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The Charter Township of Northville is a vibrant, safe and attractive community. The perfect place to live, work and play! This new e-newsletter is another way for you to stay connected to what's happening in your community! | |
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Township Fire Department to Add Two Grant-Funded Ambulances to its Fleet
We’re expecting!
Northville Township Fire Department has ordered two new ambulances to replace two aging ones with more than 120,000 miles on each of them. Because of the specialized equipment involved, the new models will take two years to build. We expect them to arrive in the summer of 2023.
One of the exciting parts of this is they come with a deep discount. Firefighter/Paramedic Christopher Wiggins won a $250,000 FEMA grant for Northville Township Fire Department, covering about 80% of the cost of one of the ambulances.
Northville Township is saving an additional $90,000 on both of them by reinstalling the existing Stryker Power Cots that it previously purchased by another winning grant, also secured by Wiggins.
What would normally cost $726,000 for two ambulances will be $386,000 thanks to Wiggins’ grant writing skills, a 47% savings.
Northville Township recognizes the tremendous value of obtaining grant funding to offset expenditures, which are necessary to provide an exceptional level of service to the community. Seeking alternate funding sources is a vital component to being good stewards of taxpayer money and grants are a beneficial funding source.
Wiggins, who celebrated his fifth year work anniversary with Northville Township this year, has won more than $10 million in grant funding for the region’s fire service.
What an exciting addition to the Fire Department fleet!
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Township Projects Move Northville Township Forward
Northville Township has had a busy summer moving the community forward. Here are several of the active projects we’re working on and a brief update on each.
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Legacy Park
This 332-acre green space oasis, located on the eastern border of Northville Township, off Seven Mile Road between Haggerty and Northville roads, is experiencing a transformation.
The 11 remaining buildings on the former state psychiatric hospital property are undergoing remediation, where crews are removing the asbestos and hazardous materials. Safety is a top priority here. Northville Township hired a specialist to complete this in such a way that our residents are protected to keep the materials from becoming airborne.
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Asbestos Abatement Incorporated (AAI) of Lansing, and their sub-contractors, have finished this task on buildings 17, 14, L, M, N and O. Crews are currently working on buildings 3 and H.
As of this week, building 17 is completely demolished. AAI brought it down in less than two weeks. The anticipated completion date of removal and complete demolition for all of the buildings is late summer 2023 and Northville Township is well on its way.
One building will remain and be repurposed. Building 14, the former laundry facility, is being studied by architects and engineers for suitability and safety.
“It would be a legacy building for Legacy Park. How fitting,” said Township Supervisor Mark J. Abbo.
Once demolition is complete, the park will begin its transformation into a recreation attraction complete with non-motorized trails for biking, hiking, mountain biking, running, walking and more. We have an expert designer and a Legacy Park Trail Committee identifying routes and working on the trail plan now.
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Essential Services Complex
Legacy Park also is the future home of our essential services complex. It will house a second fire station, our new Public Safety Headquarters, a new headquarters for Public Works and some storage for Parks and Recreation. It will be built without new taxes.
This important addition to Legacy Park will improve service delivery to our residents. Because Northville Township is a fiscally responsible government, we brought in outside consultants to explore remodeling existing buildings versus building a new one to accommodate current-day needs. The experts said it was more cost-effective to create this essential services complex. The benefits are long-term.
This multi-year project is in the early stages of design and planning with an anticipated ground breaking in late summer/early fall of 2023.
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Second Water Tower
The expansive property at Legacy Park will accommodate an additional elevated water tower within the Township’s system. This translates to significant savings on future water costs. The extra 500,000 gallon tank will decrease the Township’s peak water demands. By reducing our peak demands, we will realize significant cost savings through the Great Lakes Water Authority’s rate methodology.
The tank will be completed in 2024. In 2022, the Township Board approved the construction of the new water tower at a total cost of $8,126,303. We are using fund reserves to pay for construction, which has been in the planning stages for many years.
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Pathways
A walkable community is important to our residents. In response, Northville Township established a Pathways Advisory Committee in 2021 and took “field trips” to study the current system.
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After that eye-opening excursion, and a deeper Pathway Gap Analysis, the Township identified and prioritized six pathway projects to pursue using the $500,000 we put aside for it. The six pathways are scattered throughout the community and they complete critical “gaps” in the existing non-motorized system.
