should put on training seminars to educate top city agency staff on the city services needs of the business community; 3) top city staff and elected officials should attend management development seminars; 4) public-private coordinating council should be established to meet regularly on issues of local concern; 5) the city should settle its problems with General Motors amicably, not in an adversarial way, and it should work cooperatively with General Motors whenever possible in future endeavors; 6) the Mayor and top agency staff must work to establish better working relations with Oakland County leadership and staff. The city should take specific steps to correct real problems that give Pontiac a poor image; public relations are not enough. For all the reasons discussed elsewhere, Pontiac has such a negative image that it will not even be considered by many private sector economic development decision makers. No amount of public relations will overcome the city's negative image. The City of Pontiac must show that it recognizes the problems, is willing to make sacrifices and devote the resources necessary to address them and can achieve results. Further, the city should reject such negative facilities as the proposed county incinerator, correctional facility, and halfway house. These and social service facilities such as missions exacerbate Pontiac's image as the center for Oakland County's social ills. The city already has a disproportionate share of such facilities. The city should lower property taxes. Except for the most capital intensive industries, property taxes comprise less than 10 percent of the total geographically variable operating cost; usually they amount to three to four percent. Relative to labor costs, investment costs and freight costs, property taxes are not normally important. They become important when all other considerations are equal. They are killers when they are a negative on top of many other competitive negatives. In Pontiac, property and income taxes are business climate issues. The city must lower property taxes and, as soon as possible, eliminate its income tax in order to be perceived as moving in the right direction. The city should improve the efficiency of municipa{ service delivery. The following three actions are recommended: 1) make productivity the basis for future wage bargaining with municipal unions; 2) privatize municipal services to the extent possible; and 3) privatize Pontiac General Hospital, the Silverdome, the golf course and the cemetery. The city may be able to leverage additional resources from the state, if it can show that it is improving efficiency. However, dependence on outside resources is not recommended. The city should broaden and strengthen its local economic development effort. At the moment, staff responsibilities for the Growth Group fall more in line with organizational affinities than programmatic functions. Economic development is too competitive for this to continue. The Growth Group staff should be organized along programmatic functional lines such as business and industry retention, business and industry attraction (foreign and domestic), small business development, and broader community development issues. Special programs can also be considered as the basis for staff organization. The level of professionalism of the economic development staff Page 8.2 • • •II II •II II II II II II II II • • • •II �must be constantly upgraded through training and seminars. The city's best economic development potential is to attract small firms and start-ups. The following approacbes are suggested by PHH Fantus: 1) continue to provide financing and property related incentives to reduce operating costs. but do not impose "local hire" requirements and "minority hire" requirements; 2) become knowledgeable about the plans for Oakland Technology Park in order to devise a plan to attract related businesses; 3) use "targeting" to identify manufacturing and office businesses that most benefit from the city's strengths and are least harmed by its weaknesses; 4) develop incubator space; and 5) develop a technology transfer program that links new businesses with Oakland University and other educational institutions. Finally, little effort should be invested in external marketing until the basic community development issues discussed above and the remedial issues de •·cribed below are addressed. The Growth Group should market Pontiac's strengths. Relative to competitors in Oakland County, Pontiac has strength in: 1) unskilled labor availability, 2) vocational-technical education, 3) higher education. 4) corporate air service, 5) infrastructure, and 6) real estate costs. Relative to communities in other parts of Michigan and in other states, Pontiac has strength in: 1) market access, 2) highway access, 3) trucking service, and 4) commercial air service. Targeting efforts should focus on these strengths. The city should work to provide industrial sites and office and industrial buildings. Over 70 percent of Fantus' locational engagements begin with a building search. Modern industrial space in the 40,000 to 50,000 square foot range and ''flexspace" in a smaller range are in great demand. With little inventory of attractive buildings, Pontiac is at a disadvantage. The city should inventory all vacant and underutilized sites and publish a directory indicating zoning, ownership, access, attractiveness for development, assessed valuation, and potential environmental problems. The city should work with General Motors to determine the feasibility of acquiring the South Boulevard facility for reuse and/or redevelopment. The city should also work with the U.S. Army and the state's congressional delegation to determine the feasibility of acquiring the South Boulevard Storage Facility for redevelopment or reuse. The South Boulevard - Opdyke Road area offers the very best potential for developing industrial-type facilities in Pontiac. Pontiac has office sites downtown and at Clinton Valley, but limited building offerings. The City should modify its incentive policies and improve the application of incentives. In order to attract new businesses, Pontiac has offered land cost write downs, financing at below market interest rates, tax incentives and training assistance. These incentives do not normally drive location search or expansion decisions. Much more important are labor costs and transportation costs. Also more important are access to markets, labor availability and quality of life. Incentives serve as a tie-breaker when these other considerations are equal. It is recommended that incentives be used more sparingly and only to secure firms with a high probability for survival after the incentives are withdrawn. It is also recommended that "local hire" requirements be dropped. Labor quality and availability are too important to be constrained. Page8.3 �DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL REPORT _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ a Summary of PHH Fantus Findings Oakland County has experienced tremendous growth since the mid-1980's, but Pontiac has not participated fully in the county's growth. Examples of the growth differential are: • Oakland County experienced a net population increase of 10 percent between 1980 and 1989. Pontiac's population decreased by 3.1 percent over the same period. • Pontiac's unemployment rate-still in double digits-has remained twice as high as the county's unemployment rate. • The household income levels of Pontiac residents have averaged nearly 35 percent less than in the county. While Oakland County has experienced its greatest growth between 1984 and 1989 in the contract construction; finance , insurance, and real estate; services; and retail sectors; Pontiac's economy has remained stagnant. Excluding General Motor's employment, Pontiac's manufacturing sector is extremely small. There are few manufacturers employing over 50 employees. Despite its level of employment in Pontiac, General Motor's employment and sales effects on the city have declined. The decline has been experienced in the following specific ways: • A growing percentage of General Motor's jobs in Pontiac have been held by non-Pontiac residents. • There are virtually no General Motor's suppliers located in Pontiac. • Pontiac employees not living in the city do not frequent Pontiac retail establishments. Pontiac's economic strengths and weaknesses were analyzed as they relate to the most critical needs of six different economic development sectors. The six sectors are: • • • • • • Headquarters Office Facilities Back-Office Facilities High-Tech Manufacturing Traditional Manufacturing Distribution Facilities Retail \ Of the six sectors, distribution presently offers the best fit for Pontiac; headquarters office facilities are unlikely to be attracted to Pontiac. While Pontiac offers a number of advantages for each sector, the city also exhibits a number of basic and critical disadvantages for developing each sector. These disadvantages relate largely to: • • • • • • Page 8.4 the quality of Pontiac's resident labor force; the limited willingness of nearby labor force to work in Pontiac; poor labor-management relations; the perceived low quality oflife in Pontiac; the perceived negative image of Pontiac; and limited real estate availability. • • • • •II II II �HIGHWOOD Industrial Park is the city's only significant industrial land offering, but it is questionable whether its advantages overcome its negatives, especially relative to the attractiveness of competing sites within the county. Highwood is rated positively on available acreage, land costs, and improvements. It is rated negatively for access, attractiveness, and compatibility with surronnding uses. SILVERDOME Industrial Park lacks acreage; this renders the park not viable as a site for significant development. Silverdome is rated positively on land costs, access, improvements, compatibility of use, and for having attractive buildings for lease. It is rated negatively only for lack of available land. SILVERDOME air rites present an unusual development challenge; this combined with a growing oversupply of office space and hotels in the 1-75 corridor, render the desirability of further developing the site questionable at this time. The Silverdome site is rated positively on available acreage, land costs, access, and improvements. The site's attractiveness and adjacent uses were rated as negatives. CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT obstacles to development are substantial. The CBD is rated positively on available acreage, land costs, and historic character of existing buildings. It is rated negatively on access and circulation, attractiveness and image, present mix of uses and relationship to the rest of the city. CLINTON VALLEY is rated the most fl,exible site the city has for development and as offering the greatest development potential. The site is rated positively on available acreage, land costs, improvements, access for some uses, and physical characteristics, and compatibility with adjacent uses. It is rated negatively for its past use, the uncertainty surronnding the future of the core portion of the site, and access for some uses. In the past, Pontiac's weaknesses have far outweighed its strengths for private sector development. This is evident from an examination of the development that has taken place just outside of the city's borders. The city may be at a strategic crossroad since it faces opportunities that may not come again for many years into the future. Ifit does not take significant actions to address its economic weaknesses, the never-again opportunity that the Oakland Technology Park presents, along with the northward growth of Oakland Connty, will bypass the city. In order to succeed in the competitive economic development environment that Pontiac faces, Fantus believes that the city must FIRST address five basic economic development issues: 1) the low state of the local public education; 2) the high rate of crime; 3) the historically low levels of community cooperation; 4) the city's very negative image; 5) the city's very onerous tax rates; 6) the low efficiency ofpublic service delivery; and 7) the low quality of local economic development efforts. These problems may sometimes be perceived by the public to be greater than they actually are. However, Fantus believes that they are all very real and very damaging to the city. They must be addressed in substance rather than as a public relations effort. Page8.5 �SECOND, in order to succeed, Fantus believes that Pontiac must_ also take the following operational steps: 1) market Pontiac's strengths; 2) act to improve labor availability and quality; 3) provide industrial sites and office and industrial buildings; 4) modify the city's incentive policies and improve the application of incentives. THIRD, in order to succeed, Fantus believes that Pontiac must take specific steps to enhance the marketability of its industrial parks, the Clinton Valley site and the downtown; these steps are set forth in sections of the plan specifically devoted to these areas. \ • • • • • • • • •II II II II II Page 8.6 �Chapter9 HIGHWOOD and SILVERDOME INDUSTRIAL PARKS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses Highwood Industrial Park Policies Targeted uses should include smaller assembly and light-manufacturing firms, not concerned with image and not heavily utilizing truck transportation. A three-part strategy should be used to attract distribution and General Motors suppliers to this park: 1. Intensively market the vacant Diolight plant. 2. Improve park appearance (signage, entrance and grading). 3. Widen Walton Boulevard and Collier Road. This is absolutely critical to attracting distribution facilities. Silverdome Industrial Park Policies Targeted uses should include smaller manufacturing firms of all types and location of an incubator. Signage and entryway improvements should be made. Intensive marketing of any buildings that become vacant is the most significant opportunity. Distribution and General Motors parts suppliers are logical reuses. Page 9.1 �Chapter 10 SILVERDOME STADIUM SITE LAND USE and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses The long range potential for additional economic development of the Silverdome site should be kept firmly in view and future planning decisions should be tailored to protect and enhance this potential whenever possible. Almost since it was first developed, the Silverdome site has been viewed as offering potential for additional development. Architectural concepts showing offices, a hotel and a sports arena have been prepared over the years. These concepts are predicated on building parking structures on the existing lots and raising office and hotel towers above podium levels at the tops of the parking structures. During recent years, major development projects completed or announced in Auburn Hills have positioned themselves to capture much of the market which would be available to Silverdome site facilities. In addition, the need to negotiate the allocation of property rights and responsibilities between developer and the City would add an extra level of complexity to the development process. The market potential for the site in 1990 does not appear strong enough to overcome this extra difficulty. During the next decade, this picture might change. \ ' .--~. ::.. ,, . ;.'' - . Figure 10.1 SILVERDOMEDEVELOPMENTCONCEPT This concept shows an intensification of development at the Silverdome site through the addition of a hotel, an arena and a parking structure. This particular mix of uses may not be feasible in the future, but the basic idea of adding new facilities to the existing development is well worth pursuing. Concept prepared by the Pontiac Community Development Division c. 1985. Page 10.1 �Chapter 11 HISTORIC PONTIAC _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ A Personal Architectural View by Edward D. Francis, F .A.I.A. The architectural character of a city is principally defined by the buildings that make up its fabric, and in a direct way reflect civic values, priorities, attitudes and aspirations. It is my view that the City of Pontiac stands as a living museum that presents a rich mixture of architectural expressions. It holds much that its people can take pride in. In particular, there are two concentrations of historic structures that deserve notice and comment, the remaining portions of the original Central Business District and the Clinton Valley Center complex located west of downtown. The Central Business District is saturated with architectural jewels whose variety of styles visually narrate the development of architectural thought and expression through the last 100 years. The construction of refined historic revival designs and inventive creative expressions reflected the merchant/builder's desire to provide a timeless and diversified setting for their merchandise. This environment was expected to imbrue their products with additional value. While the majority of buildings are clear examples of the commercial style popular in the first quarter century, the Riker building and the Pythian building are amongst the city's best. There are numerous other styles that shine as well. The Masonic Temple, for one, is firmly rooted in the Spanish/Moroccan tradition. The Salvation Army building is representative of the late Gothic Revival style. The Community National Bank and the Strand Theatre are strong expressions of the Neo-classical and English Renaissance Styles, respectively. There are excellent examples of the Art Deco sty le of the pre- and postdepression eras such as the Pontiac State Bank building and the southwest corner building at 29 N. Saginaw. In addition, there are numerous other styles of architecture that add color and texture to the city's fabric. Second Empire, Romanesque, Italianate, Georgian, Victorian, Sullivanesque, International and Modern are styles that I noted on a recent tour of the downtown area. Given this rich and rare milleu of architecture it is unfortunate that the condition of many Central Business District structures has declined since I last observed them in 1980. Pontiac has evolved like other cities in this country. As the downtown has matured and the buildings have been adapted to new uses, they have undergone major alterations that have had a overall negative affect on the quality of the city. Original storefronts have been replaced with insensitive contemporary designs. Large retail signs hide precious details. In the worst cases, entire historically significant buildings have been covered with inappropriate contemporary skins. On the other hand the Pike Street Station and Chimayo restaurants show how new uses can be sensitively integrated into an older building without compromising its integrity. Sadly, these buildings are the exception to the rule, but they do represent a model by which other developments should be measured against. Their owners are sensitive to the appropriate use of color, texture, scale and proportion. It is often suggested that extensive covered walkways be introduced in older downtown shopping areas. Unfortunately such well intentioned action visually overpowers and destroys the special marketability of a historic environment and, in addition, produces yet another public maintenance liability. The use of historically appropriate awnings and overhangs, designed for each individual front, preserve the traditional visual diversity of a downtown area and provide the required weather protection for patrons. I believe that conscientious planning, critical review, standard guidelines, public awareness programs and financial incentives will encourage preservation and authentic restoration. Perhaps under the auspices of a Nationally Registered Historic District, the character of the Central Business District could reclaim much of its historical character. Some distance to the west of the Central Business District sits another historically significant collection of buildings. The Clinton Valley Center stands as a marvelous example of 19th century Victorian architecture. The towered central building was designed by the master architect, Elijah Myers, whose accomplishments include five state capitol buildings including Michigan's 1879 masterpiece which is presently being restored. The complex is sited in the tradition of 19th century farmhouses, atop high ground exerting its presence and commanding picturesque views over the Page 11.1 �surronnding landscape. The original red brick structure is awash in delightful Victorian decoration. The closer one studies the facades the more is discovered. Unfortnnate]y, however, much of this splendor has been covered through subsequent renovations and additions. While most of the later buildings are constructed with similar materials, their scale, proportion and more importantly their siting detracts significantly from the original intent that Elijah Myers envisioned. Although many of the outlying buildings sit in a state of disrepair or are vacant they appear to be well suited for new adaptive uses, such as offices and housing. The barn structure could serve as public assembly space, i.e., meeting room, exhibit, theatre or dining. In addition, the vast underdeveloped land that surronnds Clinton Valley Center has many attributes desirable for new private development. The pressures exerted by the growing demands of Oakland County make it apparent that a master plan be commissioned for the site. It should focus on the economic implications of the preservation and adaptive reuse of the existing historic facilities and set forth guidelines for new development that will be sympathetic to the existing complex. The general decline in the conditions of the buildings in the Central Business District and the Clinton Valley Center are symptomatic oflarger issues that perhaps have not been clearly presented to the community: Are these buildings worth saving and do they in fact have a value to the city? As an architectural preservationist/historian, it is clear to me that they represent precious assets, fully deserving civic attention and stewardship. My hope is that the people of Pontiac recognize this and begin to initiate measures that focus on restoring these architectural treasures. Indecision and delay will only serve to allow continued disintegration of these historic resources. Action on the other hand can result in maintaining and enriching these two nnique attractive and viable architectural places. The result will combine the past, present and future in a unique environment. When that day comes Corning, New York and Baltimore, Maryland, cities respectful of their past, will have nothing on the City of Pontiac. \ I I I I I I I I I I I I I Page 11.2 �- ;l ,,... ~ i ~.; , , '~- -/. l~ _.'. L_;_, i 1·-, l 7\ . 1 1•w 1 in!m...., , -1· · l ~11-~. ~I~~ ·~ •·~ ''·"! ~ ! ~\ ~~:Jmr ~I ,:· mr·mi mr1 '. : : . ~ I Jm),- !.Utffll, ' .·. :.m11 t :4 ff 11:,a'IIJlli/ ,~ a~.r '··:·: i. ..-. . ~- ·:-:.• :-. r· -,-;··,-r: , : _; r. ·n1·wr Page 11.3 �I I I I Figure 11.2 MASONIC TEMPLE and PONTIAC STATE BANK BUILDING, DETAILS "Architecturally integrated details both humanize and enrich the built environment" says Edward Francis, pictured below with some of Pontiac's architectural visages. • • • • • • • Page 11.4 - - - - --- - �Figure 11.3 THE NEWLY RESTORED EXTERIOR of the STRAND THEATER Page 11.5 �I I I I I I I I I I I Figure 11.4 (above) SELECTED DOWNTOWN HISTORIC BUILDINGS Left: Seventy-seven North Saginaw Street. Right: The Furlong Building. Figure 11.5 (opposite) SELECTED DOWNTOWN HISTORIC BUILDINGS Top Right: The Lawrence Street Gallery Building. Top Left: The Waldron Building. Bottom: The W.C. Turk Building. Page 11.6 Ill �Page 11.7 �Figure 11.6 PONTIAC STATE HOSPITAL at CLINTON VALLEY I I I I I I I I I • • • • Page 11.8 �Chapter 12 CLINTON VALLEY SITE LAND USE and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses The city should pursue residential use for the Clinton Valley site. Two hundred acres of the Clinton Valley site have been conveyed to the City of Pontiac by a special act of the state legislature. A portion of this acreage has been sold for private development. The result has been the Summit Place shopping center on Telegraph and an office project on Elizabeth Lake Road. The size and location of the Clinton Valley site free it from the image negatives that burden much of the city; yet its distance from the interstate highway system limits its potential. Additional portions of the site which are likely to be unneeded by the state should be used for good quality residential development. Good quality residential development will greatly enhance the overall residential viability of Residential Planning Area 1 (See Chapter 1), which is a key area of the city. The same or even greater beneficial effect can be achieved by mixing a substantial number of residential units with non-residential uses. However, development which is exclusively or primarily non-residential should be avoided. Low-cost industrial buildings with minimum site amenities are particularly to be avoided. In the past, consideration has been given to such development, largely because there are so few available industrial sites in the city. However, such industrial use would be the least desirable use for the Clinton Valley site. The problem of Pontiac's limited industrial site supply should be solved elsewhere in the City. Development of the Clinton Valley site should proceed according to an overall development plan, not on a piecemeal basis as has occurred in the past. Piecemeal development has resulted in the development of Oakland Pointe, a substantial shopping center, and a small office complex. These are desirable uses, but they have been developed in a way which fails to maximize the full potential of the site. The shopping center extends so far north on Telegraph that it will be difficult to coordinate a Telegraph entrance to the interior of the site with the service drive of the Summit Place Shopping Center on the west side of Telegraph. The buildings of the Oakland Pointe shopping center do not relate in materials or forms to the historic state hospital buildings; nor do the newly constructed office buildings on Elizabeth Lake Road; nor do the newly Fairlawn School facilities. The overall plan of development should contain a primary entrance on Telegraph north of Oakland Pointe. Some of the Oakland County administrative complex may be needed of this entrance. The overall plan could also contain a secondary entrance on Elizabeth Lake Road. An illustrative development concept is shown in Figure 12.1. Other concepts are being developed by the Oakland County Planning Department during the preparation of this plan. The city may elect to make one or more of these concepts part of its official planning policy for the Clinton Valley site. The historic buildings at the Pontiac State Hospital should be preserved to the maximum extent possible. The historic buildings on the Clinton Valley site are a unique treasure that is well worth preserving. However, finding a developer willing and able to rehabilitate and retrofit them for a new use will take longer, perhaps much longer, than finding a developer willing to construct the kind of back-office facilities now on Elizabeth Lake Road. If this very worthy goal is to be pursued, it should be prepared to commission a detailed architectural feasibility and market absorption studies and then wait for a developer who can do the job right. Existing retail and office use of the southwest portion of the Clinton Valley site should continue, but no new office or commercial development should occur on Elizabeth Lake Road. The existing office and commercial uses are new and in demand. However, Elizabeth Lake Page 12.1 �Road is not prime development frontage. It should not be used for retail and office uses which would necessarily reduce residential development opportunities. · A new office structure could be developed on or near Telegraph Road north of the existing commercial facilities. Real estate and economic development experts who examined the site for this study concluded that office uses offer the best potential for nonresidential development. The economic development experts found the site to have some retail potential in association with office development. Back-office operations and service-oriented office users are the most promising prospects, although the site would compete with the downtown for such uses. A portion of the Pontiac State Hospital site can be reserved to accommodate the Fairlawn School without fatally impairing the site's development potential. This school wishes to remain at the site and it has recently expanded its facilities. All of the school's buildings are next to the Summit Place Shopping Center. They can be screened from Clinton Valley historic structures and from other parts of the site to the north and east of the historic structures. Access can be directly from Elizabeth Lake Road. The relocation of an M-59 bypass using a Montcalm extension should be abandoned as a basis for planning development at the Pontiac State Hospital. Substantial private development of the Clinton Valley site may have to await decisions concerning the Pontiac State Hospital facilities and the future route of M-59. Development of the Clinton Valley site will be limited unless a decision is made soon to relocate existing facilities. There is a danger that delaying a decision will result in the piecemeal development of currently available acreage, thus foreclosing the potential to implement a coordinated development plan. A decision to bring M-59 through or adjacent to the Clinton Valley site could greatly enhance its potential, providing the full site is available for development. So long as no decision is made, the best strategy for development can not be known. Page 12.2 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 111 �Figure 12.1 CLINTON VALLEY DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT Key: 1) Main entry with landscaping and architectural gate. 2) Development pod for new residential structures to be designed with proportions and materials compatible with existing historic architecture on the site. 3) Historic buildings restored predominantly for residential use, but also for retail and office use; under-grade parking to the extent feasible. 