Downtown Newsmagazine | Birmingham/Bloomfield

DOWNTOWN06.23

TAMING WOODWARD

For decades, municipalities from Pontiac to Detroit lamented both the state control and the speed of traffic on Woodward. Officials contend that Woodward Avenue bisects their towns and cuts one half off from the other. Whether it's called a "road diet" or a "lane reduction," municipal officials are calling for fewer lanes for high-speed automobiles and a lane or two devoted to slower traffic and bicycles.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Birmingham is facing a conundrum – how to proactively protect the community from outside sources who may want to put multiple cannabis dispensaries in the city yet in writing an ordinance avoid getting tied up in court. Then there are the prohibitionists who want to ban them entirely.

23

CRIME LOCATOR

A recap of select categories of crime occurring in the past month in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, presented in map format.

OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

Michigan Democratic control of House threatened; state GOP debate gets physical; no room for anyone but Christians, party lawyer says; failed sniff test for AG Nessel; Donni Steele and DeSantis; a new political party.

Photo by Roman Halanski | Dreamstime

DOWNTOWN06.23

58 MUNICIPAL

Tenants' right ordinance tabled; parking pass rates increased; back to drawing board for dispensary ordinance; district superintendent resigns; new ownership for Big Rock restaurant; Greek island outdoor dining; plus more.

79 THE NEXT NOTEBOOK

Birmingham Next Executive Director Cris Braun says Next is like Cheers, where everyone knows your name and they are glad you came.

81 COMMUNITY HOUSE

William Seklar, the CEO/President of The Community House, writes about the future of the iconic facility, as well as upcoming events.

84 METRO INTELLIGENCER

Gigi Nichols provides readers with quick takes on what is happening in the world of food and drink in the metro area..

90 ENDNOTE

Our thoughts on taming the Woodward corridor so it is not just auto-centric and how the approach to choosing a new mayor in Birmingham needs to be changed.

Design by Chris Grammer from original photo by Hxdyldzj | Dreamstime

23 Hidden Ridge, Bloomfield Hills $3,500,000

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines conundrum as an intricate and difficult problem which I have decided best captures the issue of development of a cannabis dispensary ordinance for the city of Birmingham by its legal counsel and city commission.

City commissioners in mid-February of this year started to address at a workshop session the issue of reversing the city's position of opting out of allowing cannabis-related businesses, a stance it formally adopted after recreational adult use in 2018 was approved on a state-wide basis when 55.89 percent of those going to the polls backed the idea. Locally, 58.87 percent of those at the polls in Oakland County approved the ballot issue and in Birmingham support was 60.21 percent.

Birmingham found itself in good company when it opted out as allowed in the ballot issue – 1,419 Michigan municipalities or 80 percent of communities said 'no thanks' when it came to issuing license to cannabis-related businesses.

No big deal. Enough neighboring communities, like Royal Oak, Ferndale, Waterford and Walled Lake issued dispensary licenses, so if that is your pleasure, cannabis products were just a short drive away. Better yet, flower, gummies and the like could be ordered up online for delivery to your door.

But the last several years have taught municipalities a valuable lesson. Whether local officials opted out or not, a community could still end up with cannabis operations – dispensaries, grow and processing operations, delivery businesses and the like – thanks to a provision in the law allowing for petitioners to place on the ballot ordinances that can overturn opt out stances taken by local leaders. And although we refer to these attempts as citizen initiatives, recent history has taught us that the term “citizen” can – and often will – include forces from outside the community.

On the 2022 November ballot alone, according to characteristically detailed legwork done by the news department at MLive.com prior to the vote, there were 32 cannabis-related proposals on the ballot across the state, 22 of which were designed to override local opt out positions. Of that group, many of the petition efforts were driven by what appeared to be a shadow organization that had an office in Livonia and a treasurer with an Oak Park address – hardly a local “citizen” initiative when it came to getting the signatures, as provided by the 2018 ballot proposal, equal to five percent of the local community votes cast in the last election for governor. In Oakland County alone, it would appear the same group was behind the attempt to overturn opt out positions in Clarkston, Addison Township, Royal Oak Township and Brandon Township.

To avoid such an effort here, Birmingham officials were advised that a pro-active approach would make sense – write your own ordinance rather than have someone else impose on the community their view of what was good for the city. Hence the city commission workshop and subsequent unveiling in April of a proposed ordinance written by the Birmingham City Attorney, albeit a less than ideal one that has now gone back to the drawing board. And just in time I might add, given the rumor that has been circulating since the start of this year that a petition effort, aided by a local law firm, could be underway at any moment.

The prevailing attitude of the commission, I am told, is to avoid an

ordinance that would be besieged by a string of lawsuits like those that have hamstrung neighboring local communities. Of particular concern, as now written, Birmingham's ordinance would allow for one medical marijuana dispensary and one recreational cannabis dispensary, with a rating system for applicants and the final decision made by the city manager, the same issues that have prompted court challenges in other communities. Others have opted to have an appointed panel make the decision on who gets a license. The rating system approach has prompted a number of court challenges elsewhere, although the alternative, as one cannabis consulting firm told me recently, is to issue the licenses on a first come, first served basis. Somehow this latter approach seems inadequate, to say the least. I can't imagine applicants camped outside city hall the day after an ordinance is adopted as if this were a contest to see who could get tickets to a Taylor Swift concert.

Beyond the intricacies of the ordinance itself, there's the prohibitionist argument, which appears to possibly have the support of two city commissioners (both of whom are up for re-election this year), that the city should find some legal way to block any dispensaries in Birmingham. These two commissioners in an April meeting suggested that the ordinance provision prohibiting dispensaries within 1,000 feet of a park was an open invitation to create more pocket parks that essentially would block any cannabis outlets from operating here. Clearly a set up for another legal challenge.

Then there was the view offered by a local anti-substance abuse community group that allowing any dispensaries would drive up teen use of marijuana, a fear mongering position that we saw when voters in 2018 were considering recreational marijuana decriminalization. It's simply not supported by any number of studies around the country where legalized recreational cannabis has been allowed for years.

In Colorado and California, the first states to decriminalize marijuana, studies found that teen use of cannabis remained fairly constant or declined once dispensaries began opening. And in California, the most recent study found 100 percent compliance with its ID policy (21 or over) at dispensaries, which means that teens will still rely on the same black market dealer they have been using to purchase cannabis, despite the failed promise that the black market would be eliminated once a regulated cannabis industry was established.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2022 found that “cannabis legalization is not associated with increased youth use.”A number of other government conducted or funded studies have basically dispelled the idea that opening dispensaries means higher teen use.

Those facts may not stop the attempt at a ballot issue to ban dispensaries entirely. One commissioner told me privately that it would make sense to alert PTA and other parent groups that they could put this on the ballot. But let's get real.

Cannabis has been legalized in the state of Michigan. The moderate, proactive approach by the city of Birmingham makes the most sense. The responsible path is to control and limit dispensaries here. But how to do it – that is the conundrum.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com

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City drainage concerns

Regarding a recent article on drainage problems in Bloomfield Hills (Downtown/April), Bloomfield Township is very good at enforcing their codes but Bloomfield Hills is very lax and lacks important codes.

For example, a neighbor on Harlan Drive tore out his driveway and put in a new one two houses from Quarton. Bloomfield Township requires a permit and looks to ensure the culverts don’t get blocked for proper drainage. Bloomfield Hills does not. Even when I pointed this out to the city manager, he refused to do anything about it. I showed him pictures of standing water and he said it would go down in a few days. The water went back to the house, making it musty.

Bloomfield Hills inspection is also a joke. I paid the roof inspector $250, but I had to inspect it. He stood on the driveway and looked up. He said he might hurt himself going on the roof or going in the attic. The contractor didn’t even replace the flashing where it leaked and he said that was fine.

Well, after a big rain it still leaked. Where? Around the flashing where it leaked before. I had to go in the attic and look. So I went to the city commission meeting and told them what transpired. Sarah McClure just smirked and said that’s how they do it in Florida. Really? That’s the response?

Well, that’s not how they do it in Bloomfield Township which apparently has higher standards.

I just thought everyone should know.

Name withheld on request Bloomfield Hills

Publisher’s

I just read David Hohendorf’s piece (From The Publisher) in the May Downtown Newsmagazine.

I agree with his opinion and applaud the courage it takes to see things the way they are and tell people how you feel.

I have new confidence in the voting public saying ‘no’ to bad public policy.

Tom Gideon Birmingham

Oakland Confidential is a periodic column of political gossip/news, gathered both on and off-the-record by staff members at Downtown Newsmagazine. We welcome possible items for this column which can be emailed to: OaklandConfidential@DowntownPublications.com. All sources are kept strictly confidential. The gossip column can be viewed at OaklandConfidential.com where you can sign up to receive updates via email.

NEXT STEPS: While former Republican Congressman David Trott of Birmingham is officially out of office, he’s kept his finger on the pulse of political activity, and definitely has an opinion on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, newly declared for a run for president in 2024. As Trott told Politico, the two sat right next to each other while serving on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and yet the fellow Republican never said a word to Trott. “He’s the wrong guy for the country,” Trott told Downtown. “He’s a bully. He’s using culture wars to start fights to pit groups of people against each other. If he becomes the 47th president, he’d be a divisive and acrimonious president. He’s a polarizing figure – and he does it with intent to energize his base.” Trott noted that DeSantis goes out of his way to get involved with business affairs – take his Disney obsession, which recently lost the state $1 billion of new business. “Is he (Senator) Elizabeth Warren? That’s not Reaganomics,” he said. Where Trott and other establishment Republican are turning their focus is towards the Common Sense Party, which he said is not a typical third party. “Third parties are futile endeavors, and there’s no reason to raise money,” Trott acknowledged. “If we are successful in getting fusion voting returned in Michigan –which we had until 1890, which is where with moderate candidates and moderate ideas, the Common Sense Party could interview both candidates running for a seat and pick the one who is less extreme.” He said voters would then see three choices on a ballot – a Republican, a Democrat and a Common Sense, and if the Common Sense and the Democrat are the same, with fusion, the total of the two would be added together to produce a winner. Trott and others see Independents and moderates from both parties endorsing this idea, and said it is different from the No Labels Party, which is seeking to nominate candidates. “It’s not intended to punish one party over the other but to choose moderate, mainstream candidates,” he said. That’s an idea we all could get behind.

DESANTIS BANDWAGON: Oakland County state Representative Donni Steele has joined 17 other GOP members of the state House in committing their support for RonDeSantis in the Republican race for president, according to a PAC supporting the Florida governor. Steele, who is considered a conservative based on her votes in Lansing since entering the House at the start of this year, represents Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills, along with Auburn Hills, Oakland Township and Orion Township where she was treasurer prior to heading to Lansing.

THREAT TO DEMOCRAT CONTROL: State lawmakers are facing a possible shift in control of the legislative balance come the end of this year – at least on a temporary basis – depending on how fall elections turn out in two local Michigan communities. Democrats now hold a 56-54 majority in the state House but two representatives have filed to run for mayoral positions in Westland and Warren. Rep. Lori Stone (D-Warren) is seeking the top spot in the city of Warren which pays $195,925 in annual salary She is among seven candidates who filed for the post,

including a county commissioner, member of the city council and a former member, as well as a city employee. Current mayor Jim Fouts was ruled by the state courts as ineligible to run again, thanks for term limits adopted by voters in 2020, so the field of contenders has been trimmed to six. Should Stone win the post she would take over as mayor in 2024. Over in Westland, state Rep. Kevin Coleman (D-Westland) is seeking to fill the post of mayor which pays $126,281 a year, in a field of six hopefuls. If successful, Coleman would assume the post immediately following the November vote because the city is operating now with an interim mayor after the post was vacated due to a resignation in January of 2023. Fear not, however, about the long-term balance of power in the House. Both legislative districts are considered Democrat strongholds, with Coleman having won his state legislative job with 63 percent of the vote while Stone took 67 percent of the vote when she ran in 2022. Special elections would be called to fill any vacancy in the state House.

POLITICS/ALCOHOL DON’T MIX: Just when we thought things could not get any weirder with the state Republican Party comes reports (Bridge Michigan) of a physical altercation between two county party officials at the Doherty Hotel in Clare the night before a state party leadership meeting was scheduled to take place this past April. Kalamazoo Republican Chair Kelly Sackett and Melissa Pehlis, secretary of the Macomb County GOP, were caught on video in an escalating argument attributed to a proxy battle over election deniers state GOP Chair Kristina Karamo and Matt DePerno, who failed in his run for attorney general in the 2022 and his failed attempt to be the state party chair. The skirmish reportedly centered on Sackett’s attempt to purge Karamo allies from the Kalamazoo GOP, which is now the subject of a state lawsuit. The pair can be seen taunting each other and then Sackett knocked a cell phone and cigarette from the hands of Pehlis who then “thrust an open hand at Sackett’s head.” Police were called and a report was turned over to the Clare County Prosecutor. No word at deadline on how the prosecutor will rule. You can watch the video – viewed by 110,000 users so far – for yourself at https://tinyurl.com/4acevc9n.

NO BIG TENT: It’s hard to believe that Michigan’s GOP could continue to shoot themselves in the foot, but the gun seems to be perennially loaded these days. The latest blunder was courtesy of the party’s new lawyer, Daniel Hartman, who during a recent online interview boldly stated that, “it was ‘crazy’ Christians allowed non-Christian voices into the marketplace of ideas.” Hartman, a personal injury attorney out of Petoskey, made the audacious remark while being interviewed on “The Inside Track” with Mark Forton, chairman of Macomb County Republican Party, and Lisa Mankiewicz, Forton’s vice chairwoman. Mankiewicz did counter by saying the Michigan Republican Party had room for people who “love the Lord,” and the party was more diverse than it was being portrayed. But Hartman responded, “It’s crazy, as Christians, that we’ve allowed any other voice but a Christian voice into the marketplace of ideas.” One Republican poobah noted that, in a state with many non-Christians, including Jews and Muslims, “guys like Hartman are why we are going to continue to lose elections.”

TAKE A SEAT: The number of those looking to fill the shoes, and the seat, of Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) are increasing, with former state Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit) announcing her intention to join Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing), businessman Nasser Beydoun, lawyer and scientist Zack Burns of Ann Arbor, and state board of education chair Pamela Pugh in the primary. Word is actor

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Hill Harper, who moved to Detroit’s Boston-Edison district in 2018, is poised to announce his run, despite his continued presence on The Good Doctor, which films in Vancouver. At a recent event, Slotkin said the only fellow candidate she has a slight concern about is Harper, while questioning how he can actively campaign in Michigan while working in Canada. As for Republicans, Slotkin currently isn’t very worried about any of them, as the current crop of potential candidates – Nikki Snyder of Dexter, who has announced; Michael Hoover of Lainsburg, a former employee of Dow Chemical, who has announced; former Detroit police chief James Craig, former Bloomfield Township auto dealer Kevin Rinke – seem to hew to the MAGA state theme. As for Milford native John Tuttle, now vice chair of the New York Stock Exchange – “How I would love to go against a Wall Street guy!” she chuckled. The only possible note of worry is towards her friend and former fellow congressman Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids), who Slotkin noted voted to impeach former President Trump. However, she said, if he could get through the primary (an iffy possibility, all note), there are whisperings of a deal with Trump for him to not endorse or disparage Meijer. And then there’s all that family grocery money, which is formidable. However, Slotkin is known for her own fundraising prowess. Stay tuned.

FAILED SNIFF TEST: Muckraker extraordinaire and Detroit News columnist Charlie LeDuff got the goods on Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and a recent five-day Caribbean jaunt to the Turks and Caicos, the tab for which was reportedly picked up by the Traverse City law firm of Kelly Neumann, a substantial contributor to Nessel’s last run for state office. Think over $7,000. According to LeDuff, the AG and her spouse Alanna Maguire were part of a group that stayed at the $8,600-a-night penthouse digs at the Ritz Carlton Hotel and had yet to respond to his question of whether the costs were reimbursed by Nessel to the host. Legal experts say that no law was broken but the trip certainly calls into question the ethics of the situation. So much for transparency in this administration.

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GIGGIN’ AT HOME PLATE: Former state Rep. Mari Manoogian (DBirmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township) has a new gig, as political director of The Next 50. According to Manoogian, it’s a national PAC which supports 50 Democrats under 50 years old in swing districts every two years and help build a network to invest in them and their communities, and have already endorsed Michigan Senate candidate Rep. Elissa Slotkin. On their leadership council is Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow. Manoogian, who was under consideration for a variety of other jobs, including in the Biden and Whitmer administrations, said she is excited for this job because it is remote, allowing her to stay local and help care for her mother, who is battling Alzheimer’s disease, and still find and identify candidates nationwide to support.

BETTER THAN REMEMBERED : Remember when former President Donald Trump claimed he had received Michigan’s “Man of the Year” award – but no one had ever heard of it because it had never existed? Seems the Oakland County Republican Party is preparing to make good by presenting Trump with a “Man of the Decade” award on June 25 when Trump appears at the party’s Lincoln Day dinner at the Suburban Collection in Novi. According to a post on the party’s Facebook page, “President Trump’s unparalleled leadership, unwavering dedication to conservative values, and relentless pursuit of American greatness have left an indelible mark on our country and the world.” So who gets the “Man of the Millennium” award?

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FACES

Terry Matlen

Birmingham resident Terry Matlen has been able to channel her diverse studies and distinct life experiences in different ways, as a clinical social worker, artist and author. With a degree in art education from Wayne State University, where she also studied fine arts painting, she later earned her MSW and became a psychotherapist, specializing in women with ADHD.

Matlen would continue to paint and create other art along the way.

Her creative efforts picked up steam when she was a teen. “I colored a lot as a child,” said Matlen. “I loved color, but I didn’t fall in love with making art until high school, when I had a very gifted art teacher. I learned how to see shape, color, texture, lighting and composition. She also gave me courage because she believed in me.”

Now Matlen has her first solo exhibition called “RAW” at the Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center (BBAC) that runs through June 1st. She also does commission work and participates in group shows and competitions like the Michigan Fine Arts Competition. Her work can be found on her website: terrymatlenart.com.

In addition to painting, Matlen, who works from a home studio, has made funky mosaic pieces from the vintage figurines she has been collecting for years. She discovers these unique finds on eBay and at antiques shops.

“I would attach them onto odd objects like antique shoe molds,” she said. “They were pretty weird things, like teeny animals. The funkier, the better.”

Now these unique pieces inspire her autobiographical paintings. “That opens the door to my imagination,” said Matlen.

Though some themes that appear in her paintings can be fun, between her career as a psychotherapist and her own childhood history, anxiety and depression can also make their way into her creations.

“I had a rough time growing up, so I draw from a lot of richness in my personal experience and from working with people who have their own challenges,” she said.

Inspiration also comes from fairytales, which find their way into her work, as well as social injustices that speak to her.

Her solo show at the BBAC includes pieces that feature family members and memories from her youth. “One of my brothers was a cub scout and I had to take ballet. I was not a girly girl. I was a tomboy,” she recalled. “That background draws from my early experience. We lost our father as young children, so there is fantasy and dreams that are all combined. It’s kind of a mishmash.”

While most of her oil paintings are smaller in size, Matlen was asked to do one large piece for the BBAC show.

“I went from eight inches to four feet,” she said. The titles of the paintings can be as compelling as their color and content, like the larger painting called: “Sally Proves Darwin’s Theory at the Dodger’s Game.”

Matlen was first introduced to small canvasses in New York City where she lived for a short time. “There was a call for artists to create small works,” she said. “I normally do 8 inches x 8 inches, or 8 x 10, but I think they were even smaller in that show.”

For her, the tiny size has a big advantage. “It’s really important for me to engage the viewer to bring in their own experience,” said Matlen. “When you make a painting small, it forces you to get closer.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Laurie Tennent

TAMING OF WOODWARD

LOCAL COMMUNITIES ALONG 27-MILE MAIN DRAG THROUGH METRO AREA WANT TO REENVISION THOROUGHFARE

BY STACY GITTLEMAN

hen a Detroit News photo archive essay in 2018 chronicled the history of Woodward Avenue, there is a telling photo from 1911. It depicts a woman clad in a woolen suit, heels and hat, a concentrated expression on her face as she waits for a break in traffic to cross the street.

It had just been two years since Henry Ford brought the first Model-T into production in October 1908, the first production Model T Ford at the company’s Piquette Avenue plant in Detroit. Between 1908 and 1927, Ford would build some 15 million Model T cars, and they needed good roads to drive on.

Back then, the vehicles on Woodward were a mix of those Model-Ts, light rail trolleys, and still some horse-drawn carriages.

Woodward Avenue was first called the Saginaw Trail by Native Americans but was then renamed for Augustus Woodward, who designed the street along with Gratiot, Michigan Avenue, Grand River and Jefferson. By 1909, Woodward Avenue was the world’s first road to have a section paved. It would be completely paved by 1916, and in 1919, it became home to the world’s first three-color traffic stop light.

And even back then, Woodward Avenue was treacherous to cross by foot.

For better or worse, Woodward Avenue – the storied 27-mile main drag of our metro area that was named in 2002 an American Heritage Byway and which links Detroit to Pontiac, is the road that made Detroit the Motor City. According to Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) data taken from the mid-20-teens, shows that on average, between 20,000 and 65,000 vehicles travel on it daily in certain sections, with the most congested areas –between I-696 and 14 Mile – travel on it daily. With its wide lanes – sometimes five in each direction – a scarcity of traffic lights or crosswalks and speed limits in some areas as fast as 50 mph, Woodward Avenue is built for speed.

But that speed can be dangerous and even deadly. In recent years, two deaths in two years along the stretch of Woodward Avenue in Birmingham, mainly due to a lack of access to crosswalks, have prompted local officials to weigh in with their concerns to the state, which controls every aspect of the corridor.