They are:
- North side of Six Mile Road, between Northville Road and the Ravines subdivision
- North side of Six Mile Road, east and west of Beck
- South side of Seven Mile Road between Edenderry Drive and Fish Hatchery Park
- East side of Silver Spring Drive, north of Seven Mile
- East side of Bradner Road, Meads Mill Middle School to Whisperwood subdivision
- North side of Arcadia Ridge, into Marv Gans Community Park
After preliminary engineering review, the three projects identified in bold text above were determined to be the best opportunity to complete first. This is due to design considerations and coordination with Wayne County. The remaining projects are on the list for the next cycle of pathway projects.
Recently Wayne County has indicated the two bridges on Six Mile Road, over Hines Drive and the Rouge River, are being reviewed for replacement, said Township Planner Jennifer Frey. A road improvement and bridge replacement project provides an opportunity to work pedestrian improvement into the Wayne County project design for the completion of the pathway on the north side of Six Mile, between Northville Road and the Ravines subdivision.
In addition to these infill pathway projects, the Township has submitted a grant to construct a 10-foot-wide pathway on the south side of Seven Mile Road, from Traditions Drive (west of Haggerty) to Northville Road, then continuing south on Northville Road into Hines Park. If the Township is successful in securing the grant, it will be a 2024 construction project.
We hope to complete as many of these as possible while respecting the budget. We are pursuing more grants to help pay for them as well.
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Township Hall Renovation
To create a more collaborative workspace, Township Hall is getting a minor facelift. We will replace existing 18-year-old furniture, workstations and flooring used since opening the doors at our present address in 2005.
Our well-worn furnishings have exceeded normal industry lifecycle expectancy by nearly 10 years. This has caused a large increase in maintenance work orders by chronic, ongoing failures and most replacement parts are obsolete. Some of the carpet is torn, too, creating a tripping hazard within the facility.
The biggest piece of this is with our workspaces. They will be reconfigured to prompt more collaboration and an easy exchange of ideas between employees, better reflecting our culture of connecting, engaging and serving the community.
We have put aside money to fund the renovation project for five years as part of our capital improvement budget plan. We are also leveraging a state of Michigan cooperative purchasing agreement that allows us to purchase the goods at significantly reduced fees. Our future seating, for instance, still reflects 1996 pricing, allowing the Township to remain fiscally responsible.
The Township is exploring selling some of the pieces that remain trouble-free and donating the rest.
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Assembly Room Audio Upgrade
The Assembly Room at Township Hall is the main meeting location for Township boards and commissions to engage with the public. Residents in the audience have noted it can be challenging hearing what presenters are saying, a complaint echoed by virtual audiences.
Thanks to our capital improvement plan, we are in the process of upgrading it. We are installing a new digital audio system. It includes features like noise and echo cancellation, mixed in with new microphones and speakers.
This project also will include the installation of a video system to allow for video recording and live streaming for Township meetings within the Assembly Room. Currently, we use a temporary camera on a tripod in the middle of the audience. The new video system will include multiple cameras and a video control desk to manage video inputs and audio levels during the meeting. It’s a system residents had requested several years ago.
More and more outside organizations, including homeowner associations (HOAs), are reserving the room to host large meetings, so the technology upgrades will assist other community members as well.
The project, costing $122,991, is expected to be completed by the end of the year, but you will notice a difference in the audio beginning in October.
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Traffic Light at Sheldon and Six Mile roads
Northville Township, along with Wayne County Commissioner Terry Marecki, have been in deep discussions with the Wayne County Roads Division to install a left lane turn signal to the traffic light at Sheldon and Six Mile roads.
This has resulted in Wayne County agreeing to add the left turn signals. The project is currently being designed, and we anticipate a summer 2023 installation.
Eight Mile Road Paving Update
Wayne County Commissioner Terry Marecki reports that the repaving of Eight Mile Road has been delayed, but she has not been given a target date yet of when it will transpire.
Wayne County’s Department of Public Services recognizes the need for improvements on Eight Mile and will get to it at some point. Commissioner Marecki will notify Northville Township when she hears of the new project timeline.
In the meantime, report potholes and road hazards directly to Wayne County by calling 1-888-ROAD-CREW (762-3273).
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MITC
We have two developers interested in purchasing property, consisting of approximately 75 acres within the Michigan International Technology Center (MITC), the real estate development initiative north of Five Mile near Napier roads. They are Northville Lumber Co. and Schafer Development 5 and Ridge, LLC.
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We hope to use some of the potential $7.4 million in proceeds to fund future passive recreation development activity across town at Legacy Park.
MITC also is pursuing grants from MDOT and HUD to assist with roads and infrastructure of the undeveloped property.
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Master Plan Project
Northville Township is developing a new Master Plan, a process that will continue through spring 2023.
