Downtown Newsmagazine | Birmingham/Bloomfield

MIXING MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS WITH POLICE 911 RESPONSE

MAY 2022

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30 MENTAL HEALTH AND 911 RESPONSE Encountering more mental health problems when responding to crisis calls, local police agencies are addressing some of the problems they see by integrating mental health workers into their law enforcement units.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

CRIME LOCATOR

OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL

OAKLAND EFFORTS TO PRESERVE TREES

Downtown Newsmagazine's plans for presenting candidate information in a Voter Guide for the August primary and November general election as the electorate faces newly redrawn political districts in 2022.

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

'Mad Dog' Maddock and the state House leadership battle; Mark Hackel's plans for 2026 governor race; Stevens-Levin contributions; Johnson gets a pass on the primary; plus more.

State forestry officials estimate that about 400 Michigan municipalities have adopted preservation ordinances designed to protect and maintain existing trees on public/private property.

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DOWNTOWN05.22 63 MUNICIPAL Contracts/budget set for S. Old Woodward work; new police millage on August ballot; Cranbrook sexual misconduct investigation; the candidates for 2022; BSD contract on hold; city golf course report; plus more.

85 FROM THE BSD Executive Director Sean Kammer lays out the plans for the S. Old Woodward reconstruction project that will start mid-May and run until October.

87 COMMUNITY HOUSE William D. Seklar brings the community up to date on a year long study and analysis of the future of The Community House on the eve of its centennial celebration in 2023.

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

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Jonathan Harris Sasha Compére Jake Chelios Cole Thompson

94 ENDNOTE Our opinion on the Great Lakes Water Authority communities having to pay the water debts of a community; and how a school's handling of sexual misconduct charges should be the start of more transparency on other issues.

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FROM THE PUBLISHER s we approach another election cycle at Downtown Newsmagazine, I can't help but recall one of the more important lessons given to me way too many years ago by my mother who I credit with the lion's share of my formation as she dragged me at an early age every couple of years to accompany her to the voting booth as a way to impress upon me the importance of voting.

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are a monthly publication and if something critical about a candidate appears in Downtown Newsmagazine, our frequency makes it difficult for anyone to respond. Also, letters supporting candidates, which we always receive a spate of just before voting day, are most often organized letter-writing campaigns on the part of candidates' organizations – and for which a more appropriate venue would be a paid ad.

It was a lesson that has stayed with me ever since, including this year as we gear up here to produce a Voter Guide for the primary and the November general elections, something we have done every couple of years since we first launched Downtown Newsmagazine. In my particular case, I have been part of over 20 election cycles during which editorial staff members have put Voter Guide information before local residents.

As I have referenced in past columns, there will likely be a number of critical state legislative and constitutional amendment questions appearing on the ballot in November of this year, adding even more reason to make sure you are part of the voting process.

Our efforts here at Downtown Newsmagazine have proven to be appreciated by our readers, many of whom call or email in advance of elections to question whether we will be providing candidate information before they cast their absentee ballot or go to the polling places. Nice to know that we are not alone in thinking that elections are important, especially in 2022.

As we kick off this year's election coverage, on page 80 of this issue you will find information on the candidates who have filed for county commission, state House and Senate, and Congress. There are primary contests for some offices as a prelude to the general election. With the exception of one library board position in Bloomfield Township, no local municipal – city or township – candidate elections appear on the August primary ballot.

We started weeks ago preparing questions for candidates with an August contest, and we are now sending out questionnaires, the answers to which will be provided in our primary election Voter Guide which appears in the July issue and on DowntownPublications.com. We put this out in our July issue because of the growing number of absentee voters who will receive ballots about a month before the election. Once the political party standard bearers are chosen in the August election, we will then start our work on producing a Voter Guide for the general election.

The candidate information provided to our readers includes biographical info and answers to questions that we think provide voters with insight into the thinking of those seeking your support.