For decades, municipalities from Pontiac to Detroit lamented both the state control and speed. Although Woodward is known as “America’s Main Street,” it is difficult to create a strollable Main Street environment along Woodward when traffic behaves more like it would on an interstate highway. Officials contend that Woodward Avenue bisects their towns and cuts one half off from the other. Whether it’s called a “road diet” or a “lane reduction,” municipal officials are calling for fewer lanes for high-speed automobiles and a lane or two devoted to slower traffic and bicycles.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there is a slow but growing national quest to slim down our country’s roads, reduce danger and collision spots and make roads more equitable for pedestrians and bikers. As part of the federal $800 million Safe Streets for All initiative, places like New York City are retrofitting busy byways in lower Manhattan to allow for bike paths across the city’s many bridges. In Phoenix, the heat is on at city council meetings for a proposed $4.8 million project to replace one car lane with a bike lane in Scottsdale.

Back here in the metro area which was created for the automobile, municipal officials maintain that M-1 needs better marked crosswalks and more of them. The needs of pedestrians should be prioritized, they assert, and they should be able to make it across the eight-lane thoroughfare without having to get stuck on a narrow, unsheltered median.

One of those pedestrian deaths is personal to Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dani Walsh. In 2019, her friend was crossing Woodward after grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s in Royal Oak, and was fatally struck while crossing the street outside of a crosswalk.

Walsh said a lack of availability of crosswalks plus an increased culture of testing out high-performance cars along Woodward make for a noisy and deadly combination.

“If you’ve ever seen one of the Fast and Furious movies, it’s something like that,” Walsh said. “In the warmer months there are the cruisers who like to drive slowly up and down Woodward and show off their cars. Then you have people with high-performance cars and for them, it’s all about the danger and the high-speed racing. It’s also so noisy that you can’t even enjoy your backyard on a nice summer evening even if you live a few blocks off Woodward. That’s when our law enforcement goes into overtime. Weather depending, drag race season can start as early as February and go all the way through November.”

Walsh said drag races typically start on Woodward and continue north to Square Lake Road and South Boulevard. In one incident at this location, a car speeding at 104 mph careened into another car, spitting it in half on impact.

“Bloomfield Township is working with all (police) chiefs in Oakland County, as well as the Michigan State Police to fight this as a group,” said Walsh. “We want to know how legislation can be changed at the state level to stop drag racing. And personally, as a biker, I would not want to bike anywhere near Woodward Avenue. It’s just not safe.”

According to Bloomfield Township Chief of Police James Gallagher, in 2022 his force put in 216 overtime hours along Woodward Avenue. Bloomfield Township records show that between March 1, 2022 – October 1, 2023, law enforcement officers along the Woodward corridor in Bloomfield Township alone issued 81 citations: 18 for speeding; 38 for accidents; 15 issued were for driving with a suspended license; four were for driving under the influence; and two for careless driving. Gallagher said most of the 176 tickets given during this time were between 8 p.m. and midnight. Law enforcement officers during this time also issued 187 hazardous and non-hazardous violations and issued 207 verbal warnings. Between February 1, 2023, through May 10, 2023, law enforcement officers recorded 12 hazardous driving violations, 31 citations, and a total of 118 verbal

warnings along Woodward Avenue.

According to 2016 traffic volume data from various state and regional agencies, the estimated average daily volume of traffic in Bloomfield Township on Woodward is 34,500 vehicles traveling at a speed limit posted at 50 mph – but cars often go much faster.

Gallagher said the challenges in Bloomfield Township with Woodward lie in the fact that on its stretch of the road, with few traffic lights, it can be ideal to pick up speed and drive noisy cars. Gallagher said that in the warmer months, cruisers and drag racers congregate in the parking lots of the few scattered shopping centers along Woodward and Square Lake.

“These are high-performance vehicles built for speed,” said Gallagher. “But if you want to show off the power of your car, the minute the weather starts getting warm, you’ve got car owners ready to race and car enthusiasts taking bets and gambling on who will win. Then there are distraction cars that will distract people from Woodward to South Boulevard in Pontiac and then drag race and shut down roads. At times we’ve caught people with radios to inform the other racers that the police are coming. It makes for very unsafe driving for everyone.”

In America, attitudes toward cars, how we get around, and what we want out of our streets and neighborhoods are changing. There is developing more of a call for regional and local public transportation. There is a call to get out of our cars and live in “20-minute neighborhoods” – where most of life’s necessities and destinations – can be found within a 20-minute walk or bike ride. It might be convenient for motorists who want to get from Huntington Woods to Birmingham to jump on Woodward, but residents who live in between want the traffic slowed down, wider sidewalks for gathering and outside restaurant dining, and better accessibility.

Birmingham’s yet-to-beadopted 2040 master plan states: “Woodward divides Birmingham physically and mentally. It is an extremely fast, high-volume roadway described as a ‘superhighway’ in the city’s 1929 plan. While it provides regional connections that support downtown activities, Woodward separates (Birmingham’s) neighborhoods. Particularly for older adults and children, Woodward can be an impenetrable barrier to mobility. Not only is the road unsafe to walk or bike along, but there are also too

few crossings, and existing crossings are uncomfortable for pedestrians and cyclists.”

The plan also notes that from the north, the wide downhill curve between Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham allows vehicles to travel at highway speeds and there needs to be put in place a visual cue to the motorists that they are entering a more dense, downtown environment.

Bloomfield Hills City Manager David Hendrickson said unlike neighboring towns like Birmingham which feature many businesses and attractions right along Woodward, their stretch of M-1 is mainly lined with trees, including the parklike setting of the Cranbrook Educational Community, and has few frontage destinations, allowing for fastermoving traffic.

“While other communities along Woodward would benefit from traffic calming features and allowing for more pedestrian and bicycle access, this is not the case in Bloomfield Hills. On our stretch of Woodward, we have maintained a parkway-like setting. There are no traffic lights. We have maintained the tree canopy and have planted a wide grassy median and our ordinances work against developing residences or businesses along this area. So, with the way traffic flows through our part of Woodward, it would be dangerous to include a bicycle lane or invite pedestrians to try to cross here.”

Collecting that high-speed traffic coming from the north on Woodward, Birmingham Assistant City Manager Jana Ecker said there is a real need for cars to slow down. Two pedestrian deaths in two years (2020-2022) prompted Birmingham officials to contact Governor Gretchen Whitmer demanding changes, which include a possible pedestrian countdown signal on the southbound side of Woodward, between Forest and Brown, and a signal on the northbound side to stop traffic if pedestrians press a button.

Before Ecker held her current position, she had 20 years of experience in Birmingham serving as planning director, working to try to find ways to make Woodward Avenue more pedestrian friendly. According to state and regional data from 2013, an average of 29,400 vehicles travel through Birmingham daily and the speed limit is set at 45 mph, though cars exceed this limit regularly.

“The state law will not allow us to lower the speed limit,” Ecker said. “And if we did a speed study and found that 80

percent of the traffic is moving at 55 mph, then we would be required to raise the speed limit. So the way that the state laws are written it’s very difficult to get any change made.”

Ecker pointed to Ferndale’s 35 mph as an ideal speed, yet Ferndale’s downtown sits right on Woodward, compared to Birmingham’s downtown which angles off to veins such as Old Woodward and Maple roads.

But still, there is a different feel to the neighborhoods on the east side of the roadway that Ecker would like to change to increase foot traffic and draw more people to the businesses which reside there.

“As our city developed, we wanted to create a stronger connection to both sides of it. We don’t want people to have to drive from one side of Woodward to the other because they don’t feel safe crossing the street.

“There’s not enough time for pedestrians to cross the entire street because it’s such a wide stretch,” explained Ecker. “Imagine, for example, trying to cross at Woodward and Maple and if you don’t time it just right, you get stuck on the median with nothing around you to protect you. Imagine doing that with a small child or for the elderly. Woodward was never meant to move pedestrians. It was designed to move metal cars – as many and as fast as possible. I’ve been (working for the city of Birmingham) for 21 years, and that’s how long I’ve been fighting for some change on Woodward. It’s a very, very slow uphill battle. Two people had to die before we have seen any movement in progress.

“As it is now, the part of Woodward that runs through Birmingham is 200 feet wide – which includes four lanes in each direction plus sections with turning lanes,” explained Ecker. “We propose to reduce vehicle traffic to three lanes in each direction and use the fourth lane for some bicycle infrastructure. By doing this, we aim to slow down traffic a little bit. We will also enhance all the crossings to improve pedestrian access and to enhance all the crossings and make it safer for people to cross pedestrians, bikes, etc. and build in some bicycle infrastructure, and improve the pedestrian environment along Woodward so that we can better separate high-speed vehicles from pedestrians.”

To attempt to bring about change with MDOT’s speed requirements, Ecker said municipalities along the corridor – from Bloomfield Township through Ferndale –have formed the Woodard Municipal Coalition, which aims to find a way to

Daily vehicle traffic count for Woodward

tame the roadway to make it more equitable and multi-modal friendly, meaning that some lanes of the roadway should be dedicated to bicycles, pedestrians, or provide wider sidewalks and clearly marked curbs and pedestrian crossings that can be easily used by pedestrians of all ages and abilities. But all changes must go through the state level – and change at that level is slow going.

“Local governments continually try to make improvements (to Woodward) but we’re constantly fighting the battle with the state who ultimately owns it and has authority over it,” said Ecker. “We can’t even give out an excessive noise ticket coming from cars outfitted with excessively loud exhaust pipes, which residents living along Woodward complain about.”

Ecker puts accountability firmly on MDOT.

“If Woodward Avenue is supposed to be an American Heritage Motorway and cuts through many communities as our Main Street, it should not have cars driving through our downtowns at interstate highway speeds, and this is Birmingham’s main emphasis for change.”

Matthew Galbraith, transportation planner, metro region of MDOT, explained that speeds vary throughout the Woodward corridor and are typically reflective of the context of adjacent land uses.

“For instance, speed limits in Ferndale is 35 mph, 45 mph through Royal Oak and Birmingham, 50 mph through Bloomfield Hills, and 35 to 40 mph in Pontiac,” explained Galbraith. “State law dictates that MDOT and the Michigan State Police (MSP) jointly set speed limits that are based on the 85th percentile speed, which is the speed at or below which 85 percent of drivers are currently driving a given section of road.”

Galbraith said the agency partners with the communities along the Woodward corridor regularly to accommodate development changes and address safety issues.

“When local governments develop longer-term local master plans or transportation plans, MDOT typically works with them to inform their plans in its capacity as the state government asset owner and operator of the roadway,” Galbraith said. “MDOT is currently working on a request for proposals to conduct a corridor study of its own, and one of the main objectives of this study is

to engage with the municipalities along the corridor to better understand local issues and needs. This plan will ultimately inform future construction projects along the corridor and support such a cohesive vision.”

Galbraith said the Woodward Avenue Corridor Plan intends to create a blueprint or comprehensive vision that will provide a strategic approach for future MDOT investments along the corridor. This plan will analyze and address operational, traffic, and safety concerns for all road users along the entire corridor, in addition to assessing pavement condition needs and the potential for future projects.

During the heyday of muscle car culture in the 1950s and 1960s, the stretch of M-1 through towns like Royal Oak, Pleasant Ridge and Ferndale was dotted with businesses like Royal Oak’s Totem Pole or Suzy Q’s drive-in or Ted’s Coffee Shop in Bloomfield Hills that catered to the cruising car culture.

From Ferndale to Pontiac, a nod to nostalgia is still around today. Grown from a grassroots movement beginning in 1995, today the world-famous Woodward Dream Cruise attracts more than 1.5 million car enthusiasts from all over the world each August to watch 30,000 classic cars drive by.

Ferndale Mayor Melanie Piana said she hopes a $2 million repaving and lane reduction project will be worth the minor inconvenience and that the project will be mostly complete in time for when the Dream Cruise rolls along this August 19th.

Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge are working together sharing this $2 million Transportation Improvement Program state grant funding for non-motorized improvements to Woodward. The project will narrow Woodward from four to three lanes in each direction in Ferndale. It will add two-way cycle tracks on both sides of Woodward in most of Ferndale and a portion of southbound Woodward in Pleasant Ridge. This project will create a continuous separated bicycle infrastructure from 8 Mile to I-696.

Pleasant Ridge has a small portion of this overall project, and its local match amount is estimated to be $140,000, which will be provided by the municipality’s major streets fund and will not rely on general funds or local property taxes. The project was the result of years of study and surveying of residents, including a 2019 Woodward Bicycling and Walking Safety Audit.

The average daily traffic flow rate in these municipalities, according to 2017 MDOT data respectively, is 105,000 in Pleasant Ridge and 17,000 in Ferndale.

Pleasant Ridge City Manager James Breuckman said his city, Ferndale, and Birmingham, have similar characteristics in the way that Woodward Avenue serves as a main street for their downtowns, whereas towns like Berkely and Royal Oak have their main drags on a diagonal off Woodward. Breuckman said the changes coming to Woodward in Pleasant Ridge and Ferndale are the result of a decade of planning and collaboration with MDOT.

Over the decades, Breuckman said that one characteristic that changed the feel of Pleasant Ridge was the 1980’s construction of the Woodward Avenue tunnel that goes beneath Route 696, and it was not for the better. The tunnel severed the town into two sides and impacted nearly all the businesses along the corridor.

“We had some great businesses back then that are all long gone,” Breuckman said. “I bet people hardly remember places like Hedges Wigwam, a Native American-themed restaurant that stood on Woodward and 10 Mile from 1927 to 1967.”

Breuckman said when traveling through Pleasant Ridge, motorists have a choice of either using the tunnel or staying at the surface level, where there are three lanes in each direction.

The changes to Woodward are coming this summer and are projected to be completed by the end of 2023. From Northbound Sylvan to Route 696 only, three vehicle lanes will be reduced to two lanes, using that third lane for street parking, thus creating a buffer for a twoway bicycle track that is at sidewalk level. This state Transportation Improvement Program project is being administered by the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) for MDOT, with the local match being provided by Pleasant Ridge.

Breuckman continued: “Now, you’ll have a dedicated space for cyclists to ride that will be protected from traffic by parked cars and the curbs. We’re excited about it. I think this is going to be a model project for what could happen in many other places.”

When it comes to working with MDOT, Breuckman said things have improved over the last decade, as the state agency is more receptive to hearing from local municipal planners on how M-1 impacts locals while balancing statewide needs as a trunkline.

“Dealing with MDOT today is a far different experience than it was even 10

years ago,” said Breuckman. “They are more open now to locally initiated efforts to understand our position. Overall, they are the state transportation agency. They’re still looking at Woodward as an important piece of the regional transportation network and must fulfill the obligations of efficiently getting people around the region. On the other side, we, the cities, are looking at impacts to our specific part of Woodward. I understand the inherent tension this can cause. It’s great when you want to move from a considerable distance in the region, but locally, it’s designed like having an interstate freeway that cuts through all our communities.”

Ferndale Mayor Melanie Piana said the overhaul and repaving of its stretch of Woodward Avenue that began this March and is set to finish up by this fall is well underway. Will there be some lane closures and orange cones still lingering in August for the Dream Cruise? Probably yes, but Piana said that’s not going to stop Ferndale from taking part in the annual celebrations.

“MDOT has conducted road repair and construction during the Dream Cruise in past years and made it as safe as possible,” Texplained Piana. “I think it will

be fine going forward and pretty much two of the lanes on the Woodward Dream Cruise are dedicated to the cruisers and then the two left lanes are for ongoing travel.”

In any case, Piana said the longawaited project, which includes resurfacing of Woodward from 8 Mile to the northern Ferndale city limit, improving ADA accessibility to curbs, improving visibility at intersections and adding bus islands for those taking public transportation, will be worth it.

Piana steers away from the term “road diet” and prefers to call modifications to Woodward a “lane reduction safety improvement project.”

“In Ferndale, what we are trying to do is encourage lifestyle changes which will be reflected in the reduction of lanes used for vehicles,” Piana said. “A road diet does not accurately describe what is happening but lane reduction safety improvement does. Cities are realizing that walkable communities are more welcoming and equitable. That means within a plan, everyone has been thought of to be a part of the community. Woodward and its history are evolving. There will still be cars traveling down Woodward Avenue. We’re just giving a little bit more space over to people walking, biking, and using whatever wheeled mobility device they choose.

“We’ve heard from our residents for over a decade how unsafe Woodward is to cross at Nine Mile, Cambourne, and West Marshall,” she continued. “We are studying data on crash rates and near misses. Woodward is in the heart of our downtown, and people need to be able to safely cross from one side to another. Speed limits are 35 but most cars go 45 or higher. “

When cars go that fast, even cyclists fear for their safety, so they wind up on the sidewalks with the pedestrians. Of the 200-foot span of Woodward in Ferndale, Piana said only six percent of that width is dedicated to six-foot wide sidewalks for pedestrians of all abilities, including those using wheelchairs. To make matters worse, cyclists, fearing for their safety from high-speed vehicles and without a dedicated lane, have also had to resort to using the sidewalk, along with those using scooters.

Even so, Piana admits the upgrades cannot fix all that Ferndale residents and businesses want out of Woodward, and that includes wider sidewalks. To achieve that, this would require rezoning laws to be created at the state level with MDOT.

“People are riding their bikes where people are walking as well as those with mobility issues using wheelchairs, and this makes for unsafe conditions,” she added.

Rendering of the Pleasant Ridge plan for Woodward

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There are lots of current and upcoming changes coming for the bookends of Woodward Avenue, the urban centers of Pontiac and Detroit. In recent years, residents, commuters and visitors to Detroit have enjoyed a bit more ease of transportation as the Q-line makes its way through the city’s most iconic stops like Comerica Park, the Fox Theater, and up through Wayne State University and the Detroit Institute of the Arts. In a few years, Pontiac will finally rid itself of the Loop, which diverted traffic away from the city’s downtown and made it impossible for residents in outlying neighborhoods to get to local businesses on foot.

Sam Krassenstein, chief of infrastructure for the city of Detroit said that the tale of Woodward Avenue in the city can be broken into several microstories: beginning downtown with the QLine which runs three miles from Chandler to Sibley Streets; the proposed future site of a transit hub at Woodward and Baltimore Streets; the activity around the new Amazon distribution hub at the site of the Old Fairgrounds; and up through the northernmost stretch lined with neighborhoods around Palmer Park.

Recent and future MDOT construction projects for Detroit’s section of Woodward include a $1.88 million 2020 project on various locations along Woodward Avenue, notably Woodward Avenue at Grand River to upgrade traffic signal, communications, and operations systems. In 2025, MDOT will begin an $8.914 million pavement reconstruction project on Woodward from McNichols south to 8 Mile Road.

“There are many stories within Detroit’s section of the Woodward Corridor,” Krassenstein said. “The biggest infrastructure change for the city is the opening of the Q-line. Despite a few operational issues, it has largely been a success and has been transformational for the part of the corridor where it runs, from the Riverfront all the way to Grand Boulevard.”

The concept for the Q-Line – then called M1 Rail – was first proposed in 2008 as part of a landmark regional transit plan. The project, which went into operation in 2017, is funded by $110 million in private philanthropic investments, $10 million from MDOT, and $25 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds.

The pilot project is ambitious in that a street trolley had not run in Detroit since 1956. With 20 stations at 12 stops on a

3.3-mile span down Woodward from Grand Boulevard through its southernmost stop on Congress a few blocks from Campus Martius, the cost to ride is $1.50 for single fare tickets, ride all day for $3, monthly passes are available for $30 and annual passes are $285. Discounts are available for seniors, students and others.

The Q-Line has spurred $10 billion in economic development as it connects residents, workers, and students to resources such as healthcare, jobs and education, according to city officials.

Krassenstein said ridership did slip during the height of the pandemic, just as it did on major public transportation systems in New York City and Chicago, but now it is back up to where it was at 2019 levels with 2,500 rides per day, and about 80,000 rides per month.

“The Q-Line is anticipating some healthy growth,” said Krassenstein. “Some of that is from daily commuters, but a lot of it has to do with event-based ridership. There are so many great events happening that are drawing people downtown. We are trying to encourage people to park further out from the downtown center and to hop on the Q-line the rest of the way, and patronize some of the shops, restaurants, and bars that have opened up and down the corridor.”

In the last five years, the Q-line has allowed for an ease in foot traffic to support new businesses such as Detroit has reported healthy growth along the Woodward Corridor. It now hosts Boabab Fare, an East African restaurant that was recently reviewed in TheNew York Times and other national publications.

Krassenstein said he is keeping an eye on trends in federal infrastructure funding. As it stands now, there are no firm plans to extend the Q-line further uptown or to cross over Eight Mile.

“The project was extremely expensive. Though we are paying close attention to the federal funding that is out there, the Q-Line project is not run by the city and there is nothing the city is doing in its plans to extend as it is not our asset to extend,” he said.

In upper neighborhoods of Woodward Avenue, crosswalks are scarce, and vehicles move at highway speeds along ten lanes of road. And where there are crosswalks and lights, it can take a pedestrian up to five minutes to cross the street, which is uncomfortable in extreme weather conditions or for the elderly or mobility-impaired. So, in general, most residents just don’t try it. If you are a resident without a car who wants to get across the street and to enjoy the park or a

restaurant, you find yourself out of luck.

“We are getting a lot of feedback from residents along Woodward, especially who live in the Grixdale Farms neighborhood between Six and Seven Mile who live right across Woodward from Palmer Park,” Krassenstein said. “These residents live right across the street but must take a car to get to the park because it’s just not safe to cross.”

