[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6359889,"mediaKeyId","2175557-438f0474cfb26a11e486556fd8e16cc3","parentId",2175557,"title","Planning commission recommends six-year capital improvement plan to City Council","audioSeconds",841,"startMs",350000,"endMs",1191000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175557-438f0474cfb26a11e486556fd8e16cc3&start=350&end=1191","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175557-438f0474cfb26a11e486556fd8e16cc3/thumbnail_350000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6359889/Eastpointe-City/Macomb-County/Michigan/Planning-commission-recommends-six-year-capital-improvement-plan-to-City-Council","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359889-033d066519a7c23b02931812a751d966/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192709&Signature=SxgoFed43b1CrrE1ZJhGRlG~IhjdXo0diapNAo1hvLPHCXs6L47zsu0Kug7NXPBluppyIa8KO0Ebed2dCRc3aoXv4qKPpBvk2-GnNP~k3wudXEMLU~jNWCfR2t9MxIu8fEgESZg7UqufxyDIx6B~bbC7dW8UZVA6NvplR0LN4P04trfw1cByx3lsCve~oAPQnIRg27RcGSdpJibFPRChPrdORtQ9rKv8O0kTUMcxdODjSGfEBGLGycOpURAXsCtHitflyyR1RSuQxg1jfLCT9CT~~2BbCRvmElGRH-HBnbEHqg1lLM3s4HUUHn~-5n~6FXErVRUew~CvxKToB5FBrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","CityofEastpointe","date","2025-01-23T00:00:00Z","article","The Eastpointe Planning Commission voted unanimously Jan. 23 to recommend the city's six-year capital improvement plan (called the infrastructure maintenance plan in the presentation) to City Council, following a presentation from the city's engineering consultant and a public question about whether federal earmarked money is tied to a specific road design.

Ryan Kern, with engineering firm Anderson, Eckstein and Westrick, told the commission the plan lays out projects the city expects to design or construct over the next six years and organizes them by funding source: major streets, local streets, water and sanitary sewer.

The plan lists a federal earmark of $44,380,000 to assist with the third phase of the 9 Mile Road reconstruction, covering Tuscany to I-94; Kern said that earmark will be administered through the Michigan Department of Transportation and is general to the project, not tied to a specific design. He also said earlier phases and other major-street projects are receiving federal-aid assistance that covers roughly 81.85 percent of construction costs, with the city matching from Act 51 funds the city receives from the state.

A resident, Jennifer Nicholas, asked whether the federal funds are tied to the five-lane reconstruction design or to an alternative '2road diet' design. Kern said the city is still in design and that MDOT and SEMCOG are reviewing the traffic study; the agencies are expected to advise within weeks whether the city can proceed with a road-diet configuration. Kern said the city will not begin construction until there is a definite decision on design and that the federal funding would remain available if the agencies determine a road diet is acceptable.

Kern gave a project timeline for the 9 Mile corridor: the contractor for the previously bid phase will start storm-sewer work in March and expects to finish that phase in August; the third phase (Tuscany to I-94) is scheduled for construction in 2026. The consultant also described a number of other major-street and local-street items in the plan: concrete patching on Hayes Road (design in 2026, estimated at $539,600), a $3,000,000 state earmark to reconstruct 10 Mile between Hays and Flox (county right-of-way; no city cost expected for the earmarked amount), and a heavier rehabilitation of 10 Mile slated for 2028 with an estimated cost of about $4,820,000 to be shared among Macomb County, Eastpointe and Roseville.

On local streets, Kern said the city budgets roughly $700,000 a year for an annual pavement patching program and $150,000 per year as a typical Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) match when eligible neighborhoods are awarded CDBG funding. Joint sealing and pavement-marking funds are budgeted cyclically, with an approximate $150,000 per year allocated when local streets are scheduled for sealing.

Kern described the city's water projects in detail. Eastpointe received a $10,000,000 earmark for lead-service-line replacements; the consultant said the city has replaced nearly 2,000 lead services to date and expects to finish the program by summer, with an estimated 150'to'100 services remaining. Kern said the city secured a 20-year low-interest loan (about 1.85 percent) for earlier drinking-water projects and also obtained roughly $8.6 million in federal grant money, plus a $900,000 state loan, for a recent large replacement project.

Kern said the sanitary-sewer program has completed citywide cleaning and televising of more than 93 miles of sewer, ranked defects, and begun prioritized rehabilitation. The city budgeted $750,000 per year for sewer rehabilitation and plans to apply for a state revolving fund loan for more than $5 million in additional rehab work; that program may include loan forgiveness or grants if awarded.

After the presentation, a motion to recommend sending the plan to City Council passed on a roll-call vote. The commission's roll call recorded an affirmative vote from each member present (Miss Moody; Mr. Sasek; Ms. Hall Raiford; Mr. Stokes; Ms. Zielinski; and the chair). The motion was recorded as approved.

Why it matters: the plan compiles federally supported major-street reconstructions, a multi-million-dollar program to replace lead service lines ahead of EPA timelines, ongoing sewer rehabilitation and multi-year local-street maintenance. Those projects affect construction schedules, neighborhood disruptions and the city's capital budget; the plan will now go to City Council for review and final approval.

