Tag Archives: 56th Street

Work on 56th shows what can be accomplished when residents, city officials work together

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Now open: 56th Street reconstruction between Ivanrest and Byron Center avenues opened on Oct. 31.

By Catherine Kooyers

Community Contributor

In November, many gave thanks and many in the Bayberry Farms/UM-Metro Hospital corridor in Wyoming, who gave thanks for significant upgrades and changes that have happened to make a great community even better. And a special thanks goes out to those who worked hard in all weather conditions to make those changes, especially to the detention pond and 56th Street. It has taken years to identify issues accurately, get necessary approvals and funds, contracting, and much more to make all this happen. But, it was with total elation that we received the message from the City of Wyoming advising the work would be finished on Oct. 31, 2018 — and it was.

You see, a few years back, the area had a Master Plan. Over the years though, a change here and a change there added up. Collectively, those small changes resulted in the need for big changes and redirection. We recognized that development of the corridor east of Byron Center Avenue meant more buildings and parking lots. That in turn, changed absorptive rain catching fields into nonporous, concrete/asphalt patches. In turn, that resulted in massive water runoff crossing Byron Center Avenue into the Bayberry area. That all came home when the Gezon Fire Station was shuttered and falling into disrepair resulting in  response times being high. Also around that time, we started noticing problems with the area’s detention pond…it simply was  too small for the new growth.

The project included a new traffic signal at the intersection of Ivanrest Avenue and 56th Street.

Then, on Sept. 9, 2013, disaster did hit HARD. The area was hit with a measured 5.5 inches of rain in a very short, record-breaking time. The pond could not hold that much water and disaster was inevitable. The Bayberry Farms Village senior apartments were surrounded by deep waters…looking like an island as seniors were moved to higher floors. Several cars were flooded and lost as they tried to navigate deep waters on 56th Street. Runoff from 56th Street into the senior village was so intense it looked like flowing rivers and waterfalls. The Bayberry Farms condos and family homes were hit hardest. For example, the force of the rushing water knocked out slider doors and pushed heavy furniture across lower levels.  Another home, had more than six feet of standing water in its finished basement.

Fortunately, no one was sleeping in those areas at that time or some fear they would not have made it out — it all happened so fast. Trails of debris from construction of the Veterans’ Clinic, garden mulch and Metro complex traveled quite a distance towards Ivanrest Avenue, clogging drains. And, as we tried to open drains, in addition to removing normal clogging materials, we were stunned when an albino boa constrictor came out of a drain!

A new widen sidewalk was added to the north side of 56th Street.

But  there was little time for self-pity, this could not continue. So, the residents, businesses and City began working together for positive changes. We learned a valued lesson: No one wins by fighting City Hall, but we all win when we put differences aside and work together for a greater common good. The City not only listened, the City worked hard to make the needed changes not only happen, but that they were done correctly. It took millions of dollars and a few years, but Oct. 31 was the closing date of a special chapter in the Metro/Bayberry history books:

  • The small detention pond was dramatically increased in size and surrounded by protective fencing. After a few storms knocked down the new fencing, a different material was used that allowed for more air flow and has worked beautifully this year. This should meet the storm water needs of the area for quite some time.
  • The big changes came to 56th Street between Byron Center and Ivanrest avenues.  The area was widened with more drain catchers and basins added to hold and collect runoff and rain. The old street materials, which were failing, left potholes and sinkholes. That entire stretch of 56th Street was totally torn up and replaced.  Turning lanes were created. Residents endured months of construction and noise, but say the finished product is safer, better, and worth every bit of it.
  • Also included were much requested sidewalks and more connections to the Kent Trail system. Before, without sidewalks, the bikers, walkers, seniors, families crossing to the daycare center or stores had to walk against fast moving traffic, in traffic lanes.  We knew that had to change as the area grew.  Now, it is safer and easier for bikers, walkers and disabled in motorized scooters to get to and from the trails, shops, and restaurants. This is a vibrant, active community.
  • In the interim, new business entities came in or upgraded – like the U of M/Metro partnership and ReMax. The UM/Metro Foundation had generously provided significant monies and support for our Gezon Fire Station — like the heliport — training and equipment.
  • Working with Wyoming Public Works Director Bill Dooley and his team as well as ReMax, a much needed shortcut sidewalk was finished by the pond. This allows seniors with walkers and scooters as well as residents in the apartments, cottages, homes and condos more independence and access to local businesses.

