4/17/24 Royal Oak Review

Apartment complex proposal causes uproar at Planning Commission meeting

A 6-1 vote approving the proposal leaves residents upset

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak residents were unhappy with the Planning Commission April 9 when it approved a plan to build an apartment complex on the site of an old bank

at the northeast corner of Rochester Road and Genesee Avenue, which is south of 14 Mile Road.

In a 6-1 vote, the Planning Commission passed the planned unit development proposal.

On multiple occasions the crowd

Rendering provided by Hobbs and Black Architects

This

Planning Commission urges Corewell Health to work with residents on building plan

See APARTMENT on page 18A See

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — A public hearing was held at the April 9 Royal Oak Planning Commission meeting regarding a proposal from Corewell Health for an outpatient medical clinic and medical office.

Tom Dillenbeck, from Hobbs and Black Architects, and Jim Butler, the civil engineer for the project, stepped forward to explain what is being planned to be constructed at 3828 W. 13 Mile Road.

The petitioners sought approval of their site plan, which was ultimately not approved in a 6-1 vote.

The Planning Commission then unanimously

approved postponing action on the site plan to the commission’s May meeting to give Corewell time to work out concerns with residents who live near the proposed development.

The property is currently vacant, and Corewell Health is proposing to construct a two-story, 88,000-square-foot building with 317 parking spaces.

The first floor would consist of traditional medical offices, and the second floor would be dedicated to outpatient medical procedures, or a surgical center.

Residents had an opportunity to speak at the meeting.

Case Hensler said a berm on the site is an

rendering by Hobbs and Black Architects shows what the proposed Corewell Health medical clinic would look like from the perspective of the main entry from the southeast corner.

Photo by Taylor Christensen

“(The apartment building) is way too big for what it is; you could put a court there and build four beautiful homes and they would sell like hot cakes in Royal Oak,” Genesee Avenue resident Jim Robertson says to the Royal Oak Planning Commission.

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SECOND FRONT PAGE

Clawson 2024-2025 goals and objectives approved at April 2 City Council meeting

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

CLAWSON — The Clawson fiscal year 20242025 goals and objectives were approved in a 3-2 vote at the City Council meeting April 2.

The goals and objectives were discussed at

length throughout eight meetings, and the council decided to approve all five goals and the objectives attached to those goals.

Goal one is to “Deepen sense of place and community identity,” goal two is “Foster an engaged, informed community,” goal three is “Cultivate organizational excellence,” goal four is “provide

efficient, resilient government,” and goal five is “improve infrastructure while creating a safe, comfortable and sustainable environment for all.”

Each goal has eight to 10 objectives that serve as the steppingstones of how the goal will be accomplished.

See GOALS on page 7A

Music fans tune in to Record Store Day

BY MARIA ALLARD allard@candgnews.com

The spirit of independent record stores will make music on Record Store Day, set for April 20 this year.

Record Store Day, held internationally, was launched in 2007 to give employees and customers the chance to gather and celebrate the culture of the indie record store, including those that sell used and new titles.

The event can trigger feelings of nostalgia for anyone who grew up listening to vinyl on their parents’ turntables or met up with friends at the neighborhood shop in their youth.

It’s also a day on which artists release new music or re-release albums and CDs that have been out of print or previously weren’t available. That could include music from current bands and also from groups no longer together. Some titles are limited releases.

Village Vinyl owner John Lehl, left, and manager Adam Davey will be on hand to welcome customers on Record Store Day April 20. Pictured with them are posters from past Record Store Day events.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

Flock Safety cameras possibly coming to Clawson

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

CLAWSON — At the April 2 Clawson City Council meeting, Chief of Police Kellie Bauss presented a proposal asking the council to consider purchasing four Flock Safety Falcon cameras.

The Flock cameras are a capital improvement project funding request that was submitted in March of 2023 and was included in the adopted 2024 improvement plan.

“A Flock Safety Falcon camera is an automated license plate reader camera that utilizes fingerprint technology to capture vehicle attributes,” Bauss said.

According to Bauss, the cameras are being used statewide in investigations and locating wanted vehicles associated with missing and endangered people. The cameras automatically provide real-time alerts of these stolen or wanted vehicles.

“This technology has been identified as a force multiplier in assisting law enforcement with solving crimes,” she said.

The purchase and installation would be for four Flock Safety Falcon cameras. These cameras are solar powered and mounted typically at the entrances of a city on poles and streetlights, according to a memorandum in the meeting’s agenda packet. The purchase would also include a subscription to the camera system.

A subscription price is based on the contract. Michael Dushane, the territory sales manager for Flock Safety, said the typical subscription is for two years, and under that contract the price won’t change.

The initial acquisition cost for the cameras will be paid through Clawson’s American Rescue Plan Act funds, according to City Manager Joe Rheker, and then the rest of the cost to sustain the system will be factored into the Police Department’s annual budget.

If the cameras get approved, there will be four cameras installed at a cost of $14,600 the first year, including installation fees, and $12,000 for the year following.

Bauss is asking for four cameras to be installed but said 11 would be ideal, considering there are 11 points of entry into Clawson.

“According to the Vehicle Crimes Auto Theft Educational Awareness Report released by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, there is a significant relationship between vehicle crime and subsequent violent crime,” the memo states.

Dushane said the trademarked Vehicle Fingerprint Technology in the cameras scans the license plate and captures the vehicle make, color, type, state of the license plate, and over 20 other vehicle details.

“What is unique about Flock is that if a vehicle did not have a license plate, you can still search by unique features such as the make of the vehicle, the color of the vehicle,” he said. “There are a dozen other ones in terms of a roof rack or a bumper sticker or anything that a victim or eyewitness is able to help describe that they saw with that vehicle.”

