Council reviews final 9 Mile Phase 2 plans, directs staff to pursue parking-preservation options and request MDOT variance for bakery

Eastpointe City Council members on Feb. 4 reviewed final construction plans for 9 Mile Road Phase 2 and directed staff to explore revisions to preserve curbside parking that business owners say is essential to neighborhood commerce.

The city’s engineering consultant explained the project would be reconstructed as a five-lane roadway with 11-foot travel lanes, and construction is scheduled to begin next month with completion expected in August. Design elements discussed included replacement of the Gratiot median island, removal of a refuge island at Virginia Street (the refuge island has been repeatedly damaged), and driveway adjustments at the new Police/Court building.

In public comment, residents raised concerns about traffic queuing and how the project’s “road diet” elements could affect drive-through businesses and side-street access. Jennifer Nicholas, an Eastpointe resident who reviewed traffic studies for Phase 3, said existing studies do not capture queuing at non-signalized driveways and businesses with drive-throughs and urged caution before reducing lane capacity.

Following staff presentation and public comment, Councilmember motioned that staff adjust plans to preserve parallel parking on the south side of 9 Mile between Rain and Cushing. Council asked staff to pursue that in several ways: (1) attempt to acquire additional right-of-way where feasible, (2) consider roadway design changes (including but not limited to lane width adjustments or median alternatives), and (3) evaluate whether to adopt MDOT’s 8-foot parallel-parking minimum rather than the city’s 9-foot standard. Staff agreed to report back at the next meeting.

Council also voted to direct staff to seek a variance from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) that would allow angled parking to remain in front of East Detroit Bakery in the portion of 9 Mile covered by the project, rather than being converted to parallel parking. The bakery and nearby businesses argued retaining angled parking was important for their customers.

Votes and outcomes - Motion directing staff to adjust plans to preserve parallel parking on 9 Mile (between Rain and Cushing) and evaluate options including right-of-way acquisition, roadway changes, or ordinance adjustments: approved by roll call (Council member DeMonaco: Yes; Council member Paschadley: Yes; Council member Baker: Yes; Council member Curley: Yes; Mayor Michael Kleinfeld: Yes). - Motion directing staff to pursue an MDOT variance for the East Detroit Bakery angled parking area: approved (Mayor Kleinfeld: Yes; Council member DeMonaco: Yes; Council member Baker: No; Council member Curley: Yes; Council member [Beshazzi/Schadlick]: Yes). The variance motion passed despite one dissenting vote.

Why it matters 9 Mile is a principal commercial corridor in Eastpointe. Changes to lane geometry, medians, and on-street parking will affect business access, pedestrian crossings, emergency vehicle operations and traffic flow. Council emphasized the need to balance federal/state funding requirements and safety standards with local economic impacts.

Key technical points discussed - Project scope: five-lane roadway to be reconstructed in kind; construction contractor is ML Chartier; anticipated completion in August. - Design items: median island replacement at Gratiot; removal of refuge island at Virginia; driveway consolidation/adjustment at the new Police/Court building; lane widths and curb alignment remain central variables. - Parking specifics: some blocks currently have a 7-foot strip used for parallel parking plus a 7-foot sidewalk; city ordinance normally requires 9-foot parallel spaces but MDOT allows 8-foot spaces; staff said small right-of-way acquisitions could add roughly 2–4 feet in places.

Staff follow-up City engineering staff will examine options identified by council, seek MDOT guidance on potential variance requests, analyze right-of-way acquisition feasibility, and return to council with recommended revisions and estimated cost impacts.

Ending Council’s directives do not change the construction schedule immediately; they instruct staff to examine alternatives and report back before any contract change orders are executed.