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City seeks Oakland County grant to study North Main Street; DDA asked to cover $1,000 match
Summary
City staff described a $20,000 Oakland County Access to Transit grant application to study redesign of North Main Street; staff recommended the DDA provide a $1,000 local match from professional services, and estimated the study could create 50–80 on‑street parking spaces depending on design.
City staff told the Clawson Downtown Development Authority that the city applied for a $20,000 Oakland County Access to Transit grant to study safety and design improvements on North Main Street between 14 Mile and Elmwood. The proposed project includes public outreach, a traffic and parking audit, and conceptual design work; staff recommended using Gifford Webster as the consultant to carry out the study.
Staff (Speaker 4) described the grant and the three primary components—public outreach, a traffic audit and conceptual design—and said the county grant requires a local match. "The grant through Oakland County is for $20,000 with a local match of $5,000… it is recommended that the DDA pay the $1,000 to meet the $5,000 local match, from the professional services line item," Speaker 2 said.
Staff estimated the study could identify roughly 50 to 80 potential on‑street parking spaces depending on the recommended lane widths and where merge points occur. Board members noted budget constraints because a substantial portion of near‑term DDA funds are earmarked for a downtown sidewalk bond through 2027, reducing discretionary flexibility.
Staff clarified timing and budget mechanics: while the council approved a version of the DDA budget on May 7, staff said the DDA could start its internal planning in January to ensure DDA recommendations precede council approval in future years. The board asked for the grant match to come from the professional services line for the fiscal year in which the grant work would occur.
Next steps: If the county approves the grant, staff will finalize the local match allocation and move forward with contracting the consultant and scheduling public outreach. The board did not take a formal vote on the grant at the meeting; staff asked whether members had questions before finalizing the match and contract arrangements.