So this month, the Bayberry/Metro area has much to be thankful for in addition to the normal things:  City officials, like Mayor Jack Poll and Dooley, who let us talk, who listened, who worked with us; the many dedicated people who did the planning and hard work, the road crews, the landscapers…; the residents who worked together for positive changes; our special partners and  businesses who give and do so much for our community.  And, it would not be Bayberry if we did not extend a special “thanks”  and gratitude for all our area first responders, UPS drivers, FedEx drivers, U.S. Postal carriers — all those people who quietly support this special area daily. So, this week, we give special thanks for significant upgrades and changes that have happened to make a great community extraordinary.

Granger Group breaks ground on The Reserve development in Wyoming

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

In 2000, Gary Granger bought a piece of property on the south side of 56th Street between Ivanrest and Wilson avenues. Seventeen years later, his company, The Granger Group, broke ground on a new residential development that is estimated to be valued at more than $100 million.

 

On Thursday, Sept. 27, residents, Wyoming city officials, and members from The Granger Group met at the end of Niles Drive for the groundbreaking ceremony for The Reserve, which is located off of 56th Street between Wilson and Ivanrest avenues.

 

“The Reserve housing development has gone through numerous iterations over the past year and we are grateful after owning this land for 17 years to be moving forward with this project,” said Project Manager Ryan Granger. “Granger Group believes Wyoming is a booming residential and commercial market and we’ve enjoyed working with the community to get their insight into this project as well.”

 

The project will add 175 single family homes, 138 single story flats, and 190 luxury apartments to the existing 131 single family homes that are currently there. Through input from the community, Granger said they got a sense of a real desire to be connected so the new development also will include a community center, a dog park, tennis courts and walking trails that will provide access to existing trails such as Kent Trails. The development is actually close to one of the largest shopping districts — which includes RiverTown Crossings mall — in the Greater Grand Rapids area.

 

Granger Group President Gary Granger said infrastructure was put in place shortly after the property was purchased, and he noted he is excited about finally being able to extend Niles Drive through to Wilson Avenue.

 

Wyomig City officials and Granger Group representatives at The Reserve groundbreaking.

“It has been a process,” Gary Granger said, adding that the team had to work through several concepts.

 

“The city did a new master plan, envisioning that Wilson Road would primarily be a bedroom community and not so much commercial,” Granger said during the open house about the history of the property. “Believe it or not at the time, we were not so crazy about it. We wanted to do commercial because we thought with the mall, Coscto, and all the other things just a couple of miles from here, we thought all that commercial would work all the way back to the expressway.”

 

Granger said the team had to take a step back and reconsider how the property would look as a bedroom community and he now believes the development could help “southwest Grand Rapids to really be on the map.”

 

“Most people think about where is the place to be in Grand Rapids and most people think the major market opportunity is northeast,” Gary Granger said. “We are exactly on the opposite side of that. I happen to believe this will be the premier housing destination.” 

 

Granger Group, which has completed several projects in the Metro Village located around Metro Health University of Michigan Health, expects to complete The Reserve by 2021. 

Wyoming City Council hosts second on-the-road meeting, discuss roads, master plan

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The Wyoming City Council prepares for the meeting at Del-Mar Community Center

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

For this first time in his council career, Wyoming Mayor Jack Poll walked to the council meeting.

 

The meeting was the second council-on-the-road one for the Wyoming City Council which was at the Del-Mar Community Room, the subdivision Poll lives in. The last on-the-road summer meeting is Aug. 6 at Oriole Park.

 

Community members filled the Del-Mar Community Room and thanked the council for bringing the meeting to the residents.