The cameras do not measure speed and are not used for any type of traffic enforcement, according to Dushane. The cameras also do not have facial recognition, Dushane said.

The data, or images, automatically delete every 30 days, according to Dushane, and are only brought out by the police if they are actively searching through them.

“Flock does not own the images, the PD owns the images and has access to them,” he said.

“The idea is that we want these cameras at all of the entrances of the city,” Bauss said. “We have 11 entrances in the city of Clawson and we are asking to have four cameras at what we believe are the main entrances, working with an analyst through Flock.”

The analyst from Flock will identify the highest rates of traffic in each of the entrances to find where the Flock cameras should be placed.

The Clawson Police Department has been looking into placing four Flock Safety Falcon cameras along the major roadways into the city to help it solve crimes.

Photo provided by Clawson Police Chief Kellie Bauss

Royal Oak High School senior wins 2nd place for voting-focused documentary

BY TAYLOR CHRISTENSEN tchristensen@candgnews.com

ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak High School senior Sarah Barnett won second place for her work on a documentary titled “Is Ranked Choice the Right Choice?”

Barnett utilized interviews, research and editing to create her documentary project, and she submitted it to the C-SPAN StudentCam competition in January.

C-SPAN television is a “public service created by the American Cable Television Industry,” according to c-span. org. C-SPAN provides students, teachers and the public access to live proceedings of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, as well as other forums where public policy is discussed.

StudentCam, the competition Barnett participated in, is an annual national video documentary competition encouraging students to “think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation,” according to studentcam.org.

This year’s topics the students could choose from were “In the next 20 years, what is the most important change that you’d like to see in America?” or “Over the past 20 years, what’s the most important change in America?”

Barnett chose to base her documentary on the first topic. Barnett said making videos is something she has always been interested in, and it serves as an escape from the less-creative class activities she does throughout the day.

“I have always been a person who has really enjoyed

capturing memories, capturing moments,” she said. “I really enjoy being in front of the camera and being behind the camera; just getting to edit it feels like a very creative outlet for me.”

Her documentary, “Is Ranked Choice the Right Choice,” outlines what ranked choice voting is and how it affects a city like Royal Oak.

Barnett interviewed an array of individuals from Royal Oak to Ireland.

“I had to gather a lot of different interviews, and I wanted to gather a varying range of perspectives,” she said. “So I talked to, you know, a diplomat from Ireland, I talked to some people from my community, and then, you know, also had some failed interviews as well.”

Making a connection in Ireland was a “friend of a friend situation,” Barnett said.

Editing was the most time-consuming part, according to Barnett, and it even surprised her parents with the number of hours required to produce a five-minute documentary.

“I had to come into school for a couple of days on the weekends just to make sure it was done,” she said. “It definitely took, you know, 20 or so hours.”

Coming up with the idea of ranked choice voting came from her home life. Barnett said she and her family have “dinner table debates” at times regarding this topic, and it pushed her to want to investigate more.

“My sister is really into statistics and math, and she

See DOCUMENTARY on page 11A

Photo provided by Royal Oak Schools Sarah Barnett won second place in the annual C-SPAN StudentCam competition for her documentary, “Is Ranked Choice the Right Choice?”

GOVERNMENT BRIEFS

Crooks Road construction begins

ROYAL OAK — Crooks Road from North Main Street to 13 Mile Road is under construction. This project was scheduled to begin the week of April 15, at press time.

One lane will remain open in each direction for traffic on Crooks Road, according to royaloakschools. org.

The construction is classified as a major road resurfacing project, according to Royal Oak’s website, romi. gov.

Left turns will not be allowed for northbound and southbound traffic at 12 Mile Road, Webster Road and 13 Mile Road.

The project is expected to be completed by October. It will include partial water main replacement. The road will then be resurfaced and restriped as a four-lane roadway.

MDOT to have open houses for last phase of I-696 project

ROYAL OAK/FERNDALE — The Michigan Department of Transportation will host two open houses in regard to the last phase of the Interstate 696 Restore the Reuther project at 4:30-6:30 p.m. April 23 at the

Southfield Public Library and at 4:30-6:30 p.m. May 15 at the Hazel Park Community Center.

The Restoring the Reuther project phase will improve the portion of I-696 between Lahser Road and Dequindre Road.

“The $290 million investment will include eight miles of new concrete pavement and base material, 1.5 miles of concrete patching, drainage improvements, and sign, traffic signals, and pavement marking upgrades,” MDOT stated in a press release. “Improvements and preventative maintenance on 60 bridges within the project limits will also be included.”

This project phase directly impacts the communities of Southfield, Lathrup Village, Oak Park, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Ferndale, Madison Heights and Hazel Park.

Interested residents, commuters, community stakeholders, local businesses and MDOT staff will all be attending the open houses.

The project will occur between 2025 and 2027. During 2025 and 2026, the westbound lanes will remain open with eastbound traffic detoured via southbound M-10, eastbound M-8 (Davison Freeway), and northbound Interstate 75 back to eastbound I-696.

The Church Street plaza bridge is included in the project. It will be removed and replaced in 2025 and 2026.

Public comment can be submitted to Monica Monsma at MonsmaM@Michigan.gov.

— Taylor Christensen

492 Rochester

Scan the QR Code for details

Cameras

from page 4A

City Manager Joe Rheker asked Bauss to clarify how the cameras in the surrounding communities have helped Clawson thus far.

“I think since October of 2022 we have requested assistance on 30 Clawson police investigations, and since July we requested assistance in 15 investigations,” Bauss said. “So I mean, it’s being used more and more and collaborating with other agencies.”

Bauss said that the Troy Police Department has used the Flock system in more than 30 cases that its officers have solved.

“They feel like they would not have been able to solve it if they didn’t have their Flock cameras in their city,” she said.

