Farmington Hills completes Shady Ridge Drive paving after resident petition, engineer says

Dayton Emerson, a civil engineer with the City of Farmington Hills Engineering Department, said the city completed the Shady Ridge Drive gravel-to-hard-surface conversion during the previous construction season after residents petitioned for the change in 2019.

The work addressed both surface paving and drainage. "A big consideration with all of our gravel conversion projects is the drainage," Emerson said, adding that the city installed "underground storm sewer and catch basins in the curb line" to direct water away from the pavement and reduce harm to the new road surface.

Emerson explained how neighbors can initiate similar projects: residents obtain a petition form from the engineering department, gather signatures from nearby property owners and submit it for review. "We review the signatures, and, as long as there's 60% or more support, then we move forward with the process of approving the gravel road conversion," he said.

He also said the project modified street geometry at the end of Shady Ridge Drive. The city added a cul-de-sac "to provide more room for large vehicle traffic to turn around instead of having to use private driveways," Emerson said.

Emerson closed by thanking residents for their patience during construction and said he hoped they were pleased with the finished result. The presentation did not record any formal vote or outstanding action items; Emerson framed the remarks as an informational update on a completed municipal project.