4) Architecturally incompatible structures removed for parking. 5) Security gate. 6) Access to Oakland Pointe. 7) Thick landscape buffer. 8) New office development. 9) Fairlawn School retained with access via Elizabeth Lake Road. -· v' '/, , L' ·,di '"> / ( ' > .,.:i > . '. / , / /"' , Page 12.3 �Chapter 13 DOWNTOWN LAND USE, URBAN DESIGN and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ with Related Data and Analyses INTRODUCTION--------------------------- Following this introduction, Chapter 13 is divided into six sections entitled: Downtown Improvement Policies for Pontiac Planning Principles for Downtown Pontiac Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac Downtown Physical Analysis: Assets Downtown Physical Analysis: Liabilities Review of Past Downtown Planning and Development Proposals The section entitled "Downtown Improvement Policies for Pontiac" consists of a series of policies. Each policy is set forth as the topic sentence of a paragraph; the body of each paragraph elaborates on the basis for and/or the meaning of the policy. The sections entitled "Planning Principles for Downtown Pontiac" and "Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac" are structured in the same way as the policy section, and they are incorporated into the policy section by reference. The remaining three sections provide useful background information. The two "Downtown Physical Analysis" sections provide exactly the information their titles imply. The "Review of Past Downtown Planning and Development Proposals" focuses primarily on the decade of the 1980's, a very active decade for downtown planning in Pontiac. The downtown improvement policies emerged from a collaboration between the Pontiac Planning Division staff, the Pontiac Planning Commission, the Pontiac Growth Group and the consultant planners. Robert K Swarthout, AICP served as lead consultant for putting together the policies. Mr. Edmund N. Bacon, FAIA played a key idea-development role; he worked closely with Mr. Swarthout, the Planning Division staff and the Planning Commission. Mr. Bacon brought to the Pontiac planning effort the experience gained from a long career of successful downtown urban design and revitalization work. He served as chief planner for the City of Philadelphia for three decades. His work there led to a Time magazine cover story about him and his downtown revitalization efforts. Since leaving Philadelphia, Mr. Bacon has served as a consultant to cities all over the world. A June 1988 article in the New York Times called Mr. Bacon "...one of the most celebrated city planners of modern times." Mr. Bacon is the author of Design of Cities, one of the most widely used and cited books on urban design theory. It is required reading in virtually every urban planning and design graduate program in the country. Mr. Bacon received his training in architecture at Cornell University and the Cranbrook Academy. Page 13.1 �DOWNTOWN IMPROVEMENT POLICIES for PONTIAC _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ The city-owned parking lot at the south-west corner of Saginaw and Huron Streets should be developed with a mixed-use structure that includes office and other uses such as entertainment or restaurant cluster; the new use or uses should be in a "showstopper" building. It would be desirable if a restaurant cluster or major entertainment use could be coupled with office or other uses in one building developed immediately. However, early development of a restaurant cluster or major entertainment use in a "showstopper" building at the comer of Huron and Saginaw Streets followed by subsequent development of a new office or mixed-use building on the site west of the alley would be satisfactory. The size of the office and/or mixed-use buildings could be approximately the same as the office buildings at the Phoenix Center. Parking decks could be constructed below grade, or above the retail level. Office facilities could be constructed above the retail level, or above the parking, if parking is constructed above the retail. The entertainment uses could be partly below grade if there is a dramatic street entrance. The restaurant cluster or entertainment uses must have direct access to the enclosed pedestrian mall. Other uses in the building should also have access to the mall. Parking could also be provided in a municipal lot or structure in the block bounded by Clinton, Wayne, Lawrence and Wide Track Drive West. An illustration of this concept is provided in Figure 13.1. An enclosed pedestrian mall should be developed in the alley west of Saginaw between Huron and Pike Streets. Such a mall could be the focus of an entertainment district that would compete for expenditures currently made by Oakland County residents throughout the county and even in downtown Detroit. It could provide direct access to entertainment uses and related retail uses. It could also serve office uses. Initially the enclosed mall could extend the two blocks between Pike Street and Huron. Eventually, it should link the Phoenix Center to whatever use takes over the old Masonic Temple building at Saginaw and Lafayette. A substantial entertainment facility or entertainment-office facility at Saginaw and Huron will function as an anchor for a pedestrian mall. A second anchor could be developed on the urban renewal land between Pike Street and the Phoenix Center. This second anchor could be linked to the Phoenix Center. The pedestrian mall could provide all weather access to restaurant, night club, retail and office uses. The mall concept was developed by Mr. Bacon and the other members of the consultant team early in the planning process. They subsequently learned that a downtown property owner and restaurateur had the same vision, though on a less ambitious scale. The property owner had reason to believe that the right facilities could attract customers to downtown Pontiac; his gourmet restaurant had been attracting lunch and dinner customers from locations deep in adjoining suburbs. The planning team's illustration of the mall concept appears in Figure 13.2. An illustration of the property owner's concept appears in Figure 13.4. Figure 13.3 shows the origin of patrons at the gourmet restaurant. ~ I I I • • • • • •II II II II A grand staircase should be added to the north facade of the Phoenix Center parking lot at the end of Saginaw Street. The staircase should be Pontiac's version of the Spanish Steps. It should provide an attractive terminus for Saginaw Street and it should be designed to provide a viewing grandstand for parades and special events to be held on Saginaw Street. Parades and festivals are an important part of a successful downtown. So too is a place from which to watch such special events as well as every day comings and goings. The illustration in Figure 13.5 depicts the staircase as one concept for the staircase. The downtown land use pattern should follow the basic outline set forth in the three options shown in Figures 13.6, 13. 7 and 13.8. Any one or a combination of two or all three of these options would produce a highly viable downtown. The three differ in only minor ways. All three options provide a compact retail core oriented to the north-south alley between Saginaw and Wayne Streets. This alley is envisioned as an enclosed pedestrian mall, ultimately extending to the Page 13.2 11111 �historic Masonic building at Oakland and Lafayette. All three options provide for the retail core to be flanked by office and institutional uses. All three options provide for: intensive mixed-use development around the Phoenix Center. This mixed-use <levelopment is to provide a link between the Phoenix Center and the alley mall about which the compact retail core clusters. All three options provide for a substantial amount of residential development. Areas dedicated to residential development are shown at both the north and south ends of downtown. Two of the options provide for higher intensity development in the north end. One of the three provides for office development instead of residential development on either side of Oakland north of Lafayette. In general, new development and public infrastructure improvements should conform to the "Planning Principles for Downtown Pontiac" set forth beginning on page 13.26 of this plan. The downtown planning principles are grouped into the following topical arrangements: Downtown Access Principle; Physical Environment Principles; Compact Mix of Use Principles; Parking Principles; Vehicular Circulation Principle; Office and Institutional Use Principles; Retail Uses Principles; Housing Principles; and Culture, Entertainment and Special Event Principles. Some of these principles are demonstrated in Figures 13.6 through 13.11. Additional illustrations are referenced and included with the discussion that begins on page 13.26. In general, new development and modifications to existing development should conform to the downtown architectural principles set forth below and described more fully beginning on page 13.35 of this plan component. The downtown architectural principles are: Overall Physical Order Principle; Street Space Continuity Principle; Traditional and Historic Architecture Principles and Guidelines; Traditional and Historic Renovation Guidelines; Infill Principles and Guidelines; Infill Development Guidelines; and Sign Principles. Some of these principles are demonstrated in Figures 13.9 through 13. 11. Additional illustrations are referenced and included with the discussion that begins on page 13.35. Downtown Pontiac's existing historic buildings should be preserved because they are unique assets which can help the city overcome downtown development negatives. The historic significance of downtown buildings is almost self evident. Many downtown buildings are either on or worthy of the National Register. In Chapter 11 of this plan, Edward Francis, F AIA, Michigan's leading historic preservation architect, provided testimony for the importance and value of historic buildings in downtown Pontiac. While helping to develop the land use and urban design concepts for this chapter, Edmund N. Bacon, F AIA testified to the important aesthetic value of downtown Pontiac's historic buildings. Mr. Bacon called the historic Pontiac State Bank building as fine an architectural specimen as he had seen anywhere. Page 13.3 �Future development downtown should be integrated with the historic fabric of existing buildings and streets. New development should be fully integrated into the existing development pattern, including the basic street grid of the downtown as established by Saginaw and Huron and the streets which parallel these streets. Every new development should make substantial use of the opportunities inherent in its own site to become part of the existing urban fabric. New buildings which fail to do this should not be permitted. Where possible, future projects should help link the Phoenix Center to the historic fabric of downtown. This policy is in keeping with the plans prepared by the Pontiac Planning Division in the mid 1980's; but this policy means abandoning the New Pontiac Plan concept of the early 1980's. That concept called for the total remaking of the downtown in the image of a suburban office plaza. The Pontiac Planning Division Plans of the mid 1980's are shown in Figures 13.12 through 13.14. The New Pontiac Plan concept is shown in Figure 13.15. An example of a proposed building which does not relate to the existing fabric is shown in Figure 13.16. The employment base this proposed building would have generated would have been a positive, but its urban design impact would have been a negative. An intensive system of pedestrian circulation should extend beyond the enclosed retailentertainment mall. The system should include enclosed and climate controlled pedestrian concourses as well as attractive sidewalks. Potential components of such a system are illustrated in Figures 13.9 through 13.11. Major appearance and functional improvements should be made to downtown by both the private and public sectors. Most important of these improvements are: rigorous building code enforcement to bring all stores and offices up to current safety standards; facade renovations with city financial help if need be and with state and/or other help if possible; streetscape improvements , including replacing old curbs and sidewalks with wide, attractive walkways, barrier-free curbs, planters, new lighting and other pedestrian amenities; and circulation improvements, partially in the form of a pedestrian skyway system, to link the Phoenix Center, senior citizen center, the Saginaw Street office and financial hub, the municipal complex and the transportation center. City-owned parking lots and structures should be clt!signed and constructed in accordance with the highest standard of amenity. Screening and landscaping should exceed the standards applicable to privately-owned parking areas. They should be well maintained. Vacant city-owned redevelopment sites should be maintained in park-like condition until they are developed. An unkempt appearance conveys the impression that downtown Pontiac is not thought to be a very valuable or important place. If this is how the public sector views downtown, it is not very likely that the private sector will have a different view. Downtown properties controlled by the City of Pontiac already should be used to stimulate revitalization. This property is concentrated in the blocks bounded by Lawrence, Perry, Water, Saginaw, Pike and Wayne. Approximately 70,000 square feet or 28 percent of the site area of these blocks is owned or otherwise controlled by the city. Page 13.4 • • • • • • • • •II II �Potential revenue source for downtown improvement should be employed through bonding Tax Increment Financing revenues. Prelimina ry analys es complete1 for the Pontiac Growth Group indicate that downtown appearance improvements could be funded from a variety of sources in an amount between $27,000,000 and $37 ,000,000. (See page 13.51 for a more detailed description of the sources.) A downtown property management authority should be established to centralize maintenance and improvement decision-making. The authority should also control the mix of tenants permitted within its jurisdiction. Economic development efforts should target those uses which have been identified as being most likely to find downtown Pontiac a good economic environment. These uses include the following: Entertainment and restaurants; Smaller ''back-office" and service firms; Health care; Government offices; Service and specialty retail; Townhouse and apartment residential; and Artists ' studios and residences. Entertainment uses and restaurant uses are the most promising prospects for the immediate future. The city should put major emphasis on attracting these uses so long as they represent the prime prospects. Pontiac should place emphasis on medium sized, incremental development of projects which can be realized as individual entities and function as an integral part of the existing downtown fabric. Downtown should not close the door on the prospects for a major market inducing mixed-use project; however, in recognition of the limited success of such projects outside major central city cores and also because of the high public expenditure normally required to make such a project feasible, the city should not place major hope on such projects. Efforts to stimulate downtown development should not include preparation of market studies which show demand contingent on changes to downtown that have not yet been made or irrevocably budgeted. A highly visible effort to reduce crime should be concentrated in the downtown. Crime and the perception of crime chases away desirable residents, customers and workers, particularly female workers. Foot patrol and/or motor scooter patrols should be part of the effort. Consideration could also be given to mounted police. Mounted police add a distinctive feature to any downtown. They provide a sense of security that can be gotten in no other way. However, the costs of providing mounted patrols will be high, perhaps beyond the city's reach. A separate mounted division might be prohibitive. Possibly mounts can be provided by private contractors more economically than by maintaining a full mounted division. Page 13.5 �I I I I I Figure 13.1 SHOW-STOPPER ENTERTAINMENT and MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT • • • • • • •II \ II Opposite Page Above: A "show-stopper" building is needed at the corner of Saginaw and Huron where there is now a city parking lot. The building preferably would be home to an entertainment facility such as a fine restaurant, nightclub or sports bar. The illustration shows the building in Roman Colosseum I Post Modern style; this style is illustrative and not mandatory. The fenestration and facia lines on the east facade have been carefully aligned with the adjacent facade to the south on Saginaw; this design feature is mandatory. The intersection is lighted with stadium-type lights to emphasize Pontiac's image as a sports town, home to the Detroit Lions and neighbor to the Detroit Pistons. Just west of the "show-stopper" is the Huron entrance to the pedestrian concourse illustrated in Figure 13.2. To the west of that is a new high-rise office tower. Planning and architectural concepts by Robert K Swarthout, AICP; Edmund N. Bacon, FAIA and Richard Conway Meyer, AIA Design rendering by Richard Conway Meyer. Ill 1111 1111 Opposite Page Below: A hypothetical interior of the entertainment use illustrated above. Design rendering by Richard Conway Meyer, AIA 1111 Page 13.6 1111 -- .;; - -· �.. -----~ ,.;,,.,.;~.: ~ . ../ ·;-..: ,:......r:'", : ~ . -✓-. :-- .. , ...,,, - Page 13.7 �Figure 13.2 ENCLOSED RETAIL-ENTERTAINMENT-OFFICE MALL Consultant Planners Concept Opposite Page Above: The plan envisions an enclosed pedestrian mall in the alley west of Saginaw Street between Huron and Pike Streets. Such a mall could be the focus of an entertainment district that would compete for expenditures currently made by Oakland County residents throughout the county and even in downtown Detroit. It could provide direct access to entertainment uses and related retail uses. It could also serve office uses. Initially the enclosed mall could extend the two blocks between Pike and Huron Streets. Eventually, it should link the Phoenix Center to whatever use takes over the old Masonic Temple building at Saginaw and Lafayette Streets. A substantial restaurant cluster or entertainment/office facility at Saginaw and Huron Streets will function as an anchor for a pedestrian mall. A second anchor could be developed on the urban renewal land between Pike Street and the Phoenix Center. This second anchor could be linked to the Phoenix Center. The pedestrian mall could provide all-weather access to restaurant, night club, retail and office uses. Planning and architectural concepts by Robert K Swarthout, AICP; Edmund N. Bacon, FAIA and Richard Conway Meyer, AIA Design rendering by Richard Conway Meyer. Figure 13.3 GRAND STAIRCASE at the END of SAGINAW STREET Opposite Page Below: A grand staircase should be added to the north facade of the Phoenix Center parking lot at the end of Saginaw Street. The staircase should be Pontiac's version of the Spanish Steps. It should replace the blank wall parking structure which now dominates the view with an attractive terminus for Saginaw Street. The staircase should also provide a viewing grandstand for parades, festivals and other special events to be held on Saginaw Street. One possible special event: A Transportation Parade of Progress which could start with an Indian on horseback drawing a litter, end with the successful University of Michigan solar car and feature every manner of personal transportation in between. Such special events are an important part of a successful downtown. So too is a place from which to watch them and a place to watch everyday comings and goings. The illustration depicts the staircase sculpted to look like two hood ornaments facing each other. This stylistic homage to the city's automotive past is optional. Planning and architectural concepts by Robert K Swarthout, AICP; Edmund N. Bacon, FAIA and Richard Conway Meyer, AIA Design rendering by Richard Conway Meyer. Page 13.8 I I I I I • • • •II II II II II " - 1111 �Page 13.9 �Figure 13.4 ENCLOSED RETAIL-ENTERTAINMENT-MALL Downtown Property Owner's Concept Opposite Page Above: The enclosed pedestrian mall independently envisioned by Mr. Bacon and the other members of the planning team had been previously envisioned by a downtown property owner and restaurateur. This property owner commissioned an architect's rendering of the concept, a bird's eye view of which is shown opposite above. The property owner had reason to believe that the right facilities could attract customers to downtown Pontiac; his gourmet restaurant had been attracting lunch and dinner customers from locations deep in adjoining suburbs, as is illustrated in Figure 13.3. The property owner's concept encompassed only the alley from Pike Street to Lawrence, making it considerably less ambitious than the planners concept which envisioned an ultimate extension from the Phoenix Center to the Masonic Temple. The planners strongly believe that their more expansive proposal is necessary to long range success. Design rendering by Peterhansrea. Opposite Page Below: Interior of the downtown property owner's retail-entertainment mall concept. Design rendering by Peterhansrea. \ Page 13.10 I I I I I I I I I I II II II II �,... , J" . , I , · ,.: ,.. . ,, .• I,,,-, :.. .- Page 13.11 �Figure 13.5 ORIGIN of CUSTOMERS for QUALITY DOWNTOWN RESTAURANT This map reproduces a large map that was displayed on an easel in the entryway of a downtown Pontiac restaurant. Customers were asked to place a pin on the map to indicate where they came from. The dots represent locations indicated. They clearly indicate that customers will come to Pontiac from locations deep into adjoining suburbs, suburbs which have some of the highest per capita disposable incomes in the country. .. .-.. . .. 0 ...' .. . . . ..• ... . . .... • •I 6 MILES . .. . .. t I ••• ... .. ... ·. .· :" ... .. . •••,, Page 13.12 .. I I I I I :s I I I I I II II .. .. .. I •• .. .. "' II �Figure 13.6 DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OPTION 1 - Medium Density Residential High Density Residential Specialty Retail/Entertainment VA Retail/Office/High Density Residential ~ Office and Institutional I P I Public Parking Open Space r Page 13.13 �I I I I I I Figure 13.7 DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OPTION 2 - -- Specialty Retail/Entertainment Retail/Office/High Density Residential ~ Office and Institutional I Public Parking I Open Space Page 13.14 II II High Density Residential VA P • • • • •II r 111 11 111 111 �Figure 13.8 DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OPTION 3 High Density Residential Specialty Retail/Entertainment !11C1uJ Enclosed Pedestrian Mall l?QJ Retail/Office/High Density Residential ~ I W22J Office and Institutional I Public Parking P I ~~,... Open Space Open Space Above Parking Page 13.15 �I ' ... ' ~ -, \ 8 ' \ I, \ ,. 4"."/""""f•~ I.·-• II ·'\ '._ .. - • '---=====-·, \ I ', .__-14..:... • I' \' EJO _ . ' I'- - ·,r==·-"- JlJ· m;· · --- 11 11 r.1-::-2----' . I ' \. 12 I I I I I I I I I I I I II II II \ ·, .. ·" ' \ 12 16 14 : -~-·; ,..... I if :. .. ff,' i...: / ' ' ,.. - .......~ \ Page 13.16 . .J i I ----0 200 1' 600 " " 11 11 Ill �Figure 13.9 DOWNTOWN URBAN DESIGN: CENTRAL AREA CONCEPTS Opposite Page Furlong Building, but this would cost the demolition of a building with historic merit. The realignment produces open space and parking sites; the parking sites could serve the Furlong Building and/or the church structure at University and Mill . Notes for Figure 13.9 8. Public parking decks should be constructed to serve all four quadrants of downtown. Lots may precede decks in accordance with demand. 1. The east end of the city-owned parking lot at the south-west corner of Saginaw and Hw-on should be developed with a major entertainment use or with a mixeduse structure that includes entertainment office and other uses; the new use or uses should be in a "showstopper" building. Site 1 development could be independent of Site 2 development, or the two sites could be developed at the same time with one structw-e. Below grade or above grade structured parking could be included, provided that the street level is reserved for retail functions. The design of the building should afford direct enclosed pedestrian access to proposed pedestrian mall described in number 3 below. 2. The west end of the city-owned parking lot should be developed with a mixed-use structw-e that includes entertainment, office and other uses; the new use or uses should be in a "showstopper" building. Site 2 development could be independent of Site 1 development, or the two sites could be developed at the same time with one structure. Below grade or above grade structured parking could be included, provided that the street level is reserved for retail functions. The design oftb.e building should afford direct enclosed pedestrian access to proposed pedestrian mall described in number 3 below. 3. An enclosed pedestrian mall should be developed in the alley west of Saginaw between Hw-on and Pike Streets. The mall should provide all-weather access to buildings between Huron and Pike. Later, it should extend south of Pike to connect to the Phoenix Center and planned new development between the Phoenix Center and Pike. Ultimately it should extend north of Huron, preferably with a bridge above street level. 4. The vacant lot between the alley and Saginaw should be enclosed to link the mall to Saginaw Street. The existing lot is immediately opposite the newly renovated Strand Theater. 5. A grand staircase should be added to the north facade of the Phoenix Center parking lot at the end of Saginaw Street. It should provide an attractive and visually exciting terminus to the view down Saginaw Street. It should also provide a viewing platform from which to watch parades and the everyday comings and goings on Saginaw. It will be Pontiac's version of the Spanish Steps. 6. The intersection of Saginaw and Hw-on should be developed with special pavement and street lighting. The design should create a unique space through which motorists and pedestrians can pass. It should announce to them, "You have an-ived at an important place." 7. University should be realigned to better bring west bound M-59 traffic through downtown. A more gradual curve than the one shown could pass through the 9. A public parking deck at the site of the Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital surface lot could serve the hospital and other sw-rounding uses, including uses on the west side of Saginaw. This lot may not be an absolute necessity because of the existing public lot on the block bounded by Lawrence, Mill, Pike and Perry. However, it is at least highly desirable because it would provide more convenient parking for its closest neighbors. 10. The enclosed pedestrian mall proposed for the north-south alley between Hw-on and Pike (see number 3 above) should extend south of Pike to the Phoenix Center. The extension should link directly to new development on the vacant land north of the Phoenix Center (see numbers 11-15). 11. Low-rise entertainment, retail and/or office uses should be developed on these sites. The new buildings should be linked to the enclosed pedestrian mall (see number 10). They should be built to the street line, where they should be a maximum of two or three stories in height. The Saginaw and Pike Street facades should be compatible with existing histo1;c architecture. Designs should be based on the section of this plan entitled "Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." 12. Intensive entertainment, retail and/or office uses should be developed on these sites. A hotel would also be desirable. High-rise construction or a mix of high-rise and low-rise const1uction is possible. The new buildings should be linked to the enclosed pedestrian mall (see number 10). The facades should be compatible with existing historic architecture. Designs should be based on the section of this plan entitled "Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." 13. Low-rise entertainment, retail and/or office uses should be developed on this site. The new building should be built to the street line at Water Street, where it should be a maximum of two or three stories in height. The Water Street facade should be compatible with existing historic architecture. The design should be based on the section of this plan entitled" Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." 14. Intensive entertainment, retail and/or office uses should be developed on this site. A hotel would also be desirable. High-rise construction is desirable. The development could be integrated into the structure proposed for site 13. The facades should be compatible with existing historic architecture. The design should be based on the section of this plan entitled• Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." 15. A new office structure could be developed at this site . Page 13.17 �lG. The garden on Lop of the Phoenix Center parking deck should be redesigned to include an outdoor Lrce-lined mall oriented to Saginaw Street. architecture on Saginaw Street. The desi~ should be hased on the section of this plan entitled "Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." 17. The parking lot west of the library should be extended and organized on the Saginaw-Huron grid, i.e. parking bays, tree rows and screen walls should be parallel lo the center lines of these streets. 2G. The north end of downtown should be redeveloped with new residential uses. The structures should be pa1·allel to the center lines of Saginaw and Huron Streets. Concept for this residential development are shown in Figures 13.10 and 13.11. 18. A new olTice or institution,a l structure could be constructed on this site. Mid-rise or even high-rise development would be desirable. The design should be based on the section of this plan entitled "Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." 