Our Voter Guides in the past ranged as small as eight pages and as large as 32 pages of information, a considerable (and costly) undertaking.

News editor Lisa Brody and I will also use this information – along with possibly some select meetings with candidates either in person or by Zoom – to arrive at our recommendations for endorsements.

Although we are just one voice in the community, I would like to think one of the more knowledgable ones when it comes to candidates and issues.

Relative to the elections this year, we are also issuing an early reminder on our policy about submitting letters supporting candidates, intended for publication in our monthly Incoming (letters to the editor) section. Sorry, we will not publish such letters this year for either the primary or general election. Our logic? We

The 2022 elections take on a special significance because we have lived the last four-five years in a very polarized society, with no indication this situation will change any time soon. Observers of politics and culture in general know that with the 2016 election, the floodgates allowing the rise of racism, sexism, white nationalism and exclusionary behavior in public conversation and government policy were opened wide. And there appears of late to be a doubling down on extremism in Washington and Lansing when I think voters long for something else. The battles nowadays over litmus test cultural/political issues too often overshadow logical debate on important policy issues and clearly contribute to the erosion of democracy as we have known it.

While all elections are important, the 2022 August primary and November general will determine winners of the new districts carved out by the independent redistricting commission voters set into motion with the 2018 ballot issue that took this important task away from the politicians, with the exception of redrawing of county commission districts where partisan (Democrat) interests still dominated the process.

Voters this year will have to sort through new political districts that are now in place for the county board of commissioners, the state House and Senate, as well as Congress, a redistricting process that happens every 10 years. Will it be confusing at first? Yes. It has taken some time for us to get a grip on the newly drawn political districts, largely because local communities got carved up severely this time around, unfortunately.

Lastly, I like to remind everyone of the age-old fact that primary election turnout is always lower than at a general election because more often than not primary voters are largely the party faithful.

Low voter turnout in August or November means we end up with a government of minority rule.

So if your are not registered to vote, do so before the August primary. Then contact your local municipal clerk's office for an absentee ballot. We won the right to “no reason” absentee ballots when voters in 2018 approved changes to voting regulations now enshrined in the Michigan Constitution, so don't waste this opportunity to help shape the future of your government by voting from home or heading to the polls on Tuesday, August 2.

David Hohendorf Publisher DavidHohendorf@DowntownPublications.com

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offiCe 124 W. Maple, Birmingham MI 48009 248.792.6464 DOWNTOWN NEWSMAGAZINE GOALS/MISSION The personnel at Downtown Newsmagazine bring a special commitment to the publishing effort, reinvesting in the local communities and working to make sure the Birmingham/Bloomfield area reaches its highest potential. Our mission dictates that we strive each month to provide a solid news and advertising product that local residents look forward to reading. Our goal is to build a community of informed citizens through the efforts of our passionate team. We are innovators producing products that go well beyond what others offer.

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For those not receiving a free mail copy, paid subscriptions are available. To secure a paid subscription, go to our website (downtownpublications.com) and click on “subscriptions” in the top index and place your order or scan the QR Code here.

INCOMING/READER FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on both our publication and general issues of concern in the Birmingham/Bloomfield community.

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CRIME LOCATOR

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Sexual assault

Assault

Murder/Homicide

Robbery

Breaking/entering

Larceny

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Vehicle theft

Vandalism

Drug offenses

Arson

These are the crimes reported under select categories by police officials in Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Bloomfield Hills through April 21, 2022.

Placement of codes is approximate.

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OAKLAND CONFIDENTIAL 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: OaklndConfidential@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.

2026 PLANNING: Hard to believe – the filing deadline for the 2022 election has just passed but in some circles the speculation about the 2026 (yes, 2026) gubernatorial election has already started.