Next steps: City Council will receive the commission's recommendation and consider the plan and its funding assumptions. The consultant said MDOT/SEMCOG's review of the 9 Mile traffic study should conclude within a couple of weeks, after which design decisions (including whether a road diet is feasible) will be finalized.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Eastpointe Planning Commission Special Meeting - January 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Eastpointe Planning Commission voted unanimously Jan. 23 to recommend the city's six-year capital improvement (infrastructure maintenance) plan to City Council.","taxTitle","Eastpointe City, Macomb County, Michigan","taxId",51167,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6359884,"Planning commissioners emphasize master plan, seek long-term planner and tighter enforcement on redevelopment",501,1933000,2434000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2175557-438f0474cfb26a11e486556fd8e16cc3&start=1933&end=2434","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2175557-438f0474cfb26a11e486556fd8e16cc3/thumbnail_1933000.jpg","/articles/6359884/Eastpointe-City/Macomb-County/Michigan/Planning-commissioners-emphasize-master-plan-seek-long-term-planner-and-tighter-enforcement-on-redevelopment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6359884-5890dd5a452f47f18c649f26ac14cb22/orig.mp4?Expires=1771192709&Signature=diDlJzq8eJP7iPj-oUHTpo8TGOGlthPc0K6U-o1ZJ4m58vTUrHjCyCzWdVc6i9k~3bctP5Cr2QtL3dYWUumbC4j-7zY3-U1mVzwJtfb8kNTqh3gyBsfGwUwfGdSJs0CYkFpkpsKiWWbPB28g8XhiwT9yJDP9~iZkyyB1XRMi3WZaHA6v6f3gbWrdeot46diXLLo99tdhiFaL51pvPQNP7xO3sR8Q~Lv-bj4HFKTZIJ~LkfdAbAcrp13I0Jxgsoem9PxVNiuWOA131cCIDvrJnj7fdnJkW7LMT7Ll9~9TKXDWLznGZPIU~-asxeMEHjkODxrpqv6ypZbnX8pXchXxfg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Eastpointe Planning Commission spent substantial time during commissioner remarks on Jan. 23 outlining priorities for 2025, including preparation of a new master plan, improved resident engagement, a call for a long-term city planner to implement the plan and active enforcement of site-plan conditions on several redevelopment projects.

Commissioners noted that the city will open requests for proposals on Jan. 30 for firms to prepare the master plan, which will set a 15-year vision for Eastpointe. Speakers emphasized the need to organize community input in smaller, manageable sessions rather than repeating the extended process used in the prior master-plan update.

Commissioners and staff discussed the value of hiring or retaining a planner who is locally based and engaged over multiple years to carry the master plan from adoption to implementation. The point raised repeatedly was that a long-term planner would help the city build relationships with state agencies, developers and funding partners and would provide continuity for multi-year projects.

Commissioners also reviewed ongoing enforcement and redevelopment matters:

- Big Boy site: Commissioners described ongoing meetings with the demolition contractor and the site owner about required corrections. The expected redevelopment discussed includes a three-story building with ground-floor commercial space (white-box retail), upper-level residential units with a mix of condominium and rental options, and limited drive-through retail only if it complies with zoning separation requirements. Commissioners said they expect the developer to complete required site remediation and to meet site-plan conditions before receiving final approvals or certificates of occupancy.

- Gravel parking lot and adjacent violations: The commission reported citations and continued efforts to enforce site-plan conditions on a gravel parking area that the commission said is being used in ways inconsistent with approvals; staff and the commission plan further legal review and possible action if the citations and voluntary compliance do not resolve the issue.

- Marijuana facility and other storefront projects: Commissioners said one marijuana facility on Gratiot will begin construction activity (installation of perimeter fencing and permit work) and that another building (former Rex's Deli at 8 Mile and Kelly) has outstanding site-plan conditions, including façade and window requirements; the commission said it will withhold final approvals until those conditions and required soil testing or remediation (where applicable) are completed.

Commissioners framed these items in the context of the master plan: reducing commercial vacancies, increasing household income and attracting families with school-age children were described as long-term goals that will require coordinated implementation, not just updated maps.

Why it matters: Commissioners argued that design decisions and code enforcement affect whether redevelopment projects add sustainable tax base and housing stability. They urged a stronger implementation role for planning staff to translate master-plan goals into completed projects.

Next steps: The commission will advertise the master-plan RFP starting Jan. 30, pursue community-engagement approaches that use smaller meetings, continue enforcement actions on the cited properties and hold a pre-construction meeting next week for the Big Boy redevelopment.","Commissioners used the Jan. 23 special meeting to flag priorities for the year: issuing an RFP for a new master plan, improving resident engagement, hiring or retaining a long-term city planner to implement the plan, and pressing developers on compliance at several local sites including the Big Boy property and two marijuana-related projects.","actionData","errors"]

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Planning commission recommends six-year capital improvement plan to City Council

Planning commissioners emphasize master plan, seek long-term planner and tighter enforcement on redevelopment