19. The parking lot east of Michigan Bell and Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital should be redesigned to orient to the Saginaw-Huron grid with parking bays, tree rows and screen walls parallel to the center lines of these streets. A parking structure could be constructed if necessary. 20. Low-rise entertainment, retail and/or office uses should be developed on this site. The new buildings should be built to the street line at Pike Street, where it should be a maximum of two or three stories in height. The facade should be compatible with existing historic architecture. The design should be bru;ed on the section of this plan entitled "Architectural P1;nciples for Downtown Pontiac." 21. An enclosed pedestrian mall should be developed in the alley west of Saginaw between Huron and the historic Masonic Temple structure at Lafayette. The mall should provide all-weather access to buildings between Huron and Lafayette. It should connect to the mall to the south of Huron (see number 3), preferably with a bridge above street level rather than with just an at-grade pedestrian crosswalk. 22. This site should be developed with a mixeduse structure that includes entertainment, office and other uses. The design of the building should afford direct enclosed pedestrian access to the proposed pedestrian mall described in number 20 above. Below grade or above grade structured parking could be included, provided that the mall level is reserved for retail functions. The design should be based on the section of this plan entitled "Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." I I I I I I I I I I I I 23. Low-rise office uses should be developed on this site. The new building should be built to the street line at Huron Street, where it should be a maximum of two or three stories in height. The facades should be compatible with existing historic architecture on Huron Street. The design should be based on the section of this plan entitled "Architectural Principles for Downtown Pontiac." 24. A parking lot could serve new and existing development. It should be oriented to the Saginaw-Huron grid, i.e. parking bays, tree rows and screen walls should be parallel to the center lines of these streets. 25. Low-rise entertainment, retail and/or office uses should be developed on these sites. The new buildings should be built to the street line at Saginaw Street, where they should be a maximum of two or three stories in height. The facades should be compatible with existing historic Page 13.18 11 �~ t:ll-rl 0 .... ~~ z11 t-3 ('ti 0~ ~izO ::0 t.r.l r.n -z t:l t.r.l t-3 ~ C! ::0 ti:, ~ t:l -z t.r.l r.n 0 (") 0 z(") t.r.l "'Cl NOTE THAT PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ALIGNS WITH THE SIGINAW-HURON STREET GRID, I.e. BUILDING WALLS ARE PARALLEL TO THE CENTER LINES OF lliOSE STREETS. 0' KEY: 1. 2. I TOWNHOUSE RESIDENTIAL w~h attached garage and privalo courtyards TOWNHOUSE RESIDENTIAL two stories above at grade garage "'Cl I)) ~ .... ....t0~ 3. GARDEN APARTMENT RESIDENTIAL three stories above underground private parking 4. NEIGHBORHOOD OPEN SPACE 5. RETAIN EXISTING STRUCTURES lor OFFICE USE j O 1aat 500 feel \ t-3 .... �"'C t:, 1-'rj ~ 0 ... ...... c:.o zt-3 "I 0 0~ ~~ ~ (II ~ ~i-,. z ... ~ t/) t:, ~ ~ ~ § 0 0 ~ t:, -z ~ rn LAFAYETTE 0 C':l 0 z C':l ~ NOTE THAT PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ALIGNS WITH THE SIGINAW·HURON STREET GRID, ie. BUILDING WAU.S ARE PARAU.EL TO THE CENTER LINES OF THOSE STREETS . "'C 0 KEY: I. 2. t-3 J Ill TOWNHOU SE RESIDENTIAL wRh anached ga,age and private courtyards TOWNHOUSE RESIDENTIAL two stories above at grade garage 3. MID -RISE o< HIGH-RISE RESIDENTIAL 4. PARKING STRUCTURE for md*rcse or high-nse res idential 5. NEIGHBORHOOD OPEN SPACE 6. RETAIN EXISTING STRUCTURES for OFFICE USE j 0feet 500 feel I I:,:) �Figure 13.12 PLANNING DIVISION DOWNTOWN CONCEPT 1 circa 1985 Schematic I Pedestrian / Service Mall Public Parking Public Parking Mall Existing Development New Development Page 13.21 �I I I I Figure 13.13 PLANNING DIVISION DOWNTOWN CONCEPT 2 circa 1985 I I I - Schematic II Enclosed Mall Pedestrian Skyway Pedestrian / Service Mall Public Parking Existing Development New Development Page 13.22 �Figure 13.14 PLANNING DMSION DOWNTOWN CONCEPT~ circa 1985 z-··'CJ. ~ QNST. _ _ __ , - . ,_ . Cl) ·_: i5 . .,..:: ~ ::,.w P '.~ ii - c '----=-= . p . .,; - (J ~ t;; . ' 0 . ~ Schematic III [B Pedestrian Skyway ~ Pedestrian/ Service Mall 0 Public Parking - Existing Development D New Development r Page 13.23 �Figure 13.15 NEW PONTIAC PL circa 1980 AN CONCEPT ...l ·:\ I -·--__., \"r :.1 ,. 0 -D _ ..l ~ . ~ , ' : \ ; t~· ' - u - I I I I I I I I I I I I I Existing Buildings Proposed Buildings Proposed Plaza Page 13.24 I �Figure 13.16 OFFICE BUILDING PROPOSAL circa 1985 , \ ' I 0 I \ \ 200 \ :1' 600 Page 13.25 �PLANNING PRINCIPLES for DOWNTOWN P O N T I A C - - - - - - - - - - - - - Downtown Access Principle: The trip downtown should be comfortable and pleasant. In Pontiac this means that the roads must be adequate and lined with reasonably attractive development. If regional train service ever returns to Pontiac, then there should be a direct and pleasant connection between downtown and the station. The pedestrian bridge which now links the station to the Phoenix Center provides an opportunity to fulfill this necessity. Physical Environment Principles: The overall physical environment must be of high quality; it is better to limit the area over which such improvements are made than to spread funds too thin. There is no room for slum and blight. Private buildings and grounds must be neat and well maintained. So should public buildings and grounds. Public open space amenities must be at a high level. Public space amenities should be budgeted to ensure the best quality and the most maintenance free and longest life possible. Compact Mix of Use Principles: A mixture of complementary activities must be concentrated in downtown. The activities in such a mixture reinforce each other, but only once a "critical mass" is achieved. The mixture of uses can generate enough pedestrian activity to make public spaces secure and lively and therefore desirable. Diversity means more than one or two uses. The most important activities for downtown are: Offices and office services; Technical research functions compatible with office facilities; Retailing; Hotels and conference centers; Housing; Performing arts; Artists' studios and residences; Entertainment and recreation; and Special events. \ The mixture of complementary activities must be balanced. No one use should dominate the others. Overconcentration of office uses is particularly to be avoided since they empty out after 5:00 PM leaving any areas they dominate deserted. Heavy activity generators should be evenly distributed so that the benefits of their activities are spread over a broader area. Downtown Pontiac already has an overconcentration of office uses at the Phoenix Center. The solution is not to prohibit more office development, but to have new office concentrations located a distance from the Phoenix Center and to add a greater diversity of uses. The downtown must be small, compact and intensely developed. Compactness is essential for the synergistic relationship between different land uses and the pedestrian activity which makes a downtown a downtown. In Pontiac, the first priority must be to fill the existing gaps in the street facade, particularly at high visibility locations. A first class, show-stopper building should be built on the parking lot site at the comer of Huron and Saginaw. The several vacant lots on the west side Page 13.26 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I �of Saginaw between Huron and Pike should be developed. A link should be established between the Phoenix Center to the rest of downtown. Office, retail and other development must be located very close together and have pleasant pedestrian linkages. The very best downtown office-retail configuration is a highly concentrated retail area offering substantial shopping opportunities surrounded by intensive office development. Studies have shown that most office workers will not travel more than nine minutes to get to downtown retail. The outer core of the office development should be about nine minutes or 1,000 feet from the most distant portion of the shopping core. Such a configuration can capture substantial retail expenditures from the office workers. The ideal pattern usually cannot be achieved because of existing constraints. Where there are constraints, a good pattern puts shopping between two or more office cores separated by not more than 1,000 feet. The pattern in Pontiac, with office uses located a long distance from the potential retail space, is the worst configuration. Parking Principle: There must be adequate, visible and accessible parking that connects directly with the intensive pedestrian circulation system. Parking lots and structures must be easily visible from the main vehicular circulation system serving downtown. They should be well designed and well maintained. Landscaping should be exemplary rather than just to the minimum standards required for privately owned parking lots. The relationship of municipal lots to the core pedestrian circulation system should be clear. In downtown Pontiac, parking is not now well related to the core. It is concentrated in a huge and foreboding deck which is too far from potential retail concentrations. Furthermore, many municipal parking lots are unattractive. A parking study of the commercial core of downtown was completed by the city's Planning and Community Renewal Division in March, 1984. For purposes of the study, the commercial core was defined to consist of most of the business district north of the Phoenix Center. An inventory performed for that study identified 2,795 spaces in the commercial core. The spaces were divided fairly evenly between spaces in privately owned lots and public spaces provided by the city. The 1,429 spaces provided by the city were distributed as follows: 555 spaces (39 percent) in the parking deck between Perry and Mill Streets, and Lawrence and Pike Streets, 702 spaces (49 percent) in off-street parking lots spread throughout the core, and 172 spaces (12 percent) on-street spaces, mostly consisting of the diagonal parking stalls located on Saginaw. The study indicated a future deficiency of 1,671 spaces. This result was based on the assumptions that the total available non-residential floor space would be occupied at some point in the future, that 300 feet is a maximum walking distance, that no new buildings would be constructed which incorporated parking or had higher floor area ratios than the existing structures on those sites. The study did not take into consideration parking needs for projects to be built on the vacant redevelopment parcels adjacent to the Phoenix Center. It anticipated that the parking needs of these projects would be met on site. Such a study is useful for planning immediate needs, but it must be updated periodically as new development potentials arise. The 1984 parking needs study does not provide recommendations appropriate to the development pattern proposed by this plan, which calls for an intensification ofretail, office, and other uses north of the Phoenix Center and north of Huron. Page 13.27 �Recommended parking locations appropriate to the development alternatives proposed by this plan are set forth in Figure 13.17. Figure 13.17 shows the location of six new parking structures, numbered 1-6, to serve three districts, labeled A. B and C. Districts D and E are expected to be served by the existing 555 car structure bounded by Perry, Mill, Lawrence and Pike and by private parking areas. Site 6, although located in Area E is intended to serve Area C, to which it is adjacent. Downtown areas not included in Districts A through F are residential and expected to be served by on-site parking. I I I Table 13-1 shows the amount of development that could be accommodated by the proposed parking locations, based on the assumptions set forth below: • Eight floors of structured parking on sites 1, 2, 3 and 4, and five floors on sites 5 and 6. • First floor will occupy 85 percent of total site area and 60 percent will be devoted to retail and entertainment uses. • A total of 30 percent of retail parking requirements will be satisfied through shared parking arrangements and 3.1 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet of site area will be required (Source: ITE Parking Generation, 1985). • Office space will require 2.5 parking spaces per 1,000 square feet (Source: ITE Parking Generation, 1985). • Existing office space is based on 85 percent of building square footage as usable and 40 percent of first floor area devoted to non-retail uses (Source: Pontiac Central Business District Parking Study, 1984). • Potential new office space is expressed in usable square footage. These assumptions must be more closely evaluated by detailed parking needs assessments. Such assessments should be conducted periodically as downtown develops. Page 13.28 I I �Figure 13.17 DOWNTOWN PARKING CONCEPT 01\\ /~I \iJ ~\\...__ j, \ l\,~ - . - □□ ---- :- l I I -- .. r Page 13.29 �Table 13-1 DEVELOPMENT WHICH CAN BE SERVED by PROPOSED PARKING STRUCTURES Maximum First Structured Floor Retail Office Parking Parking Space Retail (Sq. Ft.) Spaces (Sq. Ft.) Spaces Existing Office Space (Sq. Ft.) Potential New Office Space (Sq. Ft.) Maximum FAR (All Uses) Area A 1,472 33,647 73 559,600 61,468 498,132 2.87 Area B 1,472 109,064 237 494,000 186,295 307,705 1.83 Area C 2,994 149,456 325 1,067,600 403,528 664,072 3.35 Total 5,938 292,167 635 2,121,200 651,291 1,469,909 2.68 Vehicular Circulation Principle: There must be a clearly articulated system of vehicular circulation with adequate lanes and intersection geometrics. Many downtown vehicular circulation plans incorporate a circumferential or ring road around the downtown. Most major shopping malls and many large office parks are planned with such a feature. In Pontiac, Wide Track Drive is the major circumferential road. However, in addition to serving as the downtown's circumferential road, it also serves as part of the state trunk line system. Opinion of experts differ about the efficacy of Wide Track Drive's combination of ring-road and trunk-line functions and the particular configuration that has been designed to serve that combination of functions. Wide Track Drive's chief positives are that it facilitates substantial traffic flow and it clearly articulates a downtown district. Its chief negatives are that it isolates downtown from the rest of the city and that its one-way circulation pattern makes access into the downtown difficult. In any case, Wide Track Drive is clearly given to which future planning must adjust. Wide Track Drive's liabilities must be minimized and its assets must be augmented. The effort to do this should be based on a clear overall circulation plan which provides adequate lanes for traffic moving to all points on the compass and on adequate intersection geometrics. A good overall structure was envisioned in 1984, Downtown Pontiac Traffic and Circulation Study prepared by Goodell and Grivas, Incorporated. That study also recommended specific intersection improvements. The study was predicated on the "ambitious" development concept proposed by the American City Corporation in 1984 (see page 13.54); it did not give detailed consideration to the potential impact of more intensive downtown development at locations not directly part of the American City Corporation scheme. Therefore, not all of the Goodell and Grivas recommendations will be valid for other development configurations. Goodell and Grivas recommendations which can be expected to remain valid for the development concepts proposed by this plan include: Construct an underpass for vehicular traffic using Huron Street at the Detroit Grand Haven and Milwaukee Railroad. Complete the high volume counter-clockwise traffic loop around the business district by improving the intersection of Auburn with northbound Wide Track Drive. Properly designed, this will provide an attractive alternate route for east bound vehicles that currently cut through the business district on Huron. This concept is illustrated in Figure 13.18. Page 13.30 I I I I I I I I I I I i i �Establish a high capacity clockwise loop insi<le of Wide Track Drive by using Lafayette (eastbound), Perry (southbound), Pike (westbound, and Wayne Lnorthbowid). Provide appropriate channelization to facilitate turns at the comers. Provide appropriate signalization and traffic control signs. This system provides a logical ''backwards" flow to the movements on Wide Track Drive and provides alternate routes that divert traffic from the Huron-Saginaw intersection. This concept is illustrated in Figure 13.18. Increase turn lanes and even provide for channelized turning at key intersections. Key intersections that Goodell and Grivas anticipated would need improvement were: Auburn and Wide Track Drive East, Huron and Wide Track Drive East, University and Wide Track Drive East, Oakland and Wide Track Drive West, Huron and Wide Track Drive West, and Orchard Lake and Wide Track Drive West. These intersections are likely to need improvement in order to accommodate any intensification of downtown development. The exact nature of the necessary improvements must ultimately be determined based on specific development proposals. The land use configurations of this plan could be the basis for preliminary determinations. Manage signalization timing and install traffic control signs to facilitate traffic flow. Implement all the above recommendations, facilitate the movement of east-bound M-59 truck traffic around the Wide Track Drive West/Auburn/Wide Track Drive East loop and discourage movement through downtown. To this Goodell and Grivas recommendation, this plan adds the suggestion that all through truck traffic should be prohibited from Huron between Wide Track Drive West and Wide Track Drive East. Goodell and Grivas note that west-bound M-59 traffic already finds turning geometrics easier on Wide Track Drive and thus stays off west-bound Huron in the downtown. Remove angled parking from Saginaw. Goodell and Grivas cited professional research documenting the danger of angled parking on roads which do much more than provide access to parking stalls. Saginaw will not be a major through street, but it will have to carry more traffic than is compatible with angled parking under any substantial development proposal. The need to remove angled parking will not arise until substantial new development is actually occupied. One option that was mentioned but not vigorously recommended by Goodell and Grivas is the widening and extension of Water Street to Wide Track Drive West. This thoroughfare "improvement" might well facilitate circulation around downtown and improve access to major development sites. However, it would further serve to separate the Phoenix Center from the balance of downtown to the north. For this reason, it should be avoided. Office and Institutional Use Principles: Downtown office is necessary to bring people with money to spend into downtown. The potential for office uses in downtown is virtually unlimited, provided all other factors are right. Experience shows that downtowns can attract as much as 40 percent of regional office potential. The "region" from which Pontiac could draw includes northern Oakland County. Downtown Pontiac's ability to capture a large part of this potential depends on its accessibility and attractiveness as a physical environment. It also depends on the overall mix of uses that are attracted downtown. As the total complement of desirable uses increases, the ability to attract other desirable uses increases. The availability of attractive and well-located competing sites will also influence the degree to which Pontiac's downtown can realize its theoretical potential. Financial uses are prime office occupants. When a special office user like General Motors can put a part of its national and international based work force into downtown, then the potential share of the regional market should be even greater. Page 13.31 �I I I I I I I I I I I I I Figure 13.18 DOWNTOWN CIRCULATION CONCEPT --== D ~ Inner Loop One-Way Clockwise Circulation 0\\ ____, - oorn ~a□ o□~--oo l___.li-- ~\_ J Outer Loop One-Way Counter Clockwise Circulation I Page 13.32 ---- - -· --· - - - - . ---. .. \~.~"":',:·.'. -- • • • • • - �, Retail Uses Principles: The quality, variety and appropriateness of the downtown retail mix is more important than the total square footage, which cannot be large in todays competitive retail environment. A small, attractive retail core will add pedestrian life to downtown and symbolize economic vitality beyond its actual dollars and cents contribution to the downtown's economic life. Downtown Pontiac is like most other downtowns in its inability to compete with shopping centers for comparison goods purchases. However, like other downtowns, it must have a compliment of convenience, service, restaurant, entertainment and specialty retail uses. The best prospects are: Specialty Market Place: Such facilities are anchored by food and entertainment uses rather than department stores. Between 30 and 50 percent of total floor area is devoted to a variety of different restaurants and fast food outlets which are scattered throughout the area. Smaller boutiques and specialty shops owned by individual entrepreneurs. Total area ranges from 50,000 to 150,000 square feet. Outdoor Farmers Market: Such a facility can attract shoppers from a wide area during the summer and fall seasons. Neighborhood Services: Neighborhood services are particularly important to the residential life of downtown. Such neighborhood services can include grocery and drug stores, delicatessens, dry cleaners, barber shops and beauty salons. Successful downtown retail uses respect the universal rules of retailing. These rules are: maximize visibility, maximize accessibility, maximize security, provide internal circulation, provide continuity over the entire retail area, and provide a carefully planned mix of complementary uses. In addition, it is usually desirable to avoid separate retail centers that compete with each other for the same downtown expenditures. It is better that similar retail facilities be grouped together so that they reinforce each other. Finally, a successful downtown retail will have a strong physical link to office, hotel, cultural and residential customers. Aggressive public sector support is required for successful downtown retail. Providing upfront money for testing market potential is one way for the public sector to participate. This Pontiac has done with participation in the successful Pike Street Restaurant and with participation in less successful development at the Masonic Temple building. Providing parking facilities is another way for the public sector to support downtown retail. This Pontiac has done, but it probably will have to do more. It is necessary to accept the fact that NEW downtown retail concentrations will drain sales from EXISTING downtown retail facilities. This problem can be minimized by creating linkages between new and old retail areas and/or by bringing established downtown businesses into new facilities. Both approaches are relevant for Pontiac. Page 13.33 �Hotels with banquet and conference facilities are very important to a downtown, and must often be subsidized by providing free or low cost land. Hotels make downtown accessible to the out of town visitor. Banquet and conference facilities serve local and regional neects and make downtown lively. Competition from low cost, outlying sites makes it difficult to attract hotels downtown often resulting in the necessity to provide a land subsidy. All of the past studies of downtown Pontiac have recognized the need for hotel facilities. However, current market conditions are extremely difficult. New competition from facilities at the Oakland Technology Center makes hotel construction in downtown Pontiac extremely difficult to justify at this time. The overall quality of the downtown Pontiac environment and the absence at this time of desirable complementary uses is a severe impediment. It will be necessary for considerable time to pass before the market catches up with the present supply in competing areas. The overall downtown environment will have to be improved or improvements will have to be irrevocably budgeted before a quality downtown and conference center can be attracted to downtown, even with a substantial land subsidy. In the meantime, the city should continue to plan for one or two downtown hotels and hold urban renewal or other land in reserve for that purpose. Housing Principles: The extended cycle of daily activity generated by housing is essential for a successful downtown. People occupy their homes 24 hours a day, or 24 hours minus the working hours. For this reason, housing can make downtown a lively, peopled place virtually all the time. This in turn attracts other uses to the downtown and non-residents to spend their money downtown. Senior citizens are desirable downtown residents, but it is important to have more than just scenario citizens downtown. Seniors by themselves tend not to venture from their apartments enough to people the downtown streetscape. It may be necessary for Pontiac to attract more than the young professionals and empty nesters that other successful downtowns have attracted in the recent past. Young professionals and empty nest households have been the primary market for downtown housing during recent years. Over the past two decades, the baby-boom generation made the young professionals a growing market. That will not be so in the immediate future. Therefore, housing in downtown Pontiac may have to appeal to a broader range of occupants, including families with children. If so, it will be particularly important that Pontiac's downtown housing have secure, private outdoor areas for individual residential units and/or secure common outdoor areas which are available only to residents of the development. Some, but not all, of the assets which other downtoW(l-S have used to attract quality housing are available to Pontiac. A growing interest in historic architecture and the rich visual quality of the urban environment has attracted people to downtown housing in recent decades. Pontiac has this potential, but much of it has been lost in the past and what remains requires effort to preserve. The increasing white collar workforce in other downtowns has made them attractive as residential locations for those who seek the convenience of1iving near work. Pontiac has a large white collar workforce at the Phoenix Center. A concentration of cultural and entertainment activities has attracted residents to many downtowns. Pontiac has not had much of this asset in the past; the renovation of the Strand Theater offers the potential for augmenting the entertainment activities scheduled for the Phoenix Center plaza. Some downtowns have major natural amenities which have helped attract downtown housing; the Detroit River has played this role for the City of Detroit. Pontiac has no natural asset of this dramatic magnitude. In Pontiac, as in most cities which have attracted quality downtown housing, it is Page 13.34 ....-.-.,,.-- • • • • • • • • II II II II �necessary to overcome substantial obstacles to such housing. These obstacles include the difficulty of assembling land, the comparative high cost of land, the grec;1.ter risk of serving a relatively narrow and specialized market, and impediment of having to displace low income households. Pontiac will face these same problems, and overcome them. In addition to housing in the downtown, desirable residential neighborhoods should be connected to downtown. This means there should be no slums in or around Pontiac's downtown. Also, the isolating effect of Wide Track Drive should be minimized to the extent possible. Actions which would further increase the downtown's isolation should be avoided unless they provide other very strong benefits for downtown. Culture, Entertainment and Special Event Principles: Cultural, entertainment and recreation events and activities must occur frequently to bring non-residents downtown and to make downtown more attractive to potential residents. At least some of the following periodic and ongoing activities should be secured for downtown Pontiac: public concerts, art shows, a farmer's market, heritage festivals, marathons and health runs, a regional theater company, and a regional symphony. A unique special event that gives a distinctive identity is priceless; an "Automobile Parade of Progress" could be such an event for downtown Pontiac. Such a parade could begin with the earliest motor vehicle available, or even with a horse and buggy, and end with a General Motors experimental solar car. A liberal sprinkling of historic Pontiac should adorn the parade in between. The parade could be capped by a laser light show playing offhist-0ric architecture, particularly the Pontiac State Bank Building. ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES for DOWNTOWN PONTIAC _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ The buildings that create downtown street space must share a common relationship to the street and to one another in order for downtown to have visual coherence. New architecture must respect existing architecture by repeating common characteristics in building placement, orientation, and design that contribute to downtown's image and sense of pedestrian orientation. Overall Physical Order Principle: A sense of overall order should be fostered by aligning structures in accordance with the grid pattern established by Huron and Saginaw. Buildings should be rectangular and oriented according to the basic downtown grid. Grid alignment is particularly important for buildings which can be perceived in relation to a large segment of downtown. This includes most, if not all buildings which can be seen from vantage points along Wide Track or along major downtown approach streets. At the north end of downtown, first and second level facades which front on Oakland and Perry Page 13.35 �might follow the diagonals created by these streets. Higher floors which can be seen from East or West Wide Track could follow the basic Huron-Saginaw grid. Curved facades and diagonal orientations unrelated to the street grid should not be permitted. An example of what not to do is shown in Figure 13.16. Street Space Continuity Principle: A continuous developed edge is needed along important streets in order to create a coherent, unified sense of place. Buildings form the walls that give clear spatial definition to the street space. Infill development that repairs gaps in the urban fabric is crucial, especially on major pedestrian and arterial streets. Consistent building setbacks and orientation to the street are also essential. Buildings should bring themselves and their activities right up to the street. Setbacks should be controlled to bring the activity within a building to the edge of the pedestrian zone. Lower-story facades should also be designed to share that activity with the street through the use of large window areas. It is not necessary to control the detailed design of new or renovated buildings in order to achieve a coherent, orderly, and satisfying pattern of urban development. However, it is necessary to coordinate basic decisions on setbacks, heights, cornice lines, overall facade organization, materials, ground-level programming, and storefront design. Architectural continuity should be fostered through similarities in building height, scale, massing, overall organization of the facade, and the use of materials, colors, and roof shapes. The repetition of design themes helps build a recognizable sense of place for downtown. The need for continuity does not mean all variety is undesirable. It is particularly important to emphasize the characteristics that make downtown's existing architecture special and to develop a local or regional vocabulary of architectural forms and materials rather than allowing anonymous, anyplace architecture to weaken the city's special identity. Architectural continuity should be fostered by the repetition of distinctive building materials. Brick and stone predominate in Pontiac's downtown where they are found on many historic facades as well as other buildings. Repetition of these materials in new structures will enhance the visual cohesiveness of the downtown. Architectural continuity should be fostered by the hpetition of distinctive roof forms. Many historic cities, including London and Venice are famous examples of the effectiveness of roof forms in establishing a distinctive design character. Public realm construction opportunities provide opportunities to utilize this concept and sometimes without much expense. For example, the steeply pitched roof of the Old Central Elementary School on Pike at Wide Track is a distinctive feature of the Pontiac skyline which could be repeated elsewhere, possibly on the penthouse of the Public Library. Executed in a post-modernist style, such an addition could utilize materials in keeping with the original structure and reflect the historic roof line in pitch only. I I I • • • • • • • • • • •Ill Traditional and Historic Architecture Principles and Guidelines: Wherever possible, examples of downtown's traditional commercial, civic, and residential architecture should be preserved, renovated, and, where appropriate, adaptively reused. The human scale, rich materials, and architectural detailing of downtown's older buildings add Page 13.36 Ill �interest, identity, and amenity to the environment. New development should be designed to complement the existing architecture and reinforce its features. The successful Strand Theater renovation in Pontiac is a perfect example of this principal at work. Such renovations create a positive climate for reinvestment and revitalization by strengthening downtown's market appeal. Renovation will also help overcome the image of neglect and decline created by deteriorated buildings, vacant or poorly modernized storefronts, and unattractive signs. The renovation of a highly visible older building can serve as an important symbol of revitalization momentum, creating an image of change and renewal, even if the direct contribution to the downtown tax and employment base is minor. Existing buildings with historic value should be protected by special regulatory approaches, if necessary; such approaches can include downzoning, historic designation and transfer of development rights. These approaches have been effective in other cities. They operate as follows: Downzoning is employed to discourage demolition of historic structures in favor of new highrise construction. In Pontiac, there are already more than enough downtown sites to accommodate high-rise development. Downzoning of low-rise historic properties will help disabuse owners of the expectation that the future holds some potential for big redevelopment returns. Such imagined returns from future high-rise development can discourage investment in the improvement and upkeep of existing buildings. Historic landmark and district designation will temper redevelopment expectations. It can also help ensure the coordination of changes to a building's architecture. Transfer of development rights can encourage preservation of historic buildings in areas zoned for higher-density development. Traditional and Historic Renovation Guidelines: Guidelines for exterior renovation are needed to coordinate individual restoration efforts. Pontiac has made a major contribution to this effort with the 1990 Pontiac Facade Study, prepared by Kirk & Koskela. These renovation guidelines are an important educational tool for promoting private reinvestment interest. Renovations of commercial buildings should follow basic principles of good aesthetic and functional design. The basic principles include: strengthen the design unity of individual facades; create storefronts with interest and activity; and ensure compatibility in design, materials, and colors so that adjacent buildings appear to be a single unit or at least a coordinated group of related parts. The starting point in creating a unified blockface and in organizing the diversity of architectural styles and details on a given street is an understanding of the building facade's design framework. The framework is composed of two major elements: the upper facade and the storefront. These components are discussed in the policies below. Page 13.37 �The design, materials, and condition of a building's upper facade are the first consideration in defining the architectural style of the building-rind in relating the building to neighboring buildings in the blockface. The upper facade consists of the cornice and fascia that cap the building front, the building's upper stories , the windows that give articulation and interest to the upper architecture, and the piers that extend to groW1d level and vi sually support the facade and frame the storefront. The massive, solid architecture of the upper facade gives the building its feeling of substance and expresses its architectural quality and character. The cornice or fascia are necessary to create a strong roof line and give a finished appearance to the building facade. Where they have been removed, these elements should be restored to reemphasize the original design. The new cornice or fascia should be designed in proportion to the overall mass of the building. If original wall materials are present, they should be maintained. Original wall materials should be cleaned and repaired. All exposed mechanical equipment, W1used electrical apparatus, and sign supports should be removed. Applied surface materials which is not part of the original design should be removed and the building's original wall surface and detailing restored wherever possible. Nonoriginal materials violate the integrity of the original architecture and weaken the essential balance between the two principal facade components. It is particularly important to remove storefront surface materials that extend onto the piers and walls of the upper facade. Metal paneling, tile, and stucco are typical nonoriginal materials in downtown Pontiac. Where these or other new materials sometimes must be applied to surfaces that cannot be restored or to buildings that are architecturally W1distinguished; if so, they should be selected to coordinate with neighboring structures and to complement the design of the storefront. Original upper-story windows should be restored to create a sense of scale and to add articulation and visual interest. Restoration and reglazing of the original upper-story windows will dramatically reestablish the architectural integrity of many commercial buildings. The proportions of windows in new buildings should replicate the rhythm of the window pattern found in adjacent buildings. Piers frame the storefront and visually anchor the \i.pper facade; they must be clearly articulated in order to create a unified architectural framework that organizes the street's visual diversity. Where the piers have been eliminated or reduced in size, the architectural definition of the facade will be weak and the upper architecture inadequately balanced. The piers' width and spacing should give support to the facade. Piers that segment the storefront are recommended for wide buildings to improve balance. To emphasize the piers' integral role in defining the architectural character of the upper facade , they should have the same surface material. • • • • • • • • • •II II The street-level storefront is the area in which the individuality and identity of that business can best be expressed. The storefront is defined by the upper facade's piers and the sign frieze that separates the storefront's display windows and entrance from the upper architecture. The storefront provides visual and physical access to the business located within. The storefront is the focus of the facade, providing the visual interest and sense of activity that make the street interesting and inviting. The storefront acts as a unifying element within the blockface by providing Page 13.38 I �strong horizontal lines and surfaces including continuous display windows, a consistent sign frieze. and colorful awnings that link buildings together. · Renovation of' the lower facade should emphasize the open character of' the storefront and its contribution to the street by maximizing the amount of window exposure provided in the area framed by the sign frieze and the piers of the upper facade. The storefront should be eye catching. It should read as an open area that contrasts with the solid mass of the upper facade. A continuous band of storefront display windows at street level is necessary to make a lively street and to unify the blockface. Display windows should never be filled or covered. Those that have been altered should be restored to their original dimensions. Extra design care and expense should be given to storefront entrances. The entrance should be the focal point of the storefront. On more traditional buildings, recessed entrances are often used to give greater definition to the storefront and provide some overhead protection. Where entrances are flush with the display windows, awnings can be used to create the same effect. Entrance doors should include glass panels to maximize the visibility of the building interior. The style of the door and its hardware should be compatible with the design character of a good quality commercial storefront; the use of stock residential doors bespeaks lack of substance. Where entrances to upper stories are located adjacent to the storefront, they should blend into the framing architecture so that they read as secondary elements. Awnings can be an inexpensive, but highly effective tool for improving many retail facades. They allow the introduction of color, variety, and interest without violating architectural integrity. Awnings add to the comfort of pedestrians by providing overhead protection from sun and rain. They should be used to focus attention on the storefront and create a strong horizontal element repeated along the blockface. Awnings should be attached directly to the building without requiring supporting columns or poles on the sidewalk. Highly visible side and rear building elevations should be improved to present a more attractive and organized appearance. Many side and rear elevations in downtown Pontiac are highly visible and therefore have a significant impact on downtown's appearance. Unfinished side elevations should be upgraded by removing or screening mechanical equipment. Front facade materials and/or color should be extended to the side elevation. Where windows cannot be introduced, painted large graphics applied to unbroken wall surfaces can add interest. Graphics are usually most effective when contained within an area of neutral color. Side elevations of corner buildings should be renovated according to the same guidelines applicable to the storefront and upper portion of the main facade. Comer buildings set the tone for an entire block. Therefore, it is particularly desirable that the design treatment of the renovated storefront tum the corner and maintain streetscape continuity. Rear elevations which provide access to buildings should be designed to create an inviting appearance and an identity related to the front facade. This is particularly important where parking is located behind buildings. At a minimum, all wall surfaces should be clean and in good repair. Trash containers and service and storage areas should be well screened and carefully maintained. Blocked-up windows should be reopened. An attractive entrance door, business sign, Page 13.39 �and lighting should be added to give customer appeal. Awnings, display windows, and landscaping are all desirable and sometimes necessary. Infill Principles and Guidelines: Infill development should be a -high development priority. Infill development repairs and strengthens the urban fabric by eliminating gaps created by vacant lots and surface parking. The pedestrian spine, primary connectors and image arterials are the priority locations for infill development. Infill Development Guidelines: Infill buildings must be designed to reinforce the best characteristics of the existing architecture. This type of "contextual design" is not a question of applying a period architectural style to a new building. Instead, is necessary to translate the fundamental design characteristics of existing development into a compatible contemporary idiom. In the era when most of Pontiac's historic downtown buildings were built, basic building scale, forms, orientation, and materials were relatively consistent. Variety and contrast were provided primarily by differences in detail and ornamentation at a relatively minor scale. As a result, overall consistency and continuity were easy to achieve. Today, this kind of consistency is more difficult to achieve. Technological innovations and modern architecture allowed and encouraged a greater range of choice in building form, scale, materials, and character; consequently, the potential for contrast is much greater. In trying to create a distinctive identity for a particular project, newer urban architecture has tended to ignore consistency in favor of strong contrasts. The Phoenix Center and the District Court Building are examples of this. This extreme variety creates disorder and a lack of harmony in the urban environment. A blend of old and new buildings can add variety, interest, and depth to downtown's visual character. Similarly, strong contrasts in building design can be exciting and dramatic when they create meaningful focal points and landmarks. But to be effective, the contrasting structure must be set within a relatively quiet context of similar buildings. It is also important to note that the tolerance for contrast decreases with city size. If infill buildings are to be compatible with existing development, they must reinforce the elements that create design linkages. Each block and each street will have its own vocabulary, but the guidelines set forth below provide general rules. New development should replicate the setbacks of existing buildings to create a consistently developed edge, reinforce downtown's urban development pattern, and enhance pedestrian orientation. In downtown Pontiac's historic core, existing setbacks usually coincide with the right-of-way line, making it possible fo~ active ground-level uses to open onto the pedestrian zone. Sideyard setbacks should echo the rhythm of spacing between existing buildings. In Pontiac's historic core, sideyard setbacks should be eliminated except, perhaps, where through-block pedestrian walkways are provided. Height and massing of buildings should be compatible with existing development. Transitions in height should be provided between existing low-rise development and taller new structures. The building mass should be broken into increments that correspond to the scale and massing of existing buildings through the use of piers, setbacks and variable roof heights. Page 13.40 • • • • • • •I I I I I I I I I I I I �, The location and articulation of entrances should replicate those of existing buildings. The maj or building facade and entrance should be oriented to important street frontages and/or primary pedestrian routes. The street facades of new infill development should be organized into the same two major components which typify historic buildings, the ground-level storefront and the upper architecture, with strong horizontal elements separating the two. Especially on pedestrian streets, where a sense of human scale and amenity are essential, the ground level storefronts should provide substantial window areas to share the building's interior activities with the treet. Major downtown development projects must be incorporated into the existing design context of smaller-scale buildings. On a street or in a district where a positive and consistent architectural character exists, the appropriate degree of compatibility is greater than that required when the existing architecture is mediocre or worse. In the latter case, it is possible to allow the first new project to establish the baseline for building a new context. Alternatively, contextual references can be created, using the predominant scale and setbacks of existing development as a foundation with illustrated guidelines establishing design objectives. Where the existing standard of design is poor, the repetition of negative design elements and characteristics is undesirable. In new largerscale developments, unarticulated forms and masses should be avoided. Instead, the building should be broken into smaller units that complement the existing urban fabric and provide transitions in height and scale. Multiblock megastructures that erase downtown's street grid create negative impacts by weakening the basic urban block structure and interrupting pedestrian movement. The Phoenix Center is as clear a demonstration of this principle as can be found in any city. In determining the height and intensity of major downtown structures, priority should be given to spreading market potential so that development is spread over more of the downtown. To maintain a sense of human scale in the street space, the upward thrust of high-rise facades should normally be moderated by creating a strong horizontal element that establishes a "ceiling" for the street. The location of this lintel or setback, which defines the effective height of the facade as perceived at street level, should be coordinated with the height of cornice lines or lintels of existing buildings. To create a sense of human scale at street level and relate a high-rise building more positively to the pedestrian, the use of materials and forms that provide a scale of reference and a sense of three-dimensional articulation at ground level is desirable. The use of reflective glass at ground level should be avoided so that the building base will meet the ground in a manner that humanizes the street environment. Sign Principles: Signs have a stronger impact on the quality and appearance of individual buildings and the total streetscape than do any other design element of commercial architecture. Although signs can be designed and located to complement building architecture, they are often a major contributor to visual chaos; this is particularly so in Pontiac. The sign's primary functions are to identify a business, to contribute to its image, and to indicate the goods and services it offers. To achieve these purposes successfully, a sign must be eye-catching without offending. It must make its point without too many details or words ; it must not be so abstract that its message is ambiguous. Each sign should complement the architecture of the building on which it is located and serve as a unifying element in the blockface. Graphic simplicity and compatibility with the building Page 13.41 �architecture are the basic principles of designing an effective and attractive system of signage. The sign's components-size, location. materials, color lettering, and illumination--can be used to create a positive identity for individual businesses and a unified image for downtown. The size of each sign should be in proportion to the storefront and the building facade as a whole. Signs should never be allowed to obscure or overwhelm the basic architectural character of the building. A ratio of one square foot of sign area for each linear foot of building frontage is a good rule of thumb in determining appropriate sign sizes. However, a sign should not be too big to fit into a sign frieze above the storefront or another area of the facade in such a way that it does not cross over or cover architectural details . On traditional multistory commercial buildings, signs fit most naturally on the lintel or sign frieze that separates the ground-level storefront from the upper facade. In this location, the sign serves as a boundary between the two major facade components and helps strengthen their definition. Wherever possible, signs within a blockface should be located at approximately the same height to help unify all the buildings. Sign materials and color should be compatible with the building's overall architectural character and should help establish a quality image for downtown. Many materials are appropriate, including wood, metal, plastic, neon, and canvas. Materials that convey a low quality image, such as plastic panel signs, should be avoided. Bright colors are entirely appropriate for signs, but the use of too many colors should be avoided. The words, emblems and pictures used in any one sign should be limited to reduce visual clutter. A good rule of thumb is that signs should have no more than ten items of information, an item of information being defined as a syllable, a trademark, a logo or a picture. Usually these will be taken up with the name of the business and other pertinent information related to its operation, although it is not necessary to so specify in sign regulations so long as the total items of information are restricted. Simplicity is the key to legibility and elegance. Bold simple lettering styles and the use of recognized symbols are most effective. Flashing and moving signs are inappropriate. Some parts of some downtowns can accommodate such ruddy signs. Times Square in Manhattan is a good example where flashing and moving signs are appropriate. Downtown Pontiac needs more sedate and dignified signs. Backlit or indirectly lit signs should be required. \ Public signs have a strong impact on the overall design quality of a downtown. Public signs include signs which identify public streets; signs which identify public buildings, parking areas and other facilities; and signs which direct traffic. Traffic signals themselves are a special kind of public sign. Public signs in a downtown should do two things: 1) they should provide better than adequate information to help motorists and pedestrians find their way around; and 2) they should contribute to the continuity and clarity of the physical image of downtown. In order to contribute to continuity and clarity, sign structures should be simple and clean and they should be coordinated with each other and with the design of other downtown amenities, including street lighting and street furniture. Page 13.42 • • • • • • • • • •I ■ II • II II II II �Figure 13.19 DOWNTOWN ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES Architectural solidity must be established by the upper facade and the piers which support it. Visual richness and variety must be achieved in the storefront. Signs, awnings and other appurtenances could be elements of the storefront. lJi@ [I ' ' cl ' ' [I~ The upper facade and the piers which support it should be characterized by: 1. a strong cornice which visually caps the structure; 2. windows which provide a sense of use and activity; 3. a solid wall area; and 4. ample piers for support. Page 13.43 �■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Figure 13.20 DOWNTOWN ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES Piers should be of sufficient frequency and thickness to visually support the upper facade. SIGN FRIEZE r-----------.. S G N I I I I I Signs which are not part of the storefront should be located: 1) a sign frieze which is a distinct and integral component of the upper facade architecture, or 2) placed as individual letters on the upper facade. Signs should not cross architectural components such as cornices, sills and piers. Page 13.44 I I I I I I I I I I I I �Figure 13.21 DOWNTOWN ARCHITECTURAL PRINCIPLES 11 SIGN 11111 1111111 L------ Visual compatibility must be established through the use of compatible and coordinated materials. Buildings must be clearly divided into two parts: 1) the upper facade and 2) the storefront. The upper facade must be a simple and clearly articulated architectural entity; it must not have its form and materials hidden or partially hidden by signs or applied "decorative" elements. Variety and interest must be achieved in the storefront which must be clearly confined by the upper facade and the piers which support it. Page 13.45 �DOWNTOWN PHYSICAL ANALYSIS: LIABILITIES A lot of Pontiac's downtown signage is not very artistic and some ofit is downright ugly. Inartistic signs pay no respect to the architectural elements of the building on which they are placed. Some are out of proportion with the facia on which they hang. Some have lettering which is done in a crude style that lacks finesse. Such crudeness makes an unintended statement that the facility identified is more important than the downtown of which it is a part. The sign on the west facade of the Oakland Press building makes a similar statement. An excessively bold "now leasing" sign can create the appearance of desperation. A subtler "now leasing" sign can convey the impression of success. Some sites near downtown have grossly excessive signage, including ropes with banners. When excessive signage is combined with other site clutter like curb-side merchandise displays and cluttered parking lots, the visual impression is even worse. Billboards do not belong downtown or even visible from Wide Track Drive. Public signage in downtown Pontiac is not the strong design and functional asset that it could be. Public signs include signs which identify public streets; signs which identify public buildings, parking areas and other facilities; and signs which direct traffic. Traffic signals themselves are a special kind of public sign. Downtown Pontiac is filled with many "make-shift" structures which downgrade the overall aesthetic appeal of the area. Some of these structures are small buildings . Others are additions or modifications of existing buildings. A small building example can be seen on the east side of Mill Street near Lawrence. It is a metal shed-type structure. More distressing is the metal parapet on the west facade of the Oakland Press Building which spoils the architectural interface between building and sky, an interface that was made elegant by the original brick parapet. The handsomeness of the original building can be seen on the east facade. Unattractive fenestration infill is a serious aesthetic problem downtown, just as it is in the city's commercial strips. Many buildings have had their front windows replaced with a material that provides more security. Typically, infill material is completely different from the basic facade material of the building. Rough sawed wood siding or raw concrete block on a sophisticated historic brick facade are particularly grating. This thoughtless approach bespeaks slum. It says that the owner is more concerned about the security of his building than he is about his responsibility to community aesthetic values. It is possible to meet both security and aesthetic needs, but it usually costs a little more to do so or at least requires more thought. There is too much vacant and underutilized land downtown for the market to absorb in a short period of time. Much of the underutilized land contains deteriorating buildings that are detrimental to the marketability of desirable buildings.