 

Poll said staff worked to bring subjects to the meetings that would be important to the residents of the southwest area. This meeting included discussion on the city’s master plan, upcoming road projects, and the TEAM 21 program.

 

City of Wyoming’s Principal Planner Nicole Hofer

Master Plan

 

So what will the City of Wyoming look like in the future? This was the question that the Wyoming City Council, staff, and residents will be asked to consider as the city begins the process to review and update its current master plan.

 

“Ultimately, a master plan helps to define our future vision, our economic development opportunities, what housing will look like in our city, what transportation we will have,”  said the city’s new principal planner Nicole Hofert. “Will we have busing? Will we continue with cars? Will we integrate bike lanes? It is about land use.”

 

The city’s current master plan was adopted in 2006 with the plan projected out to 2020. The city has done periodic updates on the plan but with 2020 only a few years away, the time is now for the city to look ahead at the next 20 years. 

 

Hofert said a lot has happened within the city since the master plan was first adopted. This has included the adoption of a form base code, the discussion of affordable housing, and looking at the city’s industrial sites. Also, the City of Grand Rapids has had tremendous growth and the city needs to consider how that impacts the Wyoming community, she said.

 

The review process is expected to take about 14-16 months with the goal of getting the community involved as much as possible. This includes hosting pop up events, utilizing social media, and attending community activities such as school homecomings to interact with residents and collect as much input as possible. The next step in the process will be to create a request for proposals to send it out to potential consultants for the master plan update, Hofert said. 

 

Welcome sign at the Del-Mar Community Center

Road Projects

 

Wyoming Department of Public Works Director Bill Dooley spoke about the road work that will be taking place in the City of Wyoming. The Wyoming City Council approved a bid of around $4 million for the city’s resurfacing projects. The bid was awarded to Michigan Paving and Materials Company. 

 

Dooley said the city has 650 miles of lane roads. The lifespan of a road depends on use with most being about 25-30 years with roads that have high traffic such as truck traffic, being around 10 years. The city spends about $5.5 million annual on road projects with some of the money coming from the state’s gas tax. 

 

Because the bids came in 22 percent higher than last year, a few roads were eliminated from the scope of the project. The increase cost is related to what oil prices are and asphalt is made from oil, Dooley said.

 

Poll noted that because last year bids came in so low, the city did add on some roads so as to make its dollars go farther. 

 

Dooley said that the remaining $1.5 million in roads was being used for the reconstruction of 56th Street between Byron Center and Ivanrest avenues and will include the addition of a new signal at Ivanrest and 56th. That project is scheduled to start on July 9 with the intersection being done in the fall, closer to the project’s completion.

 

Community members and city officials chat before the meeting

Team 21 program

 

The Wyoming City Council approved about $1.46 million for the city’s after school and summer program, TEAM 21.

 

The city partners with four school districts, Wyoming Public Schools, Kelloggsville Public Schools, Godfrey Lee Public Schools and Godwin Heights Public Schools to provide 15 TEAM 21 sites around the city. These sites support about 2,000 students. Wyoming Public Schools serves as the fiduciary agent for the program. 

 

“These budget amendments actually recognize approximately $1.6 million that will come into the City of Wyoming, specifically to the operations of the parks and recreation service area in supporting and employing our site coordinators and our program administrative staff,” said Rebecca Rynbrandt, the city’s director of community services.

 

This year, the city saw an increase in funding for the program, however; funding, which comes from the federal government, has been “more challenging” since the Trump administration has taken office, Rynbrandt said, adding the administration has zeroed out funding for these types of programs. Congress has been putting the funding back in when reviewing the budget, Rynbrandt said.

 

Next year, 10 sites are up for renewal. Because the city does not know its funding level until on or about July 1 and since there remains a question on funding for the future, Rynbrandt said city staff will be meeting with area superintendents to work on plans to make sure there is funding at least through the summer of  2019. She said she will be reporting at a later date on what those plans will be to accomplish that goal.

Widening project on 56th Street set to start around July 9

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A 56th Street reconstruction project includes adding a traffic signal to the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

If 56th Street is one of your favorite routes to take to the RiverTown Crossings or to Maple Hill Golf Course, be warned: starting July 9 you will need to find a different route.

