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Livonia council sends police-station proposal to Committee of the Whole after heavy public opposition to wetland site
Summary
The Livonia City Council voted 7–0 to move consideration of a proposed new police station into a Committee of the Whole after weeks of workshops and heavy public comment objecting to building on a wetlands parcel, raising questions about geotechnical risk, cost overruns and funding. Residents urged alternative sites and more transparency.
The Livonia City Council voted Wednesday to send the proposed construction of a new police station back to the Committee of the Whole, giving all seven councilmembers more time to review site options, financing questions and technical reports. The motion passed unanimously.
Council members said recent small-group workshops with administration produced helpful information but left unresolved questions about financing, wetlands and community input. Councilmember Carrie Persicone, who moved to return the item to committee, said members have requested additional data — particularly on financing — and called for a public forum that would include the full council.
The move followed a period of intense public comment. Dozens of residents urged the council not to build on a site they said is wet and environmentally sensitive, citing concerns about soil stability, extra excavation and engineered fill costs, flooding risk and loss of natural area. Multiple speakers said they prefer alternatives such as renovating the existing police building, siting the station on nonwetland property along Farmington or 5 Mile, or pursuing other city-owned or commercial locations.
Residents and local builders pointed to missing or incomplete cost items in project estimates — including remediation of wet soils, drainage, equipment and consultant fees — and warned those omissions could lead to significant budget overruns. Environmental concerns prompted councilmember requests for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) review; councilmember McDonough said EGLE’s third review was expected by April 28.
Councilmembers and planning staff also discussed transparency and process. Several members said workgroup-style meetings that included only subsets of councilmembers had unintentionally created confusion; they said holding Committee of the Whole meetings in public would allow all members and residents to hear the same information.
No formal site selection or financing decision was made at the meeting; the Committee of the Whole will be asked to study soils/geotechnical reports, EGLE wetlands findings, financing options (including grant opportunities and debt strategies), operational impacts and alternatives such as rehabilitation of the existing station. The council also suspended rules to allow extended public comment on the item the same night.
The council’s vote to place the item in committee was 7–0. Next steps and meeting dates will be scheduled by the council president and shared publicly.