Although anything of this nature could change in the next several years, the chitchat now has it that Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel, a Democrat, is looking down the road at running for governor of Michigan. As the storyline goes, his lieutenant governor running mate will be Mary Patterson Warner, daughter of GOP icon L. Brooks Patterson, who jettisoned into the news with HACKEL criticism of Democrat Oakland County Commissioners when they scheduled (and then canceled) a meeting to appoint Brooks’ replacement on the morning of his funeral in 2019. Why wait until 2026?

Republicans, in private of course, generally agree that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who will be term limited and not appearing on the 2026 ballot, is going to be hard to beat this year, especially with the current throng of GOP candidates. In the 2026 Hackel scenario, the Macomb politician, considered as a moderate and a county executive in the mold of Patterson, would also switch parties to run as a Republican. Don’t just dismiss this as wishful thinking of the chattering class – this is good information.

Discussions have been taking place.

GOP LEADERSHIP BATTLE: What goes on behind the doors of party caucus meetings in the state House and Senate usually stays there, as the saying goes. But not always. Word in the last month is that Republican Rep. Andrew Fink from Hillsdale has filed a complaint with GOP caucus chair Matt Hall of Marshall over violation of standard protocol by Matt ‘Mad Dog’ Maddock (Milford). The nature of the complaint is that Maddock ventures without advance courtesy notice into the districts of other Republican House members to meet with individuals and groups where he sometimes proceeds MADDOCK to criticize the hometown representative while there. No word on what the caucus chair did with the complaint. Fink is among a small group (including Maddock and Hall) contending to become House Leader after the 2022 general election, something ‘Mad Dog’ has been working on since fall of 2021, because current House Leader Jason Wentworth (R-Farwell) is term limited as of the end of this year. Although he claims to have support among Republicans, one insider labeled Maddock persona non grata already in the caucus for off-the-wall efforts during his time in the legislature. The list is endless and includes his rabid efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, which may explain why former President Donald Trump is backing Maddock, spouse of state party co-chair Meshawn Maddock, for the leadership position – unprecedented for an ex-prez to get involved in a lower chamber race. Observers say the odds-on favorite among Republican members is Hall when it comes to the leadership contest, assuming the House remains Republican, of course.

CHOICES, CHOICES: We went to press just prior to the GOP state convention, when state Republicans were scheduled to choose who they want on the general election ballot for attorney general and secretary of state, rather than having primary voters choose in August, as they do for most other candidacies.

We have been most anxious to see who GOP conventiongoers – the Republican base – is picking for AG to do a mid-ice face-off against Democrat incumbent Dana Nessel. Wise – and establishment – prognosticators have been in the corner of former state House Leader Tom DEPERNO Leonard (DeWitt), who came within a hair – three percentage points – of Nessel in 2018, and would like to see a rematch. downtownpublications.com

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But those in the know see the handwriting on the wall for Trump-endorsed candidate Matt DePerno of Kalamazoo. The Trump-inspired Maddocks – Matt/Meshawn – have wholeheartedly endorsed DePerno as well. “If DePerno wins, the Republicans can kiss the whole thing goodbye in November,” said one honcho. Not giving up either is West Bloomfield’s Ryan Berman, a two-term state Representative, “who thinks he’s going to win,” said the Republican politico. “I’ve never seen so many delusional people in my life.” If the convention goes with DePerno and secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo, another Trump acolyte., “It’s not a Republican year in Michigan.”

LEGAL ISSUES: Matt DePerno is carrying baggage as wide as a semitruck. Those who have seen legal filings before the Michigan Grievance Committee verify that the Kalamazoo attorney could truly be in water hot enough to scald him – regardless of what the Republican base decides.

“The false billings are all true,” said someone who has seen the committee filings, in which DePerno has been accused by west Michigan law firm Kreis, Enderle, Callander & Hudgins, where DePerno used to be a shareholder, of “padding” his client billings to the tune of nearly $400,000.

“He has not accounted for $400,000 of clients’ money,” said the person who has read the filings. Further, DePerno, whose claim to fame was his involvement in challenging the elections results of Antrim County in 2020, alleging election fraud, now faces a lawsuit, along with former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and “Kraken” attorney Sidney Powell. The plaintiff?