 

It is around July 9 that 56th Street will be closed between Ivanrest Avenue and Byron Center Avenue for reconstruction that includes the road being widen to three lines. 

 

“The addition of the left-turn lane has really helped us be able to put in a traffic light at 56th and Ivanrest, which has been long over due at that intersection,” said Russ Henckel, assistant director of the city’s Department of Public Works. Currently the intersection is a four-way stop. Without the left turn lane, it hindered the city in putting in the traffic signal, Henckel said.

 

Along with the widening of the road, on the north side, a regional pathway of a 10-foot sidewalk will be constructed and on the south side, a standard sidewalk of five feet will be constructed. 

 

Regular traffic will be rerouted to 52nd Street and truck traffic will be rerouted to 44th Street.

 

“Out of all the road work that we have for the summer, the 56th Street project probably will have the most impact on drivers,” Henckel said. 

 

The reason beinging is that the road will be totally shut down to through traffic (it will be open to local businesses and residents) unlike road resurfacing projects where a lane is maintained during a project to allow for traffic flow.  

 

The City of Wyoming has a pretty extensive resurfacing program with this year focusing on a number of the city’s neighborhood roads, according to Henkel. A couple of the bigger resurfacing projects for the City of Wyoming are the west mile and a half of 44th Street from Burlingame to Clyde Park avenues and Michael Avenue from 28th Street to Prairie Parkway. 

 

Bids for the city’s resurfacing projects just went out with the Wyoming City Council expected to review and approve final bids at its July 2 meeting, Henckel said.

 

Total cost for the 56th street reconstruction is around $2.4 million which includes the city’s portion of $630,500. According to city staff, the cost does not include the city’s engineering and other expenses, which will bring the total project to about $3 million. The city will pay for its portion of construction costs out of its Capital Improvement Fund.

56th Street, Wilson Avenue rezoning proposal pulled from Wyoming City Council agenda

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The rezoning request for the proposed Reserve at Rivertown PUD has been pulled from the Nov. 6 meeting.

Per the request of the developer, a proposed rezoning for the 56th Street and Wilson Avenue area has been taken off the Wyoming City Council’s agenda for the upcoming Monday night meeting.

 

The Granger Group had been seeking a rezoning of an an additional 98 acres to a development on Wilson Avenue and 56th Street. The additional acreage would have been combined with an approved 2001 current planned unit development (PUD) for that area bringing the PUD to a total of 211.2 acres.

 

Granger spokesperson David Jackiewicz, with First & Main Corporate, confirmed last week that Granger was requesting the city council postpone the hearing on the rezoning so as “to allow the Planning Commission to review an updated PUD plan we recently submitted…” Jackiewicz confirmed that on Oct. 19, Granger Group did submit an amendment to its original 2001 PUD that would include a mix of condominiums, townhouses, and single family homes.

 

Granger started the rezoning process in August. In that proposal of the 211.2 acres, there would have been zero office space but about 3.57 acres of retail space and 686 total housing units. Those units would be 316 single family lots and 370 apartments with no multi-family housing. The Planning Commission had recommended denial of the rezoning request to the Wyoming City Council, which has the final decision on rezoning.

 

The rezoning request had meet with much opposition from residents currently living in and around the development. At a Sept. 5 City Council meeting, at the Granger Group’s request, the council decided to delay a decision until its Nov. 6 meeting. Company officials stated at the meeting that it was their desire to work through the issues and come up with a plan that would have a mutually satisfying conclusion.

 

Some of the concerns expressed by residents were:

  • decrease value to existing homes
  • density too high in one spot
  • increase traffic along 56th Street
  • violation of current property owners’ rights
  • developer does not need to max out the density on the PUD
  • residents should have input on changes
  • growth assumptions of 1 percent are too low
  • putting a strain on local police and fire services
  • there already are lots of other options for luxury apartments
  • other developments such as The Haven have not open and the full impact of those on school and community resources remain an unknown

 

“It [was] higher right now with M-6, I get that,” said Wyoming resident Jason Gillette, who was discussing the traffic on 56th Street. “Even without that, it is very high traffic in the area. In the evening, I’ll be coming and have to wait 20 minutes…depending on what time you come through.”