The Flock system will be available to the department through an application with a specific login for each officer, according to Dushane.

Mayor Paula Millan brought up vandalism and asked about an insurance policy.

“When it comes to vandalism, it is on the PD to pay for that,” Dushane said. “We are open with our police in terms of what the cost would be for fixing certain parts or if it’s a full replacement of it. Our goal is to work with you and have you as a happy customer.”

Other than vandalism, restoration or fixes that the cameras might need due to weather damage or other natural causes or accidents will be paid for by Flock Safety.

Following this discussion, a proposal was to be written up and presented to the council at the next City Council meeting, which occurred April 16, after press time.

Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 498-1081.

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Goals

from page 3A

The discussion at the April 2 meeting put to rest the disagreements on wording for goal one objective one, goal two objectives one and six, and goal five objective one.

In goal one objective one, City Manager Joe Rheker added wording to show the collaboration between the City Council, the Clawson Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Development Authority and other businesscentric entities to attract and retain businesses and development.

The objective was originally to “Attract, encourage and retain a mixture of robust businesses and development into the city.”

This change was proposed by Council member Susan Moffitt at the previous meeting, where she asked for “some type of reference to collaboration with the DDA,” according to Rheker.

Council member Matthew Binkowski did not agree with this addition.

“Chamber of commerce is not a city organization in any way, shape or form,” he said. “They are a private entity, they are a business lobbying group, although we do rent them space in our City Hall, there is no reason why we should have them in our goals at all.”

Rheker disagreed with Binkowski, saying that the chamber of commerce does a “good job advocating for the business community and the city at large.”

Mayor Paula Millan said that this ad-

dition is not an issue and that it shows the collaboration City Council has with different entities.

“It’s just saying we are going to look outside of our internal walls to ensure that those

other entities that make us a success are a part of the process,” she said.

The changes made to goal two objectives one and six were small, and discussed briefly.

Photo by Taylor Christensen

The Clawson City Council voted 6-2 to approve the fiscal year 2024-2025 goals and objectives at the April 2 meeting.

See GOALS on page 11A

Records

from page 3A

From the mainstream to the obscure, Record Store Day will have artists from all genres: classic rock, rap, blues, jazz, punk and country. Each individual record store owner decides what titles to order.

Several metro Detroit stores will participate in Record Store Day. It has become a tradition for record collectors to wait in line before the stores open for the day in hopes of getting that one special title they have been patiently waiting for.

“People make a day of it,” said Todd Fundaro, owner of Flipside Records in Berkley, which will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. on April 20. “It’s the busiest day of the year by far.”

Flipside Records will offer discounts on used merchandise. Customers may even get a chance to see their favorite bands live this year as Fundaro will have ticket giveaways to 14 different upcoming concerts, including Santana, Green Day and Incubus.

The alternative rock group Paramore was crowned as the Record Store Day 2024 ambassadors. The musicians will pay tribute to the Talking Heads with their version of “Burning Down the House” on 12-inch vinyl; on the B-side will be Paramore’s song “Hard Times,” performed by David Byrne.

“That’s been getting some buzz,” Fundaro said.

As Record Store Day approaches, pop music’s biggest star right now — Taylor Swift — will drop her new album the day before. Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” is set for release April 19, and Fundaro expects “a bunch of Swifties” to go record store shopping to pick up the new release. “Dark Matter” from Pearl Jam is due out April 19, which could prompt fans of the Seattle rockers to hit the stores on Saturday.

Music from many other artists will come out on April 20 including selections from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Doors, Linda Ronstadt, Willie Nelson, Mavis Staples, The Offspring, Public Enemy, Queen Latifah, The Sisters of Mercy and many, many more. There are singles, full albums and picture discs. A list of new releases also can be found on recordstoreday.com.

‘There are a lot of good releases this year’

“We always have a great turnout,” said John Lehl, who owns Village Vinyl in Sterling Heights, which will open at 8 a.m. April 20. “There are 300 releases, and we should have most of them.”

For Lehl, the Mudhoney box set “Suck You Dry: The Reprise Years”’ is the title he’s most interested in. Village Vinyl recently moved from its digs on Chicago Road in Warren to its new spot at 34230 Van Dyke Ave., between 14 Mile and 15 Mile roads. Something Lehl always notices about Record Store Day is the camaraderie between customers.

“It’s a lot of people talking music and having a good time,” he said. “I think people are on the move all day bouncing from store to store. Every store has different sales.”

One piece of music people have been asking about is the release from folk-pop performer Noah Kahan.

“There’s a regular release and a split with Olivia Rodrigo, which is going to be pretty big,” Lehl said.

Village Vinyl has been in business for seven years.

“I enjoy everything about music,” Lehl said. “It’s always exciting to see what people will buy and what people will bring in. We see a little bit of everything.”

Melodies & Memories, located at 23013 Gratiot Ave., in Eastpointe, will get into the vibe of the occasion by offering a 20% discount on used merchandise all day. The store will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“We do Record Store Day every year. A lot of the people are our regular customers,” said Dan Zieja, who owns the business with his wife, Denise. “There are a lot of good releases this year.”

Over the years, vinyl records have been the biggest seller for the Ziejas. They’ve also witnessed a recent resurgence of 45 RPM sales, and plans are underway to start stocking vintage T-shirts. Melodies & Memories recently celebrated 36 years in business.

“We’re like an old slipper,” Zieja said. “We’ve been here a long time. People know our store from all over the world.”

According to Zieja, past shoppers have included rappers Eminem and Kanye West, and Motown great Martha Reeves.

“Aretha Franklin used to shop here,” he said. “Questlove (from) Jimmy Fallon’s show was just in here.”

Record Store Day is held twice a year, in April and every November on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving.