Krassenstein describes Woodward Avenue as one spoke in a wheel with Detroit at its hub. The purpose of trunklines like Woodward, Gratiot and Grand River Avenue, ultimately, is to move traffic, trucks, and goods from the city to the outer regions of the metro area as quickly and efficiently as possible. At the same time, he notes there must be a balance to beautify these vital arteries and keep them as pedestrian friendly as possible for residents who live along each of these corridors operated by MDOT.

When it comes to working with the state, Krassenstein said every municipality would like MDOT to put plans into action more quickly and be more “forward thinking” in terms of making the state’s major corridors more traversable for pedestrians and bikers.

The second major development in intermodal transportation along the Woodward Corridor in Detroit is the future construction of the Detroit New Center Intermodal Facility. Planned for construction at the intersection of Woodward and Baltimore Avenue, in the Milwaukee Junction neighborhood, the hub would combine a station for intercity buses such as Greyhound, Indian Trails, Miller Transportation and Barons Bus with the existing Amtrak train station, which was built as a temporary station in 1992.

“So here we are 30 years later with the same (temporary) train facility,” said Krassenstein. The Greyhound station, built in 1991, is on Howard Street. As it stands now, these two vital transportation centers are separate and disconnected.

Detroit needs to create an inter-city transportation hub that has been so successful in many other cities, especially when hubs are combined with retail and restaurant space where people want to meet and gather. The Regional Transportation Authority is also working out a pilot that would provide direct bus access to DTW. We want one central transportation hub where people can get to either the airport, Lansing, Ann Arbor or even Chicago with ease and no confusion.”

According to MDOT, the renovated transportation hub will feature an upgraded train platform to allow for safer and faster boarding and offboarding, a new bus station on the south side of the train tracks connected to the train station by a passenger tunnel; drop off and pick up area for cars and connections to DDOT, SMART and the Q-Line. To enhance micro-modal forms of transportation, the hub will also be a spot to rent bicycles, scooters, carshares and access public parking. Still in its planning phases, a final design plan is not expected to be approved until 2024, with the center not set to open until at least 2026.

Krassenstein said that the city is still working with MDOT to finalize a design. “The final design must fit the needs of both MDOT as the transportation agency as well as the surrounding Detroit neighborhoods and the customers who will use its services.”

At the edge of the city limits, retail giant Amazon this year completed at 3.8 million-square-foot warehouse distribution center on land that once hosted the State Fairgrounds between Woodward and Eight Mile Road. Employing over 2,000 people, all trucks and vehicles entering and leaving the center are routed onto Eight Mile, thereby not adding more traffic to the Woodward Corridor, said Krassenstein.

Beyond Eight Mile, Krassenstein said Detroit is paying great attention to the changes to Woodward happening in Ferndale to see if similar changes can be made in the northern neighborhoods of the city to make it more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

“All along the entire 27-mile corridor, I think all townships and cities want the same thing from M-1. We want the corridor to be slower, we want Woodward not to divide our neighborhoods and for our residents to safely use the corridor through a variety of means of transportation. At the same time, each community along the corridor has its own distinct characteristics with different needs.”

Pontiac is getting ready for big changes in the longanticipated removal of the Loop and the reconnection of Woodward Avenue into a pedestrian-friendly two-way thoroughfare into the downtown district. After all, this plan has been decades in the making, and it’s been nearly 50 years since the 1964 design was put into place. Critics lambasted the plan. The Loop was

built to prepare the area for an increased traffic flow that never came but instead severed outlying Pontiac neighborhoods from its downtown core.

“The Loop has been decried by city planners for many decades,” Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel said. “It has acted like a moat, separating Pontiac’s downtown from the surrounding neighborhoods. Although the posted speed limit around the loop is 35 miles per hour, cars drive often drive 50 miles per hour. As a result, it is a very intimidating physical and visual barrier. It has really separated the outlying neighborhoods from our downtown businesses.”

MDOT’s goal in Pontiac is to turn Woodward Avenue into a pedestrianfriendly series of two-way boulevards, with slower traffic speeds aimed at reconnecting neighborhoods to the downtown while inviting motorists to stop, shop and dine.

The new design of Woodward will slow traffic and provide islands between opposing lanes. That will greatly enhance pedestrian safety, former Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman said. A 2016 city study of traffic hazards showed that nearly 40 percent of crash fatalities in Pontiac involved pedestrians or cyclists, about double the national average.

Greimel said he understands that when construction gets underway to remove the Loop in 2024, some commuters may be frustrated with lane closures and delays. But the result will be worth it.

“After the construction is finished, the reconfiguration of Woodward Avenue in Pontiac is to make sure that our downtown is better connected with the outlying neighborhoods,” Greimel said. “We will have a more walkable downtown that doesn’t have this intimidating four or five-lane highway that creates a very real physical barrier for pedestrians.”

Greimel added that no one likes oneway streets, especially visitors unfamiliar with the tricks of getting around a certain city.

“Pontiac’s streets are infamously tough to navigate for drivers who may not know exactly where they’re going from point A to point B,” explained Greimel. “If a driver gets lost, they need to loop around all over again as opposed to taking a shorter route, like turning around. For all those reasons, we believe that reconfiguring the Woodward Loop around our downtown is one of the essential ingredients to revitalizing our downtown.”

At the center of facilitating between the state and local governments to make sure they deliver the best infrastructure

and transportation resources to their constituents through research, funding and municipality-to-state level operations is the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). The work seen on Woodward Avenue and many of the regions’ main trunklines are the results of decades of studies an analysis in the making. And a comprehensive, corridorwide rethinking of how vehicles and other modes of transportation should move up, down and across Woodward has yet come into focus.

Michele Fedorowicz, SEMCOG transportation planning manager, explained why proposals and ideas of today may not come to fruition until a decade or more later.

“It does take a long time to get a project done, especially like a major road such as Woodward Avenue Corridor,” explained Fedorowicz. “Not only does Woodward belong to MDOT, but everything the state wants to do requires a federal review by the Federal Highway Administration under the U.S. Department of Transportation. Each infrastructure project undergoes an examination to make sure projects are done fairly, with equity, and meet up to stringent environmental requirements. There are 36 laws that fall under the National Environmental Protection Act for review that each major infrastructure project that receives federal funding must adhere.”

Created in the 1970s, Fedorowicz said NEPA assures that the destruction of certain neighborhoods to make way for infrastructure projects – such as what happened to the historic Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit which was dismantled to make way for I-375 – are a thing of the past. She said MDOT’s longrange plan for Woodward, which extends decades into the future, is in a pre-NEPA phase.

Fedorowicz explained that all approved infrastructure projects for the next four years are tallied and constantly updated in SEMCOG’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) database. Accessible to the public, as the public is invited to weigh in and leave comments on how projects will directly affect them, the TIP is an implementation tool of the Regional Transportation Plan (RTP), which has a planning horizon for the next 20 years. The plan identifies policies, programs, and transportation investments to support the long-term

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vision for southeast Michigan.

Nearly all major transportation improvements made in southeast Michigan receive federal funding. Most often, the federal government pays for 80 percent of a project, and the local community or transportation agency matches their funds with the remaining 20 percent. But, before a transportation project can receive those federal funds, it must take a series of steps to ensure the money is well spent. Each step presents an opportunity for citizen involvement.

Fedorowicz said SEMCOG’s role in all of this is to facilitate cooperation between MDOT and all the individual municipalities located along all the region’s main truncates.

“It is not up to SEMCOG to create a broad vision for what the Woodward Corridor or any of these roads should be for the future,” Fedorowicz said. “It’s SEMCOG’s role to bring MDOT and individual communities together to facilitate that conversation and make sure everyone’s voices are heard. There are varying issues along the Woodward Corridor. While some want a smaller footprint with lane reductions, others want to facilitate commuter travel. So, there’s a difference of voices here.”

Right now, there are several TIP projects in the books for Woodward. Of those, they include: In Bloomfield Township, construction on Woodward from Square Lake Road to 1-94, is a $3.6 million MDOT project. Work on this project began in 2023.

In Pontiac, beginning in 2024, MDOT will embark on its $26 million project to remove the Pontiac Loop and reconstruct the city’s stretch of Woodward as detailed above.

Also in Pontiac, this year MDOT embarked on a $3.1 million project in Pontiac, closing southbound Woodward Avenue south of the Pontiac Loop, from Rapid Street to South Boulevard for intersection improvements at the I-75 Business Loop at Woodward Avenue and South Boulevard intersection. The project will reconstruct southbound I-75 bound lanes and install indirect left turns.

Fedorowicz said unlike the long-term overall planning concepts and studies that SEMCOG conducts which reach far into the future, projects such as the lane reduction and reconfigurations in Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge are described as Construction Maintenance Projects. Meaning, these are enhanced road repair projects that were already

scheduled as regular maintenance. MDOT worked with the municipalities to customize these sections of the corridor with what residents and businesses have in mind.

“These projects are not complete reconstruction endeavors, as what we will see in the future for Pontiac, but rather maintenance ones,” Fedorowicz explained. “MDOT was scheduled to repair the pavement anyway, and they worked with the community asking for their input and interests.”

She continued: “Reconstruction projects, which are more long-range and involved, are very expensive. And corridor-wide projects become more complicated when multiple municipalities are involved, so you want to start that conversation early. That’s why SEMCOG is out there seeking information for entire corridors such as Woodward – to get the community conversation going.”

When he was a reporter at the Detroit Free Press beginning in the late 1980s, John Gallagher wrote about futuristic business and economic redevelopment projects, some that only came to fruition during his last few years at the paper before he retired in 2019. He now enjoys the city’s more walkable and bikeable neighborhoods and routes that move in and around Detroit and up into the metro area, which were things he wrote about years ago and that few predicted would come true.

“When I first wrote about pedestrianonly squares and wider sidewalks, setting aside traffic lanes for bicycles, and even the creation of the people’s plaza at the intersection of Woodward and Jefferson, there was some groaning about how this was going to affect traffic,” Gallagher recalled. “But parts of Detroit have become a very welcome, walkable environment, and the (vehicle traffic) has adapted.”

An avid cyclist, Gallagher now enjoys Detroit’s connectedness of its bicycle routes along the Dequindre Cut, the Riverfront and parts of Woodward, although most of the stretch remains offlimits to safe riding.

“Although there are places along Woodward I could not imagine biking or walking (such as around Bloomfield Township), there are other areas where making it more walkable and bikeable just makes more sense,” he said. “At one point, the (Pontiac) Loop was built to prioritize traffic and transit at the expense of the environment. But there is talk now to reunite this part of the road with the rest of the surrounding neighborhoods, urban areas and roads

like Woodward, with neighborhoods to make the traffic slow down, to make them more walkable.”

In 2014 Gallagher penned an article that predicted long-term economic and commercial growth in and around Detroit, including the Woodward Avenue Corridor. Back then, commercial and residential real estate was just beginning to pick up on the street and the tracks for the Q-Line had yet to be laid.

In his last years at the Detroit Free Press, Gallagher traveled the Q-line when he had out of the office meetings.

hough the Q-Line was designed as a demonstration project, Gallagher said that for the light rail to truly become a vital part of transportation infrastructure, it would need to run up to Birmingham.

“I know there are issues with that,” Gallagher admitted. “For one, it is very expensive. And it would have to operate at high speeds and stop less in the suburbs and then move more slowly with more frequent stops in Detroit. As it stands now, it is not an essential mode of transportation such as the El in Chicago or the subway in New York.”

He continued: “It’s encouraging to see the work getting done in Ferndale and Pleasant Ridge to make way for bikers and pedestrians and to see bike lanes opening in and around Detroit.”

Looking further into the future at the city’s other main arteries, Gallagher said he is optimistic of the transformation and raising I-375 and making it a more walkable, livable boulevard that may redeem and restore the history of the destruction of the predominantly African American Black Bottom neighborhood and the vibrant life of what was Hastings Street. MDOT is proposing to spend $150 million on the I-375 project, with estimated construction to begin in 2027.

“We are beginning to recognize what it means to bring back walkability in our urban neighborhoods, and what that means to the quality of one’s life,” said Gallagher. “There are lots of new zoning trends that 15 to 20 years ago were unheard of but now are becoming more commonplace. The trend is called the ‘20minute neighborhood.’ The concept is built around the idea that people can have most everything they need, from housing to work to other services and features, within a 20-minute walk. It’s becoming a priority because cities are beginning to understand what was lost when we put highways through neighborhoods.”

FACES

Mike Eckles

Mike Eckles has been cooking since he was a kid. The private chef, who co-owns Abode Fine Dining with Marcus D’Onofrio, caters to a southeast Michigan clientele, with many based in Birmingham and Bloomfield.

“We are a hybrid between private chef and catering,” said Eckles. “We specialize in high-end dinner parties in homes where we bring everything, like a fancy restaurant dinner.” The meals are made in front of their clients for better quality and efficiency.

Word-of-mouth has helped their business grow. “Most dinners we do either result in another dinner or they refer us to someone else,” said Eckles, who can cook dinner for two or cater special events with 200 guests, such as grad parties and weddings.

Eckles recently appeared on the Netflix show “Pressure Cooker,” where he made it to the finale, ending as the first runner up. “It is kind of like ‘Survivor.’ You have a bunch of chefs that are either safe or up for elimination,” he explained.

His appearance gave their local business a boost, but their demand was already ramping up beforehand. “For a three-year-old company, we’ve been growing rapidly,” said Eckles. During the show, the daily staff meals that happened behind the scenes were among the memorable moments. “All the cooks would create something and we would eat it together,” he said.

Eckles – who attended Lahser High School until his senior year at Bloomfield Hills High School, where he was among the first graduating class – started cooking when he was 12.

“My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She’s fine now, but she stopped cooking when she went through chemotherapy,” he said. “I started making mac and cheese and went from there.”

He would go on to graduate from the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, New York.

Now he has found a niche. “We specialize in tasting menus with different courses and smaller portions,” Eckles said. “That keeps your palette excited when you’re trying something new.”

Their five-course tasting menus feature seasonal selections and monthly themes, such as the state of Michigan with locally-sourced wagyu steaks and morels.

Another theme was inspired by his TV appearance. “During the Netflix show, there was a challenge to do monochromatic food, but you still had to make it cool and interesting,” said Eckles. “When there is a color theme, like purple, people don’t even notice it because the shades vary.”

Client requests can vary, too. “For events like small weddings, people have asked us to do a Chipotle burrito bar in their backyard, but make it cool and fancy,” he said. “If you name it, we can cook it.”

They can prepare traditional meals for Thanksgiving and Christmas and meet unique needs like a recent pop-up restaurant in Mexico.

The company also provides the supplies, from pots and pans to plates, silverware and tablecloths. “We can bring servers and a bartender if needed. It’s the full package,” said Eckles.

The chefs are equipped to think on their feet. “We’ve turned grills into ovens when there wasn’t an oven,” he said.

These aren't the hardest details for him. “The most challenging for me personally has been learning all the things an entrepreneur should know. You don’t learn them in a kitchen,” he said.

Leading the way has been the most rewarding aspect so far. “I can cook the food I want to cook and I don’t have to answer to a head chef,” said Eckles. “We have a creative team and I like the excitement of building your own destiny.”

Story: Jeanine Matlow

Photo: Laurie Tennent

County economy to stay positive

By Lisa Brody

According to University of Michigan economists, Oakland County's economy is predicted to return to normal this year and has a "solidly positive outlook" over the next few years.

A three-year economic outlook for Oakland County was presented on Monday, May 8, at Oakland University, where county executive Dave Coulter also presented the Oakland80 report, which dives into postsecondary attainment.

In the three-year outlook for the county by U-M economists Dr. Gabe Ehrich and Donald Grimes, they noted the national economy has not exempted southeast Michigan. While there has been growth in 2022, notably in the third quarter, “the county's jobs recovery has lagged Michigan’s as a whole. Oakland had recovered only 82 percent of the jobs it lost at the start of the pandemic by the third quarter of 2022, while Michigan had recovered 90 percent...We are optimistic that 2023 will feature a return to normalcy in Oakland County’s economy despite a slowdown in the national economy. We project the county to add 9,700 payroll jobs this year, a growth rate of 1.4 percent.”

The economists anticipate growth to be widespread across industries, noting that a remaining backlog of demand in the automotive and construction industries will likely cushion local unemployment against a possible mild recession. “Our forecast takes Oakland County’s payroll jobs count back to its pre-pandemic level in the second quarter of 2025 and to 1.2 percent higher by the end of the year.”

Oakland County's strengths – which include low child poverty, high educational attainment, a high share of residents employed in professional and managerial occupations, and a high median income –are among the economists' reasons for their optimism for the county's future.

However, they noted there are discrepancies and uneven economic prosperity within the county, with Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, and Bloomfield Township maintaining stronger average household income compared to other municipalities, notably Pontiac and Waterford.

In the Oakland80 report, titled “The Road to Economic Success in Oakland County,” Coulter noted, “Oakland County is fortunate to be an economic leader in Michigan with the highest personal income per capita and second highest post-secondary educational attainment rate in the state. We want to build on and preserve this advantage for the future of our residents and ensure that all of our residents have the educational opportunities they deserve.”

He said the goal of Oakland80 is to work towards the ambitious goal of having 80 percent of adult residents of the county with a postsecondary degree or certified training certificate by 2030. Working with the leaders of Oakland Community College, Oakland Schools and Oakland University, in partnership with Gesher Human Services the county by using American Rescue Plan (ARP) dollars, developed a team of career and education navigators embedded throughout the county to help adults, “not only design their own educational pathways that satisfies both their interests and the needs in the local workforce but achieve their dreams.”

Substantially fewer Oakland County residents of color have postsecondary attainment. Only 42 percent of black residents and 47 percent of Latino/Latina residents have a college degree or certificate. Geography also makes a difference in post-secondary attainment. Residents in the Pontiac/Waterford area have a post-secondary attainment rate of 38 percent, and residents in west Oakland County have a below county average attainment rate of 53 percent while the Farmington/Southfield area is at 58 percent. The areas with the highest post-secondary attainment rates in the county are Birmingham, Bloomfield, Troy, and Rochester at 76 percent.

ARP funds are also being used to help with ancillary costs like transportation, books and childcare. “We rely on the strength of existing programs so that services aren’t duplicated, and precious resources can be dedicated to where they are needed most,” Coulter said.

Commission stalls on marijuana ordinance

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham city commissioners

tabled discussions of a drafted Marijuana Ordinance at their meeting on Monday, April 24, directing the city attorney to continue working on the drafted language and potentially meet with other attorneys and subject matter experts to ensure the city is protected from potential litigation.

The commission reviewed the potential routes they could take for a marijuana ordinance during a workshop meeting on February 13. City attorney Mary Kucharek said during the workshop the city could remain opted-out of allowing marijuana business or they could create an ordinance in which they can regulate the time, manner and place, thereby avoiding a possible petition drive to put the issue on the ballot over which they would have little control.

Kucharek said the drafted ordinance allows for only two licenses, one for a medical facility and one for a recreational establishment, and essentially gives ‘bonus points’ if the licenses are colocated. Any business will need a license both from the city and state to operate. The process and standards for annual license renewal included in the draft mirrors the city’s current process for liquor license renewal.

Although Kucharek said the state hasn’t provided much guidance for municipalities, they do get some guidance on what the city is allowed to do per the result of a recent court of appeals decision regarding cannabis litigation against the city of Berkley. The court says the city could enact an ordinance as long as it isn’t unreasonably impractical, doesn’t conflict with other laws and the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, and reasonably regulates the time, place and manner.

The proposed ordinance includes a scoring system for the application review process that uses a points system. When an application is submitted, the city manager will go through all the different elements and provide a numerical score on each of the criterium and those with the highest scores can get the license. A score would be given for the site plan, security plan, business model and other required material.

Kucharek and city manager Tom Markus emphasized in the workshop that the intention with passing an

ordinance is to be proactive. Several cities across the state have had citizen-enacted petitions and ended up with an approved ordinance in which the city had no say. Markus previously said that while the city is currently opted out of allowing cannabis-related businesses, it is not protected from a petition.

Michigan state statute allows for people to petition to have a cannabis ordinance placed on a ballot if it earns signatures from five percent of local voters in the last general election for governor, Kucharek explained during the workshop session.

If a citizen-initiated ordinance were to earn a majority of votes, commissioners would not be able to amend it or make determinations on the criteria for obtaining a license, and the petition does not have to be initiated by a local citizen but could be started by cannabis interests from outside the community.

State law and the city's proposed new ordinance provide that marijuana establishments and facilities can’t be located within 1,000 ft. of a school, religious institution, park or playground, or city owned recreational facility, according to Kucharek. In response to this, commissioner Clinton Baller proposed designating more parks throughout the city to eliminate any potential areas where establishments could be located. Commissioners Brad Host and Andrew Haig said they liked Baller’s suggestion and are interested in the city manager looking further into that option.

Two individuals from the public who own and operate marijuana establishments told the commission that Birmingham is considered a prime spot where many others in the industry are eager to get involved. One mentioned the ordinance’s scoring system could open the doors for hefty litigation, which is what they claimed happened in Berkley since the city didn’t have a way to break a tie using the scoring system. They also urged the commission to talk with experts in the industry, who they said mostly come from Birmingham, to make sure the ordinance is written in the best manner possible.

After hearing public comment, Baller suggested speaking to subject matter experts to see what could be changed in the ordinance. Mayor Therese Longe echoed that suggestion, saying that speaking to Keego Harbor officials, where voters approved an amendment to end the prohibition of medical marijuana

facilities, and attorneys who specialize in helping cities with cannabis litigation might be beneficial.

Two members of the Birmingham Bloomfield Community Coalition, an anti-substance abuse group, who attended the meeting by Zoom, urged the city commission not to change the current opt-out position of the city when it comes to cannabis businesses.