 

Gordon VanMeulen, who is with the Wyoming Citizens for Planned Progress, said everyone understands that there will be development in the area, but it needs to be sensible and balance.

 

“The 2020 Land Use Plan and Wilson Corridor Report recommended multi-family housing on the northland as a buffer to the RiverTown Crossing and single family homes on the southend,” VanMeulen said. He stated his group is not in favor of the rezoning because of current issues with the Granger Group’s Rivertown Valley, density and number of multi-family units and the failure to follow the 2020 Land Use Plan and the Wilson Corridor Report.

 

In a staff report presented to city officials, staff said that the proposed rezoning does comply with the 2020 Land Use Plan falling under the 4 units per acre overall density. The proposal called for 3.66 units per acre.

 

“When you buy some property next to some vacant land you should really understand can and might be done there,” said 3rd Ward Council Member Robert Postema at the Sept. 5 City Council meeting. “And when we have a PUD in place that is exactly what has been done. Those homeowners have a right to expect what was going to be built behind them. It was all planned out in the PUD. The exact nature of the building may not have been built as it was but the idea that they would have some condominiums behind them, some open space, and then apartments way up by Wilson that was pretty well established.”

 

Intersection of 56th and Ivanrest scheduled to get traffic signal

3-bottom, Citizen Journalism, City of Wyoming, , , , , , ,
A 56th Street reconstruction project includes adding a traffic signal to the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue.

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Within a year, the intersection of 56th Street and Ivanrest Avenue will have a traffic light.

 

At its regular Monday night meeting, the Wyoming City Council moved forward on improvements for 56th Avenue – which includes the new traffic signal – by formally accepting the agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation for the reconstruction project.

 

The project, which is scheduled to start in July of 2018, will include the widening of 56th Street for the addition of a third lane along with sidewalk on the south side and the widening of the bike path on the north side, said Wyoming Public Works Director Bill Dooley during the Monday night council meeting.

 

“Probably the most key to the people out there right now is that we are going to signalize the intersection at 56th and Ivanrest and that was called for in that report for that development over there at Wilson and 56th Street as well,” Dooley said. The intersection is currently a four-way stop. The development Dooley is referring to is the PUD project the Granger Group has been developing and which has met with much opposition from residents. The Wyomig City Council has table that project to November

 

“We wanted to start this year [on 56th Street] but it took longer to get the right-a-ways for the project which have been acquired now,” Dooley said. “We normally would start first thing next spring but Maple Hill Golf Course has a big 40-year celebration and they asked us if we could wait until that is complete which will take place in June. So we will be starting right around the first of July.”

 

The construction costs are estimated at about $2.4 million which includes the city’s portion of $630,500. Dooley note that the cost does not include the city’s engineering and other expenses, which will bring the total project to about $3 million. The city will pay for its portion of construction costs out of its Capital Improvement Fund.

 

Because there are federal monies involved in the project, MDOT will handling the biding process, Dooley said, adding that the project will be put out for bid this fall.

 

Library Sidewalk

 

The Wyoming City Council also accepted a bid for the construction of a concrete sidewalk and lighting to replace an existing dirt path that residents have been taking to get to the KDL Wyoming Branch campus at 3350 Michael Ave. SW. The project was awarded to Weick Bros., Inc, for $44,209.25, which was higher than the planned budget for the project as safety lighting was added to it.

 

Currently residents east of the library from the Herman Avenue area have been using a dirt trail to reach the facility. With increase use of the trail, it was determined to improve the pathway and safety of residents with concrete and additional lighting, according to Mayor Jack Poll.

 

The Wyoming City Council meets the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at the Wyoming City Hall, 1155 28th St. SW. The meetings are broadcast live on WKTV Channel 26 and rebroadcast at 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays.