Designers show Mount Clemens new city hall and fire station plans, seek public input on lobby, chambers and security

Designers presented detailed plans for a proposed new City Hall and an adjacent fire station and asked the commission for feedback on public-facing spaces, council chambers and operational features.

The presentation, led by the lead designer, outlined a multi-level layout with a new public plaza off Walnut Street to center memorials and public gatherings, an airlock vestibule for the lobby, a larger multipurpose council chamber with approximately 32 loose seats and removable dais, and a private commissioners' office with built-in counter workspace. Designers also proposed dedicated parking/drop-off, a potential fourth apparatus bay for the fire station if fleet needs grow, and a separate staff egress and patio for sheriff operations to limit public interaction with secure functions.

Designers said public-facing service counters on the upper lobby would be clearly wayfinding-labeled for departments such as treasury, clerk and community development and that the design includes self-service public terminals and monitors for overflow viewing. Proposed finishes included durable flooring in high-use election and clerk storage areas, acoustic ceiling tiles in meeting rooms, and floor-box power/data at podiums and dais stations for AV equipment.

Commissioners debated interior configurations: concerns included whether the dais provides enough seating for the commission plus typical staff (city manager, city clerk), whether a fixed built-in countertop in the commissioners' office would reduce future flexibility, and whether small conference rooms should be sized larger for community use. Designers proposed flexible alternatives such as side tables for department heads, mobile workstations and reconfigurable seating.

Accessibility and operations: designers confirmed most public and administrative spaces will be ADA-compliant (the fire and sheriff operational areas may be exempt in part), and agreed to accommodate a unisex/ADA restroom with changing stations. Commissioners also raised janitorial-storage and access-control questions; designers said they will follow up with janitorial staff and the city IT/security team to finalize card-access and maintenance workflows.

Schedule and outreach: designers said they've been conducting user-group engagement and plan to hold public sessions to share the designs and solicit feedback; they stated an internal goal of bringing a preferred contractor to the commission by Oct. 5 but emphasized that dates were targets rather than fixed commitments.

The work session concluded with commissioners expressing appreciation for the level of detail and planning, and with designers noting they will return with refined room-data sheets and additional coordination with city departments.