The commission voted 7-0 to table discussions of the ordinance and directed Kucharek to seek guidance from attorneys who specialize in helping cities with cannabis litigation. Baller also asked for a better map that illustrates where these businesses could set up shop around the city.

Tenant’s rights rules tabled by Birmingham

By Grace Lovins

Commentary from citizens and landlord attorneys convinced the Birmingham City Commission to table a decision on passing a tenant’s rights ordinance at the meeting on Monday, April 24, after several shared their disappointment in the draft’s focus.

The commission directed city attorney Mary Kucharek to begin drafting a tenant’s rights ordinance back in December 2022 after former mayor and beloved resident Dorothy Conrad was nearly booted from her home in Baldwin House. Conrad’s situation opened the door for the commission to deliberate adding additional protections for renters related to source of income and the right to renew.

Kucharek presented the second draft of the ordinance at the meeting, noting the catalyst for the discussion being Conrad’s situation. After the last meeting, attorneys representing landlords shared feedback and complaints about the previous draft ordinance language, saying the right to renew protections could have unintended consequences for landlords and other renters. Kucharek suggested, given the feedback, focusing the ordinance on providing additional protections for renters over 65 years old.

“The new proposed ordinance in front of [the commission] really focuses on two things. One, that there would not be discrimination against persons over 65-years of age for their source of income in order to pay their rent; and that if there lease

is going to renewed or not renewed, the landlord provide that information in writing with a 90-day notice period so that if it’s not going to be renewed for good cause as defined in state law, that person over 65 has more than weeks or days to scramble to figure out what their life is going to look like,” Kucharek said.

According to Kucharek, focusing on renters 65-year-old and over addresses what brought all of the issues regarding tenant’s rights to the commission and the language proposed takes into account the concerns from people opposing the ordinance, making it more protective of the city.

Many residents, along with commissioner Brad Host, disapproved of the focus on renters over 65 years old. Kucharek said the only law protecting age discrimination based on age was the Elliott Larson Civil Rights Act, explaining it was limited to employers questioning age, but according to other attorneys who spoke, the law applies to housing as well. Renters, fair housing attorneys and attorneys representing landlords all generally agreed in public comment that the ordinance should not pass as written.

“Something is needed, the question is to what degree,” said commissioner Andrew Haig. He proposed developing a tenant and landlord code of conduct to regulate interactions of both parties in the city. “Going to an attorney first can be an expensive, daunting, difficult proposition so if there was a way of having a mediating influence as the first step, perhaps we need to look at something like that,” he said.

Kucharek added that, if that’s the route the commission wanted to take, resolving disputes could be left to trained mediators servings as volunteers. Other commissioners said they would be interested in looking into the practicality of a code but would need to figure out the details and enforceability.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to table discussions of the ordinance. Kucharek was directed to look into the practicality of establishing a code of conduct between renters and landlords, the legality of offering protections to people only over the age of 65 years old, and removing the word ‘citizen’ from the document for inclusivity.

Development traffic study, site plan okayed

By Grace Lovins

The community impact study and preliminary site plan for a proposed development at 34952 Woodward Avenue and 690 E. Maple Road was accepted and approved by the Birmingham Planning Board at its meeting on Wednesday, May 10.

The development will still need to return for final site plan and design review, with several traffic issues remaining unsolved.

Ryan Companies is proposing a six to nine-story, mixed use building for the corner of Woodward and Maple that is approximately 406,000 square feet. Planning board members reviewed the community impact study on Monday, April 17, but postponed a decision given concerns with traffic and vehicle access and the request for additional information and models from the applicants.

Updated environmental information was submitted to the city which showed that the geotechnical bores that were completed indicated environmentally impacted soil exhibiting hydrocarbon odor, said city planner Leah Bublitz. The company has not submitted the soil for lab analysis, according to vice president of development Toby Veit, but he said the presence of the odor will be investigated and they are comfortable moving forward.

Board member Daniel Share said he expected to know more information about the potential environmental concerns. “When we have a draft report, usually we have final reports. … We’re now three months past when this thing showed up and I would’ve expected a plan of some kind for what further investigation there’s going to be,” he said.

Since the other issues with the community impact study were resolved, board chairperson Scott Clein suggested accepting the study on the condition that Ryan Companies submit the information about the environmental condition before a decision is made on the final site plan.

The board asked for the company to review the corner of Woodward and Maple to make the area more pedestrian friendly and accessible. New designs show that a pedestrian cut-through has been added to the first-floor retail space, so pedestrians are able to walk through and access the area instead of walking around. They also added a plaza at the corner complete with benches, greenspace, a curved hardscape and open area for a potential art installation.

At the board’s meeting on April 17, Brad Strader, the city’s traffic consultant, expressed multiple concerns over the development’s ingress and egress onto Maple Road and a proposed drop-off on the same street. Strader argued that an egress onto Maple wouldn’t be feasible given the amount of traffic but said that if the developers do choose to have an egress, it should be a right turn only.

Several board members said they feel the drop-off is a bad idea considering the amount of traffic on Maple. Robin Boyle and Janelle Boyce were concerned with the number of deliveries coming per day, saying that deliveries are only going to increase as time goes on and they don’t want the added traffic on the street. Boyce suggested that the alley would be a better location.

“I think the more complicated we make it the less likely these people are going to be able to find out where they’re supposed to go, and they’ll end up sitting in the right lane on Maple anyway with their hazards on,” said Matt Stevens, architect and project designer with Ryan Companies.

Chairperson Clein said he was comfortable moving forward with the preliminary site plan with conditions. He said there’s still more to be discussed with the drop off, and the developers need to look at the ingress and egress on Maple, specifically the left turn onto the street.

The community impact study was accepted by the board on the condition that Ryan Companies submits the environmental information before the final site plan is approved. Board members voted 6-1 to accept the study, with Boyle voting against the motion saying he was concerned about accepting the study with caveats.

Board members also voted 7-0 to approve the preliminary site plan. Board members Bryan Williams and Stuart Jeffares were absent so alternate members Jason Emerine and Nasseem Ramin voted in their place.

Year of change and involvement for police

By Dana Casadei

A year of change and community involvement were large focuses of the Bloomfield Township Police Department's Annual Report at the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, May 8.

Chief of Police James Gallagher began the presentation by discussing the transition of his role as chief of police, which began in July 2022, after the retirement of former chief Phil Langmeyer, who served the township for over 30 years.

Chief Langmeyer wasn’t the only retiree for the department in 2022; there were also three lieutenants, two detectives, one dispatcher, and a Bloomfield Village officer who retired, who combined had over 200 years of police service.

The department did go on to hire five additional officers, two dispatchers and an animal welfare officer in this last year.

Multiple awards were given throughout the evening, highlighting the work the department has done, including Officer of the Year. Officer Ed Ryan, who has been with the department since the fall of 2007, received this year’s award.

This past year also marked the police department’s first full year with their mental health Co-Responder program and clinician Hillary Nusbaum, who was awarded the department’s Civilian of the Year award. Over 600 cases were referred to Nusbaum from all three agencies –Bloomfield Township, Birmingham and Auburn Hills – with 239 referrals directly from Bloomfield Township.

The CoRE program is now also being implemented by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office and the City of Troy Police Department, and there are plans to expand the central CoRE team, adding the city of Rochester Police Department, and hiring a second clinician to handle the caseload, all of which is being made possible after the Bloomfield Township Police Department was awarded a $260,000 federal grant.

Nick Soley, community relations officer for the Bloomfield Township Police Department, presented the rest of the annual report, which had a notable format change from years prior, closer to a magazine layout than just 70 pages of facts and figures. This change was not only mentioned and appreciated by Gallagher, but trustees as well.

Getting into the facts and figures of the report highlighted that last year the department handled 25,883 calls for service (CFS), about 1,000 calls down from 2021. Those calls ranged from a

Cameron Mitchell to reopen Big Rock

By Lisa Brody

The Big Rock in Birmingham on the site of a former railroad station will rise again, as Cameron Mitchell Restaurants out of Columbus, Ohio, reopens the site as Big Rock Italian Chop House.

Big Rock Chophouse had been located at 245 S. Eton Street in the historic Birmingham Train Station. Prior to opening as Big Rock Chophouse, the train station was restored in 1984 and converted into a signature restaurant called Norman’s Eton Street Station by restaurateurs Norman and Bonnie LePage, who began their long tenure in hospitality when they quit their jobs in 1969 and opened a doughnut shop. They announced the closure of Big Rock Chophouse in September, 2021, with the iconic restaurant closing at the end of 2021.

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants are familiar to those in the Birmingham area, as it owns and operates Ocean Prime in Troy, and prior to selling them to Ruth's Chris Steak House in 2008, created and opened Cameron's Steakhouse and Mitchell's Fish Market, both on Willits in Birmingham.

According to its website, the restaurant group began at Cameron Mitchell's mother's dining room table, where Cameron said he mapped out his career goals.

“In 1993, Cameron signed a lease for a small piece of storefront property, tucked in the northwest corner of Columbus. The space would be transformed into his first restaurant, 'Cameron’s.' This contemporary American bistro wowed Columbus diners with its diverse flavors selected from across the American culinary landscape as well as its extraordinary attention to service. Cameron’s was a notable success, especially when considering Columbus’ highly competitive restaurant business climate… While remaining independent and privately held, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants has grown to 43 restaurants across the country from Beverly Hills to New York City, and 18 different concepts in 14 states and the District of Columbia. In addition to Cameron’s, the concepts are: Cap City Fine Diner & Bar, The Guild House, Hudson 29 Kitchen + Drink, Martini Modern Italian, Marcella’s, Ocean Prime, Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro, The Pearl Restaurant, Tavern & Oyster Room, The Barn at Rocky Fork Creek, The Avenue Steak Tavern, Del Mar SoCal Kitchen, Lincoln Social Rooftop, El Segundo Mexican Kitchen, Prime Social Rooftop, Del Mar Naples, Valentina’s (opening 2023) and Cento (opening 2023).”

At the Birmingham Historic Design Committee on April 19, a design review application from the Cameron Mitchell Restaurant group was reviewed for minor cosmetic changes to the building along with some modifications to outdoor dining. Among the changes requested were to build a pergola on the north side of the outdoor dining area, where the valet stand stood, to remove it and build additional outdoor dining with a pergola, outdoor fireplace and hedge screening.

A special land use permit for Big Rock Italian Chop House will be reviewed by the city's planning board.

phone call into dispatch requesting police assistance to a police officer affecting a traffic stop. A CFS is also created when an alarm company calls to alert an alarm has been tripped.

Soley emphasized how much of what the department does is serviceorientated policing, such as vacation house checks, vehicle lockouts, and school security checks.

As far as crime in the township goes, Part A Crimes – considered the most serious types of crimes, like robbery, assaults, and high-value larcenies –went up slightly from the year prior, and were primarily fraud/ID thefts and robberies, especially stolen vehicles. Part B and C crimes did go down in Bloomfield Township. Officer Soley did mention he wrote more press releases for

high crimes than he ever had before in 2022.

Out of all of those calls for service, only 12 resulted in use of force incidents – less than one percent of their total calls, and down from last year. In total, 947 of those calls for service resulted in arrest, and 6,658 calls included traffic stops.

Soley also discussed the police department’s community involvement, emphasizing how much fun this part is, not only for residents but for officers as well.

Throughout 2022, the police department took part in multiple events across the township, including handing out candy at Halloween, Skate With a Cop night, and a firsttime babysitting class, which was so

popular the class was full and there are plans for another.

Birmingham Museum launches podcast

Think you know everything about Birmingham, Michigan? You might be surprised, especially if you tune into “Birmingham Uncovered,” the new podcast just launched by the Birmingham Museum, available via app, on the city’s website and the museum’s YouTube channel.

Each podcast, produced twice per month by museum specialist Caitlin Donnelly, will focus on the life of a particular individual from Birmingham’s history, and explore their connection to the larger local or national story.

"It's exciting to be able to share Birmingham's history in this new way,” said Donnelly. “By exploring big nationwide stories like the Underground Railroad network, the women's suffrage movement, or attitudes toward mental illness in the 1820s through the lives of the people in Birmingham. It makes the history personal.”

The equipment for the podcast was made possible by a Public, Educational, and Governmental Services (PEG) grant from the Birmingham Area Cable Board. To delve deeper into Birmingham’s history, visit bhamgov.org/ birminghamuncovered to listen to the podcasts, view a transcript of each podcast, and access historical documents for each episode. These include court records, old newspaper clippings, journal entries, and more. The free podcasts are also available via app and on the Birmingham Museum’s YouTube channel.

Pickleball courts coming to Crestview

Pickleball enthusiasts will have a new place to enjoy their game as six brand new pickleball courts are being installed at Birmingham's Crestview Park.

City contractors began work on the six pickleball courts the week of May 8, and the city anticipates the courts will be ready for play by late May or early June.

Pickleball is America's fastest growing sport. It is a paddle sport which combines elements of tennis, badminton & ping-pong using an oversized paddle. It can be played by two or four players, where they hit a perforated hollow plastic ball over a 36-inch-high net using solid-faced paddles.

Winner of 2023 Detroit Design Award

Code of conduct to be topic of workshop

By Grace Lovins

The Birmingham City Commission on Monday, April 24, decided to schedule for mid-summer another workshop meeting to discuss the development of a commissioner code of conduct.

Commissioners last saw the proposed code of conduct on March 13, when the city manager and city attorney included the draft in the meeting packet. Prior to this meeting, city attorney Mary Kucharek was asked to go through the document and identify areas that were duplicative. The commission had 14 days after March 13 to review Kucharek’s findings and provide any comments on any changes they want to see.

These comments were included in the city manager’s report on the code of conduct in the April 24 meeting packet. Commissioners Pierre Boutros and Katie Schafer noted they had no comments or desired changes, while the other five commissioners submitted a list of suggestions or a marked up copy of the draft.

During the commissioner comments portion of the meeting, commissioner Brad Host gave a detailed explanation of what he sees wrong with the document. He said the drafted code, while well meaning, is seriously flawed and could have unintended consequences.

“I believe the revised code we’ve been asked to review has been drafted, intentionally or unintentionally, in an authoritarian manner, setting traps for the people turning to it in good faith for guidance, failing to encourage the clarity, efficiency and camaraderie it should seek to achieve,” Host said.

“I respectfully ask that we take a hard second look at this code, not as a rejection for our need for a code of conduct, but as affirmation of our desire to work in harmony, connect with our constituents without fear, and express our ideas openly and freely,” he continued.

City manager Markus reiterated that this is something the commission has to decide on and recommended setting another workshop session to talk it over and figure out exactly what the group wants, but the most important thing is that decide on it collectively.

“I would remind you that most if

Downtown team wins ten awards

The team at Downtown Newsmagazine garnered ten awards in annual journalism competition sponsored by the Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) for work from the 2022 calendar year.

Contest entries were judged by members of the SPJ in other states and Downtown Newsmagazine competed with other Michigan publications of 50,000 circulation or less.

News editor Lisa Brody took first place in the Health Reporting category for her May 2022 longform story on the move by local police departments to a co-response team approach on 911 calls in which a social worker accompanies public safety officers on emergency calls.

Reporter Kevin Elliott was awarded first place for his December 2022 longform story on the racial make-up of police traffic stops in local communities.

In the same competition category, Stacy Gittleman took fourth place for her October longform story on the ongoing battle in north Oakland County over who would control the permitting process for gravel mining and the possible threat to local control if the permit process is moved to state level as is now being proposed in state legislation.

In the Explanatory Reporting category, reporter Grace Lovins took third place for her November longform piece on the national movement to ban natural gas use in new residential and commercial construction as part of the environmental efforts to address global warming.

Reporter Stacy Gittleman took third place in the Environmental Reporting contest category for an April issue longform story on how Michigan is being viewed as a possible refuge for those hoping to migrate to escape or avoid projected worsening climate problems.

Publisher David Hohendorf was awarded first place in the Personal Column category for his opinion piece on the potential loss of local control over schools thanks to the flood of local and outside money in the latest school board elections; his critical column on the watered down version of financial disclosure for state lawmakers and members of the administration that was placed on the ballot in 2022; and his open letter to his new granddaughter about the challenges she will be facing as she grows up.

Graphics manager Chris Grammer placed first in the Magazine Spread Design competition for his layout design of the longform piece on local fire departments. Grammer was also awarded third place for his design of the April issue cover on the same story topic.

In the Portrait Photography competition, photographer Laurie Tennent took second place with her Faces personality feature photo of Bloomfield resident Bob Redner in his 1944 McKinnon G21G Goose seaplane.

Photographer Chris Ward took third place in the same category for her Faces feature photo of Birmingham resident Kaitlyn Buss, Detroit News columnist and editorial board member.

not all of that came from other jurisdictions codes of conduct and, in fact, I would say that that’s the type of thing that typically appears in a code of conduct. Having said that, at the end of the day, it’s this commission’s decision. My recommendation is you sit down in a work session and exchange your views, cut it up, get agreement as to what you want in that code of conduct, move it up to the agenda and vote on it. You don’t need [Kucharek] and me anymore,” Markus said.

Commissioners agreed to move the item to a workshop session for the next possible date. The review of the code and setting up a workshop

session were not items that required formal action or a vote from the commission.

Bloomfield Community TV adds podcast studio

Bloomfield Community TV (BCTV), which has an awardwinning studio producing public, educational and government (PEG) programming for nearly 40 years, is branching out, adding a new podcast studio.

The current production studio is a video studio which limits viewership to the screen. As Cable and Community Relations Director Carrie LeZotte points out, with the new

podcast studio, “the conversation is no longer limited to a screen.”

A podcast is a program made in digital form for download over the internet. Podcasts are primarily an audio medium, with some programs offering a supplemental video component.

The new BCTV podcast studio will still allow producers to create video content which is distributed on Comcast, AT&T and YouTube, LeZotte said. It just offers more, as podcasts are easy to consume while commuting, exercising or performing chores around the house.

The last few years have seen an explosion of new podcast content and programs. “Creating the podcast studio has allowed us to double the production space available to the community and give us room to host larger productions in the main studio,” LeZotte said. “The pod/vodcast are an evolution of what we’ve been doing here in Bloomfield Township for years – conversational shows with interesting residents and community members about local issues. Adding the distribution platforms now available will help extend our reach.”

LeZotte said she is really excited about a podcast called, “Community Readiness” with Bloomfield Police Chief James Gallagher, “as I don’t think there’s a police podcast out there that looks at education and community partnership quite the way our chief does in his program.”

Cable Operations Manager Steve Rota said he is looking forward to having residents take part in production to drive the studio forward. “Residents are the reason we have all the programs that we do. They bring their programming ideas and we provide the technical expertise; they give us the guest and the host and we put the show together.”

Once created and uploaded, all podcasts can be streamed via Podbean.

Residents of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Franklin are eligible to produce programs at the BCTV station by first attending a volunteer workshop. Interested parties should visit the township website for more information at bloomfieldtwp.org/services.

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BHS principal resigns after assembly

By Lisa Brody

In the wake of a diversity assembly at Bloomfield Hills High School (BHS) on March 13, which featured a noted anti-Israeli Palestinian speaker who made statements calling Israel an apartheid state, “an oppressor,” as well as denying Israel's existence and created divisiveness in both the school and general community, principal Lawrence Stroughter has resigned after taking a leave of absence.

The resignation follows Bloomfield Hills Schools Superintendent Pat Watson's announcement on Tuesday, April 18, that he would be retiring at the end of the school year.

A statement from BHS Director of Communications Karen Huyghe said, “Mr. Lawrence Stroughter has decided that he will not be returning to Bloomfield Hills High School in order to pursue other opportunities in education. Mr. William Simms will continue to serve as the interim principal. We will share additional information about next steps as they become available.”

Since the assembly on March 13, where a diversity group comprised of sophomores and juniors at the school, with the assistance of a faculty advisor, invited speakers to a diversity assembly. There were four separate assemblies for all students, with, among others, an American Chinese man, a transgender woman, an Indigenous individual, and Palestinian activist Huwaida Arraf invited to speak to students, supposedly to present different backgrounds and experiences.

According to an email sent to parents by Bloomfield Hills High School principal Lawrence Stroughter following the assemblies, “In preparation for this assembly, our student organizers and administrators met with each speaker to discuss the intent of the assembly and prompts. At the diversity assembly for the 10th graders, one of the speakers deviated from the prompts. Without prior knowledge of any of the organizers, the speaker discussed the conflict in Gaza from their own personal political perspective and experience. This discussion was outside of the parameters of the assembly and was addressed by the high school administration immediately after the speaker left the stage.”

Arraf is is a Palestinian American activist and lawyer who cofounded the International Solidarity Movement, a Palestinian-led organization using non-violent protests, “direct action methods and principles” and international pressure to support Palestinians. She was the chair of the Free Gaza Movement, the organization behind the Gaza Freedom Flotillas, and has a history of controversial tweets. In 2022, she ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for the 10th House Congressional district, losing to Carl Marlinga. She has referred to Zionists (those in favor of the state of Israel) as occupiers running an apartheid state, and accused Israel of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

At a special board of education meeting following the assemblies, hundreds of parents, students and members of the community turned out to relay their fears, anger and disappointment in the school administration, with members of both the Jewish and Muslim communities expressing anger, disappointment and fear.

A recurrent refrain from speakers at the board of education special meeting was that students and the community, which has long been diverse, had gotten along for years until this assembly, and that Stroughter, and diversity director Margaret Schultz had not reacted well to the situation, creating disharmony and anger. Many were distraught at the responses by Stroughter and Watson.

“Before you had someone in charge of diversity, we didn't have these problems, we didn't have these problems. Maybe that's where the problem is,” said one speaker.