Call Staff Writer Maria Allard at (586) 498-1045.

Village Vinyl, which recently moved from Warren to Sterling Heights, will participate again in Record Store Day April 20.

SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

According to the website recordstoreday.com, the following stores in the C & G Newspapers coverage area are participating in Record Store Day:

• Dearborn Music-Farmington, 33025 Grand River Ave., Farmington.

• Found Sound, 234 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale.

• Ripe Records Detroit, 15212 Charlevoix St., Grosse Pointe Park.

• Weirdsville Records, 61 Macomb Place, Mount Clemens.

• Blast in the Past, 28071 Gratiot Ave., Roseville.

• Solo Records, 30148 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak.

• The Detroit Record Club, 28834 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak.

• UHF Music, 512 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak.

• Media Reload, 13285 Hall Road, Utica.

Participating record stores are subject to change.

Photo by Patricia O’Blenes

& NOTES

Students experience eclipse

Optimist Club planning fundraiser

ROYAL OAK — The Royal Oak Optimist Club will raise money next month in the form of a theater show. It is asking people to purchase tickets to a performance of “Between Riverside and Crazy.”

The club had previously purchased a handful of tickets for a reduced price, which it is now selling. A portion of those sales will go directly to the club.

“Between Riverside and Crazy” is a play directed by Jeff

Nahan about a man desperately trying to keep his beloved apartment through a lot of obstacles.

The show won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was written by Stephen Adly Guirgis.

The show will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Detroit Repertory Theatre. Tickets cost $35. Doors will open at 1 p.m.

Contact Illene Harmon-McGough at (248) 259-1035 for ticket purchases.

Detroit Zoo to host GreenFest

ROYAL OAK — An event about sustainability and environmental care will take place at the Detroit Zoo

April 20-21.

GreenFest, presented by Consumers Energy, will have live music, green food trucks, a sustainable marketplace shopping experience, hands-on activities and more.

The event is to celebrate eco-friendly habits.

GreenFest is included with purchase of admission to the Detroit Zoo April 20-21. The event will run from 9 a.m to 3 p.m. GreenFest is free for members.

According to detroitzoo.org, the event will be promoting sustainability practices through “fun activities and educational displays, encouraging guests to make the world a greener place.”

Guests will be able to explore the zoo grounds while interacting with the animals and learning about these eco-friendly practices.

The first 250 guests to enter the event on either day will get a surprise. According to the website, they will receive a 2-gallon bucket of “Zoo Poo,” which is compost created from waste collected at the zoo.

According to the website, this compost is “perfect to grow your garden or plant paradise.”

ANNUAL PARK CLEANUP

ROYAL OAK — Royal Oak residents are encouraged to get outside and involved in the annual park cleanup April 20-21.

Cleanups will be taking place at parks around the city of Royal Oak.

Volunteers are asked to help pick up debris and leaves, according to romi.gov. The website says volunteer groups and individuals are allowed to participate.

Trash bags will be provided by the Department of Public Services and can be picked up a week prior to the event at 1600 N. Campbell Road. Sign up by the end of the day April 18 at romi.gov/1837/Park-Cleanup.

Students Loriann Lile, right, and Lydia Mazzari get a glimpse of the nearly total solar eclipse at Shrine Catholic Grade School in Royal Oak April 8.

Corwell

from page 1A

important factor to keep in the plan, and Hensler asked for some sort of wall to be put up near his home to shield it from the clinic parking lot.

“We have had two concerns, which are safety and privacy. There are two things we have consistently floated toward, which is to have a berm between the houses, which is already on the north end, so it shouldn’t be removed,” he said. “Or where I am on the west side, we have a very thin wood fence. (...) I have been asking to get that replaced with a nice brick wall.”

According to Royal Oak resident Daniel Lin, a physician in the community, the berm was installed years prior to the Corewell Health clinic proposal for the very reason of shielding the residents from future construction.

“When we moved in 12 years ago, there was concern. I saw the property and I was concerned about what kind of security issues or privacy problems it would be, but I was reassured by the Realtors that the developers had a contract that the berm would be there,” Lin said.

Following public comment, the Planning Commission was able to speak.

Commissioner Anne Bueche believed that the site plan was proposing too many parking spaces and voiced some issues regarding accessibility for bicyclists and bus riders.

“The green space and the walkable connections between the institutions that make up your whole campus is very important, as is the transit and bike accessibility, and it is less than it should be in general for a city like ours that really emphasizes people having multiple options for how they move,” she said.

Director of Planning Joseph Murphy said the fate of the berm is entirely up to the

Planning Commission.

“It is appropriate for the Planning Commission to determine whether the landscape plan that is in front of you tonight is sufficient to provide screening to adjacent land uses specifically in the single-family properties,” Murphy said.

“We did find in 2007 that Beaumont had provided the city with a letter that indicated that they were modifying the land contract between Beaumont and the developer. (...) That they were adding a provision in the land contract that said they would reserve that space for a landscape buffer,” he said.

Murphy said that “whether that is legally binding from there on out, I don’t believe that is up to us to make that determination at this table.”

Mayor Mike Fournier asked Corewell Health representatives to elaborate more on why they do not want to keep the berm.

“The berm that is there today is twice as wide as the one that was on the original drawings, so it was originally 25 feet in plan view; now it is actually 50 feet,” Dillenbeck

See CORWELL on page 13A

Goals

from page 7A

Goal two objective one was changed to add “and responsive,” to the goal. It now reads: “Ensure effective, meaningful, and responsive communication with the community.”

Goal two objective six now has a date to review and improve the city of Clawson website: by June 30, 2024. Originally, the objective did not have a date attached.

Goal five objective one is in regard to addressing the roads, sewers and water mains in the city.