\ Some underutilized parking lots are almost as degrading to downtown as are deteriorating buildings. Many vacant lots are unkempt. It is necessary to find some way to turn this land, which will remain idle for some time to come, into an asset that will help market downtown. A downtown greenfields concept is one possible solution. Such a greenfields concept envisions attractive but simply landscaped open space areas that use gravel, grass and trees to create sophisticated urban parks. One city termed such a park "a little park for a little while." The relatively recent tree planting effort on Wide Track Drive West south of Whittemore shows that even modest efforts help. The new trees help establish a sense of order by establishing a wall of vegetation parallel to the street line. Downtown Pontiac is replete with unsightly, deteriorated buildings and poorly kept yards. Unsightly buildings include buildings that have been boarded-up, buildings that have ugly signs, buildings that have side and rear facades that are cluttered with fire escapes and mechanical Page 13.46 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I �, p p equipment, and buildings that have side and rear facades that are not finished to acceptable "front" facade standards. Unsightly yards include those that have trash and equipment stored in full public view, and that provide for on-site parking on unpaved and unstriped surfaces. Many unsightly buildings and yards are located along Wide Track Drive where they play a very prominent role in the visual environment. They mock the idea that downtown Pontiac could be a vibrant center of economic life. They should be relocated to a more appropriate area or modified so that they do not have a negative impact. Deteriorated residential areas contribute to the image of downtown blight. Like downtown's unsightly commercial and industrial buildings, deteriorated residential areas are located along Wide Track Drive and hence play a very prominent role in the visual environment. Poor building maintenance is matched with unkempt yards, including the haphazard deposit of wisightly vehicles and domestic junk. DOWNTOWN PHYSICAL ANALYSIS: ASSETS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ Downtown Pontiac has established a record that proves people will come if something special is offered. Downtown Pontiac came alive when the Silverdome hosted the National Football League's Super Bowl. People from all over the region and from all over the country came to Pontiac, spent money and had a very good time. The Super Bowl was an unusual event. However, downtown Pontiac proves it can attract people from all over Oakland County nearly every day of the year. The Pike Street restaurant, which has a strong reputation as a gourmet restaurant, attracts lunch and dinner time patrons from all over Oakland County and from outside of Oakland Cowity. M-59 brings heavy regional traffic through downtown Pontiac without destroying the potential for continuity in the retail and pedestrian environment. A 1988 study by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) indicated that average daily traffic volumes were approximately in the 28,000 to 30,000 range. The MDOT study expected volumes to increase to the 40,000 to 50,000 range once the Oakland Technology Center reaches full employment. This traffic will necessitate road improvements to avoid grid lock at peak hours. However, it also brings a potential market parading through downtown every working day. The Phoenix Center is a major city-wide asset, but not yet a particularly strong asset for downtown. In terms of its benefit to the entire City of Pontiac, the Phoenix Center is a great success. It contains the largest, newest office space in the city. It provides more than ample parking. Most of GM's 2,500 downtown employees work there. In terms of its benefit to downtown Pontiac, the Phoenix Center is still just an opportunity. This is because the space separating the Phoenix Center from the rest of downtown is so great, and so inhospitable. Studies of shopping habits of downtown workers show that few will travel more than nine minutes (usually about 1,000 feet) to get to even the most intensive shopping destinations. Most Phoenix Center workers would have to travel nine minutes before they reach Pike Street. There is very little beyond Pike Street to attract them at the present time. The distance between the Phoenix Center and Pike Street is inhospitable because it lacks climate control and because it is unattractive. There is virtually nothing to attract office-worker spending power. Fear of crime exacerbates the problem. The southwest corner of Huron and Saginaw is a major development opportunity for downtown. This "100 percent corner" now consists of a parking lot. If absolutely necessary, a few adjacent buildings on Saginaw Street could be razed to enlarge the site. Such a site could Page 13.47 �accommodate a building comparable in size to the Phoenix Center. The uncertain future of M-59 is an impediment to development of the Saginaw-Huron site. The alley which runs parallel to and between Saginaw and Wayne is another major development opportunity. If a substantial mixed-use structure were developed at Saginaw and Huron, it could function as an anchor for a pedestrian mall in the alley west of Saginaw between Huron and Pike. A second mixed-use anchor could be developed on the urban renewal land between Pike Street and the Phoenix Center. This second anchor could be linked to the Phoenix Center. The Pedestrian Mall could provide all-weather access to restaurant, night club, retail and office uses. Both anchors could accommodate housing retail, office, hotel even residential uses located along the mall and in the anchors. A very dramatic cluster of Pontiac's major downtown buildings have landmark and/or historic significance; these help establish a unique sense of place. Buildings in this cluster give unique identity to the area and serve as landmarks that can be seen from a distance along the major approaches to downtown. Key buildings in the downtown cluster are listed below: Pontiac State Bank Building (location 1 in Figure 13.22); Community National Bank Building (location 2); Riker Building (location 3); Michigan Bell radio tower (location 4); and Masonic Temple (location 5). These buildings are important architectural and urban design assets. The roofline of the Pontiac State Bank Building is one of the most elaborate and elegant in the country. It is an architectural asset worthy of the highest appreciation. The Masonic Temple roofline is also distinctive. The Phoenix Center is another dramatic cluster of buildings which have landmark significance; these too help establish a unique sense of place. These important urban design assets are: Phoenix Center towers (locations 6 & 7 in Figure 13.22); Pontiac Place Senior Citizen High-rise (location 8); and Pontiac Place Office Building (location 9). Other small, but very worthy historic landmarks re\nforce downtown's unique sense of place. These historic buildings include: St. Vincent DePaul Church (location 10 in Figure 13.22); Board of Education Building (location 11); City Hall (location 12); Old Central Elementary School (location 13); First Congregational Church (location 14); Furlong Building (location 15); First Baptist Church (Salvation Army) (location 16); First Presbyterian Church (location 17); Daily (Oakland) Press (location 18); and First United Methodist Church (location 19). Page 13.48 • • • • • • • • • • •I I I I I I I I �These buildings, because of their rich architecture and prominent locations, are major landmarks in downtown. They provide downtown with visual interest and a sense of .place. Other numerous historic buildings further reinforce downtown's unique sense of place. These buildings have, for the most part, less historic importance than the major historic structures of the core group. However, as a group, the more modest buildings contribute significantly to the city's distinctive downtown character. The cumulative effect of these buildings is to provide the city with a rich architectural spirit. Rolling topography, one of Pontiac's greatest assets, is particularly important to the downtown's unique sense of place. High points in the downtown topography provide an opportunity to see landmarks and distinctive districts from a distance. Important buildings are highlighted and viewers can take in a sense of the whole in a way that would not otherwise be possible. City planners throughout history have used topographic high points as sites for important buildings. Topography is one of the principal assets that makes the City of Rome so memorable. Pontiac streets, like Roman streets, do not try to minimize the sense of changing contours. Instead they heighten dramatic impact by cutting right across contour lines. The value of placing important buildings at topographic high points was understood by Pontiac's early planners, or else they made some very lucky site location decisions. Old Central Elementary School is a case in point. Its highground location has been made all the more dramatic by the more modern Wide Track Drive. Topography works against the image of downtown where it affords an opportunity to view low lying, unattractive areas from thoroughfares elevated by natural contours. For example, Wide Track Drive West just west of Oakland Avenue is on high ground. As the roadway curves to the south toward Huron, its elevation offers a very unattractive view of the northwest side of downtown. Distant views of distinctive landmarks enhance the visual richness of downtown Pontiac. These views are produced by the interaction of its topography and historic architecture. One such landmark which can be seen from many different locations is St. Vincent DePaul's steeple. Provided that the steeple itself can be preserved, it will be well worthwhile to protect views of it from different downtown vantage points. For example, traffic entering downtown on University stops at Perry and Huron before turning right and heading west. St. Vincent DePaul's steeple can be seen from the right-hand lane (but not from the left because it is blocked by the south stairwell of the municipal parking structure). It provides a beautiful orientation point in the day and would be very dramatic at night if lit. This view can be preserved by controlling the height and placement of buildings on Perry and on the urban renewal site on Water Street and the end of Perry. Those parts of future buildings which are in line with St. Vincent DePaul's should not exceed the height of the historic three-story Waldron Building (Competitive Telephone Systems). Page 13.49 �• • • • • • Figure 13.22 DOWNTOWN ARCHITECTURAL LAN DMARKS Iii ~z !'o~- ~ \ i ■ ~~ o'"D@ ~ WATE ~ I I I I I I I I I I I Page 13.50 I �The Silverdome is sited where it is visible from West Huron as it enters and passes through downtown from the west. This may have been lucky happenstance, but the results are no less memorable. Contours reach a high point at the point of Pontiac Central High School (west of State Street ). From this high point, motorists approaching can look straight across the downtown to the Silverdome. Thus the downtown is visually linked with one of the most important symbols of the city's economic life and regional identity. As M-59 continues east, the topography dips down at Wide Track Drive West and raises up again to reach another crest at Saginaw. From this point, the Silverdome is still in view, but not as dramatically as from the higher ground at Pontiac Central High School. Potential revenue source for downtown redevelopment could be between $21,000,000 and $37,000,000, but utilization of theses sources would require bonding and risk. A preliminary analyses completed in 1990 by Lewis Wilking, a consultant to the Pontiac Growth Group, indicates that a downtown upgrade could be funded from the following sources: $30,000,000 from bonding against Tax Increment Financing Area (TIFA) revenues for 7 years 3,000,000 from bonding against Downtown Development (DDA) revenues for 7 years 4 300 000 from money now in the General Building Authority (GBA) fund $37,300,000 Total based on 7 year TIFA and DDA bonding $27,000,000 Total based on 5 year TIFA and DDA bond These figures have not been fully confirmed by a detailed financial audit. Furthermore, they are subject to change over time as new assets and liabilities arise. However, the Wilking preliminary figures do indicate the possibility of a substantial asset for downtown improvement. The Pontiac Growth Group controls substantial downtown property which could be the basis for revitalization. This property is concentrated in the blocks bounded by Lawrence, Perry, Water, Saginaw, Pike and Wayne. Approximately 70,000 square feet or 28 percent of the site area of these blocks is owned or otherwise controlled by the city. REVIEW of PAST DOWNTOWN PLANNING and DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ The "New Pontiac Plan" Concept of 1980 envisioned a radical remaking of downtown. Prior to construction of the Phoenix Center, the city adopted a downtown plan concept that was called the "New Pontiac Plan." This concept is incorporated in the Pontiac 2000 Plan published in May of 1980. The New Pontiac Plan concept, which shows the influence of the famous French architect Le Corbusier, called for the total remaking of the downtown in the image of a suburban office plaza. The entire area within Wide Track Drive was to become what the Phoenix Center is, a cluster of high-rise towers distributed about a pedestrian plaza elevated above the major streets. A few of the more prominent existing buildings were to be retained, but as quasi-museum pieces separated from the pedestrian plaza which would link all the new development together. There was Page 13.51 �no attempt to preserve any continuity in the existing fabric of downtown. The street pattern was w be virtually obliterated. Saginaw Street, which is probably older than the city itself, completely disappeared. The Phoenix Center was a first phase realization of the New Pontiac Plan concept. Whether or not the future will proceed as proposed in the past is a question that must be re-asked and re-answered by each successive group of plan makers. The planning effort of which this document is a part certainly ought to ask this question and arrive at an answer informed by the knowledge of new developments and ideas that have occurred over the past decade. The 1984 American City Corporation study of downtown Pontiac emphasized the need for a major facelift as a condition for additional new development. The study, prepared for the Pontiac Downtown Development Authority, observed that the recently completed Phoenix Center and Pike Street Restaurant were very positive improvements. So was the then pending Eagle Theater renovations. However, the report said: In order for additional development to occur successfully, a major downtown facelift must be completed. The American City report further specified the following facelift efforts deemed most important: 1. Rigorous building code enforcement to bring all stores and offices up to current safety standards; 2. Facade renovations with city financial help if need be and with state and/or other help if possible; 3. Streetscape improvements, including replacing old curbs and sidewalks with wide, attractive walkways, barrier-free curbs, planters, new lighting and other pedestrian amenities; and 4. Circulation improvements, partially in the form of a pedestrian skyway system, to link the Phoenix Center, senior citizen center, the Saginaw Street office and financial hub, the municipal complex and the transportation center. These facelift efforts were expected to be helpful, (and maybe necessary) to the effort to attract developers to downtown. The 1984 American City Corporation study of downtown Pontiac identified the need for major activity generators. The American City Corporation also pointed out the importance of public activity generators to any downtown. It noted tltat there were few such activity generators in Pontiac and it suggested the following on-going or periodic activities: Grand Prix auto racing, public concerts, an auto exchange, art shows, a farmer's market, heritage festivals, and marathons and health runs. . I • I . I I I I -I I I I I I II Page 13.52 ------------ �American City also suggested that Pontiac seek the following institutions as permanent residents: A regional theater company , Pontiac Theater IV, North Star Productions, Lakeland Players , and the Pontiac-Oakland Symphony. The 1984 American City Corporation study suggested that consideration be given to a major, market-inducing development project for downtown Pontiac; but the study was not enthusiastic about prospects for such a bold project. The American City Corporation study noted that development "perspective runs the gamut from conservative to bold," but conservative thought generally prevails. Notwithstanding, the study also enumerated a few outstanding examples of the bold approach successfully implemented. These included: Renaissance Center in Detroit, Water Tower Place in Chicago, Grand Avenue in Milwaukee, and Harborplace in Baltimore. All of these "bold" projects involved a major developer "inducing a market," i.e. creating a major mixed-use project where goods and services are sold, and creating it in a location where there was no measurable pre-existing demand for such a facility. The American City Corporation report enumerated three factors that supported the prospect for the bold approach in Pontiac: The land is controlled or controllable, Oakland County has very high income levels, and influential local business people are willing to help secure the right developer. Despite the presence of three favorable conditions, the American City Corporation did not advise Pontiac to make a major effort to secure such a bold-approach developer. Instead, it suggested that Pontiac spend about six months and a limited amount of money to find the right bold-approach developer willing to try his hand in Pontiac. The report suggested that a bold-approach project for Pontiac could include the seven acre urban renewal site west of the Phoenix Center, the three acre urban renewal site east of the center and the three blocks along Saginaw between Water and Lawrence. Of course, the report noted that there could be no certainty that a developer could be found. Notwithstanding its statement that conservative thought tends to prevail in development perspectives, the American City Corporation recommended an "ambitious" approach, by which it meant something more than conservative but less than bold. This ambitious approach was expected to require substantial funds and commitments from the public and private sectors. In its initial phase, American City's ambitious approach had six parts: 1) an ice arena with a practice rink open to the public; 2) two office buildings; 3) a regional theater and the Pontiac IV Theater; 4) a food court; 5) retail goods and services; and 6) a hotel. The market study of these proposals made a number of very optimistic assumptions. The success of each depended on the presence of the others. The Ice Arena: The arena was to include an Olympic-sized hockey rink with 6,000 to 8,000 seats. It would have served Compuware Hockey Club as well as the general public. At the time of the study, Compuware had over 300 boys participating in one of the most successful youth programs in the country. The arena would have been a unique attraction to bring Page 13.53 �people to downtown Pontiac, people who would not otherwise come to Pontiac. A market study by the accounting firm of Touche Ross confirmed the feasibility of the arena concept with Compuware participation. Two Office Buildings: The study found a suburban office market with two to five percent vacancy rates and a Pontiac market with a nine percent overall vacancy rate and a 27 percent general or speculative rate. Sixty percent of the city's occupancy was single-user or owner-occupied space, which is called "non-competitive" space. Notwithstanding, American City projected a potential for developing one new 110,000 square foot office building downtown. This was based on the assumption that Compuware would develop and occupy 60,000 square feet for its own needs and that it would develop another 50,000 square feet of speculative space for its future needs. Development of a second office building would come at some future time. Regional Theater Company and Pontiac IV Theater: Based on an analysis completed by Theater Projects Consultants, Incorporated, it was believed that a regional theater company and an amateur theater company could be secured for downtown Pontiac, provided that appropriate space was available. Renovation of the historic Strand Theater was seen as the best way of securing the space. Food Court : American Cities assessment of food court feasibility seems optimistic from the perspective of 1990. American Cities expected the food court would generate over half its income from trade area residents. To do this it would have to capture 0.003 percent of trade area sales potential. This capture rate was deemed "... realistic in light of similar projects developed by The Rouse Company, including Harborplace in Baltimore, Faneuil Hall in Boston, and New York City's South Street Seaport." These are projects with vastly more going for them than can be envisioned for downtown Pontiac. It is difficult to imagine how Rouse Company experience with these projects could be transferred to Pontiac. Furthermore, while these major city festival markets have been very successful, similar Rouse Company projects in smaller cities (Toledo, Ohio, Richmond, Virginia and Flint, Michigan, for example) have had significant difficulties. The American Cities report expected ten percent of food court income to come from visitors to Silverdome conventions. It expected 20 percent to come from arena patrons and five percent to come from theater patrons. Hotel: The American Cities study found insufficient demand for a full service hotel. It did find potential for a small European style hotel offering good service and limited or no special facilities. The only known facility of this type in Oakland County is now located in the City of Birmingham. The American City Corporation's "ambitious" approach required a $100,000,000 public/ private financial strategy; the public funding sources are not now available. According to a Touche Ross financial strategy, $16,000,000 was needed from the public sector and $84,000,000 from the private sector. Major public funding sources were anticipated to be: 1) a $16,790,000 Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG), and 2) a $14,450,000 Economic Development Administration (EDA) grant and/ or loan. These funding sources are not now available. The EDA grant and loan program had been cut back drastically. The UDAG program had been completely terminated. The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has been developing an Enterprise Zone concept to facilitate urban revitalization. This program, if enacted, may be a tax incentive program. If it is, projects may depend more on private than public initiative. Something like the American Cities Ambitious Plan may not stimulate the necessary private initiative. Certain public funding sources are still available for downtown. They include: 1) industrial revenue bonds, 2) excess Phoenix Center bond proceeds, and 3) Downtown Development Authority mortgage pool Page 13.54 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I • • • • �funding. Utilization of these sources was envisioned in the Touche Ross strategy, so they are not alternatives to UDAG or EDA funds. During the late 1980's, Pontiac nearly achieved a major single tenant office building. A major chain retailer considered urban renewal land in downtown Pontiac as the site for its corporate headquarters. Negotiations to secure this project were based on the expectation that UDAG funds would be available to enhance its attractiveness. The project failed to reach fruition because of unanticipated changes in the retailer's financial status. Downtown hotel development potential was evaluated in 1988 without a strong positive finding. The Laventhol & Horwath study was somewhat ambiguous in its conclusions and made a number of favorable assumptions in order to arrive at some positive findings. The study found area growth and downtown accessibility to be positive factors. Extensive competition was seen to be a major negative factor. The study saw competition coming from 11 existing facilities with 2,193 rooms, plus an additional 1,200 rooms under construction or in planning. It was projected that not more than 1,000 of these additional rooms could be absorbed by 1993. Laventhol & Horwath made no recommendation to develop, but did indicate a projected cash flow before fixed charges based on an $80 room rate and a 54 to 65 percent occupancy rate between 1991 and 1995. The study assumed that there will be substantial upgrade in the quality of downtown Pontiac's physical environment. Included in this improvement is an assumed "Marketplace of Nations" (MONAT), a 130,000 to 140,000 square foot urban entertainment complex with the following facilities: Nightclubs (3) Restaurants (5) Specialty retail store Small retail stores Offices Apartments Atrium 19,000 sq. 25,000 sq. 14,000 sq. 28,000 sq. 31,700 sq. 13,000 sq. 9,500 sq. ft. ft. ft. ft. ft. ft. ft. MONAT was to be located on the block bounded by Pike, Saginaw, Lawrence and Wayne. The Phoenix Development Company was to be the developer. In the mid 1980's, the Pontiac Planning Division developed three important concepts for upgrading pedestrian circulation in downtown. These concepts all recognize the need to greatly enhance pedestrian circulation facilities. The most ambitious of three concepts incorporated an elaborate system of pedestrian skyways, outdoor pedestrian malls and indoor pedestrian malls. A less ambitious concept incorporated pedestrian skyways to integrate the Phoenix Center office towers and the Pontiac Place senior citizen high-rise with future development on vacant urban renewal land to the northwest and northeast of the Phoenix Center. In the mid 1970's, the Pontiac Planning Division also developed important streetscape concepts for downtown. These concepts called for the preservation of existing streetscapes predominated by historic facades. The buildings so recognized include those in the blocks previously identified as still having building and retail continuity. Page 13.55 �For this Comprehensive Plan, ihe PHH Fantus Company identified six types of uses which it thought downtown Pontiac had the greatest potential to capture. These targeted uses include: entertainment and restaurants, smaller "back-office" and service firms , health care services and health care related businesses, government offices, service and specialty retail, and apartments. The PHH Fantus Company studied downtown Pontiac for this plan and recommended improvements it felt necessary to overcome downtown's substantial problems. These improvements are set forth in the growth enhancement policies. They relate to: the need to correct the city's larger crime, education, and image problems; the need to correct the downtown's specific crime problems with mowited officers and/or other special patrols; the need to improve access, particularly from Wide Track into attractive parking areas; the need to improve the appearance of downtown in general ; the need to improve the appearance of the downtown's excessive open space; the need to provide renovated and new office space; the need to attract each of the targeted uses, which can then serve to attract other uses; the need to capture General Motor's and other significant employers' service and retail needs; the need to improve the connection between the Phoenix Center and the rest of the downtown; the need to maximize the image potential of downtown's historic character buildings; and the need to have some demonstrated successes. i ,. I ,. I i I -I -I I I II II Page 13.56 - .........,,==~-- - �Downtown Pontiac the night before the Super Bowl was played in the Silverdome Page 13.57 �Chapter 14 FUTURE LAND USE MAP and MAP P O L I C I E S - - - - - - - - - - with Related Explanations INTRODUCTION _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ This section is organized into policies which relate directly to the land use categories in the future land use map. Also included are tables which indicate the total land area allocated to different land use categories by this plan and by some previous plans. FUTURE LAND USE MAP POLICIES _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ In Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Low Density Residential," residential uses should be limited to residential uses with a maximum density of not more than five dwelling units per acre; different zoning districts and planned development regulations may be used to implement this density. This means minimum lot sizes of 8,700 square feet for conventional single-family subdivisions. Cluster subdivisions and similar planned developments which incorporate common open space for recreation and/or aesthetic purposes may have smaller lots for each individual home, so long as the average site area for each unit is 8,700 square feet exclusive of vehicular circulation rights-of-way. Single-family attached developments and other residential forms with an average of 8,700 square feet per unit exclusive of vehicular circulation may also be permitted. Different zoning districts and/or planned development provisions may be utilized to regulate various different sites within the "Low Density Residential Area." Zoning may be used to set aside a portion of the "Low Density Residential" area for densities lower than 8,700 square feet per unit. In Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Low-Medium Density Residential," residential uses should be limited to residential uses with a maximum density of not more than seven dwelling units per acre; different zoning districts and planned development regulations may be used to implement this density. This means minimum lot sizes of 6,200 square feet for conventional single-family subdivisions. At such densities, new single-family detached development should occur in zero lot line and related configurations as shown in Figure 14.1. Developments which incorporate common open space for recreation and/or aesthetic purposes may have smaller lots for each individual home, so long as the average site area for each unit is 6,200 square feet exclusive of vehicular circulation rights-of-way. Different zoning districts and/or planned development provisions may be utilized to regulate various different sites within the "LowMedium Density Residential" areas. Zoning may be used to set aside a portion of the "Low-Medium Density Residential" area for densities lower than 6,200 square feet per unit. Page 14.1 �Figure 14.1 ZERO LOT LINE and RELATED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT TYPES 1 4 2 3 5 1) Zero Lot-Line Lot; 2) "Z" Lot; 3) Angled "Z" Lot; 4) Wide-Shallow Lot; 5) Zipper Lot \ ■ ■ • • • • •I I I I I I I I I I I Page 14.2 �Convenience food stores may be allowed in certain Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Low Density Residential" and "Low-Medium Density _Residential" where necessary to serve the grocery shopping needs of people who do not have easy access to automobiles for trips to a supermarlzet. In order to function as intended, i_e_ in order to serve the grocery shopping needs of households with limited mobility, convenience food stores must be within walking distance of the population they serve. Accordingly, some convenience food stores necessarily must be located within residential rather than non-residential areas. Such stores should be permitted by incorporation of a special convenience store commercial zoning district to be mapped on sites where convenience stores are desired and appropriate_ Since this mapping would be done in pursuit of this specific comprehensive plan policy, it would not constitute illegal spot, zoning. Mapping should give preference to locations on arterial and collector streets. Other locations should only be considered if there is no possibility to serve a particular area from a location on an arterial or collector street_ Loitering, crime and other social problems sometimes which might be associated with convenience stores should be taken into consideration when deciding on convenience store locations_ These problems should also be addressed by appropriate zoning and licensing regulations. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Medium Density Residential" should be limited to residential uses at a density of not more than 20 dwelling units per acre; different zoning districts and planned development regulations may be used to implement this density. This means a minimum lot area of 2,178 square feet per residential unit. Single family attached townhouse type developments are possible, but somewhat cramped if developed at the 20 unit per acre maximum density provided for by the Medium Density category. Garden apartment developments are feasible at 20 units per acre. Higher rise apartments with substantial open space are also possible. Different zoning districts and/or planned development provisions may be utilized to regulate various different sites within the "Medium Density Residential" areas. Zoning may be used to set aside a portion of the "Medium Density Residential" area for densities lower than 2,178 square feet per unit. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "High Density Residential/Office/Retail may contain high density residential uses in groupings with certain t:ypes of office and retail commercial uses. Areas designated High Density Residential/Office/Retail are located at the Clinton Valley site and in the downtown area. At the Clinton Valley site, it is envisioned that the residential/office/retail mix will occur primarily in the historic buildings on the site. In the downtown area it is envisioned that the residential/office/retail mix will occur within individual buildings_ It is also envisioned that one or two of the various uses in the mix may predominate in individual buildings, but that buildings with different dominant uses will be closely related to each other by close physical proximity and pedestrian access ways. When high density residential, office and retail uses are grouped together in mixed use developments, it is necessary that they be mutually compatible. A very limited range of office uses and a very limited range of retail uses are compatible with residential uses. However, such office and retail uses may be developed at substantial intensities so long as a desirable design relationship is maintained between them and related residential uses. The proper types and intensities of office and retail uses in mixed-use developments should be set forth in zoning regulations applicable to the Clinton Valley site and the downtown. Residential uses in mixed-use projects may be very high density. Specific densities may be spelled out in zoning regulations designed specifically for Clinton Valley and other regulations designed specifically for downtown. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Transitional Office/Medium Density Residential/Parking" may contain medium-density residential uses, office uses and parking along with single-family residential uses so long as the physical character of the area in which they are located is preserved. The ''Transitional Office/Medium Density Page 14.3 �ResidentiaVParking" land use category is intended as a vehicle for preserving the physical character of the areas where it is mapped while at the same time allowing a certain degree of use flexibility. The category is mapped along the south side of West Huron. Here it is intended to ensure preservation of the form of large older homes which characterize this part of the city. Zoning regulations applicable to this area should permit single-family homes . They should also permit twofamily or even three-family homes , provided that a high minimum dwelling unit size is established for at least one of the units and an overall high minimum dwelling unit size is established for the average of all units. This is to encourage owner occupancy and better maintenance. Zoning regulations for the south side of West Huron could also permit office uses, but only those low intensity office uses which generate minimum traffic and parking demands. Two-family and threefamily uses and office uses should be permitted only when adequate parking is provided. Parking should be provided in the rear yard. Front yards should be landscaped and well maintained. The structural character of existing older homes should be maintained, whether used for single-family or other purposes. New buildings should be designed to have height, bulk and massing characteristics which are the same as typical of older structures on the south side of West Huron. The ''Transitional Office/Medium Density ResidentiaVParking" category is also mapped along Seneca between Perry and University. Zoning regulations for this area should be structured much like those described for the south side of West Huron, except that the requirements which apply to the massing of structures should be tailored to any differences in structure sizes between the two areas. So should minimum residential unit sizes. Special regulations may be needed governing the aesthetics of those rear yards which face on Wide Track Drive. Finally, the ''Transitional Office/Medium Density ResidentiaVParking" category is mapped in an area west of downtown between West Huron and Orchard Lake Road. Parcels fronting on Williams, Clinton, Lawrence, Pike, Exchange and Front are included in this area. Here the existing development pattern is considerably different from that on West Huron and Seneca. However, the basic concept of maintaining the existing physical character of the area while permitting some use flexibility is the same. Zoning regulations should include strict building mass and site development controls which are specifically tailored to this area. A "specific plan" may be the most appropriate way to achieve this. The "specific-plan" concept is described in another policy of this chapter. Zoning regulations should also permit a mix of singlefamily, multiple-family and non-residential uses. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Office" should be limited to office and a very narrow range of non-office uses which directly support office uses. The plan envisions certain areas as being appropriate only for office use. Retail or other non-residential uses are deemed to be undesirably intensive for these areas. The limited range of non-office uses which might be appropriate include retail sales and service uses which cater to office uses, such as office supply stores, photo-reproduction services and quick printing services. Restaurants which do not cater to the motoring public might also be appropriate. Areas designated for office use are those where the advantages of the office designation combined with th\ existing pattern of use make the concept most obviously appropriate. The plan does not designate every area which might be appropriate only for office uses and a limited range of non-office uses. The plan envisions that other such areas should be regulated for office use via the zoning ordinance. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Retail/Office" should allow for a broad range of retail and office uses; however, various retail and office zoning districts should be established to restrict certain areas to specific functional and development characteristics. Zoning regulations which implement the "Retail/Office" land use category should be specifically tailored for the following types of commercial development: Convenience Food Stores: There are about three dozen convenience food stores in Pontiac. These stores are located throughout the city, but in greater concentrations in the southeast and lesser concentrations in the north. This distribution is over a decade old and occurs for Page 14.4 ■ ■ • • I I I I I I I I I I I �good reason. Convenience food stores are necessary to serve a low income population with limited access to automobiles. They provide an opportunity for• walk-up trade. S trip or Thoroughfare-Oriented General Commercial Areas: As in most older cities, Pontiac's arterial streets are lined wi th strip commercial development, much of it obsolete. This strip commercial development presents aesthetic problems which are addressed in the Thoroughfare Urban Design section of this plan. It also presents land use problems because platted lots are too small for most new types of commercial development. The obsolete strip pattern, combined with the declining buying power of Pontiac residents, has produced a very high proportion of vacant commercial buildings and sites. Strip or thoroughfare-oriented general commercial areas accommodate a range of convenience, highway service, commercial recreation and office uses. General strip commercial areas are located along Auburn Avenue, Baldwin Avenue, Huron Street, Joslyn Avenue, Perry Street, Telegraph Road and Walton Boulevard. Neighborhood and Community Shopping Centers: There are more than a dozen potential local, neighborhood and community shopping center sites in Pontiac. Shopping centers, in general, function better than strip commercial development. Existing shopping centers should be improved and new ones developed when feasible. Regional Shopping Centers: Auburn Mills is being developed just off I-75 between Baldwin and Perry. Most of its 220-acre site is located in the City of Auburn Hills, but a small portion of its site is in the City of Pontiac. Auburn Mills, will have approximately 2,000,000 square feet of gross leasable area and a 40-mile trade radius. Additional retail facilities are expected to be developed on out parcels. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Heavy Commercial/Distribution" should allow for a range of retail and distribution uses; however, various zoning districts and special land use regulations should be established to ensure compatible functional relationship and development characteristics with respect to their immediate surroundings. These areas are intended to provide direct access to major thoroughfares and freeways as required by uses such as: sales and service of motor vehicles, boats and other equipment or parts; retail sale of landscape and building materials; sales of cabinets or furnishings in which some level of custom fabrication is required; wholesalers; common carriers (i.e. U.P.S.); moving and storage operations; as well as publishing. Restaurants which cater to the motoring public would also be appropriately located in this district. Particular care is required to enhance streetscape views of related vehicular use and outdoor display/ storage areas, as well as to adequately buffer adjacent residential districts. Sites of a size or dimension which can not provide adequate screening or aesthetic improvements and satisfy the spatial demands of a proposed use should not be occupied by said use. Pennit auto repair and similar establishments only in very limited areas of the city; make such uses subject to very tight screening and other appearance regulation to ensure that they are visually inoffensive. Auto repair establishments abound along Pontiac's thoroughfares, including some which ought to be primarily residential streets. Many of these establishments are made unsightly by outdoor operations and storage. Screening and landscaping are absent. There is an evident lack of concern for appearance on the part of property owners and operators. Building and site maintenance standards are often abysmal. All of this is manifested in cracked and potholed parking areas , makeshift facing material on buildings, and ugly and excessive signage. It is Page 14.5 �particularly important that buildings and sites be maintained to good standards and that vehicles that are being stored and serviced be kept in areas which are not visible from public rights-of-way and neighboring properties. Solid, well maintained masonry walls should be used to enclose outdoor storage and service areas. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Transitional Industrial" should allow for a very narrow range of uses which support industrial uses, but which are not themselves industrial uses or activities. The "Transitional Industrial" category is intended to facilitate and encourage land uses which can serve as a transition or buffer between industrial uses and less intensive uses. Zoning regulations which implement the "Transitional Industrial" land use category might permit by right non-industrial uses of the type permitted in adjacent non-industrial districts and permit by special use approval industrial support uses. Such uses could include: 1) employee parking, but not heavy truck maneuvering and parking; 2) offices which serve industrial uses; and 3) indoor storage facilities and other buildings housing "quiet" uses, provided that no activity is generated on the sides of buildings facing residential development. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Industrial" should allow for a broad range of industrial and related or similar uses; however, various industrial-type zoning districts should be established to restrict certain areas to specific functional and development characteristics. Zoning regulations which implement the "Industrial" land use category should include districts specifically tailored for light industrial uses and heavy industrial uses. Provision should be made for industrial-type service uses which are too intensive to be included in "Heavy CommerciaVDistribution" areas. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Public Service" indicate sites with existing municipal offices, fire, library and hospital facilities. In the future, such facilities may be established in other appropriate sites on an as-need basis. Sites with existing municipal office, fire, library and hospital facilities may be used for other purposes, but only subject to appropriate due process, including public hearings for plan amendments and zone changes. Zoning regulations should be designed to ensure this happens. Land Use Plan areas which are designated "Parks, Schools and Other Recreation and Open Space" indicate sites with existing parks, schools and cemeteries. In the future, such facilities may be established in other appropriate sites on an as-need basis. Sites with existing parks and schools may be used for other purposes, but only subject to appropriate due process, including public hearings for plan amendments and zone changet Zoning regulations should be designed to ensure this happens. The Land Use Plan area which is designated "Office Use Potential" indicates that an office site of unspecified size may be established at the approximate location shown. Although the size is unspecified, a facility of substantial magnitude and quality is envisioned. The location indicated merits such a facility. Until the potential for such an office facility is ripe, the site should be retained in its current use. The Land Use Plan area which is designated "Public Service Use Potential" indicates that a public service facility of unspecified size may be established at the approximate location shown. The plan makes a portion of Hawthorne Park available for a public service facility. The intent is to provide an opportunity for the relocation of the Pontiac State Hospital now at Clinton Valley, thus freeing the Clinton Valley site for private reuse. Until the potential for this facility Page 14.6 ■ ■ ■ ■ I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I �relocation is ripe, the site should be retained in its current use. The Land Use Plan area which is designated "Industrial Use Potential" indicates that the area designated may be changed from residential to industrial use, but only when the new industrial use extends to meet the adjoining industrial areas to the north, west and south. Piecemeal redevelopment or use of individual residential sites is not envisioned; such piecemeal redevelopment or use would be undesirable. The Future Land Use Plan flexible options for a mix of different downtown land uses. Among the uses suggested are the following: Medium Density Residential High Density Residential Specialty Retail/Entertainment Retail/Office/High Density Residential Office and Institutional Public Parking Open Space A mixture of complementary activities must be concentrated in downtown. The activities in such a mixture reinforce each other, but only once a "critical mass" is achieved. The mixture of uses can generate enough pedestrian activity to make public spaces secure and lively and therefore desirable. Diversity means more than one or two uses. The most important activities for downtown are: Offices and office services; Technical research functions compatible with office facilities; Retailing; Hotels and conference centers; Housing; Performing arts; Artists' studios and residences; Entertainment and recreation; and Special events. Page 14.7 �Table 14-1 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ FUTURE LAND USE PLAN TABLE of LAND USES _ _ _ _ _ __ Prepared by Robert K. Swarthout, Incorporated Acres Percent 865 7.2 3,776 30.5 723 5.8 High Density Residential/ Office / Retail 44 0.4 Transitional Office/ Medium Density Residential / Parking 67 0.5 Office 54 0.5 Retail / Office 381 3.3 Heavy Commercial / Distribution 265 2.1 1,966 13.8 28 0.2 527 4.2 1,434 10.6 103 0.9 2,311 20.0 12,544 100.0 Low Density Residential, 1 to 5 Dwellings Per Acre Low-Medium Density Residential, 1 to 7 Dwellings Per Acre Medium Density Residential, 1 to 20 Dwellings Per Acre Industrial Transitional Industrial Public Service Parks, Schools, and Other Recreation and Open Spaces Downtown Street, Alley and Railroad Right-of-Way \ Page 14.8 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I II II �Table 14-2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ TABLE of EXISTING LAND USES - - - - - - - - - Prepared by Pontiac Planning Division Acres Percent 2,990.9 23.8 Two Family 156.6 1.2 Multiple Family 546.8 4.4 31.0 0.2 Commercial 563.6 4.5 Warehouse&Storage 139.4 1.1 1,286.4 10.3 160.0 1.3 1,467.1 11.7 Quasi-Public (Other Non-Profit Organizations) 246.1 2.0 Recreation 405.0 3.2 Vacant (With No Land Use) 2,239.9 17.9 Street & Alley Right-of-Way 1,856.2 14.8 455.0 3.6 12,544.0 100.0 Single Family Mobile Home Park Industrial Transportation, Communication, Utilities Public (Federal, State, Municipal Organizations) Railroad Right-of-Way Page 14.9 �- Table 14-3 TABLE of LAND USES PROPOSED by the PONTIAC PLANNING DIVISION'S 1985 PLAN I I I Acres Percent 5,228 50.3 908 8.7 Proposed Industrial Areas 1,636 15.7 Public and Quasi-Public Areas 1,560 15.0 830 235 8.0 2.3 I 10,397 100.0 I I I I I I Proposed Residential Areas Proposed Commercial Areas Proposed Parks/ Open Space Areas: Existing Park Proposed Expansion/Development \ I I I I I I I Page 14.10 �'I ! i I I I 1/ on , ·= ~· ~ "".'!1 L =□ nn =--1! nri1,-,r.o □LJ .i 11 , lul: i .~= i'7 u~ ' I : ~I~~ ,w I ' ' rnoodm n ~ ! ,j ~k.';; -·t, _ c,=J· cL=,=,J -·-·-· ·-·-·- ·-· i - ·-·- ·- ·_J �""'llJLGW~J~tl l ~1. I ')b~ _ C9-::Ja7r .if--r-,,-yi ;, ll_j . l Ur;i}Jr--» ! l~ - L l; Uuoed ,r: ,i fij l iI : a: k . . . _. Oe!!1ons . ll07r9r ~Qt\~,( I\ .. ~ \I II \ \ ~ u j Ul) - -- _,.....~]1L _ 0 _. _c ., . LIi I . ' o8EE!Elc~ ~.,,.., . \ . - [ Jl~b - \'-r"""ll"".I" I , , ,.,,. , 1.J.rr - - 'l := -·_-JCT.Jr~ -;_ /'\-::-=~'f' ' ' J ,1 ? • ' - (. '· ~///)..._/~~~ -= = -=:-= :.:. .;.::_, 17 1,l)w D<?nsit.y Re~idential, I l=1 W/41 I ___ J Ll)w-Medium D!'nsity Rei1idPntial, 1 to 7 DwPlli11g« Per Acre I 1 fp ~ ~ [_ __ J .·-,..;;rttr1'-=-'I :-· c-=- ~ ft_ JC - JC - MNlium Densit.y Residf'ntial , 1 In 20 Dwellings Per Acre High Density Re~idential /Office/ Retail Transitiomt! Office/ J\Iedium Density Rrsidential / Parking OfficP I ·=- 11 --- !) ,,•n111nl~c; P '"! r f,,r?"tJ Retail/ Offic,, JJ nnvy C"ll1llll'l'Cin1 / Dist1ibution FIS??, Jr• - 1- J ~ ,,l -.1 ~_,...- -· ·- Public Service: F = Fire Department: L = Library; H = Hospital r--1 Parks, Schools, and Other Recreation and Open Space: S = Schools; R = Recreational Building ~1 ] Signifies Potential for Office Use on a site of unspecified size at approximate location shown E2l1 Signifies Potential for Public Service Use on a site of unspecified size at approximnte loca tion shown 1__3_] Signifies Potential for Industrial Use, but only if such use extends to meet adjoining industrial area to north, west rind south in accordnnce with relevnnt policies of I.he plan l11d11 s t1 ial Tr n11 «itin11:i l l11,l11 ~ti in f Figure 14.2: FUTURE LAND USE MAP ~:,,o fif!ltr<'S ii □ i i i i LJ ~~~~ ~o,;rirJ□□u ,~~ 1a\~tuL_1~----Jl]C] J. i ! i i i i i d ,, 1 . ~,1~~t~ ~~ 1 ~ t~ :- r1r_111 I ::;.--, L=-Jbf '--./, / ""J11 =~ 1l~ U~ U Q~~~;~rwn1 mn[J[J[]]aJ□□[] □ -lhL. · . 1 D\~ 14.3 for prinritizrd thoroughfare improve111r>11t nncl 14.4 for thoroughfare functional clnssificntion. ii i i --yl !_. j ! �Figure 14.3 PRIORITIZED THOROUGHFARE IMPROVEMENT See Figures 5.3 and 5.4 for unprioritized improvements .•-••-•---•1. --o (J1-. -_._w_al.to_n_B,..lv_d_.___·_-_..._-_-_·_-. .-_ -_-_·-_-_:_._·_ - _·_ •_ .. _-_-_- (/) O'l C i5 : "'C • Columbia Ave. <D o . ,,r --·- -- Montcalm St. Auburn Ave . •••.....••.....•...• !!···~~•• .• •,.11!-.~··• :..:,!.:' Thoroughfare Improvement ! First Priority ( 1990-2000) 10 I • Grade Separation First Priority (1990-2000) Intersection Improvement First Priority ( 1990-2000) Boulevard and/ or Side Landscaping First Priority ( 1990-2000) Thoroughfare Improvement Second Priority (1995-2000) Thoroughfare Improvement Third Priority (All.er 2000) 3 ...._ • : :1• i ~~1 o-·--o Page 14.13 �• • • Figure 14.4 THOROUGHFARE FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION See Chapter 5 for thorough/are improvement details ■ ■ ■ -ci a: Walton Blvd. (/) Cl C '6 '"Cl Q) > ,_...,_ _ _ _ _..,<i:;;.l,_.;;c;.;; _ o;;,; lu;;,;m~b;;,;ia;;.;.;A.;;ve;.;.__ ai > ,____ 1 0 <( Svi ....,0 •■ Montcalm St. -ti a: .s= a. e Cl Q) ai M-59 Elizabeth Lake Ad. t-- Huron St. i Auburn Ave. > ai .;1 ......... Cl C ~ Qi .s= :5 ....J C ·-e "' ~ 0 South Blvd. U) 1 MILE "'""""' - - - · .£ ~ C e u. Freeway: right-of-way 250 feet ·---- I Trunklines: right-of-way 120 to 250 feet Major Arterial: right-of-way 90 to 150 feet Major Collector: right-of-way 60 to 150 feet " ~ - "'; .. ,Iii Note: Roads not shown on this map are classified local. Page 14.14 t~, o· ~ .'O I J I I I I I I I � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wyckoff Planning and Zoning Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Planning & Zoning Center (Lansing, Mich.) (Organization) Wyckoff, Mark A. Description An account of the resource Municipal master plans and zoning ordinances from across the state of Michigan, spanning from the 1960s to the early 2020s. The bulk of the collection was compiled by urban planner Mark Wyckoff over the course of his career as the founder and principal planner of the Planning and Zoning Center in Lansing, Michigan. Some additions have been made to the collection by municipalities since it was transferred to Grand Valley State University. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960/2023 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Comprehensive plan publications Master plan reports Zoning--Michigan Zoning--Maps Maps Land use--planning Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-240 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Pontiac_Comprehensive-Plan_1990s Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource City of Pontiac Planning Commission, City of Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1993 Title A name given to the resource Pontiac 2010, A New Reality Description An account of the resource The Pontiac 2010, A New Reality Comprehensive Plan was prepared by the City of Pontiac Planning Commission with the assistance of Robert K. Swarthout, Incorporated circa 1993. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Robert K. Swarthout, Incorporated (consultant) Subject The topic of the resource Comprehensive plan publications Pontiac (Mich.) Oakland County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0f32d68a8c6df4fa232affcb4038197b.jpg 29e14482414d9428419c5bc5e7878f45 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Grand Valley State University Photographs Subject The topic of the resource Aerial photographs Universities and colleges Michigan Grand Rapids (Mich.) Allendale (Mich.) Building Facilities Dormitories Students Events 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Description An account of the resource People, places, and events of Grand Valley State University from its founding in 1960 as a 4-year college in western Michigan. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource News & Information Services. University Communications Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-03-03 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s-2000s Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Local Subject Subject headings specific to a particular image collection 1960s Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1968 Title A name given to the resource Pontiac Northern HS principal & guidance counselor with students Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-01_UAPhotos_001707 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/41">News &amp; Information Services. University Photographs. (GV012-01)</a> Description An account of the resource Two GVSC Freshmen students with their former Pontiac Northern High School principal and guidance counselor. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University Michigan Allendale (Mich.) Universities and colleges Students Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-NC/1.0/?language=en">In copyright - Non-commercial use permitted.</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives 1960s black and white photo https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1447a996eb56f3ad6b499d6e6bd73104.m4v b4b7271e17ca8797f4dba926514aaeab https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/94acfe8238bae1ce3aaff018d2bfb85e.pdf 7efe38ac295627f1c45879159c1aa715 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview World War II Wesley Pontier Length of interview: 1:26:30 (00:00) Pre-enlistment         (00:20) Born in Clifton, New Jersey on October 4, 1921 (1:00) Graduated Clifton High School in 1939 (1:09) His father was a carpenter and his mother stayed home with the children (1:45) After he graduated high school, he got a job at a hardware store o When the depression hit, he switched jobs frequently. He worked at a department store, a car dealership, and a cotton printing company. Wesley would later get a job at Manhattan Rubber, where he would work until retirement. (5:20) Heard about the attack on Pearl Harbor from his aunt who had a radio. (6:40) Enlisted because he knew he would be drafted and he wanted to choose the branch he went into (7:15) He tried to volunteer for the Coast Guard but was turned away because he had hay fever. (7:30) Signed up for the Navy in November 1942 (7:50) Training       (7:50) His training was in Bainbridge, Maryland (8:00) Placed in company 66 (8:30) Upon arrival, someone in his company got scarlet fever. His company was often in quarantine because of this (9:40) Training consisted of a lot of drilling The only weapons training he received was with a .22 (11:30) Wesley felt that his training was not very strict (12:00) After Training     (12:00) After graduation, Wesley worked in the library in Bainbridge until he was placed into the armed guard. (13:00) The armed guard operated guns on ships, he was assigned to a 3-inch gun for which he was given little practice. (15:00): He was put on the SS Utahan which joined a convoy headed to Wales (March, 1943) (16:00) Stopped in Nova Scotia where he was given weapons training with the help of the Canadian Navy �       (16:30) The Canadians guarded Wesley’s convoy in the North Atlantic o The Atlantic was very rough on the way over o It took 30 days to get to Liverpool o He would come to the realization that he did not like his job (20:00) His ship was a freighter built in 1916 (20:30) The convoy went to the city of Cardiff (21:30) He made good friends with a pharmacist and his family (23:30) After Cardiff, they went to Cuba to get a load of sugar and then went through the Panama Canal towards western South America (24:30) Spent a few days in Chilean port cities (27:30) Celebrated his birthday in Lima, Peru o Wesley speaks highly of his treatment in South America (29:00) A New Job           (29:00) They arrived in New Orleans where they were ordered to remain, but Wesley decided to visit his girlfriend in New York. (29:50) After being relieved from his ship, he went to merchant signaling school in Noroton Heights, Connecticut. (30:30) He trained using flags and blinkers. Wesley was also required to identify ships by signaling (31:25) Reassigned to the Kentuckian and sent to South America, to the same ports he had visited previously He would travel on the east coast of the U.S.; from the Jersey Shore, you could sometimes see ships burning (34:00) Placed in a large convoy (1944), he relayed information to surrounding ships (35:00) He remembers seeing men on ships ready to take part in the D-day invasion His ship had cargo that would have been valuable to the men on the beaches; unfortunately, his ship was very old and had to unload in Plymouth (38:30) They started back to the U.S. but were turned around and sent to Wales where his ship was taken, filled with concrete and sunk near the Normandy beaches. (39:30) Put on a new ship (the renamed USS America) headed to the U.S. with German prisoners (43:00) Marriage and new assignments  (43:00) When he got back to the U.S., his fiancé arranged for them to be married; They had a one week honeymoon on the Jersey Shore  (44:30) after his honeymoon, he reported back to the armed guard center in New York to be assigned to a new ship which was a Danish tanker which was headed to Aruba. The ship went back and forth from Aruba 14 times in one year � (49:00) Wesley’s ship would take water to Aruba, he would be doing this until he was eventually discharged. (51:00) Discharged         In September 1945, Wesley was discharged; he calculated that he had traveled over 80,000 miles at sea (53:00) He reflects on the humorous relationships he had with the ship crews (59:00) After leaving the navy, Wesley returned to work for Manhattan Rubber, he would eventually become a time study man (1:01:30) Transferred to Bridgeport Connecticut and eventually became a sales engineer He was eventually moved to Charleston, South Carolina; throughout his career, he often worked with asbestos. Wesley would work with sales, manufacturing, and advertising for his company (1:09:00) When his brother died (1981), Wesley was given a large amount of money. He retired from his job after working there for nearly 42 years and moved to Florida, where he had inherited his brother’s house (1:13:00) after living in Florida for over nine years, Wesley and his wife, who now required a wheelchair, moved to Michigan. He says that this was the best decision he ever made; he got into gardening and painting (1:19:00) Wesley feels that the Navy made him good at following orders and keeping his nose clean. Additionally, the Navy gave him the opportunity to see many astounding things. He also developed a love for the sea; he would go on 11 cruises with his wife � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27_PontierW1864V Title A name given to the resource Pontier, Wesley (Interview outline and video), 2015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-08-03 Description An account of the resource Wesley Pontier was born on October 4, 1921 in Clifton, New Jersey and served in the United States Navy during World War II. He joined the navy in 1942 and trained in Bainbridge Maryland. He had several jobs while in the Navy his most accomplished position was that of a signalman. Wesley traveled to many different parts of the world including Canada, Wales, Cuba, Chile, Peru, and Venezuela. During his interview, he recalls seeing men and ships preparing for the invasion of Normandy. After being discharged in December of 1945, Wesley returned to work for Manhattan rubber where he had worked before joining the navy. During his time in the navy, Wesley traveled over 80,000 miles at sea. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pontier, Wesley Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Veterans Video recordings World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American United States. Navy Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Moving Image Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project collection, (RHC-27)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource video/x-m4v application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4bd9d62cc4dd6060178645209f032e9c.jpg f6bd99565c1e3f79368f562f6f872478 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Summers in Saugatuck-Douglas Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. Kutsche Office of Local History Description An account of the resource Collection contains images and documents digitized and collected through the project "Stories of Summer," supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities Common Heritage Grant. The collection aims to document the twin lakeshore communities of Saugatuck and Douglas, Michigan, as they transformed through the state's bustling tourism industry and acceptance of minorities. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1910s-2010s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Various Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Saugatuck (Mich.) Douglas (Mich.) Michigan, Lake Allegan County (Mich.) Beaches Sand dunes Outdoor recreation Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Libraries. Allendale, Michigan Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Saugatuck-Douglas History Center Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Stories of Summer (Common Heritage project) Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Text Language A language of the resource English Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2018 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DC-07_SD-DouglasDunes_0021 Title A name given to the resource Pool and Parking at the Dunes Description An account of the resource Color photograph featuring a row of parked cars in front of the outdoor pool at the Dunes Resort in Douglas, Michigan. The pool and resort is nestled among the trees and landscaped greenery. Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Douglas (Mich.) Allegan County (Mich) Motels Swimming pools Outdoor recreation Automobiles Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Digital file contributed by the Saugatuck Douglas History Center as part of the Stories of Summer project. Relation A related resource Stories of Summer (project) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/">Copyright Undetermined</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a5786bf5ccd2f343ce76986c158b2001.jpg 199a15606e48febc314c3cd6fcccdc34 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023 Description An account of the resource Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183). Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023. Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-2011 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Photographs Photography -- United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183_D146-0024 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1963-05-17 Title A name given to the resource Pool Hall in Chillicothe, Missouri Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a group of men enjoying a game of pool at a pool hall in Chillicothe, Missouri. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Chillicothe (Mo.) Billiard parlors Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9551f65b654a20a3030d4efd1766c360.jpg 935296b81c7b64f7922a9e33ff43b8ff Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023 Description An account of the resource Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183). Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023. Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-2011 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Photographs Photography -- United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183_D146-0026 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1963-05-17 Title A name given to the resource Pool Hall in Chillicothe, Missouri Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a group of men enjoying a game of pool at a pool hall in Chillicothe, Missouri. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Chillicothe (Mo.) Billiard parlors Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8558490475e4cb9ceb11f52697f1720c.jpg edcd93efb284cfa2a17b78c505083146 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023 Description An account of the resource Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183). Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023. Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-2011 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Photographs Photography -- United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183_D146-0042 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1963-05-17 Title A name given to the resource Pool Hall in Chillicothe, Missouri Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of two men updating the scoreboard at a pool hall in Chillicothe, Missouri. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Chillicothe (Mo.) Billiard parlors Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a860e88dca1da5bd21fd43d1c3ddd210.jpg 44409e7cd9a37080740021735533f8b4 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023 Description An account of the resource Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183). Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023. Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-2011 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Photographs Photography -- United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183_D147-0002 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1963-05-17 Title A name given to the resource Pool Hall in Chillicothe, Missouri Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of two men playing a game of pool at a pool hall in Chillicothe, Missouri. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Chillicothe (Mo.) Billiard parlors Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9eed6bd8cf301e5004c3851fa1076416.jpg 526a0982b2912d0844c63887ceb81a84 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Douglas R. Gilbert Photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R., 1942-2023 Description An account of the resource Photographs scanned from negatives and transparencies from the Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183). Douglas R. Gilbert (b. 1942) is an American photographer from Michigan. He was born in Holland, Michigan and is the son of Russell W. and Carmen (Andree) Gilbert. Gilbert earned a B.A. in social sciences and art at Michigan State University in 1964, an M.S. in photography from the Institute of Design at Illinois Institute of Technology in 1972, and a M.S.W. from Salem State College in 1993. He is married to Barbara (McDonald) Gilbert, and has three daughters, Robyn, Rachel, and Anne. Gilbert took a serious interest in photography at the age of fourteen. In 1963 he joined the staff of Look magazine in New York as the second youngest photojournalist in the magazine's history. As a Look photographer from 1964 to 1966, he photographed folk musician Bob Dylan, the Newport Folk Festival, Simon and Garfunkel, the New York City Financial District, the children and facilities at the Manhattan School for Seriously Disturbed Children. From 1967 to 1969, Gilbert did several shoots, including that of folk singer Janis Ian for Life magazine. After moving to Chicago, Illinois in 1969 to attend the Illinois Institute of Technology, Gilbert conducted notable photo shoots of business and political figure Lenore Romney, and pursued more personal and artistic photography, focusing on urban and rural landscapes in Illinois and Michigan. He then joined the faculty of Wheaton College, where he taught from 1972 to 1982. In 1993, Gilbert graduated from Salem State College, Massachusetts, with a Masters in Social Work, and later pursued a second career as a psychotherapist. Douglas Gilbert died in June 2023. Throughout his photography career, he pursued both freelance commercial work as well as artistic work. His art photography is characterized by its classic black-and-white format, and features people, places and objects shot great attention and sensitivity. Gilbert's works are held in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena, and the Grand Valley State University Art Galleries, as well as in numerous private and institutional collections. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960-2011 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="%E2%80%9Dhttps%3A//gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783%E2%80%9D">Douglas R. Gilbert Papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Subject The topic of the resource Photographs Photography -- United States Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Image Type The nature or genre of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-183_D147-0004 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Gilbert, Douglas R. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1963-05-17 Title A name given to the resource Pool Hall in Chillicothe, Missouri Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of a man smiling while holding a pool stick in the foreground in an active pool hall in Chillicothe, Missouri. Scanned from the negative. Subject The topic of the resource Chillicothe (Mo.) Billiard parlors Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/783">Douglas R. Gilbert papers (RHC-183)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1960s Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1acb81bcdcfdf91f718907881a5d51ac.m4v 71257d01d7bfbf3ea5bed438e50bdcfd https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4750a6248d51c01b1470aa1d28b09025.pdf 573116a66dee80520da38dc7747b9bf2 PDF Text Text Grand Valley State University Veterans History Project Interview Charles Pope Length: 33:06 (00:30) Background Information     Charles was born on October 15, 1956 in the upper peninsula of Michigan He had a good childhood and often went hunting and built things with his father His father worked for a Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury dealership and his mother was a nurse Charles went to school in the Upper Peninsula, played baseball and basketball (6:10) Army Enlistment  Charles left school when he was 17 years old in 1973 to enlist in the Army  He wanted to get away from home and his parents signed a waiver for him because he was too young  He went through boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and had a blast  Most of the people there were about 17-22 years old and he got picked on often because he was so young  Charles then trained for combat radio surveillance at a radar school in Arizona, but did not enjoy that and then transferred to mechanic school at Fort Knox in Kentucky (12:15) Germany  Charles went sent to Germany instead of going to Vietnam because he was too young to fight in combat  They had a very long flight across the Atlantic; about 16 hours  There were only about 300 people working on his post and his sister was actually there working as a secretary at the HQ office  Charles was able to travel to 11 different countries while he was in Europe  They usually traveled by train because the roads were terrible, except in Germany  Charles lived with his sister off base; they rented rooms from a couple that owned a large house  Altogether Charles spent 10 months in Germany and was in the Army for 2 years (17:45) Back in US  Charles flew out from Germany, stopped in London, and was finally back in Michigan  He was charged with involuntary manslaughter in 1978 and spent 30 years in prison  He got out in 2008 and then began living at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans  Charles worked as a custodian in prison and received many trade certificates � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Veterans History Project Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. History Department Description An account of the resource The Library of Congress established the Veterans History Project in 2001 to collect memories, accounts, and documents of U.S. war veterans from World War II and the Korean War, Vietnam War, and conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, and to preserve these stories for future generations. The GVSU History Department interviews are part of this work-in-progress, and may contain videos and audio recordings, transcripts and interview outlines, and related documents and photographs. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1914- Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Afghan War, 2001--Personal narratives, American Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981--Personal narratives, American Korean War, 1950-1953--Personal narratives, American Michigan--History, Military Oral history Persian Gulf War, 1991--Personal narratives, American United States--History, Military United States. Air Force United States. Army United States. Navy Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Smither, James Boring, Frank Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-27 Language A language of the resource eng Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project interviews (RHC-27)</a> Oral History A resource containing historical information obtained in interviews with persons having firsthand knowledge. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PopeC Title A name given to the resource Pope, Charles (Interview outline and video), 2008 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Pope, Charles Description An account of the resource Charles Pope was born on October 15, 1956 in the upper peninsula of Michigan. He enlisted in the Army when he was only 17 years and his parents had to sign a waiver because he was so young. Charles went though basic training at Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri, then radar school in Arizona, and finally mechanic school at Fort Knox in Kentucky. Once he was finished with training Charles was still 17 and too young to go through combat. Instead of going to Vietnam he was sent to a post in Germany where he spent 10 months. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Collins Sr., Charles E. (Interviewer) Collins, Carol (Interviewer) Subject The topic of the resource Oral history Veterans History Project (U.S.) United States--History, Military Michigan--History, Military Veterans Video recordings Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Personal narratives, American United States. Army Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Moving Image Text Relation A related resource Veterans History Project (U.S.) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-03-24 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/455">Veterans History Project Collection, (RHC-27)</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf video/mp4 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b982be27820f779c9f9ed32bce530f6c.pdf 7276beaae399df11dc22cb6efcb2a820 PDF Text Text ... Planning For The Future Today Southeast Michigan Council Of Governments �• SBCOG... Planning For The Future Today SEMCOG is a regional planning partnership, accountable to member local governments in Southeast Michigan. Its primary missions are 1) planning on issues that extend beyond individual government boundaries and 2) intergovernmental relations in cooperation with local government, as well as state and federal agencies. The SEMCOG partnership strengthens efficient and effective local government, supporting local planning through its technical, data and intergovernmental resources. SEMCOG's membership includes cities, villages, townships, counties, intermediate school districts and community colleges in Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw and Wayne Counties. SEMCOG's principal planning activities include adoption of region-wide plans and policies in the area of transportation, community and economic development, water and air quality and other environmental concerns as well as public safety and land use. SEMCOG also maintains the region's most extensive planning database, for demographic, transportation, infrastructure and development, both economic and physical. It is a depository for U.S. Census data as well as the great volume of data generated in various planning activities for more than 35 years. SEMCOG implements direct services through RideShare, the region's car/vanpool matching service; the Center for Joint Public Services, a resource for cooperative intergovernmental arrangements and the SEMCOG library's local ordinance files and governmental problem-solving service. Three principal sources of revenue support SEMCOG programs: federal grants and contracts, state grants and contracts and membership fees. All SEMCOG policy decisions are made by local elected officials, insuring that regional policies reflect the interests of member communities. There are two policy-making bodies: the General Assembly and an Executive Committee, with each member community represented on the General Assembly. SEMCOG's deliberative process includes broad-based representation from local government and the business community as well as environmental organizations and other special interest groups. They function together in technical advisory councils for transportation, environment, community and economic development, data analysis and education. \(f Printed at SEMCOG on recycled paper �Population and Households in Southeast Michigan, 1990-2000 July 2000 © SEMCOG 2000 Abstract This document contains estimates of population and households for every county and community in the seven-county region of Southeast Michigan, 1990-2000. It includes a brief explanation of recent changes in the region's population and a synopsis of the methodology used to produce the estimates. The report also lists possible factors that may cause differences between these estimates and Census 2000 results. Preparation of this document was financed in part through grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation , Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration , through the Michigan Department of Transportation and local membership contributions. Permission is granted to cite portions of this publication with proper attribution. The first source attribution must be SEMCOG , the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Subsequently, SEMCOG is sufficient. Reprinting in any form must include the publication's full title page. SEMCOG Southeast Michigan Council of Governments Information Services 660 Plaza Drive, Suite 1900 Detroit, MI 48226 313-961-4266 • Fax 313-961 -4869• www.semcog.org �1 Table of Contents Page 2 2 3 Regional Summary Importance of the Estimates Methodology and Use Table of Data Displays Tables 7 7 9 11 13 17 19 21 Table Table Table Table Table Table Table Table 1 2 3 4 S 6 7 8 Southeast Michigan Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Livingston County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Macomb County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Monroe County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Oakland County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 St. Clair County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Washtenaw County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Waym., County Household and Population Estima es, 1990-2000 Figures 4 s ., 6 6 8 8 10 10 12 12 16 16 18 18 20 20 Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure Figure 1 2 3a 3b 4a 4b Sa Sb 6a 6b 7a 7b Sa Sb 9a 9b Southeast Michigan Change in Households, 1990-2000 Southeast Michigan Change in Population, 1990-2000 Livingston County Change in Households, 1990-2000 Livingston County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Macomb County Change in Households, 1990-2000 Macomb County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Monroe County Change in Households, 1990-2000 Monroe County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Oakland County Change in Households, 1990-2000 Oakland County Change in Population, 1990-2000 St. Clair County Change in Households, 1990-2000 St. Clair County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Washtenaw County Change in Households, 1990-2000 Washtenaw County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Wayne County Change in Households, 1990-2000 Wayne County Change in Population, 1990-2000 �2 Regional Summary The population of Southeast Michigan continues to increase. Between 1990 and 2000, the region's population grew by more than 230,000 to 4.83 million, an increase of 5.1 percent. According to SEMCOG's report, 1999 Southeast Michigan Population and Household Estimates, the region began the 1990s with an annual population growth rate of 0.4 percent, which was less than half of Michigan's one percent population growth. During the mid-1990s, Southeast Michigan surpassed the state's growth rate and closed the decade with a growth rate of 0.7 percent compared to the state's 0.4 percent. Between 1990 and 2000, the region's households have grown at a faster rate than population. In 1990, there were 1.69 million households which grew by 10.4 percent to 1.87 million households in 2000. Households growing faster than population can be explained by the changing composition of households over time. While households with children have remained relatively stable over time, there has been a significant increase in the number of households without children, as the children of baby boomers have grown up and moved from home leaving their parents as empty nesters. The overall result has been a steady decline in the average household size, from 2.66 in 1990 to 2.53 in 2000. Importance of the Estimates There are two major reasons why SEMCOG continues to produce estimates even though Census 2000 was recently concluded. First, the SEMCOG estimates program was established in the 1970s to meet a growing demand for working household and population numbers among data users. These data enable them to plan until census results become available. Second, when the 2000 census figures become available, SEMCOG will do a comparison and then adjust its procedures for estimating population and households. The estimates presented here may differ from the 2000 census results due to several factors that change over time in each community and can only be accurately measured by the census. These factors include unanticipated post-1990 changes in household sizes and occupancy rates, annexation (shifting existing population between communities), changes in census undercount and overcount rates and discrepancies in building permit data. �3 Methodology and Use Household and population estimates are produced using the housing unit method. The housing unit method is the standard procedure. The change in the number of housing units is added to the 1990 census housing stock to determine these July 1, 2000 estimates. New housing additions and demolitions are taken from permits issued by SEMCOG communities for residential buildings and demolitions. Assumed vacancy rates are then applied to the estimated housing units to arrive at occupied housing units. Occupied housing units are converted to household population by applying an assumed household size. Separate estimates are completed by type of structure - single-family structures, two-family structures, multi-family (structures with three or more units), manufactured housing units and other structures containing housing units. Group quarters data from the Michigan State Demographer's Office are also used as an input. For purposes of these estimates, 1990 census vacancy rates for each of the housing structure types were assumed to prevail. However, the average household size for each of the housing structure types was assumed to have declined from 1990. The estimates for Detroit are based on their recent Master Address File, which provides a more accurate count of the city's housing units. Estimates for the cities of Dearborn and Hamtramck have been adjusted upward to reflect an increase in student enrollment in their respective public schools. Other communities - Clay Township, Dexter Township, Hamburg Township, Rose Township and Lyndon Township, for example - had their estimates adjusted upward because their 1990 vacancy rates reflected significant numbers of seasonal vacant housing units. The housing unit method provides a very accurate estimate of households. However, as time passes since the last census, a community's mix of households may change substantially. If there is significant turnover in households, and young families with children are replacing older one- and two-person households, the method may miss some of the population change. �4 Figure 1 Southeast Michigan Change in Households, 1990-2000 ONTARtO, CANADA. • • Decrease greater than 1% loss Little change 1% loss to 1% gain GJ Moderate increase 1% to 15% II Large increase greater than 15% • N COUNTY TOWNSHIP CITY V~ FRENCI-ITOWN Lake EM © 2000 SEMCOG �5 Figure 2 Southeast Michigan Change in Population, 1990-2000 ONT.ARK>, CANADA • • Decrease greater than 1% loss • Little change 1% loss to 1% gain CJ Moderate increase 1% to 15% • Large increase greater than 15% • N COUNT'/ TOWNSHIP CITY \'1logo FRENCHTOWN Lake EM © 2000 SEMCOG �6 Figure 3a Livingston Cqunty Change in Households, 1990-2000 ~ Decrease greater than 1% loss Figure 3b Livingston County Change in Population, 1990-2000 • • • Little change 1% loss to 1% gain Moderate increase 1% to 15% Large increase greater than 15% �7 Table 1 Southeast Michigan Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Households Change July 1, I 2000 I Number Percent Regional Summary April 1, 1990 I 55,895 312,451 38,&\7 264,991 • 46,508 55,556 472,894 63,630 126,572 788,873 1,875,871 410,488 52,882 104,528 780,535 1,698,819 17,008 47.460 91048 62,406 10,748 22,044 8,338 1n,os2 43.7 17,9 19.5 15.2 20.3 21.1 1.1 10.4 County Livingston County Macomb County Monroe County ·• Oakland County St. Clair County Washtenaw County Wayne County Southeast Michigan I Household Size April 1, July 1, 1990 2000 2.83 2.44 2.64 2.94 2.68 2.84 2.61 2.58 2.60 2.33 2.53 2.53 2.73 2.50 2.67 2.66 April 1, 1990 I 115,645 717,400 Population July 1, I Change 2000 INumber Percent 159,326 770,995 148,129 1,2291896 166,640 316,040 2,035,536 4,826,562 133,600 1,083,592 145,607 282,937 2,111,687 4,590,468 43,681 53,595 14,529 146,304 21,033 33,103 -76,151 236,094 37.8 7.5 10.9 13.5 14.4 11.7 -3.6 5.1 Table 2 Livingston County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 April 1, 1990 38,887 2,374 4,659 841 561 961 968 3,709 3,892 4,435 909 2,211 3,256 1,336 493 1,538 1,535 518 I I Households Change July 1. I 2000 I Number Percent 17,008 43.7 55,895 2,968 6.036 1,109 902 1,306 1,075 5,890 5,266 7,111 1,459 3,836 3,963 2,035 972 2,365 2,869 594 11377 25.0 268 341 699 479 31.9 60.8 35.9 11.1 58.8 35.3 60.3 60.5 73.5 21.7 52.3 97.2 827 53.8 1,334 345 107 2,181 1,374 2,676 550 1,625 707 29.6 11505 721 1,910 203 405 86.9 39.2 26.9 2,211 975 2,.933 1,169 722 194 32.7 19.9 Community Livingston County Brighton Brighton Twp Cohoctah Twp ConwayTwp Deerfield Twp Fowlerville Genoa Twp Green Oak Twp Hamburg Twp HandyTwp Hartland Twp Howell Howell Twp Iosco Twp Marion Twp Oceola Twp Pinckney Putnam Twp Tyrone Twp Unadilla Two Household Size April 1, July 1, 1990 2000 I 2.94 2.83 2.40 3.17 223 3.20 3.24 3.11 2.74 2.91 2.86 3.08 3.06 3.12 2.95 2.63 2.78 2.78 April 1, 1990 I Population July 1, I Change 2000 INumber Percent 115,645 5,686 14,815 159,326 43,681 37.8 6,631 945 18,625 3,810 16.6 25.7 2,693 3,405 712 26.4 1,818 3,000 2,648 10,820 11,604 2,813 3,866 2,822 16,358 15,094 19,972 4,387 11,062 9}291 995 866 174 54.7 28.9 6.6 51.2 30.1 52.7 2.89 2.77 13,083 3.