“We have more hate from having the assemblies than if we hadn't,” said another.

Birmingham okays $46.6 million budget

By Grace Lovins and Lisa Brody

Birmingham commissioners voted to approve an estimated $46.6 million general fund 2023-2024 fiscal year budget, at the meeting on Monday, May 8, after reviewing each department’s proposals at a budget hearing at the end of April.

The fiscal year beings July 1, 2023, and ends June 30, 2024.

Finance director Mark Gerber said the city's millage rate will remain the same, at 11.0901 mills. Under the Headlee Amendment, the city cannot collect operating millage on the increase in taxable value derived from existing property which exceeds the Headlee inflation factor, which is 7.9 percent for 2023-2024.

Estimated revenues are $33.5 million from property taxes, comprising 47 percent of budgeted revenue, is an approximate 7.2 percent increase over fiscal year 2022-2023; $3.6 million from revenues from services, $2.8 million from state grants, $2.7 million from permits and $2 million from fines and forfeitures.

Projected state shared revenues are about $5.3 million, in the form of revenue-sharing payments, gas and weight taxes, and reimbursements for personal property tax exemptions.

Estimated expenditures are for personnel, $27 million, up from $24 million in 2022-2023; $19.5 million in other charges; $6.1 million in charges out; and $5.5 million in capital outlays.

Gerber presented two amendments to the sewage disposal fund that were identified after reviewing the budget. The sewage disposal cost increased $116,030, which he says is primarily due to the Evergreen-Farmington sewage disposal district. Storm water increased $61,650 related to George W. Kuhn drain, which resulted in a $177,680 increase to revenues and expenditures.

The budget for the Baldwin Public Library was also corrected. According to Gerber, there was supposed to be a $260,000 revenue from the library trust to help get the fund balance out of the negative. At the budget hearing, the Baldwin Library budget was in the negative due to ongoing renovations, but the funds were to be brought from the trust to offset that. The proposed skylight element for the renovation was removed from the plans to help shrink the cost.

Commissioner Brad Host said he was still concerned about the

increased cost for the 48th district court. During the budget hearing, Gerber explained that the court operates on a calendar year, not a fiscal year, so the budget was readjusted based on the percentage of caseloads from 2021. The projected total cost is expected to be approximately $1.6 million.

The increase in expenditures to the court will also create an increased revenue, but the city will still be in a deficit, according to Gerber. Assistant city manager Jana Ecker said she would push to be involved in the court’s budget earlier on in the process for a better understanding of the costs and how the budget is being formulated.

The commission voted 7-0 to adopt the 2023-2024 fiscal year budget.

Board okays water, sewer rate hikes

By Dana Casadei

Resolutions to raise water and sewer rates for the 2023-2024 fiscal year passed unanimously at the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, April 24.

The approval of the new rates follows a year and a half worth of study sessions and meetings, and will increase water rates by 2.5 percent, as well as sewer rates by 3.5 percent.

Residents currently pay a fixed quarterly charge based on meter equivalent units (MEUs) and a volumetric charge based on the amount of water used, and Bloomfield Township has historically experienced a decline in water usage per customer account.

While some residents were displeased during the evening’s public comment about the proposed rate increases, this will put the township in line with the national standards, and is consistent with other local communities who charge their rates based on meter and pipe size.

As part of the evening’s presentation, Noah Mehalski, township director of public works, presented staff recommendations for not only the approved water and sewer rates, but also for no fixed fees being added for secondary meter programs participants which involves metering of water use outside of homes. Mehalski also proposed utilization of the $7 million in surplus cash reserves to fund $4.4 million emergency sewer projects, and $3 million for the first year of a meter

replacement program, which will be a three-year project and move the township towards their ultimate goal of charging usage based rates and getting away from water and sewage rates based on pipe size as they are now.

“It seems any which way you do it, it’s not a perfect system, it’s going to benefit some more than others, this was trying to make it more equitable,” said trustee Valerie Murray. “Replacing those sending units end goal is to make it as fair as possible.”

The meter program would help replace the 52 percent of meters in the township that are over 15 years old, and would take advantage of the technological updates to meters, giving the township the data to better accurately reflect the amount of water passing through the pipes. This new data will be used to improve customer service and drive future rate considerations.

This new technology would be updated on all meters, and only replace the sending unit on the meters that aren’t old enough to be fully replaced. The sending unit transmits a data packet four times a day to the receiver, compared to radio, which is constantly getting data.

“We want a program that’s much better about providing users with data about their usage and then pricing based on that usage,” said Martin Brook, Bloomfield Township Clerk. “The sooner we get there, the better.”

Township decides on ARPA funds spending

By Dana Casadei Bloomfield Township Director of Cable and Community Relations

Carrie LeZotte presented the board of trustees on Monday, April 24, with the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) survey results, which mirrored the board’s own thoughts on the priority for township spending of the federal funds.

The survey link was sent through the township’s eNewsletter to roughly 4,800 residents, and the survey ran from March 2-17. Participants were given seven spending options, then asked to rank the options from highest priority to lowest.

Results from the survey found that 27 percent of residents ranked disaster recovery as the number one priority; followed by updates to Fire

Station #3, which would allow for longer fire trucks to fit and update the changing rooms to include women; and 17 percent ranked a police station remodel as the highest priority for spending. Updates to the Town Hall Auditorium were lowest on rankings of importance with only two percent rating it as the highest priority.

Over the course of the survey, the department received 409 submissions, giving them a good starting point for future surveys. The survey also received over 100 written comments on township spending.

This was the first survey of its kind that the department had done, so while they learned about the community’s wants, officials said they also found it to be quite educational regarding running a survey.

After LeZotte presented the results, Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dani Walsh opened up the discussion with the other trustees, who agreed that the survey results' rank of importance mirrored many of their own thoughts.

Overall, the board was quite pleased with the results and thought they should be able to complete all seven projects. As far as an order of priority goes, they agreed primarily with going in the order of the survey results and then re-prioritizing if something changes, or if costs estimates are too high.

The only item not on the survey, which brought some concern to the board, was the absence of a drain study. Ultimately it was decided to put a drain study into the budget for next year instead. This would also allow for companies to be notified the township is considering it.

Bloomfield Township Treasurer Brian Kepes made a motion to move forward with requests for proposals (RFPs) for all seven of those items ranked in the ARPA survey.

His motion also included that they receive the assistance of IT to help decide between the two options available to replace the existing onsite phone system, also mentioned in the survey.

Kepes’ motion passed with unanimous support.

B1 ordinance amendment public hearing

By Grace Lovins

An ordinance amendment for permitted uses in a B1 zoning district is headed to a public hearing after a fourth study session was held by the Birmingham Planning Board on Wednesday, May 10.

The owner of the former Grapevine Market, located at 100 W. 14 Mile Road, petitioned for the ordinance amendment in February to allow add new uses to the B1 neighborhood business zone. Originally, six additional uses were proposed, but after review from planning staff and board members, the options have shrunk to four potential additions and one use added for clarification.

The petition requested the ordinance to add boutique, specialty food store, health club or studio, bank, café, and food and beverage. City staff noted that B1 zones already permit bank uses under the current ‘office’ use but should be added to the ordinance for clarity’s sake. Board members decided early on that they were not comfortable with adding a food and beverage use given the potential for the location to allow for popular chain establishments and the potential for it to become a destination.

At the last study session on April 17, senior planner Brooks Cowan shared the definition that was created for café, which would be categorized as a permitted use. The parking requirements for the use are proposed to be one space per 75 square feet of the assembly area, and the patron circulation area must be no more than 50 percent of the gross square footage or 750 square feet, whichever is less.

Multiple board members felt that the 750 square foot measurement was too big and suggested bringing it down to 500 square feet.

Chairperson Scott Clein was also concerned that the definition would create an extra challenge for staff to determine what businesses are considered specialty food stores and what are cafés since they have different requirements. Cowan and planning director Nick Dupuis assured the board that the option is better than what is currently in place.

During the past three study sessions, the board has shown concern over allowing a health club or studio use in the zone, primarily due to parking. Multiple board members have also said they don’t want the spot to be packed with dozens of people leaving and waiting to come into the building. City staff looked at different options to break the use down so a private studio with a small client list could operate but couldn’t find many examples from other cities.

According to Cowan, other cities have limited the size of the use but not the actual use itself. Staff reviewed potentially tagging a special land use permit, regulating the size through Article 5 use restrictions, or regulating the number of patrons through use restrictions. A special land use permit can be a longer process and might be more difficult on a smaller business, but staff recommends it as the best option since it can be regulated.

Cowan said the current health club or studio use has a one per 500 square foot parking requirement, mostly catered to larger gyms like Lifetime Fitness, so a business in the B1 could potentially have a one or two space parking requirement. Clein said he didn’t feel comfortable including a health club or studio use in the B1 zone at all, even with a special land use permit.

“I would much rather spend time later on and just come up with a new definition for personal fitness studio that has reasonable parking and find where it should go,” he said. Others felt that a health club or studio use fits for the zone, but the challenge is regulating the size and parking.

The board voted unanimously, 7-0, to send the ordinance amendment to a public hearing with the option to include a health club and studio use subject to a special land use permit. Alternate board members Jason Emerine and Nasseem Ramin voted in place of Bryan Williams and Stuart Jeffares. A public hearing is expected to take place on Wednesday, June 14.

Community foundation advisory is clarified

By Lisa Brody

In his May city manager report, Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus clarified questions following a city commission discussion over whether the city should consider creating and administering a community foundation or charity to fundraise and manage special events, physical improvements to city property or other community improvement programs after the commission declined to create such a commission.

At the April 3 city commission meeting, the commission unanimously voted that “for the foreseeable future the City has no intention of creating a community foundation,” with staff then advising that one or more commissioners getting involved with such a foundation would be a potential conflict of interest.

Markus noted that the following day, Tuesday, April 4, he received an email from commissioner Clinton Baller requesting that Birmingham become “a first-string partner who helps lead the effort” to form a foundation.

“Commissioner Baller stated that he was cognizant of management’s desire 'that the city not produce more events, but rather facilitate them,'” Markus wrote in his report. “His email went on to state that he has formed a group of community minded citizens to create a foundation to raise money for cultural events and parks, and to suggest events and parks improvements. However, the email further suggests that the contributing organizations 'and possibly the city, would run the events, and the city would be responsible for parks improvements.' Further, commissioner Baller goes on to suggest that the city consider hiring an events coordinator to join city staff.”

Markus responded that there is currently no one on staff that has the available time and expertise to plan, organize and implement special events and cultural activities, and such an employee would cost $100,000-$120,000 a year. In addition, he noted, the city would bear the liability of the events, have to pay for police and fire and pay DPS for clean up.

He noted that currently private groups running special events bear those costs and responsibilities.

Mayor selection process under review

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham commissioners discussed potential changes to the procedures for selecting mayor and mayor pro tem at a workshop meeting on Monday, May 8, ultimately adding that a workshop should be held prior to their election to share thoughts and have public input.

The city’s charter says that the commission is responsible for electing mayor and mayor pro tem on November 2 each year, but it does not say how the commission is to do that. Mayor Therese Longe said that the new procedures would apply to the current commission but wouldn’t bind future commissions if they do not want to follow the same process.

Mayor pro tem Elaine McLain suggested the commission revisit the process for selecting mayor and mayor pro tem. McLain recommended hosting a workshop in November before selecting a new mayor and mayor pro tem where the commission can discuss trends, ideas and pros and cons in a public forum for transparency.

Commissioner Katie Schafer brought up the idea of succession planning given they are talking about succession planning in various parts of city government already. In previous years, some commissions have opted to have each commissioner serve a turn as mayor regardless of qualities or qualifications. “This doesn’t seem the kind of role where you just toss the dice and say ‘Well, you didn’t get to go yet, so now you’re up,” she said.

Former mayor and mayor pro tem, commissioner Pierre Boutros, said that the mayor pro tem role is a bit of a succession plan, but that individual still needs the qualities to become mayor rather than just having the title. On top of leading and attending meetings, the mayor’s responsibilities include a lot of behind the scenes work like attending events, hosting visitors, going to ribbon cuttings, giving speeches, officiating weddings and attending conferences.

“You figure out in each case how to represent the city and what opportunities there are to get wins for the city, either individually or collectively. You’re always figuring out how to advance who we are, what we are and what our reputation is,” Longe said.

Both McLain and Longe offered that there could also be value in the mayor and mayor pro tem serving more than a one-year term, but the workshop would allow the commission to discuss what would be the best fit for the city at the time.

“I will say doing it for the second year is definitely different than doing it for the first year, and I have been able to, with Jana [Ecker] and Tom [Markus], bring relationships to the table and been able to develop relationships that you don’t get to do in one year,” Longe said.

No formal action is taken during workshop sessions. The commission requested city staff draft of the procedure changes which would include the proposed workshop during a regularly scheduled meeting.

While Baller asked if there is an opportunity to try it out on a parttime basis and asked if the commission were willing to budget for it, Markus pointed out, “The unanimous motion of the city commission on April 3, 2023 clearly shows that the city commission has no interest at this time in establishing a community foundation to fund events or park improvements, even on a trial or part-time basis. The city commission has not discussed this specific budgetary request, nor has an event coordinator position been proposed in the upcoming budget.”

Markus went on to note that the commission's vote on April 3 was unanimous – and that while Baller's email stated he is willing to personally fund the cost of

establishing a foundation, it conflicts with the wishes of the commission, advice of the city attorney and himself as a conflict of interest, and that “Baller should seek an advisory opinion from the ethics board prior to any such involvement in a community foundation to identify potential ethics ordinance violations that may occur as a result.”

“Allow me to state once again that the city is not interested in being a first string partner, nor leading or funding the effort to establish a foundation or to organize numerous cultural and special events. City staff is currently stretched very thin with their existing workload, and continues to have difficulty recruiting and maintaining qualified personnel due to a tough labor market, and now

the city commission has directed the creation and addition of two new citizen committees (Environmental Sustainability Committee and the Ad Hoc Aging in Place Committee)…. To take on cultural or special events that could be run by other groups would jeopardize the quantity and quality of city services currently provided that Birmingham residents have come to expect,” Markus emphasized.

Planners okay Greek Island outdoor dining

By Grace Lovins

Greek Islands restaurant, at 221 Hamilton Row in Birmingham, was given the green light by the city’s planning board to move forward with an outdoor dining application after final review on Wednesday, May 10.

The restaurant is proposing to add a new deck with 10 tables which can seat 32 patrons.

The proposed deck will take up two street parking spaces at the front of the building, but since a parking garage is located behind the business, city staff said they were not concerned over the loss. It will also project into the amenity zone, or the pedestrian right-of-way, but will still leave five feet of sidewalk space between the building front and the deck.

Exterior changes were also proposed for a new sign with halo lettering. ‘Greek Islands Birmingham’ will be a 40 square foot sign with reverse channel lettering – individual letters with lights behind each letter. The restaurant still needs to submit measurements for the sign’s projection from the building before approval from the city commission.

Since the city commission has not yet approve the newly drafted outdoor dining ordinance, the deck is still subject to current outdoor dining restrictions. Chairperson Scott Clein emphasized that when the ordinance passes, the deck will either need to be altered or reconstructed since the new rules will not allow for a projection into the amenity zone.

With little discussion or concerns, board members voted 7-0 to approve the final site plan and design review.

Alternate board members Jason Emerine and Nasseem Ramin voted in place of Bryan Williams and Stuart Jeffares.

Business mix analysis for city presented

By David Hohendorf

An analysis of the business mix in the downtown area of Birmingham, as part of an effort to provide a tool for brokers and building owners in their retail recruitment efforts, was presented to the governing board of the Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) on Thursday, May 4.

The draft version of the 19-page document represents the culmination of work over the past year by the BSD Business Development Committee, cochaired by Sam Surnow of The Surnow Company and Mike McKenzie, a resident representative member on the BSD governing board.

While the analysis contains an abundance of information on the business mix in Birmingham, the bottom line on the report is the conclusion that most apparel categories are in need of future recruitment efforts while the categories of furniture and home, along with jewelry and watch retailers, are probably overly represented.

The report made three recommendations, among them: recruiting businesses that will appeal to office workers and residents to drive daily foot traffic, such as healthy fast casual restaurants; identifying and recruiting regional small businesses to fill gaps in product segments not currently available; and influencing national retailer attraction, especially in the apparel categories, by developing retail attraction assets and building landlord/broker relationships to rebalance the business mix to higher-end, sophisticated and experiential retailers who have a higher pull-factor when it comes to drawing shoppers to the district.

In presenting the report to the BSD board, McKenzie said the analysis shows there is an opportunity to “fine tune” the business mix to increase, as the report noted, the “community's vibrancy, sense of place and attract world-class retailers.”

As a comparative exercise, the analysis positioned Birmingham with downtown Naperville, Illinois, Greenwich Connecticut and the Somerset Collection.

The analysis shows that as of early

March of this year, service businesses, when including the second stories of most buildings, occupied 67 percent of the business mix. Retail accounts for 19 percent of the business community, while restaurants account for 12 percent and entertainment only one percent.

In terms of restaurants, the analysis showed that full service restaurants account for 56 percent of this category and 45 percent of those will have a “luxury” price point. Quick serve eateries account for 32 percent while bars account for 12 percent.

The report also shows that 71 percent of the business in Birmingham would be classified as local while national retailers account for 29 percent of the business mix, leading McKenzie to note that the city should “still be comfortable with pursuing” more national retailers while at the same time recruiting regional businesses looking to add new locations.

In terms of business segments not present in Birmingham, the report noted that the BSD does “not currently have an retailers in the books and entertainment, electronics and

technology or toys and hobbies categories.”

Committee co-chair Surnow noted that this report was a “fact-based analysis” but there is “only so much we can do to control” the business mix so the report will serve as a suggested guide for building owners and brokers when attempting to fill empty storefronts.

Board members discussed that initially the business mix report would be updated every six months, while the goal was to move to quarterly updates and eventually monthly adjustments.

Monthly pass prices increase for parking

By Grace Lovins

The monthly parking prices for all five of Birmingham’s parking garages will increase at the beginning of the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1, 2023, as city commissioners unanimously approved the increase during their meeting on Monday, May 8.

Rate increases were brought to the

commission’s attention at the budget hearing on Saturday, April 29, since the parking department had budgeted for the hike. Birmingham last increased the parking garage rates in April of 2017, with a $15 increase for monthly passes at the Chester Street garage and a $20 increase at the other four. Price increases will only be seen for monthly parking passes. The daily rate will remain unchanged.

Monthly rates will increase by $20 at the Chester, Peabody, Park and North Old Woodward garages, and increase by $30 at the Pierce Street garage effective July 1. This brings the price for monthly passes from $50 to $70 at Chester Street, $70 to $90 at Park, Peabody and North Old Woodward, and $70 to $100 at Pierce.

According to Aaron Ford, parking systems manager, the advisory parking committee recommended a larger increase at the Pierce Street deck given its centralized location in the city and the fact that it is the busiest parking deck. The increase is also meant to help offset the cost of several capital improvement projects planned for the garages, Ford said.

Projects are planned to improve efficiency with new parking equipment and several other longterm capital repair projects will continue. Ford noted these projects include the installation of LED lights, wayfinding signs and making the garages more compatible for future electric vehicle charging.

For comparison, Ford said Detroit’s average monthly parking rate is $182, and Ann Arbor’s rate is $200, which Ford said has increased each year by $5 for the last few years. Mayor Therese Longe and commissioner Brad Host both said the increase was justifiable, with Host noting that the price is reasonable even with the increase.

Suggestions were made by city manager Tom Markus and commissioner Pierre Boutros to reevaluate the parking rates annually. Markus stated that raising the prices by increments if needed is a better option than raising the price by a larger sum after several years.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the rate increases.

Trustees approves $6 million transfer

By Dana Casadei

On Monday, May 8, the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously for the approval to

Cranbrook hosts pro tennis tourney

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour has announced the inaugural Cranbrook Tennis Classic, July 2-9, a new stop on the ATP Challenger Tour that marks the first-time professional tennis will be played in the Detroit area in over 25 years.

The Cranbrook Tennis Classic is presented in partnership with the USTA (US Tennis Association) Pro Circuit, and with founding sponsor, Fairlife’s Core Power, post workout recovery shakes.

This week-long event will be hosted at the new tennis complex at Cranbrook Schools in Bloomfield Hills, in an intimate and exciting setting, and will feature some of the game’s top and rising stars, including Kei Nishikori, who formerly held the world's number four spot, as he works his way back from injury. Nishikori is a former USTA finalist and Olympic bronze medalist.

The ATP Challenger Tour is the second highest tier of professional tennis, where seasoned veterans and rising stars battle their way through the ranks and onto the main ATP Tour. The ATP Challenger Tour features an intimate setting of raw and passionate high-quality tennis matches, supported by diehard tennis fans.

According to ATP, in the past, other challenger tours have been launchpads for a long list of well-known and accomplished players, including world number two player Carlos Alcaraz, world number 10 player Taylor Fritz and world number 11 player Frances Tiafoe.

Bringing the new ATP Challenger Tour to Bloomfield Hills and the creation of the Cranbrook Tennis Classic is the work of David DeMuth, tournament chair and co-director, a tennis aficionado and CEO of Detroit-based global advertising agency Doner. Other tournament directors include Giovanni Lapentti, retired ATP pro and Ecuadorian Davis Cup player, and Alex DeMuth, former collegiate player and tournament staff at ATP Masters Event, The Western & Southern Open.

“It’s exciting to bring world class tennis to the large, thriving and diverse tennis community of southeast Michigan,” said DeMuth.