Dominion Voting Systems which has noted any election night reporting errors (which were immediately corrected) were human in nature.

“Dominion’ll beat him, and he’s going to be broke,” said a leading Republican.

STEPPING IN IT, AGAIN: Speaking of gubernatorial candidates, Kevin Rinke of Bloomfield Township just doesn’t seem to be able to get some distance from claims of racism/sexism that have haunted him since he inherited Rinke Pontiac-GMC in Warren and Rinke Toyota in Centerline.

It’s old news that Rinke was sued twice by four former car dealership employees in 1992, one over racist remarks to a Black male, where he allegedly used a racist slur (the n-word), the other by a female who alleged sexist remarks and harassing behavior, asking her if she had on “matching bra and panties,” and that “Women shouldn’t be allowed to work in public.

They’re ignorant and stupid.” Both suits were dismissed; the sexual harassment suit with a cash payout. Now comes a reported recent interview with the Detroit Free Press during which the conversation turned to race. Said Rinke: “I think [White privilege] is a divisive term and it’s looking to stir things up. I didn’t pick what color I came out. I was a baby.

The kid next to me in the hospital could have been a Black baby, could have been a brown baby, could have been a yellow baby.” When it comes to the use of the term “yellow” to reference people with an Asian background, the Urban Dictionary calls it “derogatory” and MerriamWebster calls is “sometimes offensive.” Nuff said.

HATE SPEECH: Forget about Senate collegiality. Republican State Sen. Lana Theis (Brighton) quashed any notion of that recently when she called three fellow Democrat Senators – Mallory McMorrow (Royal Oak, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester Hills), Rosemary Bayer (Bloomfield Township, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Franklin, Clarkston) and Dayna Polehanki (Livonia) – “trolls” and “groomers that sexualize our MCMORROW children.” Her rant began during a Senate invocation, generally a non-confrontational BAYER introduction to the session, and continued on Twitter, where she expanded her attacks on “Democrats who want to teach their children LGBTQ+ issues and America's history as 'enlightened elites' who believe parents must surrender to the wisdom of teacher unions, (and) trans-activists.” McMorrow said enough.

Responding in the Senate and on Twitter, she labeled the POLEHANKI 24

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attack as “vile.” Ten million views later of a video of her response, coverage in national print publications and on TV, McMorrow's retort is being held out as the playbook for pushing back on the increasing far right weaponization of social issues.

STEVENS V. LEVIN, ROUND 2: We’ve got a few more months of this battle for the Democratic nod in the newly redistricted 11th, between Haley Stevens and Andy Levin, punching it out to represent Oakland County. In the first quarter funding report for 2022, we have to give it to Stevens, who raised $1.1 million in the quarter, and has $2.8 million cash on hand. Levin raised his fair share, picking up $750,000 for the quarter, with almost $1.5 million cash on hand. But we’re calling out his campaign’s email claims on a couple of occasions that Stevens is getting money from “special interest groups writing her massive checks” or money from the “same special interest group that has committed to supporting the campaigns of Republicans who spout Trump’s Big Lie.” We read through both of their campaign financial reports. Levin’s carping, we’re sure intended to burnish his “progressive” bonafides, just doesn’t hold up.

Both candidates have received substantial checks from PACs, be they businesses and/or unions.

BIG BUCKS BATTLE: While Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin’s new district takes her away from northern Oakland County, to mid and western Michigan in the new 7th District, we continue to be impressed with her resume, work and financial haul on the campaign trail. In the first quarter, she raised over $1.3 million, and has an overwhelming $5.5 million cash on hand for her race against Republican state Senator Tom Barrett, who odds-makers are expecting to emerge from the August primary as the candidate to face her in SLOTKIN November. Barrett raised $458,000 in the first quarter, not bad for an early foray. However, according to the Washington Examiner, his legislative chief of staff was heard on a hot mike that their goal for the first quarter BARRETT was $1 million. Slotkin, who is a campaign firebrand, historically raising most of her money from individuals, and not PACs. The race is in the spotlight for the National Republican Campaign Committee, which announced Barrett as one of their “Young Guns,” and the race is one they are “watching very closely.” As in, the Republicans want to win it.