This will guide the physical and economic development of the Township, define the area’s character, and enhance the quality of life for residents and visitors. Ultimately, this Plan will be used to guide decision-making by the Board of Trustees, Planning Commission, Township Supervisor, staff, developers, businesses and various local organizations.
With the assistance of Kendig Keast Collaborative (KKC), there are multiple opportunities for our residents to partake in its creation.
Future key dates include:
- Oct. 24 at 5 pm – Joint Board and Planning Commission meeting #2
- March 22 beginning at 4:30 pm – Open House for draft plan and Joint Board and Planning Commission meeting #3*
- April 25, time to be determined – Planning Commission Public Hearing on plan adoption
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First-Ever Township Charity Golf Outing Benefits Local Group
Northville Township combined an afternoon of team building and fun while helping its community by hosting its first-ever charity golf outing at Northville Hills Golf Club Aug. 26.
Employees, board members and volunteers took a vacation day to play a scramble, raising more than $4,000 to benefit the Northville Community Foundation. The Foundation’s goal is to enrich the lives in our community by sponsoring events, including overseeing the beloved Maybury Farm. Maybury Farm’s mission is to connect children and families to animals and agriculture. While the Foundation was the real winner of the outing, several of the eight foursomes prevailed, too.
The matches were competitive. The winning team, with a score of 64, had two strokes less than the second and third place competitors, who ended in a hole-by-hole tie-breaker playoff. Congratulations to the top finishers Supervisor Mark J. Abbo, Human Resources Director Glenn Caldwell, Northville Parks and Recreation Health & Wellness Coordinator Chris Noles and Fire Captain Chris Madzik.
Prizes also were awarded for:
Men’s longest drive, Hole 5: Facilities Manager Brandon McCullough
Women’s longest drive, Hole 5: Board of Review and Historical District Commission Member Robin E. Schleh
Closest to pin:
- Hole 2: Fire Captain Phil Sutherland
- Hole 8: Public Safety Officer Mike Gulanas
- Hole 11: Public Safety Officer Mike Gulanas
- Hole 17: Water & Sewer Senior Operator Corey Nicoloff
Longest Putt Made, Hole 18: Northville Parks & Facilities Superintendent Nate Reilly
50/50 Raffle: Fire Captain Phil Sutherland
A special thanks goes to the event organizer Township Clerk Roger Lundberg and the team of businesses and individuals who sponsored the outing.
Northville Township thanks all of the participants for joining together in this inaugural event to raise money for a good local cause.
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Fire Hydrant Flushing and Winterization to Begin in October
Our Water and Sewer Department will be winterizing the fire hydrants throughout October and November. This process includes hydrant flushing. Residents may experience sediment in the water or water that looks dirty from their faucet tap because of this annual maintenance.
To rectify, run cold water for a few minutes, preferably in a bathroom tub or shower to relieve this symptom. The sediment collects at the bottom of a water main over time.
Thank you for your patience with this necessary action.
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Document Shredding Available Saturday Morning at Township Hall
Ready to safely discard your confidential documents? Northville Township is sponsoring an on-site document shredding event for residents. It is Saturday, Sept. 24 from 9-11 am at Township Hall, 44405 Six Mile Road (entrance at Sheldon Road ONLY).
The cost is $5 per car (minimum) for up to eight bags. Additional $1 per bag, after eight. Cash only. Please bring paper grocery bags only. No plastic bags, lawn bags or file boxes will be accepted.
Questions? Contact the Clerk's Office:
(248) 348-5825
clerk@twp.northville.mi.us
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Township Fire Department Open House Returns This Saturday
You’re invited! Bring your family to Northville Township Fire Department’s Open House. It is Saturday, Sept. 24 from 11 am-2 pm.
The fun-filled day includes fire safety tips, fire truck exploration, station tours, fire hose demonstrations, CPR demos, equipment dress-up, a side-by-side fire demo, giveaways and plenty of photo ops.
The Fire Department is at 45745 Six Mile Road. Please park on the west side of fire station or in Millennium Park behind the station.
We look forward to seeing you!
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Absent Voter Ballots to be Mailed Sept. 29
Election Day is Nov. 8, and Northville Township Clerk’s Office is already hard at work. It will begin mailing absent voter ballots Sept. 29 to registered voters who have requested the ballot using the absent voter application.
Any registered voter is eligible to obtain an absentee ballot for an upcoming election. Contact the Clerk's Office at (248) 348-5825 or email clerk@twp.northville.mi.us to receive one.
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