Committee advances $2.2 million amendment for city solar land acquisitions, citing phases and legal challenges

The Detroit City Council Internal Operations Committee on Jan. 8 voted to send to formal session a contract amendment that would increase funds and extend time for real estate and relocation services tied to the city's solar initiative.

The amendment, listed as contract 6005617-A2, would increase the contract by $2,200,000, bringing the total to $5,200,000 and extend the contract through Dec. 31, 2025 to complete work on both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the project. Tricia Stein, chief strategy officer in the mayor's office, told the committee that Phase 1 covers 965 parcels and Phase 2 would add 434 parcels.

"The contract amendment would cover to complete Phase 1, which is what Corporation Counsel Mallett will talk about. There are 965 parcels included in phase 1," Stein said during the meeting. She said 245 of the Phase 1 parcels are privately owned and that the city has extended about 100 good-faith offers in Phase 1, with approximately 98 offers filed.

Corporation Counsel Conrad Mallett described the pace and staffing behind the work and defended using outside counsel for a portion of the legal workload. "This work is being done as fast as we can possibly do it," Mallett said, and he said the city has eight or nine people from the law firm assigned to the project on a daily basis. He added the administration plans to hire one or two paralegals on the city payroll to take on some of the ministerial work and reduce outside costs.

Council member Angela Whitfield Callaway pressed for clarity on which areas are part of Phase 1. Stein said the Van Dyke'Lynch area near Detroit City Airport is Phase 1. Mallett confirmed there are active lawsuits related to some acquisitions: one by a property owner identified as Lipford challenging notice and another by a property owner represented by Joanne Warwick appealing a necessity ruling. "We expect to have that matter heard," Mallett said of the Lipford appeal and said the McCluskey (Warwick) matter had been ruled against and was on appeal.

Stein said outreach work included three design meetings in each of the Phase 1 areas and that 159 surrounding owner-occupants participated; she described an "overwhelming majority" signing written neighborhood agreements on design elements and fencing. Mallett said additional areas for Phase 2 will be announced to the Public Health and Safety committee and that the bulk of the amendment's funds will finance Phase 2 work.

Committee members asked for written follow-up with addresses, ownership status and the detailed breakdown of work covered by the existing contract and the amendment; Stein and Mallett committed to provide the information.

The committee approved a motion "to send line item 7.2 to formal with recommendation to approve." Hearing no objection, the chair ordered that action taken.

Why it matters: The amendment advances the city's plan to site utility-scale solar arrays on tax- and city-owned parcels. The project includes voluntary acquisitions, relocation benefits and legal proceedings; council members raised concerns about resident consent, legal challenges and cost controls.

What happens next: The amendment will go to the council's formal session for final consideration, with the administration to supply the parcel- and ownership-level information requested by committee members.