The updated objective reads as follows, “Prepare a fiscally responsible, comprehensive, and coordinated plan within calendar year

Documentary

from page 5A

did a project about ranked choice voting and looking at statistics of the subject last year, so it kind of became a topic of discussion for my family,” she said.

Being 17 years old, Barnett felt it was

2024 to address roads, sewers, and watermains within the city, such that the road system is brought up to a fair and better average and identified water and sewer concerns are fixed or prioritized for remediation/funding by 2035.”

The changes made by Rheker were to shorten the length of the objective, as well as give it more of a “realistic” outcome.

“I think this addresses the fact that we’re addressing the road system by instead of you saying that you wanted all of them, all roads, at a fair or better condition, which I think is not realistic, I do believe that we can get the average of our road system to a fair or better level,” Rheker said.

The original proposed objective had a definition of what “coordinated” means in regard to fixing the roads, sewers and water mains. Binkowski did not want that to be

her duty to learn about different kinds of voting, as she is almost to the age of being a voter.

“I want to analyze the different possibilities of change in the government,” she said.

Barnett was shocked to find out the news that she won second place, saying that politics is not her first choice of something to research.

taken out.

“The word coordinated means that the plan should address water mains and sewer sections simultaneously when roads are repaired in the event that said water mains and sewer sections are underneath said roads,” he said.

“To me this is an important part of the goal that we do things in a smart manner, that we coordinate our water and sewer repairs with the roadway above them,” Binkowski said.

Binkowski continued to be adamant on keeping the verbiage he proposed in the objective, saying that without it, the repairs might not be done simultaneously.

Millan decided to stop the discussion after it started to get heated between Binkowski and Rheker.

“I am just going to be a mom for a minute, instead of whatever I am supposed to be

“The main thing I enjoy about broadcasting is sports media, so I was definitely a little bit out of my comfort zone,” she said. “I was really shocked when I got second place.”

After high school, Barnett will be attending the University of Michigan to pursue film and television media.

“I am super excited about it, but I feel like I don’t totally know what form of media

sitting here; you (Binkowski) are not going to change your mind, and you (Rheker) are not going to change your mind,” Millan said. “There is stuff not worth talking about anymore.”

Council member Bruce Anderson believes that with hiring good people to do this work, this plan should not pose a problem.

“I have confidence that they’re pretty smart in their business and that the general gist of Mr. Rheker’s statement is sufficient,” Anderson said.

The meeting ended with the City Council approving the 2024-2025 goals and objectives as presented at the April 2 update in a 3-2 vote. Binkowski and Moffitt did not approve.

Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 498-1081.

I am interested in, but it is definitely something worth pursuing for me,” she said. “So whether that be graphic design, broadcasting or film production, I’m definitely interested in that subject area.”

To view Barnett’s piece, visit c-span. org/classroom/document/?22323.

Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 498-1081.

Young and finding its footing, Clawson baseball looking to defend title

BY JONATHAN SZCZEPANIAK jszczepaniak@candgnews.com

Winning the league is a point of emphasis for each baseball coach, as is the usual saying of “getting 1% better each day.”

For Clawson baseball last season, the Macomb Area Conference Silver/Bronze was a safe haven for a team that dominated league opponents to the tune of an 18-0 record. Clawson won the league by a four-game margin.

Outside league play, the Trojans were 5-11 and were handed their third straight loss to Madison Heights Bishop Foley in the opening round of districts.

Clawson returns its veteran mainstays in seniors Hayden Stevens (P/SS) and Cole McCaffrey (P/1B/3B), who will undoubtedly be the leadership presence in the clubhouse just off their play alone.

“A lot of the young guys are still trying to get to speed with what varsity ball looks like, and having Hayden and Cole, who have been on varsity since they were freshmen, it’s helpful to have guys that have been on varsity as freshmen,” Clawson head coach Steve Haney said. “Sometimes they talk about their experiences of what they learned and what they went through as they were freshman and progressing to varsity as seniors.”

Commanding the top of the lineup last year, McCaffrey

See BASEBALL on page 13A

Bergeron

LEFT: Clawson junior Roy Spielbusch pitches during a matchup against Sterling Heights Parkway Christian April 13 at Clawson City Park.

ABOVE: Clawson senior Cole McCaffrey takes a swing. Photos by Patricia O’Blenes

Baseball

from page 12A

hit .425, while Stevens, who is leading off for the Trojans, hit .427 and posted an 8-2 record and a 2.97 ERA on the mound.

Stevens also commanded the huddle for the 7-3 Trojans football team, which won the MAC Bronze league title this year.

Holding a leadership position on the gridiron as a team captain, Stevens said it was a smooth transition mentoring the younger guys on the baseball team, the majority of whom play football for the Trojans.

“I’ve been carrying the leadership role for quite a while now coming from football, where I was a team captain as a junior and senior, so a lot of these guys know me well and I’ve built good connections with them through the offseason,” Stevens said. “I think half the battle is just knowing these kids, and when they make a mistake, I can just walk up to them and say, ‘Hey, you’re all good, kid.’ It helps them not feel so bad about themselves and focus on the next play in the field.”

Freshmen Elliott Groves (SS), Ezra Lock (2B/3B), Logan Fulks (2B/3B) and Graysen Carroll (OF) are the four first-year players gracing the Clawson roster, and they’re being thrown right into the fire. Sophomore Trent Stephan, who played on varsity last year, will also be in the infield mix this year.

Clawson doesn’t shy away from competition, as its non-league schedule already featured Royal Oak Shrine Catholic, Garden City, Warren Cousino (MAC Gold), Roseville (MAC Gold) and Sterling Heights Parkway Christian, and mistakes are bound to be made in matchups of that caliber.

Haney said the underclassmen’s growth will come with varsity innings under their belts, but he said he’s been impressed with what he’s seen so far.

“They get better all the time at practice, which is a lot of fun,” Haney said. “Sometimes, like in our game against Shrine a couple weeks ago, inexperience shows, but they continue to get better at practice. It’s very exciting, because they’re all strong See BASEBALL on page 19A

Corwell

from page 10A

said. “So if that grew over time or it was installed differently we are not sure, but it would mean a reduction of 10,000 square feet to the building if it was to remain in place.”

“To take away the berm will really take away the last piece of open land that we have access to, to create what will be a fantastic project for the community,” President of Corwell Health Beaumont Hospital Dr. Daniel Carey said.

“It’s your property, and we can’t force you to do this,” Commissioner Jim Ellison said. “All I am saying is that the Beaumont Health system — for as long as I have been in Royal Oak — they’ve always been a good neighbor.”

Carey said that he is willing to work with the neighbors and said he is going to sit down with his planning team to work out a way to figure out the berm problem, as well as how people can access the hospital through city transit and bike racks.

Planning Commissioner Clyde Esbri made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Sharlan Douglas, to put up masonry walls on the west and north of the residential properties and eliminate 33 parking spots on the north end of the property line. After more dis-

cussion, Esbri and Douglas were no longer in favor of their motion, which the commission then voted against 6-1. Chairman Gary Quesada voted for the motion, saying he liked it.

Mayor Michael Fournier then moved to postpone the proposal until next month. Corewell Health’s team will now go to work on revising the plan to work with the neighbors and come back before the Planning Commission next month. Corewell could ask to postpone the site plan further if it is not ready in May. The Planning Commission meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. The next meeting will be May 14.

Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 498-1081.

FLOWER SEASON APPROACHES AS WEATHER IMPROVES

BY MIKE KOURY mkoury@candgnews.com

The weather has been slowly getting warmer in Michigan, which means homeowners can start planning their flower beds for their properties.

The first thing people should think about when getting their flower beds ready, said Brad Wethy, manager for the Oakland County Farmers Market, is how to prepare the beds, what needs to be removed, what needs to be deadheaded and cut down, and what can last through the wintertime.

“It’s gonna be cleaning up that flower bed, making sure that when things do want to actually sprout through the ground, that they’re not having any extra obstacles such as branches, piles of leaves from the previous fall, things of that nature,” he said.

Wethy also recommended adding things to the soil that will help with plant growth, such as compost.

Matt Colonius, co-owner of Piechnik’s Greenhouse & Garden Gate in Oakland Township, said that people moving into newly built homes have to mend the soil.

“You buy a new house and it’s just an empty lot. The foundation that they dig, they bring up the old soil from the job,” he said. “They usually don’t replenish the topsoil. So you’re stuck with this topsoil. It’s just not got any nutrients or anything in it. So it takes time the first year to establish your plants when you’re buying a new house. You have to add topsoil and nutrients.”

The best way to clean the flower beds, Wethy said, is to use simple garden-

Customers show interest in buying pansies April 6 at the Oakland County Farmers Market.

Photos by Erin Sanchez

Paul Viaene helps out at the flower stands and gives advice to Marsha Milton, of Lathrup Village.

The Exterior Painters Celebrate 20 Years of Transforming Properties, Neighborhoods

Nothing transforms a property and makes it shine brighter than a fresh coat of paint. It’s simply the best and most cost-effective investment you can make for your home draped in the colors of yesterday.

The Exterior Painters have been revitalizing properties for 20 years.

“We specialize in just exterior painting, and the reason why we do that is we believe that repetition is the mother of all skill,” said owner Brian Scott. “For 20 years, that’s all we’ve been doing is outside work. When it comes to that, we do wood replacement and siding replacement. It makes us the perfect fit for homeowners who don’t want to re-side their whole house.”

The Exterior Painters replace damaged siding and boards as needed, but they’re not looking to push for a full siding replacement.

“It gets people by another 10 years and transforms the look of the house, bringing it to the next color trends of today,” Scott said.

“Another thing we do that makes us unique, we have a full-time color consultant,” Scott added. “For most people, that’s the hardest, most stressful part, choosing what color they want. Our consultant comes out and

meets with the homeowners and gives them an idea of what the new color trends are so they can make a good color choice that complements their landscaping, brickwork and architectural features.”

The Exterior Painters also specialize in brick staining.

“A lot of younger people are buying houses. We’re taking it from grandma’s house of the ’50s, ’60s or ’70s and bringing it to that HGTV look,” Scott said.

make a big difference in terms of curb

Power washing the siding — and for an additional charge, soft washing the roof if needed — can also make a big difference in terms of curb appeal.

you’re getting a bigger bang for your buck.”

It’s a win for everyone, from the crews The Exterior Painters employ and pay well to the homeowners who see their neighborhoods transformed. The company paints 30 houses a week on average in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties, and boasts a five-star Google review average.

“With us you’re buying certainty. We don’t ask for a large deposit, and you don’t have to worry about anyone running off with your deposit,” Scott said.

work spread from house to house in a neighborhood as the properties are siding repairs and much-needed to get.”

Scott said his crews often see their work spread from house to house in a neighborhood as the properties are transformed through fresh paint, siding repairs and much-needed washing.

“It’s the cheapest home improvement you can do without breaking the bank,” Scott said.

“Compared to other home improvements,

“We stand by our work. We provide a warranty and proven results by taking care of everybody in the community. We’re Nextdoor’s No. 1 preferred contractor in Rochester two years in a row. It’s that certainty factor. You know what you’re going

The Exterior Painters are located at 2365 Avon Industrial Drive in Rochester Hills. To request a quote or for more information, call (248) 844-8888.

Verbal argument turned destructive

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported at 8:25 p.m. April 1 that a known person kicked and punched his Chevy Silverado after a verbal argument on Woodward Avenue.

Shopping cart heist

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported at 7:31 p.m. March 29, an unknown person pushed a full shopping cart out of the store containing various items without paying for it at the Meijer on Coolidge Highway.

CRIME WATCH

Sunglasses, cash, air compressor stolen

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that at 2:41 a.m. March 29, an unknown person stole two pairs of sunglasses, cash and an air compressor from the complainant’s unlocked vehicle in the 1900 block of Parmenter Boulevard, near 14 Mile and Crooks roads.

Car damaged

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that between 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. March 24, an unknown person dam-

aged both side-view mirrors on his Chrysler 300 while it was parked in the street in the 1300 block of Northwood Blvd.

Catalytic converter stolen

ROYAL OAK — A complainant reported that between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on March 21-25, an unknown person stole the catalytic converter from his car in the 2100 block of W. 14 Mile Road.

— Taylor Christensen

Apartment

burst out in applause following different public comments against the project, and whispers could be heard throughout the three-hour discussion.

Gary Quesada, chairperson of the Planning Commission, rebuked the audience, stating that “this is not a football game.”

Commissioners also took two recesses because of people speaking out from the audience while commissioners were in discussion.

The petitioner proposed to change the zoning of the property from “mixed use 2” to “planned unit development (PUD),” according to the Planning Division PUD plan.

Trowbridge Home Construction LLC, who are the petitioners on this project, proposed a three-and-a-half story, L-shaped building with 42 multiple-family dwellings.

The building would have frontage along both streets, Genesee Avenue and Rochester Road, with vehicular access on Genesee Avenue and a public alleyway at the northeast corner of the site.

The site plan proposed 79 off-street parking spaces, as well as 21 parking spaces along the east rear lot line.

“This PUD is not what the community wants; this PUD is simply directed towards allowing a unit to be built in that location that does not fit in the community,” resident Brian Herman said. “Everybody here is telling you it is too big and there are no advantages to the community.”

Residents of Genessee Avenue and surrounding areas were upset about the possibility of increased traffic, some saying they deal with enough traffic already. There was no traffic study conducted prior to this proposal.

Paul Anselm, who lives on Genesee Avenue, voiced his concern about people using Genesee to cut through to the apartments.

“The biggest issue seems to be, and what we all agree upon, is the traffic on Genesee,” Anselm said. “We need to eliminate that entrance.”

Some suggested downsizing the complex and felt that a PUD was not needed. Prior to the rezoning to a PUD being approved, the site was designated as mixed use 2, meaning it could have been a complex with 16 apartments, which would follow along with the master plan.

“Why are we taking this route to get this project approved?” resident Randy Houston said. “You are subsidizing this project with our quality of life.”

“We are tired of seeing the violation of the master plan when you make it a PUD,” 38-year resident of Royal Oak Pat Wall said.

Carolyn Martz lives close to the proposed

project and presented photos to the commission showing how this project will affect her quality of life. She also voiced concerns about traffic and the proposed development’s lighting, which she said will “light up like a casino.”

“As the pictures show, it will take away my sunsets,” she said. “While they are going to get nice doors to open and fresh air and stuff, I am going to be shaded.”

Amber Long was one of the few who voiced their support for the project, saying that she enjoys the proposed design and thinks it will fit in nicely with Royal Oak.

“I support this project because any additional housing in our city is a plus, and additional housing that repurposes property that is currently empty is a bigger plus,” Long said. “We can’t guarantee that this will be attainable housing, but more housing means more competition and we have that to make housing available for everyone.”

The majority of the Planning Commission’s members spoke about their distaste for the PUD process after public comment.

“I am very sensitive to the use of a PUD process, and I am not sure that in this case it is being utilized properly,” Commissioner Woody Gontina said.

“PUDs are legal, this is a legal process that if somebody uses their creativity and finds the right project that they can do through a PUD and they come before us, it is legal and we need to consider it,” Quesada said.

Quesada said that the main issues he has are with what the neighborhood has voiced, such as the traffic.

Commissioner Jim Ellison said that this is a good project, and that regardless of the PUD process, he thinks the project is well designed.

“For 20-some years I have been working on projects in this community, and I have seen it all, and the traffic problems you mention, I’m not going to dismiss them, they are real to you, they are real to your street,” Ellison said.

Ann Bueche was the one person on the commission who voted against the project.

“I don’t feel this project is the right scale for this property,” Bueche said. “I would really like to see something more consistent with our current zoning.”

The commission voted for “a final PUD plan that allows for no fewer than 65 offstreet parking spaces and a right turn only on to Genesee Avenue,” as stated in the motion made by City Commissioner Sharlan Douglas, who is also a member of the Planning Commission.

Following this approval, this proposal will go in front of the City Commission at an upcoming meeting.

Call Staff Writer Taylor Christensen at (586) 498-1081.

Baseball

from page 13A

ballplayers, so thinking about what they could be in the next few years is exciting for sure.”

The underclassmen will also be making a name for themselves in the rotation as Groves and sophomore Shane Dunlap, who is as good as anyone in the MAC behind the plate, will contribute innings to an already stacked rotation of Stevens, McCaffrey, junior Roy Spielbusch, and junior Jacob MacCallum.

Stevens possesses a wipeout slider to go along with a changeup he’s incorporated into his arsenal, while Groves and Spielbusch have already shown they have punchout-worthy stuff, collecting a combined 11 strikeouts in a 6-3 win over Warren Woods Tower April 5.

As strong as the rotation can be, McCaffrey said their bond is what sets Clawson’s array of arms apart.

“We’re all close friends who lift each other up if we aren’t doing the best,” McCaffrey said. “I think we work great off of each other, because we all have our own off-speeds and breaking balls that we throw.”

The bats should be steady for the Trojans with Dunlap, who hit .463 last year, Stevens, and McCaffrey leading the way, while Haney expects junior Nick Therrien to improve off last season’s success.

Therrien will hit cleanup for the Trojans and specialized in coming through when the team needed him most in 2023.

“He (Therrien) had a knack for having some big hits,” Haney said. “He had a few walk-off RBI singles in the seventh inning last year, so we’re hoping his batting continues to improve and he has some big hits for us like he did last year.”

Currently 2-6 on the year and 1-0 in league play, Clawson will look to successfully defend its reputation as the top team in the Silver/Bronze, and it has all the pieces to do it.

“I don’t think there’s a kid on this team that can’t make an impact in the field or when they are in the box, and they’ll only get better as the season progresses,” Stevens said.

Call Staff Writer Jonathan Szczepaniak at (586) 498-1090.

Flowers

from page 14A

ing tools.

“You don’t need to go too in depth with it,” he said. “You don’t need power tools, nothing of that nature. A simple trowel, a simple … rake and just knowing what to remove and what not to remove can do leaps and bounds for your garden.”

Colonius said that if homeowners are cleaning up the yard, they should do a walkthrough to see if anything was damaged over the winter.

Items for homeowners to search for include broken branches caused by the weather and rodent damage.

“Be careful, if you have any perennials, not to disturb the perennials. Leave the mulch around them until the danger of frost is over, which is usually the beginning of May, but it can be as late as Memorial Day,” he said.

As for what to plant right now, Colonius said flowers including pansies, daffodils and tulips would grow well.

“You might want to consider whether you have deer in your yard or not,” he said. “When you make the choices, you want some deer-tolerant, cold-tolerant plants. So you know pansies are wonderful. They can take the cold but … there’s a lot of problems with the way the deer have cohabitated with us and it’s causing a lot of issues with landscapes in the area.”

Besides sun and water, Wethy said the best way to keep the flowers healthy is to keep an eye out for pest and fungi issues, and issues with overcrowding.

“I even had issues with overcrowding. … As I removed certain things from the garden or gave them more space, they were actually able to flourish better,” he said.

He said it’s important to know the space and light requirements for plants — what needs more space, what grows in shade and what grows in direct sunlight.

Call Staff Writer Mike Koury at (586) 498-1077.

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p.m. registration and 7 p.m. deal, Pronto!, 608 S. Washington Ave. in Royal Oak, (248) 439-1501, royaloakhistoricalsociety.com

APRIL 20

Road rally fundraiser: Hosted by Royal Oak Eagles hockey club, 1-5 p.m. (pizza afterward), begins at Royal Oak High School and travels within city, sign up by April 18, (248) 546-6430

Learn about medicare: Free seminar with licensed insurance counselor, 10 a.m., Blair Memorial Library, 416 N. Main St., (248) 588-5500

APRIL 25

Royal Oak Nature Society fundraiser: Desserts, silent and live auctions, and 50-50 raffle, money to help improve, maintain and protect Tenhave Woods and Cummingston Park, 7-10 p.m., Royal Oak Farmers Market, 316 E. 11 Mile Road, www.romi.gov/463/ Annual-Fundraiser

APRIL 26

‘Red Run, Ghost River of Royal Oak’: Presentation at 7 p.m., Royal Oak Historical Society Museum, 1411 Webster Road, registration required, www.royaloak historicalsociety.com

MAY 5

British Invasion!: Performance by Royal Oak Concert Band, 3 p.m., Royal Oak Middle School, 709 N. Washington Ave., royaloakconcertband.org

ONGOING

CAMEO Quilters Guild: Meetings and lectures 7 p.m. every third Thursday of month until June, Clawson United Methodist Church, 205 N. Main St., cameoquilters. org, cameoquilters@gmail.com

‘Children of Eden’: Performance by Stagecrafters, 8 p.m. April 19-20 and 2 p.m. April 21, Baldwin Theatre, 415 S. Lafayette in Royal Oak, stagecrafters.org, (248) 541-6430

Nature walks: Spring wildflower walks, 2 p.m. April 21, April 28 and May 5, and mushroom walk, 10 a.m. April 27, Tenhave Woods in Royal Oak, park at Marais/ Lexington lot and meet at Lexington entrance, www. romi.gov/411/Nature-Walks

APRIL 27

A Walk at the Zoo: Fundraiser for Shades of Pink Foundation, 7 a.m.-noon, Detroit Zoo, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak, www. shadesofpinkfoundation.org

MAY 4

Walk for Wishes: Fundraiser for Make-A-Wish, 7:30 a.m.-noon, Detroit Zoo, 8450 W. 10 Mile Road in Royal Oak, wish.org/fundraising

Royal Oak Farmers Market: 7 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, also antiques and collectibles 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays, 316 E. 11 Mile Road,

709 N. Washington Ave., greaterdetroit.org

Bingo: 12:30-1:30 p.m. every first Friday of month, Mahany/Meininger Senior Community Center, 3500 Marais Ave. in Royal Oak, (248) 246-3900

Widowed Friends breakfasts: 9:30 a.m. every second and fourth Wednesday of month, The Avenue Family Restaurant, 31253 Woodward Ave. in Royal Oak, RSVP to Marilyn at (248) 543-1018

Health workshops: For chronic pain, high blood pressure and more, hosted by Corewell Health, free and virtual, beaumonthealth.digitalsignup.com

ADHD meetings: Hosted by CHADD of Eastern Oakland County, for adults and parents, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Zoom, see schedule on chadd.net/chapterevents/527

Lupus support groups: 10 a.m. every second Tuesday of month and 7 p.m. every last Wednesday, Zoom, (248) 901-7299, milupus.org/support-groups