In addition to the competition, the Cranbrook Tennis Classic will include tennis clinics for local youth, high school tennis team day, and will raise money to benefit Cranbrook athletics, as well as The Palmer Park Tennis Academy, the USTA’s Community Tennis Association of the year in 2021, which helps at-risk youth develop life skills as well as their tennis game.

Cranbrook Schools’ new tennis complex was recently awarded Top Outdoor Tennis Facility by the American Sports Builders Association.

Tickets are currently for sale, beginning at $15.

transfer and commit up to $6 million to the equipment and replacement fund for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, in order to cover actual revenue balances.

The board had already approved the transfer and commitment of up to $5 million for the funds for the same fiscal year in February, an amount based on actual expenditures through the first three quarters and projections for the fourth quarter.

And while the fiscal year isn’t officially closed, the new and updated projections are better than what was anticipated this winter, leading to an increased ask for the equipment and replacement fund.

Jason Theis, township finance director, explained there were a variety of items which played a part into the exceeded projections, including the township having double digit savings throughout all 12

months of the fiscal year.

This fiscal year also included many vacancies for budgeted positions, with eight remaining to be filed.

Other items of note included investment earnings being over 300 percent of budget and healthcare costs being 16 percent below budget. Salt use for the township was 74 percent of the budget, while EMS support fees came in at 117 percent.

Theis emphasized that this was not a budget amendment request, and even with this increased amount the township’s general fund will not only be under budget but will also add to its fund balance.

Currently, the budget for the equipment and replacement fund is $3,825,000. This approved addition would increase the budget to $9,825,000, which will be used towards large storm water projects,

equipment replacements and facilities’ repairs.

This $6 million will not be added to the approved budget from February, but will replace it entirely.

City fire department rating increases

For the first time in 18 years, the Birmingham Fire Department fiveyear insurance services office (ISO) review resulted in an increase rating to a new class 2 rating, up from its previous class 3 rating. ISO ratings are graded 1-10, with 1 being the best.

The fire department said this improvement is a great accomplishment, as it now makes them among the top 1.5 percent of all fire departments in Michigan.

“I am extremely proud of the department’s dedicated personnel who put in the hard work that is required to achieve the training and preparedness scores on this review,” said Birmingham Fire Chief Paul Wells. “I would also like to thank the residents, city staff, and commissioners for the support to help grow the department and provide the equipment necessary to meet our department goals.”

ISO measures a fire department’s ability through their fire suppression rating schedule (FSRS) review manual. The FSRS considers three main areas of a community’s fire suppression system: emergency communications, fire department (including operational considerations), and water supply. In addition, it includes a community risk reduction section that recognizes community efforts to reduce losses through fire prevention, public fire safety education, and fire investigation.

Wells noted the rating is good news for residents and commercial owners, not only from a safety perspective, but also from a potential monetary perspective. Most insurance agencies use the ISO rating to determine insurance rate coverage for residential and commercial structures. Residential and commercial owners should mention the rating change to their insurance carriers to determine if the change will reduce their premium.

Police Youth Academy pact receives approval

By Dana Casadei

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously for approval of a Youth Academy interlocal agreement between several local police departments at their meeting on Monday, May 8.

This inter-local agreement will be between the Bloomfield Township Police Department and the police departments of Auburn Hills, Birmingham and Rochester. Bloomfield Township will host the week-long Youth Academy from June 26-30 for teens aged between 14-18.

“This is the stuff our officers love to do,” said Nick Soley, community relations officer.

Over the course of the week, participants will learn the basics of policing, how to interact with police, and why these officers do what they do.

“We’re going to have a lot of fun with them, whether it be over at the courthouse or some scenario days that we’re going to have,” Soley said.

While registration is not full yet, the goal is to have a maximum of 20 teenagers take part.

Prior to the upcoming Youth Academy being hosted in Bloomfield Township, Auburn Hills ran a similar program, but due to rising concerns about low attendance, they approached Bloomfield Township about joining efforts.

Then they went to Birmingham and Rochester about making this Youth Academy a regional activity. All liked the idea, and Birmingham officials suggested that Bloomfield Township approach the board of

City approves water/sewer rate increases

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham city commissioners unanimously approved an additional water and sewer rate change for the 2023-2024 fiscal year on Monday, May 22, with water rates increasing 8.1 percent and sewer rates, 5.3 percent.

The city had reviewed rate changes at a budget hearing on Saturday, April 29, but had been waiting on final numbers from the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner.

The commission held a public hearing on the proposed budget for the next fiscal year on Monday, May 8, approving a sewage disposal increase of over $116,000 and a storm water increase of about $61,600.

Finance director Mark Gerber stated that the city met with the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner and is proposing to increase the rates based on that discussion. Storm water rates will increase $34 per ESWU, or equivalent storm water unit, for the Evergreen-Farmington sewage disposal district and $20 per ESWU for Southeast Oakland sewage disposal district.

As discussed during the budget hearing, water rates will increase 8.1 percent, amounting to just over $6 per 1,000 gallons of water used. Sewer rates are set to increase 5.3 percent, raising the cost to $9.79 per 1,000 gallons of water used. The rate increase for sewer, according to the city stems from increased costs of sewage disposal and funds needed for sewer capital improvement projects.

Commissioners voted 7-0 to approve the water and sewer rate changes. The new rates will take effect in July 2023 with the start of the new city fiscal year.

trustees about the inter-local agreement for the Youth Academy.

Along with having a very low cost to the township – currently the only cost Soley mentioned was that there may be some overtime cost for instructors – the Youth Academy will be free of charge to those who participate. Auburn Hills has agreed to use their donation funds from years prior from their own Youth Academy to pay for registrants’ tshirts.

Soley said he’s also heard from community restaurants who want to participate by providing lunch for the Youth Academy participants this summer as well.

The Youth Academy already has officers and volunteers eager to work the event, and each police

department will have a representative there each day.

Township agrees to future CDBG program

By Dana Casadei

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Monday, May 22, to continue participating in Oakland County’s urban county Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for program years 20242026.

Over the last three years, through this program, approximately $155,337 has funded programs to address the needs of low-income residents through programs like the

township’s minor home repairs program and Meals on Wheels, the latter of which receives 30 percent of the township's annual allocation.

According to Christine Tvaroha, Bloomfield Township Director of Senior Services, last year alone the Meals on Wheels program delivered nearly 5,000 meals to residents, with selections such as hot meals, liquid nutrition, frozen bundles of three of five meals, and pick-up at the center for those on the go.

“This was a big year for us,” Tvaroha said.

Tvaroha noted that this was the first year since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that Meals on Wheels was once again able to bring hot meals directly to residents' doors.

Since joining the CDBG program in 2009, the township has completed 139 projects through its minor repair program, with five projects currently in the works. All of these projects represent the investment of $685,000 in federal grant money to improve the homes of low income seniors who live in Bloomfield Township.

Bloomfield Township Treasurer Brian Kepes commented on what a great program this is for the township.

While the township has participated in the CDBG program since 2009, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development requires each county to review their cooperation agreement with participating communities every three years. Participation in this allows for access to the highest level of federal funding for those who participate.

Commission okays 2040 master plan

By Grace Lovins

Birmingham’s 2040 Master Plan, known as The Birmingham Plan, was approved by the city commission after a public hearing during the meeting on Monday, May 22, concluding the planning process that began in 2017.

A city's master plan serves as a guide that helps communities envision what they want to be and look like in the future. Some of the major considerations included in Birmingham’s master plan, according to planning director Nick Dupuis, include zoning and future land use, housing, sustainability, parks, multi-modal infrastructure, Woodward Avenue and commercial destinations.

During the public hearing, several residents who commented took issue with the plan’s recommendation for accessory dwelling units and neighborhood seams. Some said the accessory dwelling units are not a good advancement for quality of life, while others were concerned that the units would plummet the value of their homes when they look to sell.

An accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, is an independent dwelling unit on the same lot as a singlefamily residential unit, which Dupuis said is a major consideration for aging-in-place and affordability.

According to Dupuis, the plan recommends that staff study it in the future and enable ADUs in currently compatible zones where multiple units are allowed on the same lot already.

There are three neighborhood seams proposed in the plan including access, activity and buffer seams. Access seams focus on multimodal and street improvements, and activity and buffer seams propose housing changes to promote smaller multi-family type units, said Dupuis.

Commissioners Brad Host and Andrew Haig agreed they felt the plan wasn’t ready for approval. Host stated he wanted three items changed in the plan: eliminate the neighborhood seams, strengthen the language to make is clear the city doesn’t want commercial destinations in parks and prohibit accessory dwelling units.

Haig said the commission hasn’t had the chance to ask questions

Outdoor dining standards finally approved

By Grace Lovins

After roughly three years, Birmingham city commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a new outdoor dining ordinance at their meeting on Monday, May 22, creating a new set of standards from the previous ordinance that was initially adopted in 2007.

The city began working on the ordinance draft in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic, with the planning board holding three public hearings throughout 2022. Board members voted on December 14, 2022, to recommend approval and send the draft to the city commission.

At their public hearing in February, commissioners directed staff to scratch a sunset provision requiring nonconforming facilities to come into compliance by a fixed date. Instead, staff was tasked with adding language to phase out nonconforming facilities without the provision. Staff was also directed to add language ensuring facilities are set up to be used and add utilities to the list of items considered during reviews.

Other major changes written into the draft since the commission’s last review, according to planning director Nick Dupuis, included adding clarity and consistency to the language, incorporating several new design standards and adding a clause for the protection of public property.

The clause states that the city commission has the discretion to order removal of facilities and equipment, or objects associated with the facilities if deemed necessary for public interest, health, safety or welfare. Dupuis said the clause will be included in the city’s code of ordinances, outdoor dining license agreements and in special land use permits.

With the new ordinance, rules concerning outdoor platform height, windbreaks, materials, service stations and location in the furnishing zone were put into place. Platforms will need to be flush with the curb and are not allowed to be in the furnishing zone except for special circumstances.

Bringing up the ordinance’s new requirements that renovations would mean a nonconforming facility would have to be brought into compliance, commissioner Andrew Haig said the ordinance needs to be very specific about what is considered routine maintenance versus renovation. Haig suggested taking photographs of facilities for a baseline so if a business changes parts of the facility without approval, staff has objective proof.

Commissioner Pierre Boutros, who served as mayor during the start of the pandemic when temporary outdoor dining rules took effect, said he feels everyone will be happy with the new ordinance.

“Outdoor dining is very crucial to our downtown. It creates vibrancy. It creates interaction. It creates life. I think by us coming up with such a fair ordinance that satisfies the residents’ requests but also, most importantly, we want to keep our investors and business owners happy as we want them to survive and succeed. I really believe this is almost perfect,” Boutros said.

The commission voted 7-0 to adopt the new outdoor dining ordinance.

about the draft to the planning board like they had with the outdoor dining ordinance, and he didn't think they should rubber stamp it.

The rest of the commission disagreed, noting they have been working on the plan since 2017, have had multiple opportunities for the public to engage in the drafting and planning process and, if any rezoning or other implementations were to occur, there would still be a lengthy process that involves the opportunity for public input.

“Every [public] comment that has been made has been taken very seriously. That’s why we got where we are today. … It’s not a perfect plan – there’s no such perfect thing. Any change or any implementation

of this will still involve a public hearing, will still involve us as residents,” said commissioner Pierre Boutros.

The commission voted 5-2 to approve and adopt the Birmingham Plan 2040. Commissioners Haig and Host voted against the motion.

Medical building plan gets township okay

By Dana Casadei

The Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted 7-0 on Monday, May 2,2 in favor of a site plan for Bloomfield Vein and Vascular, PLLC at 43572 Woodward Avenue.

Paul Lewsley of Environmental Engineers, Inc., who is the engineer

on this project, spoke with the board, as did Andrea Bibby, deputy director of planning, building and ordinance.

“We’re very happy to finally be before you and finally get this project moving,” Lewsley said.

The board seemed happy too, with many complementing the design of both the building and the surrounding landscape.

Plans for the 10,611-square-foot, one-story medical office building include 61 parking spots for patients, with four barrier-free spots, which complies with the township’s zoning ordinance. The site plan also included a six-foot walkway that will provide access from the existing safety path along Woodward to the building, where a canopy overhead will be built for drop-off and pick-up.

The building plan showed it will utilize brick, metal coping, “woodlook” aluminum panels, and CMU block in its design, and have a variety of vegetation being offered, such as along Woodward Avenue to give the building a nice appearance from the road and trees in the parking lot.

“The applicant did an extraordinary job finding a property that would be able to accommodate their needs,” Bibby said.

Bloomfield Township’s engineering and environmental services department’s only comment was that upon approval from the board of trustees, and prior to the issue of any building permits, they must provide a draft storm water sewer easement.

A draft storm water sewer assessment has already been acquired by the owners.

This plan was approved by the Bloomfield Township Design Review Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, the latter of which granted the owners one variance with this project at their April 11 meeting. The variance is required for trees planted within 10 feet of a utility line, as this plan has some trees located within eight feet of an already existing utility line on the property.

Under the 2007 Master Plan for Future Land Use, reaffirmed in 2022, this particular parcel is recommended to be used for office, which it would be with this site plan, and the medical office use is a permitted use in the O-1 District.

FACES

Alex Osten

Splitting her time between Bloomfield Hills and New York City, Michigan native Alex Osten was named on the coveted Forbes 30 Under 30 List in Marketing and Advertising in 2022 when she was head of advertising channel partnerships for Sprinklr, a $3.3 billion market cap enterprise software company. She currently works in a revenue-generating role as strategic partner manager at Meta (formerly Facebook) in New York.

“After the Forbes award, there was no significant change, but it made me feel validated inside,” she said. “I’m happy with the place I am in now and try to use my knowledge and network to help others.”

Osten grew up in Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham and graduated from Andover High School in 2011. As a youth, she participated in a wide variety of activities such as tennis, figure skating, student leadership and forensics. She also had a passion for music which included singing, playing piano and cello, and performing in school musicals. She spent five summers at Interlochen Center for the Arts’ immersive camp program. After high school, she attended Pace University in New York, where she was involved in many activities and earned a BBA in Business Management of the Arts and Entertainment.

“I’m always motivated to be the best version of myself. My parents taught me to hustle – and that stuck with me,” Osten says.

Osten’s parents divorced when she was just two years old, and her father sadly passed away in 2019 of pancreatic cancer. Osten returned home to Michigan to help care for him during his illness. In addition to her career in New York, she now also runs her dad’s Detroit-based trucking business.

“Working while taking care of my dad gave me a huge perspective that family, friends, and relationships are the most important things in life. It also taught me to really be present and stay in the moment,” she explained.

“I love both of my parents, but my dad was my best friend. Growing up, he made sure I didn’t get into trouble and prepared me for life. He was incredibly generous and taught me to care for others...I grew up loving Broadway musicals – I always say my dad raised me to be a New Yorker,” she explained.

“My mom is in a line of five daughters who all had daughters, so I was raised around strong independent women and that helped form my passion for women's empowerment.”

Osten has been in New York fCity or 12 years, but valued reconnecting with her home state of Michigan during the pandemic. When she’s not working, she enjoys traveling and her life in New York, especially musicals, plays and museums and “exploring and getting lost in the city.”

As for the future, Osten said, “The more focused I am on the present, the better the future will be. Wherever my career takes me next, the integrity of the company is important and that I’m learning, challenged, excited and passionate. I’ve had some really good mentors at different stages of my life. I’ve also learned that it’s important to not only look up but to look left and right at your coworkers.

“Be genuine, kind and respectful to others and it will come back to you.”

Story: Tracy Donohue

BUSINESS MATTERS

Short term RH space

As Birmingham awaits its new RH (Restoration Hardware) building at the corner of S. Old Woodward and Brown streets, which is under construction with a new design plan and likely not to open until early 2025, shoppers can access the store’s products and design services at its new temporary RH store at 100 S. Old Woodward at the corner of Maple in the former Hastens bed making store, which has closed the new downtown Birmingham store, shoppers can peruse a two-story (inclusive of a lower level) experience of vignettes and furnishings, meet with designers and place orders. The location features their upscale home goods brand which includes chic, timeless furniture, textiles, lighting and home accessories. In addition, a by-appointment-only design studio has been created at The Surnow Company building at 320 Martin Street in downtown Birmingham.

Feeling lucky

Looking for a neighborhood cup o’ Joe? Lucky Detroit Coffee & Espresso has opened a Birmingham location at 1728 W. Maple Road at Chesterfied, next to Mills Pharmacy + Apothecary and Holiday Market. With Corktown Detroit, Southfield and Grosse Pointe Park locations, their espresso and coffee drinks are made from top of the line beans they roast locally and then are expertly prepared by their baristas, who take great pride in their work. “Ours is not just your regular coffee shebang,” they state on their website. “Our artisan roastery serves the city’s finest coffee and espresso-based drinks made with traditional hand-crafted techniques. From complex flat whites to smooth latte art, we have something for everyone here looking for a delicious pick-me-up drink.” The coffee shop also serves cookies, croissants, muffins, four-cheese grilled cheese and other sandwiches, and eight different flavors of macaroons.

50 years of loving shoes

When Rob Wolk opened the first Sundance Shoes at Northland Mall in 1973, little did he think he’d one day celebrate 50 years of great shoes, customer service and wonderful staff. Today, the store is located at 233 S. Old Woodward in downtown Birmingham, and Rob’s daughter, Katie Johnston, is at the helm – with Rob’s help and involvement. “My dad is living his best life,” Katie said. “He’s here when he wants. For us both, it’s our happy place when we’re in our store.” For many years, Sundance Shoes was situated in

West Bloomfield, on the Boardwalk, “at the time West Bloomfield was the happening place. We both realized we needed to expand on this side of town.

I live here,” said Katie, and in 2016, the Birmingham store opened, with a large mix of not only fashionable shoes but also clothes and accessories. In the shadow of COVID, they realized one store was the sweet spot. A true family business, Katie said her 10-year-old daughter loves to wait on customers, and believes she will one day carry on the shoe legacy. To thank all of their loyal customers for supporting them over the years, Rob and Katie are hosting a big 50th anniversary sale June 15-18, so stop by.

Acupuncture therapy

Renü Acupuncture, offering personalized, compassionate, and holistic treatments, has opened at 189 Townsend Street, Suite 302, in Downtown Birmingham. Founder and owner Valentina Anikeyeva, L.AC., is a fully licensed and board-certified acupuncturist with extensive knowledge of both eastern and western medicine. Anikeyeva has created unique treatments that help her patients live pain free, without the harmful side effects of drugs. With over 25 years of experience, she is wellversed in therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure, massage, cupping and moxibustion. Her vast knowledge of acupuncture has helped rehabilitate hundreds of patients with post operative pain, sports injuries, headaches/migraines, sciatica pain, stress and anxiety. Renü Acupuncture offers acupuncture, electroacupuncture, cupping, cupping massage, CBD and aromatherapy treatments and shockwave therapy.

Facial bar opens

A new facial bar has opened in downtown Birmingham at 700 N. Old Woodward, Suite 202. FACE FOUNDRIÉ is an all-inclusive focused facial bar. “We empower our customers to look and feel their best by providing cutting edge services, accessible pricing, and an extensively trained staff of skin experts that deeply care.” One of numerous locations around the country, the goal of FACE FOUNDRIÉ is to provide efficient and effective services for all things face: facials, lashes, brows and skincare. “We pride ourselves in offering an impeccable service experience and strive for 100 percent customer satisfaction. We aim to be affordable, approachable and accessible to all.” Founder and CEO of FACE FOUNDRIÉ Michele Henry said

she knew at a young age she wanted to be an entrepreneur. She headed her father’s construction company and at the age of 20, she swapped her construction boots for stilettos and started Primp, a cheap chic boutique in 2010, and there are now eight boutiques throughout the midwest. After having her third child, Henry sought skin care treatments which could support her changing skin. In response, she opened FACE FOUNDRIÉ in 2019 for an array of custom curated skincare products. She was ready to make accessible and approachable skincare an industry standard.

It’s a smash

Summer means burgers, and Bloomfield Township has a new spot for a good burger. It’s Patty & Press Smashburgers located at 42767 Woodward Avenue just south of Square Lake Road in Bloomfield Township. Smashburger is a fast casual hamburger restaurant chain founded out of Denver which now has more than 227 corporate and franchise operated locations in the U.S. This locale will be owned and operated by Chef Goran Dimic and Brandon Gorgies of G&B Hospitality, and will seat up to 35 guests for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Smashburgers are known for serving grass-fed smashburgers, handcut fries, milkshakes and more. What’s the difference between a plain ol’ hamburger and a smashburger?

According to their press materials, “The main difference between smash burgers and regular burgers is the cooking method. A Smashburger is flattened or smashed while it is cooking, which helps to create a crisp outer crust and a juicy interior. A regular burger is not smashed, which can result in a less crispy burger. The idea behind a Smashburger is that instead of letting a big, fat burger languish on the grill to cook, you add the burger meat to a riproaring hot skillet or griddle and smash it as it cooks for the first few seconds. The heat plus pressure combo results in a crispy and well-browned burger that cooks very fast.”

Full health care offered

No longer offering only joint assistance, Dean Chiropractic has become Oakland Lifestyle Medicine (OLM) and relocated to Bloomfield Hills at at 36800 Woodward Ave, Suite 210. Dean Chiropractic was a marketleading, family-owned provider of holistic chiropractic and healthcare services for nearly 50 years, first established by Dr. Christophe Dean. Now his son and founder of Oakland

Lifestyle Medicine, Dr. Jon Dean said the company’s new name reflects the beginning of a significant trend in the chiropractic field to help patients achieve optimal health and wellness through innovative chiropractic and lifestyle medicine services. “Though the Dean Chiropractic name, established by my father, Dr. Christophe Dean, has become well known in this community for nearly 50 years, we feel Oakland Lifestyle Medicine reflects our commitment to helping our patients identify, address and treat the root cause of their health issues through a revolutionary, comprehensive approach,” said Dr. Jon Dean. “Moving and expanding our facility will also allow us to accommodate our expanding team and diverse portfolio of services, which will allow us to better serve our patients and the community.” OLM offers chiropractic care, physical therapy, neuromuscular re-education, massage, cold laser and Shockwave Therapy, as well as some of the newest procedures available. Those include nutritional IV therapy, platelet rich plasma therapy, viscosupplementation, trigger point injections and steroid injections.

Defense law firm moves

Kirsch Daskas Law Group, a fullservice firm zealously advocating and representing its clients throughout the state of Michigan, has recently moved locations and reopened at 3883 Telegraph Road, Suite 105, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 48302. Principal Lisa Kirsch said Kirsch Daskas is excited and proud to continue to provide exemplary services and enhanced client experiences in the new space while continuing to grow and expand the firm. Kirsch Daskas is a law firm specializing in areas of defense, include child abuse crimes, juvenile charges, gun rights and firearms, sex crimes, education advocacy, homicide and self-defense.

Closings in downtown

Two sides of Maple Road in downtown Birmingham have seen closures in recent days. Woodward Standard Print House, 282 W. Maple, and The Great Eros lingerie shop, 245 W. Maple, have both closed.

Business Matters for the BirminghamBloomfield area are reported by Lisa Brody. Send items for consideration to LisaBrody@downtownpublications.com. Items should be received three weeks prior to publication.

If you remember TV shows in the 80’s, then you probably couldn’t help but sing those lines instead of reading them. That chorus, of course, is from the long running TV show “Cheers”. I have jokingly closed our New Member Coffee presentations for years with the line — Next is like Cheers, where everyone knows your name and they are glad you came. Recently a new member, someone who has not had a chance to attend a New Member Coffee, said those exact words back to me. It was then that I realized those words are more than a catchy theme song: the words ring true at Next.

Coming in as a novice Pickleball player, this new member commented on how he felt welcomed in spite of his unfamiliarity with the sport. More experienced players showed him the ins and outs of Pickleball, giving him instruction and helpful tips. His game has improved but more importantly, he really looks forward to coming to Next because of the camaraderie.

Today, I looked into the gym to see 25 players lined up on the sideline waiting for their turn to play on the one court we have. Yes, we are working to relocate to a space better suited to our growing needs. But in the meantime, we are forging forward with so many opportunities to create meaningful, healthy connections. Too many players courtside isn’t ideal, but you would never know from the laughter and lighthearted fun drifting out from the gym into the hallways of Next.

When the United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy was recently asked what is the leading disease affecting Americans today, he answered immediately, “It’s not cancer. . . not heart disease. It’s isolation. Ironically enough, while we’re living in the most technologically networked and interconnected period in history, we are feeling more isolated than ever. In this environment, human-to-human interaction is essential to your health.”

Next aims to educate, enlighten and engage. Where else can you find all that Next has to offer under one roof? In May and June, there are over 230 events each month including 32 guest speakers ranging from experts on Latin America, our regional focus this program cycle, along with many others highly credentialed presenters. Next will host six entertainment events, including a Bossa Nova Brazilian concert and Tango performance; important health concerns will be addressed by Henry Ford Health, our partner in Health and Wellness; new art classes; on-going fitness programs; shared meals; local travel; and so many ways to enjoy and relax. All this is added to our regular, recurring monthly programming.

Immerse yourself in what’s Next. Now is the time to join us –where everybody knows your name, and they are always glad you came! www.BirminghamNext.org.

Sometimes you wanna go Where everybody knows your name And they're always glad you came. You wanna be where you can see Our troubles are all the same. You wanna be where everybody Knows your name ♫♫

Cris Braun

Cris Braun is Executive Director of Birmingham Next

Owed $207,000.00 –Settled for $7,352.00

Owed $374,416.00 –Settled for $19,181.00

Owed $1,039,938.00 –Settled for $85,824.00

DOLLARS– LET US HELP YOU SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT.

House Happenings For Spring/Summer 2023

Friends and Supporters:

If the venerable Community House is to remain a beacon in an ever-changing world, our vision must be clear –we must reach a place where The Community House is not forced to make tough choices on essential community programming and services –educationally and socially –based solely upon our ability to charge others. As a 100year-old nonprofit, charitable organization, it is not in our DNA to turn others away based upon their ability to pay or based solely upon the profitability of the program or service. Too often, it is those that need us most that can afford our services least. It is vital that we grow our mission-directed scholarship funds and operating endowment so that no one is ever again turned away because of their ability to pay.

As you may remember, The Community House Association established The Community House Foundation several years ago. Its primary purpose is to raise awareness and to secure philanthropic funds to supplementally support The Community House, its quality programs, and services. Since its founding, the foundation has been focused on the revitalization of the Community House’s Estate & Planned Giving Program and Major Gifts. Estate and planned giving and major gifts have been identified as areas essential to The Community House’s long-term sustainability and financial health.

Now that we have humbly turned the page on our first century of service in 2023, we are seeking legacy and estate gifts to accelerate and give critical momentum and credibility to The Community House, our future space and facility needs, and our important work and mission –commensurate to The Community House’s laser-focused efforts to reach self-reliance and sustainability via its philanthropic efforts, stewardship, program capacity and ongoing fiscal excellence. It is a pain-less way to help endow The Community House after you are gone. It does not take from your current assets, but underpins our charitable organization and directly impacts those we serve –in your name –well into the future.

Contrary to what some may believe, we are solely independent and always have been (since 1923), we receive no tax dollars, no steady support – solely relying on our own revenue generating efforts and the kindness of others –like you – to survive and grow. Self-reliance before we seek the kindness of others is the proper and expected way to operate a truly nonprofit, 501(c)3, charitable organization. Some ask if self-reliance drifts from our nonprofit status. It does not. Foundations expect it. Corporations expect it. Private donors expect it. Our leadership expects it. Those entities regularly ask if we have truly done all we can to be sustainable ourselves –before we seek the support and kindness of others. Rest assure we do.

Some also might believe that we drift occasionally from our mission, we do not. “From business to philanthropy, from education to recreation,” these words are imbedded in our mission. These are the words we live by. These are the words we hold sacred.

For more information about The Community House Foundation or its Legacy and Planned Giving opportunities, please contact Mr. Christopher Smude, Vice President, The Community House Foundation at csmude@communityhousefoundation.org or call 248.644.5832.

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

The Community House’s “Classical Brunch Series” is returning to TCH in partnership with our dear friends at 90.9 WRCJ. This up close and personal threepart concert series will be held on June 11th, October 15th, and November 19th, and will feature outstanding classical music performed by members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and friends! A lovely brunch begins at 11:45 a.m. (each concert) followed by the performance at 12:30 p.m. Reservations are $55 per concert, $150 for the series. Audience members will enjoy printed musical notes in the program book for each concert prepared by a professional musicologist. For reservations and ticket information, please visit our website, communityhouse.com. Early reservations are encouraged.

GRADUATIONS ARE BACK

Attention all graduates – Experience the ultimate thrill when you host your graduation

extravaganza at The Community House. We go above and beyond to ensure your graduate feels like a superstar, with every meticulous detail designed to dazzle and astound.

Whether you prefer an intimate gathering or a colossal fiesta, our versatile space can accommodate anywhere from 10 to a whopping 200 people, providing the perfect backdrop for your epic graduation saga. And let's not forget our outdoor tented terrace, where the party spills into the open air, adding a touch of magic to your celebration.

Brace yourself for an unparalleled culinary journey crafted by our renowned, awardwinning culinary team. From exquisitely plated, upscale delicacies that will tantalize even the most refined palate, to mouthwatering family-style favorites that evoke nostalgic memories, our chefs will take you on an epicurean odyssey that will leave you craving for more. Let us do all the work.

So, don't settle for ordinary. Choose The Community House and embark on an extraordinary journey that will redefine what it means to celebrate graduation. Prepare to be amazed, astonished, and absolutely blown away by an experience that will leave an indelible mark on your memories. Book now and receive a special gift from us: A pearl arch of balloons with your school colors. Contact our Hospitality Team today at events@communityhouse.com or 248.644.5832.

SUMMER/FALL REGISTRATIONS NOW OPEN!

The Community House Early Childhood Center is now enrolling. Our award-winning program believes that early childhood programming is the foundation of a child’s educational career. The Community House provides an engaging learning environment that empowers students to be active participants in their learning. Through the use of the nationally recognized Highscope curriculum, students in our program learn through discovery and hands on experiences. Teachers encourage student input and foster opportunities for students to create a plan, execute and then self-reflect on the outcomes. Our students have increased learning comprehension and the ability to think critically. While enrollments are limited, we still have spaces available for the summer and fall. For a tour or to secure your child’s space for summer or fall 2023, please contact our Early Childhood Center Director, Sarah Schuster at 248.594.6411 or sschuster@communityhouse.com.

SAVE THE DATES

The iconic Birmingham House Tour now in its 34th year, presented by The Agency Hall & Hunter real estate firm, will be held on Thursday, September 14, 2023, and will feature some of the most exquisite and unique homes in our area, thanks to the hospitality of the homeowners who open their homes for our guests’ enjoyment. The homes vary in size and highlight a wide range of interior design styles and architecture. Docents will be on hand in each of the homes to share interesting information (i.e. special collections, latest design trends used in the home, and in many cases talk about the rich history of the home’s interior and exterior.)

The tour is self-guided so guests can begin at any one of the featured homes, then break mid-day for a drop-in delicious buffet lunch at The Community House prepared by our award-winning Corporate Executive Chef Ryan Friedrich and his culinary team, before returning to the tour.

A day to treat yourself and your friends to a day filled with pure enjoyment. For more information and to purchase tour and lunch tickets, please visit The Community House website at communityhousefoundation.org.

THE COMMUNITY HOUSE “SPRING” ANNUAL FUND

The 2023 “SPRING” Annual Fund Drive is upon us. Given COVID, it is hard to overestimate how important our quarterly annual fund appeals are to the operations at the historic Community House. For the last three years (and counting) we have found ourselves, like so many charities, continuing to navigate through a perfect storm – COVID, supply chain issues, inflation, wage pressures, a faltering economy.

By making a 2023 Early Summer Annual Fund Drive tax-deductible gift to The Community House, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization now, your gift will ensure that we continue to navigate through these challenges so that we may remain the important educational, philanthropic and community resource that thousands of individuals have relied upon for 100 years. To make an early summer 2023 Annual Fund gift now, you can send your donation in by mail at: TCH 380 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, Michigan 48009; give online at communityhouse.com/donate or by calling The Community House Foundation at 248-594-6417. Hope really does spring eternal.

William D. Seklar is Officer, President & CEO of The Community House Association, and Board Chair, President & CEO of The Community House Foundation.

Bill Seklar

PLACES TO EAT

The Places To Eat for Downtown is a quick reference source to establishments offering a place for dining, either breakfast, lunch or dinner. The listings include nearly all dining establishments with seating in the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, and then some select restaurants outside the immediate area served by Downtown.

Birmingham/Bloomfield

220: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.2220. 220restaurant.com

5th Tavern: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607. 5thtavern.com

Adachi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. Liquor. Reservations. 325 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.540.5900. adachirestaurant.com

Andiamo: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.865.9300. andiamoitalia.com

Beau’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630. beausbloomfield.com

Bella Piatti: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110. bellapiattirestaurant.com

Beverly Hills Grill: American. Lunch, WednesdaySunday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025. 248.642.2355. beverlyhillsgrill.com

Beyond Juicery + Eatery: Contemporary. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 270 W. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009; 221 Cole Street, Birmingham, 48009; 3645 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301; 4065 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301; 1987 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. beyondjuiceryeatery.com

Bill’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Lunch, Thursday & Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.646.9000. billsbloomfieldhills.com

Birmingham Pub: American. Brunch, Sunday, Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham. thebirminghampub.com

Birmingham Sushi Cafe: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 377 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.8880. birminghamsushi.com

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Liquor. Reservations. 34244 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984. bistrojoeskitchen.com

Bloomfield Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 71 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.645.6879. bloomfielddeli.com

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Liquor. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6690. thebrooklynpizza.com

Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township. 248.642.4000. cafeml.com

Casa Pernoi: Italian. Lunch, Wednesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.940.0000. casapernoi.com

Churchill’s Bistro & Cigar Bar: Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 116 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.4555. churchillscigarbar.com

Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Beer. 877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.540.7220. cityscapedeli.com

Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.9766. gocommonwealth.com

Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.1135. dickodowspub.com

Eddie Merlot’s: Steak & seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 37000 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.712.4095. eddiemerlots.com

Einstein Bros. Bagels: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 4089 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.258.9939. einsteinbros.com

Elie’s Mediterranean Grill/Bar: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.647.2420. eliesgrill.com

EM: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 470 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 947.234.0819. embirmingham.com

Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner, TuesdayFriday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033. embersdeli1.com

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134. flemingssteakhouse.com

Forest: European. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.9400. forestbirmingham.com

Greek Islands Coney Restaurant: Greek. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222. greekislandsconey.com

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American. Lunch, Friday-Sunday, Dinner, TuesdaySunday. No Reservations. Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham. 248.712.4050. griffinclawbrewingcompany.com

Hazel’s: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Tuesday- Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1 Peabody Street, Birmingham. 248.671.1714. eatathazels.com

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111. honeytreegrille.com

Hunter House Hamburgers: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.7121. hunterhousehamburgers.com

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4369. hydeparkrestaurants.com

IHOP: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2187 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48301. 248.333.7522. Ihop.com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.792.9609. joemuer.com

Kaku Sushi and Poke’: Asian. Lunch, MondayFriday & Dinner daily. No reservations. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.480.4785, and 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.885.8631. kakusushipoke.com

Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166.

kerbyskoneyisland.com

La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.5800. lamarsacuisine.com

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar: Italian. Dinner,

The Birmingham/Bloomfield area is filled with discriminating diners and an array of dining establishments. Make sure the message for your restaurant reaches the right market in the right publication—Downtown.

METRO INTELLIGENCER

Metro Intelligencer is a monthly column devoted to news stories, tidbits and gossip items about what's happening on the restaurant scene in the metro Detroit area. Metro Intelligencer is reported/created each month by Gigi Nichols who can be reached at GigiNichols@DowntownPublications.com with news items or tips, on or off the record.

Fondue anyone?

The long-awaited Corktown restaurant, Alpino, has opened on the corner of Bagley and Trumbull. The 3,200 square-foot wine-inspired regional restaurant seats 80 in the dining room, 10 at the bar and 50 on their private 1,500 square foot patio. Guests can expect lively dinner service seven nights a week along with ‘Fondue Sunday’ from noon until 8 p.m. In true mountain form, Alpino will occasionally host live music rooted in blues, bluegrass and Americana. Alpino is founded and operated by Detroit native and New York hospitality veteran, David Richter. The kitchen is helmed by Chef Colin Campbell, with Andre Sykes overseeing the beverage program highlighted by a regional-specific cocktail and wine list. “The premise of Alpino is rooted in heritage and tradition surrounded by a community. The team at Alpino aims to cultivate a communal atmosphere centered around high-quality food, made simply, paired with excellent wine, music and hospitable service,” says Richter. The restaurant’s menu is inspired by ingredients sourced from hills, fields, rivers and streams be it fresh, farmed or preserved. The lineup weaves together traditional dishes from countries along the Alpine Mountains in Europe, including Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. The menu is offered up as cheese, cured meat, vegetables, pasta/rice/grains, meat/fish, sides and sweets. Stand-out dishes include: tarte flambée with rye dough, crème fraiche, fontina dop and lardon; croziflette “Alpino mac & cheese” with house-made buckwheat pasta, taleggio, and lardons; and Alpine char featuring thuringer sausage, roasted onion broth, root vegetables, sauerkraut and wilted greens. Alpino’s beverage program features a unique list of lesser-known and affordable European wines by the glass, on tap and by the bottle. The curated cocktail list reflects the seasons and compliments the European style beer list on tap and bottle. The restaurant’s design is inspired by European countryside farmhouses incorporating natural materials in a simplistic, communal manner. A stone fireplace is the focal point of the main dining room complemented by warm wood tones, one hundred-year-old cypress beams, rustic light fixtures and warm soft seating touches. The patio space includes teak tables, soft loveseat benches and a bandshell for live music. 1426 Bagley, Detroit alpinodetroit.com

New menus at 220 Merrill

220 Merrill is celebrating the warm weather with a refresh of the historic Birmingham restaurant. With a focus on elevating every detail of the dining experience, guests can indulge in new menus for dinner, lunch, brunch and happy hour – just in time for patio season. “220 Merrill has been a mainstay of Birmingham and Metro Detroit’s dining scene for over 40 years. We are the place where families, friends and business associates come together to celebrate momentous occasions and create special memories,” said Zaid Elia, founder and CEO of The Elia Group and its portfolio of hospitality businesses, the Iconic Collection. “With this refresh of our dining offerings, we are further demonstrating our commitment to delivering those iconic experiences and unique, meaningful moments for our guests for many years to come.” The new menus feature contemporary American food with classic and innovative global flavors that will take diners on a tasty journey from Italy to China, and everywhere in between. Chef Jordan Hoffman, who has cooked in and led kitchens around the country, curated the menus to highlight fresh ingredients and thoughtfully sourced proteins, including six carefully selected cuts of steak. Perfect for daytime celebrations, the lively happy hour at 220 Merrill will now include tableside bottle service, in addition to selected drinks and small plates to share. For a late afternoon pick-me-up, happy hour at 220 Merrill is Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. 220 Merrill Street, Birmingham experience220.com

An oasis in Campus Martius Park

And speaking of warm weather celebrations, The Elia Group, has also announced the summer opening of its Iconic Collection venue, BrisaBar Located in the heart of downtown Detroit’s Campus Martius Park, BrisaBar is an oasis offering locals and visitors alike a place to relax and unwind in the sand. Designed with fun in mind, sunbathers can enjoy a leisurely lunch, beachside happy hour or dinner with friends and family. The venue offers a variety of

Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480.0492. lastradaitaliankitchen.com

Leo’s Coney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 154 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.9707. Also 6527 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.646.8568. leosconeyisland.com

Little Daddy’s: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400. littledaddys.com

Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.6051. luxebarandgrill.com

Madam: American. Breakfast, Monday-Friday, Brunch, weekends. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.283.4200. daxtonhotel.com

Mare Mediterranean: Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 115 Willits Street, Birmingham 48009. 248.940.5525. maremediterranean.com

Market North End: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953. marketnorthend.com

Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2079 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581. nipponsushibar.com

Olga’s Kitchen: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 2075 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.451.0500. olgas.com

Original Pancake House: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5775. oph-mi.com

Planthropie: Vegan. Dessert and Cheese. Tuesday-Sunday. 135 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.839.5640. planthropie.com

Roadside B & G: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7270. roadsidebandg.com

Salvatore Scallopini: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 505 North Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.8977. salsbirmingham.com

Shift Kitchen & Cocktails: Small plates. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. shiftbirmingham.com

Sidecar: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380. sidecarsliderbar.com

Slice Pizza Kitchen: Pizza. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.3475. slicepizzakitchen.com

Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200. socialkitchenandbar.com

Stateside Deli & Restaurant Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 653 S. Adams Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.550.0455. statesidedeli.com

Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Breakfast and Lunch, Sunday. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301. 248.932.0800. stevesdeli.com

Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, Thursday & Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123. streetsideseafood.com

Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.3887. sushihanabloomfield.com

Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday and Wednesday-Sunday. No reservations. 315

Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830. sythaibirmingham.com

Sylvan Table: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1819 Inverness Street, Sylvan Lake, 48320. 248.369.3360. sylvantable.com

Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.731.7066. tallulahwine.com

Thai Street Kitchen: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304. 248.499.6867 thaistreetkitchen.com

The Franklin Grill: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 32760 Franklin Road, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600. thefranklingrill.com

The French Lady: French. Lunch, TuesdaySunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 768 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.480. 0571. zefrenchlady.com

The Gallery Restaurant: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.851.0313. galleryrestaurant2.com

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688. moosepreserve.com

The Morrie: American. Dinner, ThursdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 260 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.940.3260. themorrie.com

The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999. rugbygrille.com

Toast: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Reservations. Liquor. 203 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.6278. eatattoast.com

Tomatoes Apizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner daily. Carryout. 34200 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham 48009. 248.258.0500. tomatoesapizza.com

Touch of India: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 297 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.7881. thetouchofindia.com

Townhouse: American. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241. eatattownhouse.com

Whistle Stop Diner: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily; Liquor. No reservations. 501 S. Eton Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.566.3566. whistlestopdiners.com

ZANA: Modern American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 210 S. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.800.6568. zanabham.com

Zao Jun: Asian. Dinner and Lunch, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.949.9999. zaojunnewasian.com

Royal Oak/Ferndale

Ale Mary’s: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 316 South Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917. alemarysbeer.com

Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22651 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680. anitaskitchen.com

Beppé: New American. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 703 N. Main Street in Royal Oak, 48067. 248.607.7030. eatbeppe.com

Bigalora: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.2442 bigalora.com

Bohemia: Mediterranean. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 100 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.2883. eatatbohemia.com

Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749. cafemuseroyaloak.com

Como’s: Pizza. Brunch, weekends. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 22812 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.677.4439. comosrestaurant.com

Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria: Italian. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 28939 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.591.3300. crispellis.com

The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale 48220. 248.399.5150. theflytrapferndale.com

HopCat: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 430 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.744.2544. HopCat.com

Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 22949 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. howesbayouferndale.net

Imperial: Mexican. Lunch and Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22848 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145. imperialferndale.com

Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.543.9500. inyorestaurant.com

KouZina: Greek. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 121 N. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.629.6500. gokouzina.com

Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 28028 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.965.2101. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 410 S. Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459. lilysseafood.com

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Brunch, Sunday, Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.584.4227. lockhartsbbq.com

Masala: Indian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. 106 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.850.8284. food.orders.co/royaloakmasala

Mezcal: Brunch, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 201 East 9 Mile Road Ferndale, 48220. 248.268.3915. mezcalferndale.com

Pastaio: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 208 W. 5th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.565.8722. eatpastaio.com

Pearl’s Deep Dive: Seafood. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor.100 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.2875. pearlsdeepdive.com

Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947. oakcitygrille.com

One-Eyed Betty’s: American. Breakfast, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 175 W. Troy Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.808.6633. oneeyedbettys.com

Pop’s for Italian: Italian. Brunch and Lunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 280 W. 9 Mile Road, Ferndale,48220. 248.268.4806. popsforitalian.com

Public House: American. Lunch & Brunch, weekends, Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.850.7420. publichouseferndale.com

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, 48073. 248.549.0300. redcoat-tavern.com

Ronin: Japanese. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 326 W. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.546.0888. roninsushi.com

Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.1141. royaloakbrewery.com

Sozai: Japanese.Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. 449 West 14 Mile Road, Clawson,48017. 248.677-3232. sozairestaurant.com

The Morrie: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 511 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.216.1112. themorrie.com

Three Cats Cafe: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch, Tuesday-Sunday. Dinner, Wednesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 116 W 14 Mile Road, Clawson, 48017. 248.900.2287. threecatscafe.com

Tigerlily: Japanese. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 231 W. Nine Mile Road, Ferndale, 48220. 248.733.4905. tigerlilyferndale.com

Toast, A Breakfast and Lunch Joint: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 23144 Woodward Avenue, Ferndale, 48220. 248.398.0444. eatattoast.com

Tom’s Oyster Bar: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 318 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.541.1186. tomsoysterbar.com

Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Avenue, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.542.4444. trattoriadaluigi.business.site.com

Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch, TuesdaySaturday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 27799 Woodward Avenue, Berkley, 48072. 248.548.7711. vinsettagarage.com

Voyager: Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 600 Vester Street, Ferndale, 48220. 248.658.4999. voyagerferndale.com

Troy/Rochester

Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Road, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831. cafesushimi.com

CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600. ckdiggs.com

Grand Castor: Latin American. Lunch, Thursday-Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2950 Rochester Road, Troy, 48083. 248.278.7777. grancastor.com

Kona Grille: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060. konagrill.com

Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

Loccino Italian Grill and Bar: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. Reservations. 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, 48098. 248.813.0700. loccino.com

The Meeting House: American. Brunch, weekends, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825. themeetinghouserochester.com

Mon Jin Lau: Nu Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Road, Troy, 48083. 248.689.2332. monjinlau.com

Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845. mortons.com

Naked Burger: American. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6870 N Rochester

refreshing tropical cocktails, such as the Havana Hurricane and the Motown Mojito as well as delicious “Brisa Bites” including greens salads, mini lobster rolls, shrimp tacos, calamari, chicken wings, truffle fries, grilled chicken wraps, burgers and more. “At Elia Group, we pride ourselves on our ability to transform the ordinary into entirely iconic environments and that’s exactly what our guests will experience this summer at Detroit’s only downtown beach,” said Zaid Elia, founder and CEO of Elia Group and its portfolio of hospitality businesses, the Iconic Collection. “We’re honored to continue our partnership with the Downtown Detroit Partnership to bring Detroit’s hottest summer party back for another momentous season.” Campus Martius Park, Detroit brisabar.com

A taste of Italy

Prime Concepts Detroit, the restaurant group behind Prime29 Steakhouse, NARA Sushi & Hibachi Lounge, PAO in downtown Detroit, Tribu Mediterranean and Wabeek Club, is bringing a new taste of Italy to West Bloomfield this summer with “Aurora Italiana.” A complete renovation of the 8,500-square-foot space at Maple and Orchard Lake roads will incorporate custom murals and commissioned artwork with a modern design. Art Harrison Interiors, the Royal Oak-based design team behind Prime Concepts’ other restaurants, will oversee Aurora Italiana’s interior design. Curated by the Prime Concepts Detroit corporate culinary team, the menu will highlight the vibrant essence and fresh flavors of Italy’s Amalfi Coast. Aurora Italiana will feature dishes inspired by the island of Capri, including burrata caprese, cacio e pepe, veal ossobuco and fresh whole-fish offerings flown in daily from the Mediterranean. Stolion Liti, managing partner and director of operations at Prime Concepts Detroit, will oversee the restaurant’s operations. “Aurora’s menu has traditional Italian roots, featuring imported cheeses and cured meats, frittura mista and margherita pizza, all of which are complemented by wonderful pasta dishes like our fresh tonnarelli allo scoglio (seafood pasta) and linguine al’aragosta (lobster pasta),” said Liti. “Our daily features will focus on fresh Mediterranean fish like branzino, orata, turbot, Dover sole and many more exotic whole fish options.”

6199 Orchard Lake Road, West

Bloomfield

Table No. 2 opens in Greektown

Omar Mitchell’s Table No. 2 on Detroit’s Avenue of Fashion shuttered shortly after the pandemic and now, Mitchell is thrilled to reopen the restaurant at a new location in Greektown. This upscale seafood/steak/sushi-centric restaurant, occupies a space on Brush Street formerly known as “Sweet Georgia Brown.” The interior has undergone an extensive transformation all designed by Mitchell himself. The design features textured walls, refined woods, and sophisticated color palettes of eggplant green and dark chocolate browns. Executive chef Grant Slauterbeck will lead the culinary team using his passion for food and community, sourcing only the finest local produce, seafood and Michigan-based products in his classic fine dining approach. Just a few of the noteworthy entrees include: steak tartare with dry-aged beef tenderloin, which is ground tableside; scallops with pork belly, polenta and smoked ham hocks; and filet mignon served with 100-layer potato, parsnip wiffle ball, mushroom ragout and roasted thyme. 1045 Brush Street, Detroit tablenumber2.com

New quick serve sandwich shop in Royal Oak

Pop’s Hani Shop has opened on Woodward Avenue in the space formerly occupied by Kalamata Greek Grill. The Hani style of sandwich was born in 1985 by a National Coney Island cook named “Hani” for staff members at their Mack Avenue location. A warm grilled pita featuring breaded chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and signature special mayonnaise, the sandwich evolved to what it is today and has since became National Coney Island’s bestselling sandwich. “The idea of Pop’s Hani Shop was built around one of National Coney Island’s most beloved and recognized creations, the Hani sandwich, which has continued to grow in popularity over the years,” said Tom Giftos, president, National Coney Island & Pop’s Hani Shop. “We are thrilled to bring the classic Hani, with some new twists, to life today, while also remaining deeply dedicated to delivering our customers fresh, quality food, at affordable prices that is synonymous with the National Coney Island brand.” In addition to a variety of Hani options, Pop’s also offers smash-style burgers, hand carved gyros, fresh soups made in house each day, fresh salads and slaws with homemade dressings, and warm oven-baked cookies. Dedicated to its local roots, Pop’s features Michigan-made Brix all-natural cane sugar beverages and Vernor’s Ginger Ale. 32538 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak popshanishop.com

Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.759.4858. nakedburgerdetroit.com

NM Café: American. Lunch, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.816.3424. neimanmarcus.com/restaurants

Oceania Inn: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. The Village of Rochester Hills, 3176 Walton Boulevard, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.375.9200. oceaniainnrochesterhills.com

Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Highway, Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500. ocean-prime.com

O’Connor’s Irish Public House: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 324 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.608.2537. oconnorsrochester.com

Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Road., Troy, 48085. 248.524.1944. orchid-cafe.com

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000. pfchangs.com

Recipes: American/Brunch. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 134 W. University Drive, Rochester, 48037. 248.659.8267. Also 2919 Crooks Road, Troy, 48084. 248.614.5390. recipesinc.com

RH House: American. Brunch, weekends, Lunch and Dinner, daily. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. No reservations. Liquor. 2630 Crooks Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.586.1000. rh.house.com

Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424. ruthschris.com

Sedona Taphouse: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 198 Big Beaver Road, Troy, 48083. 248.422.6167. sedonataphouse.co

Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Road, Rochester, 48306. 248.652.4500. silverspoonristorante.com

Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main Street, Rochester, 48307. 248.453.5291. tooraloorochester.com

West Bloomfield/Southfield

Bacco: Italian. Lunch, Tuesday-Friday, Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 29410 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.356.6600. baccoristorante.com

Cornbread Restaurant & Bar: Southern. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Tuesday. Reservations. Liquor. 29508 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, 48034. 248.208.1680. cornbreadsoulfood.com

Bigalora: Italian. Lunch, Monday-Saturday, Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 29110 Franklin Road, Southfield, 48034. 248.544.2442. bigalora.com

The Fiddler: Russian. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.851.8782. fiddlerrestaurant.com

Mene Sushi: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 6239 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.7081. menesususi.com

Nonna Maria’s: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2080 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield,

48323. 248.851.2500. nonamariasbistro.com

Pickles & Rye: Deli. Lunch, & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. 6724 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.737.3890. picklesandryedeli.com

Prime29 Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 6545 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.7463. prime29steakhouse.com

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 6745 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.865.0500. redcoat-tavern.com

Shangri-La: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. Orchard Mall Shopping Center, 6407 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.626.8585. dineshangrila.com

Sposita’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 33210 W. Fourteen Mile Road, West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.538.8954. spositas-restorante.com

Stage Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 6873 Orchard Lake Rd., West Bloomfield Township, 48322. 248.855.6622. stagedeli.com

Yotsuba: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 7365 Orchard Lake Road, West Bloomfield, 48322. 248.737.8282. yotsuba-restaurant.com

West Oakland

Gravity Bar & Grill: Mediterranean. Lunch, Monday – Friday, Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 340 N. Main Street, Milford, 48381. 248.684.4223. gravityrestaurant.com

Volare Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 48992 Pontiac Trail, Wixom, 48393. 248.960.7771. ristorantevolare.com

North Oakland

Clarkston Union: American. Lunch, WednesdaySunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 54 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.6100. clarkstonunion.com

Kruse's Deer Lake Inn: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 7504 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.795.2077. kruseandmuerrestaurants.com

The Fed: American. Brunch, Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 15 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.297.5833. thefedcommunity.com

Via Bologna: Italian. Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Liquor. 7071 Dixie Highway, Clarkston, 48346. 248.620.8500. joebologna.com

Union Woodshop: BBQ. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 18 S. Main Street, Clarkston, 48346. 248.625.5660. unionwoodshop.com

Detroit

Bar Pigalle: French. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2915 John R Street, Detroit, 48201 313.497.9200. barpigalle.com

Barda: Argentinian. Dinner, Thursday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4842 Grand River Avenue, Detroit, 48208. 313.952.5182. bardadetroit.com

Basan: Asian. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 2703 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.481.2703. basandetroit.com

Bucharest Grill: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2684 E. Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, 48207.

313.965.3111. bucharestgrill.com

Cash Only Supper Club: American. Dinner, Friday & Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1145 Griswold Street, Detroit, 48226. 248.636.2300. cashonlydetroit.com

Chartreuse Kitchen & Cocktails: Seasonal American. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 15 E Kirby Street, Detroit, 48202. 313. 818-3915. chartreusekc.com

Cliff Bell’s: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2030 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.961.2543. cliffbells.com

Coriander Kitchen and Farm: Farm to table. Lunch, grab and go, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday with hot menu on Saturday and Sunday, Dinner, WednesdayMonday. Reservations. Liquor.14601 Riverside Boulevard, Detroit, 48215. 313.338.9466. corianderkitchenandfarm.com

Cuisine: French. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 670 Lothrop Road, Detroit, 48202. 313.872.5110. cuisinerestaurantdetroit.com

El Barzon: Mexican. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 3710 Junction Street, Detroit, 48210. 313.894.2070. elbarzonrestaurant.com

Fishbone’s Rhythm Kitchen Café: Cajun. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Monroe Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.965.4600. fishbonesusa.com

Freya: Price fixed. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations, Liquor. 2929 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.351.5544. freyadetroit.com

Giovanni’s Ristorante: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 330 S. Oakwood Boulevard, Detroit, 48217. 313.841.0122. giovannisrestaurante.com

Green Dot Stables: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2200 W. Lafayette, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.5588. greendotstables.com

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch, MondayFriday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 400 Renaissance Center, Detroit, 48243. 313.567.6837. joemuer.com

Johnny Noodle King: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2601 W. Fort Street, Detroit, 48216. 313.309.7946. johnnynoodleking.com

Mad Nice: Coastal Italian/American. Lunch, Wednesday-Sunday, Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 4120 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201.313.558.8000. madnicedetroit.com

Mario’s: Italian. Lunch, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 4222 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.1616. mariosdetroit.com

Midtown Shangri-la: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 4710 Cass Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.974.7669. midtownshangril-la.com

Motor City Brewing Works: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 470 W. Canfield Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.2700. motorcitybeer.com

Oak & Reel: Italian Seafood. Dinner, ThursdayMonday. Reservations. Liquor. 2921 E. Grand Boulevard, Detroit, 48202. 313.270.9600. oakandreel.com

PAO Detroit: Asian Fusion/Pan Asian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 114 W. Adams, Detroit, 48226. 313.816.0000. paodetroit.com

Parc: New American. Brunch, Saturday & Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 800 Woodward Ave, Detroit, 48226. 313.922.7272. parcdetroit.com

Prime + Proper: Steak House. Brunch, Weekends. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1145 Griswold St, Detroit, 48226. 313.636.3100. primeandproperdetroit.com

Prism: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, Tuesday-

Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 555 E. Lafayette Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.309.2499. greektowncasino.com

Red Smoke Barbeque: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. Trappers Alley Shopping Center, 573 Monroe Ave., Detroit, 48226. 313.962.2100.

Selden Standard: American. Dinner, Wednesday-Monday. Reservations. Liquor. 3921 2nd Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.438.5055. seldenstandard.com

SheWolf Pastifico & Bar: Italian. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 438 Selden Street, Detroit 48201. 313.315.3992. shewolfdetroit.com

Sinbad’s: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 100 St. Clair Street, Detroit, 48214. 313.822.8000. sindbads.com

Slows Bar BQ: Barbeque. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2138 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.962.9828. slowsbarbq.com/locations/corktown

Supergeil: Berlin Doner. Lunch, Friday-Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.462.4133. supergeildetroit.com

Tap at MGM Grand: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 1777 Third Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.465.1234. mgmgranddetroit.com

The Block: American. Brunch, Weekends, Lunch & Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 3919 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.0892. theblockdet.com

The Dime Store: American. Breakfast & Lunch, Thursday-Tuesday. No reservations. Liquor. 719 Griswold Street #180, Detroit, 48226.313. 962.9106. eatdimestore.com

The Peterboro: Chinese American. Dinner, Friday-Sunday. Take-out, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor. 420 Peterboro Street, Detroit, 48201. 313.462.8106. thepeterboro.com

The Statler: French. Brunch, Sunday. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 313 Park Avenue, Detroit, 48226. 313.463.7111. statlerdetroit.com

Townhouse Detroit: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 500 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 48226. 313.723.1000. townhousedetroit.com

Smith & Co: American. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 644 Selden Street, Detroit, 313.638.1695. smithandcodetroit.com

Supergeil: Berlin Doner. Lunch, Friday-Sunday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 2442 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, 48216. 313.462.4133. supergeildetroit.com

Symposia: Mediterranean. Dinner, WednesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor.1000 Brush Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.9366. atheneumsuites.com/symposia

Vertical Detroit: Small Plates & Wine Bar. Dinner, Wednesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor. 1538 Centre Street, Detroit, 48226. 313.732.WINE. verticaldetroit.com

Vivio’s Food & Spirits: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 2460 Market Street, Detroit, 48207. 313.393.1711. viviosdetroit.net

The Whitney: American. Tea Service, Saturday & Sunday, Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday. Reservations. Liquor.4421 Woodward Avenue, Detroit, 48201. 313.832.5700. thewhitney.com

Wright & Co.: American. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 1500 Woodward Avenue, Second Floor, Detroit, 48226. 313.962.7711. wrightdetroit.com

MATTERS

Taming Woodward through Birmingham

Woodward Avenue is more than a road to somewhere else – once the world's first road to have a section paved, as reporter Stacy Gittleman explains in this month's cover story on Woodward, the storied 27-mile main drag of our metro area, which runs from the foot of Jefferson Avenue in Detroit through Wayne and Oakland counties to Pontiac. It is the road that made Detroit the Motor City. Yet today, the definition of transit increasingly is taking a multitude of forms besides the iconic car – and residents and businesses along its route are seeking a reexamination of the roadway, looking to make it a part of their communities rather than a fast way past.

According to recent Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) data, between 20,000 and 65,000 vehicles travel Woodward daily in certain sections, with the most congested areas – between I-696 and 14 Mile. With its wide lanes – sometimes five in each direction – a scarcity of traffic lights or crosswalks and speed limits in some areas as fast as 50 mph, Woodward Avenue was built for speed.

But perhaps no longer. The roadway of the annual Dream Cruise is no longer a dream street. Currently, from Pleasant Ridge to Huntington Woods, the road is being “revised,” especially in Ferndale, whose downtown has grown to encompass and include Woodward, and Woodward's notorious fast and furious speed is a deterrent. Now, lanes and speeds

are being reduced, bike lanes added as well as pedestrian-friendly and inviting crosswalks.

Officials up and down the roadway note that Woodward Avenue bisects their towns and cuts one half off from the other. Whether it's called a "road diet" or a "lane reduction," municipal officials are calling for fewer lanes for high-speed automobiles and a lane or two devoted to slower traffic and bicycles.

Birmingham officials, along with those from Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Royal Oak and Berkley, who along with Ferndale and Huntington Woods officials are part of the Woodward Municipal Coalition, which aims to find a way to tame the roadway to make it more equitable and multi-modal friendly – it's time to put Woodward on a diet.

As Birmingham has grown and developed over the last 50 years from a sleepy village town to a thriving destination downtown, leaders have recognized that the high speeds on Woodward are not only dangerous, with two fatalities in as many years, but allow drivers to zoom right past the city, rather than inviting them in.

Incoming Birmingham City Manager Jana Ecker, a longtime planner with the city, said that as the downtown has developed, there has been a desire to create vitality on both sides of Woodward. The goals of the Triangle District are beginning to see fruition, but need to see the two sides of Woodward bridge their divide. Woodward at Maple is 200 feet wide –with a speed limit of 45 mph, although, as

Ecker noted, drivers often exceed that. She would like to see Woodward with a speed limit of no more than 35 mph, like Ferndale is implementing.

“There's not enough time for pedestrians to cross the entire street because it’s such a wide stretch,” explained Ecker. “Imagine, for example, trying to cross at Woodward and Maple and if you don’t time it just right, you get stuck on the median with nothing around you to protect you. Imagine doing that with a small child or for the elderly. Woodward was never meant to move pedestrians. It was designed to move metal cars – as many and as fast as possible.”

An obstacle to the city's vision is at the curb of Woodward, yet officials are hampered in their efforts to remedy the situation, because Woodward, or M1, is a state roadway, meaning the state manages it and sets the speed limit. Typically, MDOT will study the median speed on a roadway and then set it at that speed – which is the opposite of what is needed.. While Ferndale's downtown sits right on Woodward, Ecker said she envisions a lower speed limit in Birmingham would draw in neighborhoods from the east side as well as increase foot traffic and draw more people to the businesses which reside there.

We all know diets are hard. But they're a healthy alternative to harmful lifestyles. Let's give Woodward a reinvigorating new shot.

Not every commissioner is mayoral quality

The old saying is that reality is a bitch. We're here to tell you there's a lot of truth to that. And in the future, some Birmingham city commissioners may find out the validity of that proverb.

To explain. For many years, the seven elected city commissioners in Birmingham have rotated choosing among themselves for the one-year honorific of serving as mayor and mayor pro tem for a one-year term. Unlike in some municipalities, like New York City or Detroit, where the mayor is elected and is the manager of the government, in Birmingham, it is a city manager run government. On top of attending and leading meetings – the latter the most important duty – typically the mayor’s responsibilities includes some administrative work, such as working with the city manager – also a critical duty – and helping to set the meeting agenda, attending events, hosting visitors, going to ribbon cuttings, giving speeches, officiating

weddings and attending conferences.

The mayor does not set policy, which the entire commission does, nor carry out the policy, which the manager and administration does. The mayor is not a first amongst equals, but one of the seven commissioners, and their vote carries the same weight as all other commissioners who sit at the commission table.

The mayor, though, is often the official face of Birmingham, a representative of the city and the liaison between the administrative government, the commission and its residents and businesses. In that capacity, a certain skill set and finesse, as well as a willingness to read and familiarize oneself with all of the workings of the government, keeping up to date, is imperative. Not all city commissioners choose to read and comprehend the commission packets provided – nor are they in sync with both the administration or their fellow

commissioners. And that is a problem.

While largely titular, whoever sits in the center chair at the commission table represents all the viewpoints falling at their feet – and they must judiciously synthesize them and present them to the public not as their own, but as the city's. And not everyone has the skill set to do that graciously while simultaneously leading their peers.

Currently, the city commission has been considering whether everyone at the table really has to get a chance to roll the city's dice, or if some are more qualified and should remain at the helm for two, three or even more years. While they continue to debate, as observers of city government, we believe the latter is the more appropriate response. Life isn't always fair. Some people are cut from sturdier cloth, and deserve to remain mayor for longer terms.

It's not just for their benefit. It's for the city's as well.