-11 3.09 2.43 3.13 3.18 3.20 3.15 3.00 2.87 2.28 2.95 3.07 3.07 2,840 6,860 8,147 4,294 1,567 4,918 7,259 3.06 2.95 2.92 2.97 2.86 4,866 1,603 4,580 6,854 2,949 8,800 2,154 3.05 3.04 3.10 2.98 6,118 2,980 5,576 8;731 3,382 5,538 3,490 6,889 1,547 4,202 1,144 1,824 1,413 2,341 3,934 551 996 1,877 433 54.5 61.3 14.0 42.5 90.2 47.6 80.8 34.4 21.7 27.4 14.7 �8 Figure 4a Macomb County Change in Households, 1990-2000 II Decrease greater than 1% loss Little change 1% loss to 1% gain G6J Moderate increase 1% to 15% Large increase greater than 15% • • Figure 4b Macomb County Change in Population, 1990-2000 • �9 Table 3 Macomb County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 Households Change April 1, I July 1. 1990 2000 INumber Percent 264,991 312,451 47,460 17.9 562 59 11.7 503 39.7 879 1,228 349 1,324·•. 67.1 2,213 889 3,974 1.7 3,906 68 4,516 50.7 8,916 13,432 7,037 21.7 32,459 39,496 62 0.5 13,505 13,443 862 16.6 5,180 6,042 0.0 0 48 48 11,112 1,165 11.7 9,947 57.2 1,539 560 979 18,570 11,215 152.5 7,355 5.6 18 320 338 0.3 7,307 20 7,287 39.3 3,149 888 2,261 253 32.8 1,025 772 291 27.7 1,343 1,052 474 30.8 2,014 1,540 324 42.9 756 1,080 16.4 1,537 217 1,320 4.6 20,435 898 19,537 7,682 45.6 24,518 16,836 5,155 12.6 45,990 40,835 201 0.7 27,419 27,218 ·1,971 4.4' 83 1,888 2.4 1,326 55,928 54,602 74.4 2,84.8 6,676 3,828 I . Household Size April 1, I July 1, Community 1990 2000 2.44 Macomb County 2.68 Armada 2.98 2.74 Annada Twp 3.35 3.05 Bruce Twp 3.15. · 2.90 · 2.25 Center Line 2.01 Chesterfield Twp 2.90 2.70 2.63 2.33 Clinton Twp 2.62 2.34 Eastpointe Fraser 2.63 2.38 Grosse Pte Shs (Pt} 2.19 1.96 Harrison Twp 2.22 2.47 LenoxTwp 3.10 2.62 Macomb Twp 3.09 2.89 ❖ Memphis Part 2.80 2.52 Mt Clemens 2.34 2.09 New Baltimore 2.53 2.40 New Haven 2.97 2.64 3.03 Ray Twp 2.77 2.60 Richmond 2.32 Richmond Twp 3.18 2.91 Romeo 2.63 2.31 Roseville 2.62 2.33 Shelby Twp 2.89 2.59 Sterling Heights 2.87 2.59 St. Clair Shores 2.49 2.22 2.66 2.37 Utica Warren 2.63 2.34 Washington Twp 2.96 2.81 April 1, 1990 717,400 1,548 2,943 4,193 9,026 25,905 85,866 35,283 13,899 105 24,685 3,069 22,714 896 18,405 5,798 2,331 3,230 4,141 2,528 3,520 51,412 48,655 117,810 68,107 5,081 144,864 11,386 I Pooulation July 1, I Change 2000 !Number Percent 7.5 770,995 53,595 1,585 37 2.4 27.2 801 3,744 53.4 6,434 2,241 -812 -9.0 8,214 36,380 10,475 40.4 92,708 6,842 8.0 -3,626 -10.3 31,657 14,667 5.5 768 94 -10.5 -11 24,851 166 0.7 5,390 75.6 2f321 ·. 53}14 31,000 136.5 -45 -5.0 851 -1,905 -10.4 16,500 1,812 7,610 31.3 2,747 17.8 416 3,764 534 16.5 4,809 16.1 668 3,263 735 29.1 2.3 3,601 81 -7.0 47,808 -3,604 63,605 14,950 30.7 119,922 2,112 1.8 -10.0 61,305 -6,802. ·•· 4i735 -346 -6.8 -8.7 132,238 -12,626 18,799 7,413 65.1 �10 Figure 5a Monroe County Change in Households, 1990-2000 . '! • 1:1 Decrease greater than 1% loss • • Little change 1% loss to 1% gain Moderate increase 1% to 15% II Large increase greater than 15% Figure 5b Monroe County Change in Population, 1990-2000 EXETER MILAN DU~OEE '- e • SUMMERFIELD RA!SJNVFLJ.E IDA �11 Table 4 Monroe County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 I April 1, 1990 46,508 1,588 8,058 1,588 981 1,088 875 1,529 145 861 6,544 1,446 1,583 919 526 154 368 569 8,430 4,439 422 1,466 409 997 1,523 . July 1, 2000 55,556 1,881 10,566 2.160 1,053 1,493 1,020 1,928 175 1,017 8,059 1,652 1,796 1,083 564 161 685 616 8,692 5,419 447 1,785 450 1,150 1,704 .. Chanae Number Percent 9,048 293 2,508 572 72 405 145 399 30 156 1,515 206 213 164 38 7 317 47 262 980 25 319 41 153 181 19.5 18.5 31.1 36.0 7.3 37.2 16.6 26.1 20.7 18.1 23.2 14.2 13.5 17.8 7.2 4.5 86.1 8.3 3.1 22.1 5.9 21.8 10.0 15.3 11 .9 Community Monroe County Ash Twp Bedford Twp Berlin Twp Carleton Dundee Dundee Twp Erie Twp Estral Beach Exeter Twp Frenchtown Twp Ida Twp LaSalle Twp London Twp Luna Pier Maybee Milan Part Milan Twp Monroe Monroe Twp Petersburg Raisinville Twp South Rockwood Summerfield Twp Whiteford Twp I Household Size April 1, July 1, 1990 2000 2.84 2.97 2.94 2.92 2.82 2.45 3.10 2.94 2.97 3.19 2.74 3.15 3.14 3.17 2.87 3.25 2.66 292 2.62 2.64 2.85 3.15 2.99 3.09 2.91 2.64 2.78 2.73 2.70 2.59 2.37 2.90 2.65 2.77 2.98 2.53 2.95 2.94 2.96 2.68 3.02 2.11 2.72 2.44 2.46 2.64 2.91 2.78 2.88 2.72 April 1, 1990 133,600 4,710 23,748 4.635 2,770 2,664 2,712 4,492 430 2,753 18,225 4,554 4,985 2,915 1,507 500 980 1,659 22,902 11,909 1,201 4,619 1,221 3,076 4,433 I Pooulation July 1, I Chanae 2000 I Number Percent 148,129 5,225 28,906 5,828 2,728 3,531 2,953 5,104 485 3,040 20,690 4,875 5,287 3,205 1,512 487 1,448 1,674 22,059 13,512 1,182 5,189 1,252 3,315 4,642 14,529 515 5,158 1,193 -42 867 241 612 55 287 2A65 321 302 290 5 -13 468 15 -843 1,603 -19 570 31 239 209 10.9 10.9 21.7 25.7 -1 .5 32.5 8.9 13.6 12.8 10.4 13.5 7.0 6.1 9.9 0.3 -2.6 47.8 0.9 -3.7 13.5 -1.6 12.3 2.5 7.8 4.7 �12 Figure 6a Oakland County Change in Households, 1990-2000 Figure 6b Oakland County Change in Population, 1990-2000 • • • Decrease greater than 1% loss Little change 1% loss to 1% gain Moderate increase 1% to 15% 11 Large increase greater than 15% �13 Table 5 Oakland County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 April 1, 1990 410,488 1,596 6,453 6,611 4,075 410 9,120 1,517 15,618 3,535 431 5,544 7,670 4,690 29,217 9,858 975 1,534 7,284 5,933 2,056 1,095 2,376 7,977 1,235 122 1,240 1,577 121 2,994 12,850 1,992 2,190 1,230 12,747 2,726 10,891 696 7,331 I Households Change July 1, I 2000 I Number Percent 472,894 62,406 15.2 2,080 30.3 484 1,807 28.0 8,260 6,701 90 1.4 4,113 0.9 38 4.1 427 17 9,390 270 3.0 1,593 5.0 76 16,713 7.0 1,095 4,691 1,156 32.7 3.7 16 447 1.5 5,629 85 3,204 41.8 10,874 4,739 1.0 49 32,789 9,929 1,098 1,932 7,326 7,094 2,420 1,349 2,389 11,876 1,228 133 1,284 1,605 142 4,343 13,135 2,569 3,001 1,305 18,770 4,444 10,957 771 11 ,173 3,572 71 123 398 42 1,161 364 254 13 3,899 -7 11 44 28 21 1,349 285 577 811 75 6,023 1,718 66 75 3,842 12.2 0.7 12.6 25.9 0.6 19.6 17.7 23.2 0.5 48.9 -0.6 9.0 3.5 1.8 17.4 45.1 2.2 29.0 37.0 6.1 47.3 63.0 0.6 10.8 52.4 Household Size April 1,1 July 1, April 1, 1990 2000 1990 Community 2.61 Oakland County 2.58 1,083,592 4,785 Addison Twp 2.99 2.96 17,076 2.40 2.32 Auburn Hills 2.50 16,960 Berkley 2.56 2.52 10,610 Beverly Hills 2.58 Bingham Fanns 2.44 2.41 1,001 2.13 19,997 Binningham 2.19 Bloomfield Hills 2.68 2.64 4,288 2.63 42,137 Bloomfield Twp 2.68 Brandon Twp 3.01 10,799 3.04 Clarkston 2.33 2.30 1,005 Clawson 2.48 2.42 13,874 Commerce Twp 2.88 2.83 22,156 Fannington 2.14 10,170 2.09 Fannington Hills 2.52 2.47 74,614 Ferndale 2.54 2.48 25,084 Franklin 2.69 2.63 2,626 Groveland Twp 3.05 3.03 4,705 Hazel Park 2.75 2.67 20,051 Highland Twp 3.02 2.97 17,941 Holly 2.68 2.63 51595 HollyTwp 2.97 2.92 3,257 Huntington Woods 2.70 2.64 6,419 Independence Twp 2.95 2.83 23,717 Keego Harbor 2.37 2.32 2,932 Lake Angefus 2.69 2.63 328 Lake Orion 2.37 2.32 3,057 Lathrup Village 2.75 2.68 4,329 Leonard 2.95 2.89 357 Lyon Twp 2.83 2.85 8,828 Madison Heights 2.49 2.43 32,196 Milford 2.74 2.69 5,500 Milford Twp 2.98 2.94 6,624 2.74 Northville Part 2.70 3,367 Novi 2.58 2.57 33,148 Oakland Twp 3.02 3.02 8,227 Oak Park 2.73 2.80 30,468 Orchard Lake 2.94 2.88 2,286 Orion Twp 2.80 21 ,019 2.84 I Population July 1, I Change 2000 I Number Percent 1,229,896 146,304 13.5 1,382 6,167 28.9 3,426 20.1 20,502 -185 16,775 ·1.1 10,460 -150 -1.4 1,027 26 2.6 20,025 28 0.1 4,426 138 3.2 44,175 2,038 4.8 14,165 3,366 31 .2 1,027 2.2 22 -141 13,733 -1.0 30,763 8,607 38.8 10,012 -158 -1.6 81,979 24,665 2,890 5,893 19,578 21,052 6,460 3,938 6,296 33,796 2,848 350 3,092 4,302 411 12,378 32,043 6,947 8,947 3,521 48,572 13,412 29,867 2,462 31,414 7,365 -419 264 1,188 -473 3,111 865 681 -123 10,079 -84 22 35 -27 54 3,550 -153 1,447 2,323 154 15,424 5,185 -601 176 10,395 9.9 -1.7 10.1 25.2 -2.4 17.3 15.5 20.9 -1.9 42.5 -2.9 6.7 1.1 -0.6 15.1 40.2 -0.5 26.3 35.1 4.6 46.5 63.0 -2.0 7.7 49.5 �14 Table 5 (continued) Oakland County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 April 1, 1990 I 452 1,151 3,082 1,064 24,763 22,353 3,451 1,589 28,344 2,451 32,118 2,678 3,276 843 26,167 2,794 25,476 19,342 7,805 4,114 1,658 Households July 1, I Change 2000 I Number Percent 556 1,345 4,947 1,067 25,333 25,801 4,740 2,166 28)88 2,432 33,290 3,904 4,879 840 29,986 3,352 29,744 23,341 10,167 5,783 1,714 104 194 11865 3 570 3,448 1,289 577 444 -19 1,172 1,226 1,603 -3 3,819 558 4,268 3,999 2,362 1,669 56 23.0 16.9 60.5 0.3 2.3 15.4 37.4 36.3 1.6 -0.8 3.6 45.8 48.9 -0.4 14.6 20.0 16.8 20.7 30.3 40.6 3.4 Community I Household Size April 1, July 1, 1990 2000 2.72 2.53 2.85 2.55 2.69 2.72 2.12 3.05 2.23 1.98 2.27 2.48 2.96 2.22 2.76 2.17 2.54 West Bloomfield Twp 2.74 2.53 2.89 2.61 2.76 2.70 2.10 3.10 2.29 2.04 2.34 2.47 3.02 2.27 2.78 2.25 2.59 2.81 Whtte Lake Twp 2.87 Wixom Wolverine Lake 2.07 2.85 2.80 2.20 2.78 Ortonville Oxford Oxford Twp Pleasant Ridge Pontiac Rochester Hills Rochester Rose Twp Royal Oak Royal Oak Twp Southfield South Lyon Springfield Twp Sylvan Lake Troy Walled Lake Waterford Twp 2]8 April 1, ] 1990 1,252 2,929 9,004 2,775 71 ,166 61 ,766 7,130 4,926 65,410 sma 75,745 6,479 9,927 1,914 72,884 6,278 66,692 54,852 22,677 8,550 4,727 Ponulation July 1, I 2000 1,525 3,426 14,214 2?16 70,376 71 ,075 10,036 6,615 64,583 4,829 761258 9,749 14,457 1,865 82,693 7,279 76,114 65,557 28,614 12,775 4}70 I Change Number Percent 273 497 51210 .59 21 .8 17.0 57.9 -790 9,309 2,906 1,689 -827 -177 513 3,270 4,530 -49 9,809 1,001 9,422 10,705 5,937 4,225 43 -1 .1 15.1 40.8 34.3 -1.3 -2.1 ·3.5 0.7 50.5 45.6 -2.6 13.5 15.9 14.1 19.5 26.2 49.4 0.9 • �• 16 Figure 7a St. Clair County Change in Households, 1990-2000 , HURON • • • Figure 7b St. Clair County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Decrease greater than 1% loss Little change 1% loss to 1% gain Moderate increase 1% to 15% Large increase greater than 15% THURON 6 �17 Table 6 St. Clair County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 April 1, 1990 52,882 1,664, ~ 760 ., 507' 1,356 579 1,455 817 3,365 1,603 1,029 1,171 1,?.36 95 472 3,261 404 351 2,143 597 2,443 294 1,693 3,359 128 479 13,158 2,749 655 2,015 1,583 719 742 Households July 1, Chane 2000 Number Percent Community 63,630 10,748 20.3 St. Clair County Algonac 1,852 1t3 188 . . . 1,100 340 44.7 Berlin Twp 657 150 · Brockway Twp 29.6 1,702 25.5 Burtchville Twp 346 629 8.6 Capac 50 1,732 277 19.0 Casco Twp 1,153 41.1 China Twp 336 3,955 17.5 ClayTwp 590 · 2,017 Clyde Twp 25.8 414 . Columbus Twp 1,553 524 50.9 1,391 18.8 220 Cottrellville Twp 1,448 212 17.2 East China Twp 2.1 97 2 Emmett 64.4 Emmett Twp 776 304 4,243 30.1 Fort Gratiot Twp 982 50.2 Grant Twp 607 203 155··•· 506 44.2 Greenwood Twp 2,629 486 22.7 Ira Twp 42.0 251 Kenockee Twp 848 28.8 Kimball Twp 3,146 703 19.0 Lynn Twp 350 56 182 Marine City 1,875 10.8 4,024 665 19.8 Marysville 16 12.5 Memphis Part 144 224 46.8 MusseyTwp 703 13,398 240 1.8 · PortHuron Port Huron Twp ., 958 • 34.8 3.707 57.6 1,032 RiteyTwp 3TT St. Clair 2,324 309 15.3 2,249 42.1 St. ClairTwp 666 291 40.5 Wales Twp 1,010 4.2 31 Yale 773 Household Size April 1, July 1, 1990 2000 2.73 2.60 2.73 2.53 3.17 3.02 3.02 ., 3.17' 2.46 2.62 2.73 2.57 3.13 2.98 3.24 3.08 2.63 2.48 2,99 3.15 3.14 2.91 2.82 2.69 2.51 2.38 3.13 2.95 3.22 3.12 2.69 2.54 2.96 2.84 2.95 2.80 2.61 2.46 2.91 3.05 >2.79 2.95 / 3.13 2.69 2.53 2.54 3.19 2.51 2.77 3.29 2.54 2.91 3.11 2.55 2.95 2.48 2.47 2.32 3.qs 2.35 2.53 ·3.16 2.41 2.82 2.96 2.40 April 1, 1990 145,607 4,551 2,407 1,609 3,559 1,583 4,552 2,644 8,862 5,052 3,235 3,301 3,216 . 297 1,519 8,968 1,210 1,037 5,587 1,854 7J247 921 4,556 8,515 325 1,530 33,694 7,621 2,154 5,116 4,614 2,294 1,977 Po ulation July 1, Chane Number Percent 2000 166,640 21,033 14.4 2.8 4,680 129 916 3,323 38.1 1,984 375 . 23.3 17.9 637 4.196 1,616 33 2.1 5,170 618 13.6 3,550 34.3 906 9,790 928 10.5 998 19.8 6,05~. 4,518 1,283 39.7 439 13.3 3l40 3,556 340 10.6 -11 286 -3.7 2,419 59.2 900 1,997 10,965 22.3 1,738 528 43.6 ,1A16 379 36.5 871 6,458 15.6 642 2,496 34.6 1,557 8,804 21.5 1,034 113 12.3 4,646 90 2.0 9,947 1,432 16.8 334 9 2.8 2,145 615 402 32,195 -1,499 -4.4 9,382 1,761 23.1 1,109 3,263 51.5 5,594 478 9.3 6,355 1,741 37.7 3,047 753 32.8 1,943 -34 -1.7 �• 18 Figure Ba Washtenaw County Change in Households, 1990-2000 - ii Decrease greater than 1% loss • Little change 1% loss to 1% gain • Figure 8b Washtenaw County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Moderate increase 1% to 15% Large increase greater than 15% �19 Table 7 Washtenaw County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 April 1, 1990 104,528 41,660 1,464 1,471 130 451 1,390 633 1,527 536 721 11303 700 651 586 1,175 2,449 7,013 1,223 2,495 • 412 3,479 462 3,069 827 1,097 1,416 8,551 17637 I Households Change July 1, I Percent 2000 Number 126,572 21.1 22,044 44,830 7.6 31170 . 1,826 24.7 362 I 1,794 130 593 1,593 1,053 1,931 600 945 1,964 920 839 752 1,439 3,330 12,098 2,030 3,153 483 5,453 641 4,054 11041 1,838 2,043 8,573 20626 323 0 142 203 420 404 64 224 661 220 188 166 264 881 5,085 807 658 71 1,974 179 985 214 741 6'll 22 2989 22.0 0.0 31.5 14.6 66.4 26.5 11.9 31.1 f/J.7 31.4 28.9 28.3 22.5 36.0 72.5 66.0 26.4 172 56.7 38.7 32.1 25.9 67.5 44.3 0.3 16.9 Community Washtenaw County Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Twp Augusta Twp Barton Hills Bridgewater Twp Chelsea Dexter DexterTwp Freedom Twp Lima Twp Lodi Twp Lyndon Twp Manchester Manchester Twp Milan Part Northfield Twp Pittsfield Twp Salem Twp Saline Saline Twp Scio Twp Sharon Twp Superior Twp Sylvan Twp Webster Twp York Twp Yps11anti YosffantiTwn Household Size April 1,1 July 1, 1990 2000 2.50 2.32 2.36 3.00 2.60 2.89 2.53 2.36 2.87 2.77 2.96 2.99 2.78 2.69 2.97 2.60 2.68 2.33 3.05 2.57 3.10 2.75 2.96 2.84 2.95 2.95 2,99 2,38 256 2.33 2.12 2.22 2.76 2.35 2.65 2.33 2.15 2.66 2.54 2.74 2.77 2.57 2.35 2.75 2.33 2.45 2.33 3.03 2.43 2.85 2.57 2.74 2.60 2.74 2.77 2.77 2.17 2.37 April 1, 1990 282,937 109,608 3,463 4,415 334 1,304 3,772 1,497 4,407 1f486 2,132 3,902 2,228 1,753 1,739 3,060 6,732 17,650 3/34 6,660 1,276 9,578 1,366 8,720 2,508 3,235 6,225 24,846 45307 I Population July 1, I Change 2000 Number Percent I 316,040 108,109 4,058 4,956 306 1,572 3,969 2,265 5,164 1,526 2,593 5A58 2,648. 1,972 2,068 3,350 8,506 29f072 6,145 7,897 1,377 14,052 1,756 10,550 2,922 5,089 7,089 22,472 49099 33,103 ·1,499 595 541 -28 268 197 768 757 40 , 461 1,556 420 219 329 290 1,774 11,422 2,411 1,237 101 4,474 390 1,830 414 1,854 864 -2,374 3.792 11.7 -1.4 17.2 12,3 -8.4 20.6 5.2 51.3 17.2 2,7 21.6 39.9 18.9 12.5 18.9 9.5 26.4 64.7 64,6, 18.6 7.9 46.7 28.6 21.0 16.5 57.3 13.9 -9.6 8.4 �• 20 Figure 9a Wayne County Change in Households, 1990-2000 ffl Decrease greater than 1% loss Little change 1% loss to 1% gain • • Figure 9b Wayne County Change in Population, 1990-2000 Moderate increase 1% to 15% Large increase greater than 15% �21 Table 8 Wayne County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 April 1. 1990 I 780,535 12,00Q 1,536 GA24 Households Change July 1, I 2000 I Number Percent 8,338 1.1 788,873 1.0 122 1z152 1,854 -~~ ' 35,442 23,432 374,057 4,570 2,670 11,213 1,579 3,506 2,387 3,837 4,853 1,007 6,560 7)908 8,551 27,961 37,156 23,649 349,325 4,382 3i419 11,446 1,700 4,149 2,397 3,900 4,867 1,039 6,619 7,666 M72 6,583 8,033 3,512 11 ,201 16,257 35,916 41670 1i251 6,141 4,267 8,815 20,123 4,268 5,066 1,095 7,844 12,128 7,524 4,899 11 ,166 16,323 38,043 19,544 • 31689 24,861 7,855 7,886 4,633 1,371 8,373 4)315 11 ,003 20,318 3,941 5,380 1,323 8$637 13,127 4,512 25,444 8,229 10,217 318 21127 · M17 1,714 217 -24,732 -188 749 233 121 643 10 63 14 32 59 -242 11 -509 1,387 -35 66 2,127 -37 120 2,232 48 2,188 195 -327 314 228 793 999 823 583 374 2,331 ~-- 20.7 33.1 43.1 4.8 0.9 -6.6 -4.1 28.1 2.1 7.7 18.3 0.4 1.6 0.3 3.2 0.9 -3.1 0.2 -6.3 39.5 -0.3 0.4 5.9 -0.8 9.6 36.3 1.1 24.8 1.0 -7.7 6.2 20.8 10.1 8.2 22.3 2.3 4.8 29.6 Community Wayne County Allen Park · BeHeville Brownstown Twp Canton Twp Dearborn Dearborn Heights Detrott Ecorse AatRock Garden City Gibraltar Grosse lie Twp Grosse Pointe Grosse Pte Farms Grosse Pte Park Grosse Pe Shs (Pt) Grosse Pte Woods Hamtramck Harper Woqds Highland Parl< Huron Twp Inkster Lincoln Park Livonia MeMndale Northville Part Northville Twp Plymouth Plymouth Twp Redford Twp River Rouge Riverview Rockwood Romulus Southgate Sumpter Twp Taylor Trenton Van Buren Twp Household Size April 1, July 1, 2000 1990 I 2.67 2.53 April 1, 1990 2,111,687 2.55 2J3 2.93 2.92 2.51 2.58 2.71 2.66 2.73 2.84 2.72 2.79 2.38 2.63 2.65 2.83 2.69 2.30 2.25 2.44 2.97 2.73 2.57 2.77 240 2.24 2.54 2.19 2.64 2.68 2.65 2.63 2.85 2.90 2.52 2.95 2.82 2.60 2.63 228 31,092 2.00 2.70 2.70 2.24 2.31 2.79 2.38 2.41 2.55 3,270 18,811 57,047 89,286 60,838 1,027,974 12,180 7,290 31,846 4,297 9.781 5,681 10,092 12,857 2,850 17,715 18,372 2,45 2.52 2.14 2.37 2.38 2.55 2.42 2.06 2.02 2.18 2.68 2.44 2.31 2.50 2.15 L98 2.40 1.96 2.43 2.40 2.38 2.34 2.ol 2.59 2.24 2.66 2.53 2.32 2.35 14,903 20,121 10,447 30,n2 41,832 100,850 11,216 2,859 17t313 9,560 23,648 54,387 11 ,314 13,894 31141 22,897 30,771 10,891 70,811 20,586 21 ,003 I Population Change July 1, I 2000 I Number Percent 2,035,536 28,148 3,70? 23,100 75,648 91 ,033 55,104 967,204 10,478 8,255 29,232 4,173 10,456 5,133 9,230 11,586 2,649 16,054 16,790 13,423 16,899 13,107 27,456 37,684 96,437 91985 2,773 21,619 8,684 27,362 49,231 9,374 13,189 3,550 22,529 29,553 12,045 65,061 19,280 24,224 -76,151 -2,944 -3.6 -9.5 433 4,292 18,601 1,747 -5,734 -60,770 -1 ,702 965 -2,614 -124 675 -548 -862 -1,271 -201 -1,661 -1,582 -1,480 -3i222 2,660 -3,316 -4,148 -4,413 -1,231 -86 4,306 -876 3,714 -5,156 -1 ,940 -705 409 -368 -1,218 1,154 -5,750 -1 ,306 3,221 13.2 22.8 32.6 2.0 -9.4 -5.9 -14.0 132 .a.2 -2.9 6.9 -9.6 -8.5 -9.9 -7.1 -9.4 -8.6 -9.9 -16.0 25.5 -10.8 -9.9 -4.4 -11.0 -3.0 24.9 -9.2 15.7 -9.5 -17.1 -5.1 13.0 -1.6 -4.0 10.6 -8.1 -6.3 15.3 �1111 22 Table 8 (continued) Wayne County Household and Population Estimates, 1990-2000 April 1, 1990 7,138 33,110 3,963 12,319 I Households Change July 1, I 2000 Percent Number 7,484 4.8 346 36,508 10.3 3,398 4,726 763 19.3 12,562 2.0 243 I Community Wayne Westland Woodhaven Wyandotte Household Size April 1, July 1, 1990 2000 2.70 2.41 2.28 2.53 2.90 2.64 2.24 2.50 I April 1, 1990 19,899 84,724 11,631 30,938 I Population Change July 1, I 2000 I Number Percent -1,221 -6.1 18,678 -281 84,443 -0.3 12,635 1,004 8.6 -2,603 28,335 -8.4 • �SEMCOG Officers 2000-2001 Marjorie A. Thomas Chairperson President, ISO of St. Clair County Board of Education Dante J. Lanzetta, Jr. First Vice Chairperson Commissioner, City of Birmingham Donald E. Dodge Vice Chairperson Commissioner, St. Clair County R. LaMar Frederick Vice Chairperson Supervisor, Bedford Township • Jeddy Hood Vice Chairperson Supervisor, West Bloomfield Township Maryann Mahaffey Vice Chairperson Council President Pro Tern City of Detroit Diana J. Kolakowski Immediate Past Chair Commissioner, Macomb County Board of Commissioners Paul E. Tait Executive Director � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Wyckoff Planning and Zoning Collection Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Planning & Zoning Center (Lansing, Mich.) (Organization) Wyckoff, Mark A. Description An account of the resource Municipal master plans and zoning ordinances from across the state of Michigan, spanning from the 1960s to the early 2020s. The bulk of the collection was compiled by urban planner Mark Wyckoff over the course of his career as the founder and principal planner of the Planning and Zoning Center in Lansing, Michigan. Some additions have been made to the collection by municipalities since it was transferred to Grand Valley State University. Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant Michigan Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960/2023 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Subject The topic of the resource Michigan Comprehensive plan publications Master plan reports Zoning--Michigan Zoning--Maps Maps Land use--planning Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-240 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Language A language of the resource eng Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Detroit_Population-Southeast-Michigan_2000 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Southeast Michigan Council of Governments Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2000-07 Title A name given to the resource Population and Households in Southeast Michigan, 1990-2000 Description An account of the resource The Population and Households in Southeast Michigan, 1990-2000 report was prepared in July 2000 by the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. Subject The topic of the resource Government report series Detroit, Michigan Wayne County (Mich.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/870">Planning and Zoning Center Collection (RHC-240)</a> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/adbbbfb454652d938a09e6a54b0e2ee3.jpg a57675048f1e8ce4dc39e8927db1d084 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_NE_62_1926_003 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1926-02-03 Title A name given to the resource Port au Prince, Hayti Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of three people, two women and a man, standing in front of a busy street in front of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. Another large building is visible behind a crowd of people. A store sign on the right side of the image reads, "Pharmacie Metropolitaine." "Port au Prince, Hayti. 1926-2-3" is written on the bottom of the image. Subject The topic of the resource Port-au-Prince (Haiti) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/17f5c001b26b4486a472e947b6219e69.jpg ab22d3a526489aebf5d8d58ec368d231 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_NE_62_1926_015 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1926 Title A name given to the resource Port au Spain Water Works Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of the waterworks of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. A pool of water is surrounded by stone walls with a building behind it. A group of people are visible standing on a stone path and stairs next to the water. Forest surrounds the area, and "Port au Spain Water Works." is written on the bottom of the image. Subject The topic of the resource Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago) Waterworks Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bfbb47b0676e3748bdea813b7b1d4b30.jpg f03eba853a6b6494d9db8e693e3f2d00 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_EastmanAlbum_1_1909_029 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909-07-06 Title A name given to the resource Port Carling Lock Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of the steamer Sagamo at the Port Carling Lock, Ontario. Several people appear to be boarding the vessel. Subject The topic of the resource Boats Locks (Hydraulic engineering) Ontario Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ccf5ad9ce124cf47b72471bb7c14187a.jpg 2b5a439e9dc9844dbc38557a5f344297 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_EastmanAlbum_1_1909_030 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909-07-06 Title A name given to the resource Port Carling Lock, Steamer Medora Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of the steamer Medora at the Port Carling Lock, Ontario. Several people are visible on the boat deck and the ground below. Subject The topic of the resource Boats Locks (Hydraulic engineering) Ontario Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/11cef4744e1b1620322e2d18876cf0df.jpg f2fcdeb38370e04873eeb4dbfdc1821a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Robert H. Merrill photographs Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909/1950 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-222 Description An account of the resource Photographs, negatives, and lantern slides digitized from the papers of engineer and archaeologist Robert H. Merrill. A Grand Rapids native, Merrill held an accomplished career as a civil engineer. He founded the company Spooner & Merrill, which held offices in Grand Rapids and Chicago. From 1919-1921, Merrill lived in China, working as Assistant Principal Engineer on a reconstruction of the Grand Canal - the oldest and longest canal system in the world. Merrill became fascinated by archaeology, and among other projects, he traveled to the Uxmal Pyramids in Yucatan, Mexico, with a research expedition from Tulane University. Merrill's photo collection includes images of his travels and projects, friends and family. Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context Merrill_EastmanAlbum_1_1909_035 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1909-07-07 Title A name given to the resource Port Sandfield Description An account of the resource Black and white photograph of the dock at Port Sandfield, Ontario. Two steamers and a Canadian Northern Railway car are visible. Subject The topic of the resource Boats Ontario Port Sandfield (Ont.) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Robert H. Merrill papers (RHC-222) Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Merrill, Robert H., 1881-1955 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/651156ea2ab8d014ad50b037801bdc2f.jpg d8e8bcf8eee2205deee672d7dcd9a8b0 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Naval Recognition Training Slides Subject The topic of the resource Slides Military education Airplanes, Military--Recognition Warships--Recognition World War, 1939-1945 Description An account of the resource Slides developed during World War II as a training tool, for top-side battle-station personnel on board ship and for all aircraft personnel, by the US Navy. In 1942 a Recognition School was established by the Navy at Ohio State University where the method of identification was developed. In 1943 the school was taken over by the US Navy. The importance of training in visual recognition of ships and aircraft became even more evident during World War II. Mistakes resulting in costly errors and loss of life led to an increased emphasis on recognition as a vital skill. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides (RHC-50)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2017-04-04 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpg Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource image Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1943-1953 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Source <a href="http://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/477">Naval recognition slides, RHC-50</a> Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RHC-50_M3253 Title A name given to the resource Porter class destroyer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource United States. Navy Description An account of the resource Porter class, US DD (destroyer), July 1, 1944. Subject The topic of the resource United States. Navy World War, 1939-1945 Military education Warships--Recognition Slides Language A language of the resource eng Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/?language=en">No Copyright - United States</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Naval recognition slides (RHC-50) Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1944-07-01 Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ca02e9ad40c771a35260ebfa2aa63a6d.jpg f086628f75cb42677ad06455d322bfc6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PorterClaire_Photo1 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Porter, Claire Description An account of the resource Claire Porter, Dance Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ed44a89938a1b76a61f60521e50321ce.jpg d7bdd76dfb544a70d180d94d13b75f00 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PorterClaire_Photo2 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Porter, Claire Description An account of the resource Claire Porter, Dance Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a2cd7e0931e4cea0c254f1bde2b311bb.jpg fc402341c4beb70bfaa518b5424cb700 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PorterClaire_Photo3 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Title A name given to the resource Porter, Claire Description An account of the resource Claire Porter, Dance Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/846ce600cf89b77a73b980be4324d3ec.jpg 05b6246c8bb3a5fb61da8a4061d18a47 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Faces of Grand Valley Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource University Communications Description An account of the resource A non-comprehensive collection of photographs of Grand Valley faculty, staff, administrators, board members, friends, and alumni. Photos collected by University Communications for use in promotion and information sharing about Grand Valley with the wider community. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1960s - 1990s Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived GV012-03. University Communications. Vita Files Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copryight Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University College administrators College teachers Colleges and universities -- Faculty Michigan Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context GV012-03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Language A language of the resource eng Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context PorterClaire_Photo4 Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Grand Valley State University. University Communications Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1980 Title A name given to the resource Porter, Claire Description An account of the resource Claire Porter, Dance Subject The topic of the resource Grand Valley State University – History College teachers Universities and colleges – Faculty Michigan Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived University Communications. Vita Files, 1968-2016 (GV012-03) Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. Special Collections and University Archives Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource In Copyright Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource image/jpeg Language A language of the resource eng 1980s