PRIMARY CONTEST PASS: Oakland County state Senator Ruth Johnson (R-Holly) won’t have an August primary fight with fellow Senator Douglas Wozniak (R-Shelby Township) after the latter withdrew his filing for the newly drawn 24th Senate District. The two Senate members had both filed for the Senate district which includes Romeo, Washington and most of Shelby Township in Macomb County, along with the lower tier of Lapeer County and part of northern Oakland County, which is currently represented by Johnson, who is completing her first term in the Michigan Senate. Wozniak, first elected to the state House in 2018, became a state Senator following a special election in 2021 to fill the vacancy created when Republican Peter JOHNSON Lucido was elected Macomb County Prosecutor in a special election. Johnson has served as an Oakland County commissioner, county clerk/register of deeds, state House member and Secretary of State – a long track record in Oakland politics, winning generally by substantial voting margins. Several insiders say there was no known GOP pressure to get Wozniak out of the 2022 contest for which he filed in late February of this year once the new districts were announced. Practical realities prompted the withdrawal, with one observer saying that Wozniak is a “pretty astute” guy who could not only read the tea leaves but knew that a tough fight with Johnson would not have set well with the party caucus in the Senate. Then there is the question of campaign funding – Wozniak with just over $12,000 on hand v. Johnson cash on hand of about $121,000 at the end of last year.

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Jonathan Harris rowing up in Detroit, Jonathan Harris’ interest in art started at an early age.

He sharpened his artistic skills by attending Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing Arts, Henry Ford College and Oakland University, where he studied graphic design and studio art.

“I’ve been drawing forever. I mostly drew figurative drawings but didn’t start painting until about five years ago, after I saw my cousin painting. It changed everything,” the Bloomfield Township resident says.

While Harris studied art in school, he didn’t know how the art industry worked until he met Henry Harper, owner of Harper Galleries of the Arts and Interiors in Detroit, who critiqued his work and became his mentor. Harper also introduced him to Detroit Fine Arts Breakfast Club, a lively and supportive weekly gathering of artists, collectors, and art enthusiasts.

“I tell stories through art and try to be as honest as possible. I dig deep to tell my story and the Black story in America, which is one of love, hope and prosperity,” the artist says. “I’d like to spark conversation and change the world with my art.”

Recently, one of Harris’ oil paintings entitled “Critical Race Theory” garnered worldwide attention after appearing as part of a gallery show at Irwin House Global Art Center and Gallery in Detroit. The image has been widely shared on social media and Harris estimates over 5,000 prints of this painting were sold internationally.

With its haunting impression of a white person using a paint roller with white paint to attempt to cover three prominent Black leaders in American history – Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Harriet Tubman – the painting’s depiction of the whitewashing of Black history resonates with many who embrace the importance of teaching Black history as part of American history – and brings attention to a controversial topic.

“Everything has gotten so political and I’m not a political guy. I can see points on different sides,” Harris says. “This painting is meant to be futuristic. It shows what life could be like if a small idea turned into a big idea, which led to our stories and history being erased. It shows what life could be like if people are not taught real history in school because it makes some people uncomfortable.”

He adds, “We need to have uncomfortable conversations to better understand each other. When I was in therapy, I learned that you need to start from the beginning and talk about it to understand. I wanted this piece to start the conversation. It’s working – and changing some hearts.”

The artist’s latest series, entitled “I Pledge Allegiance,” explores what it means to be American. The series is comprised of 10 portraits of non-white Americans shown with the American flag and, according to Harris, addresses “Being in America, but not being seen as American.”

Besides creating art, Harris plans to be in a new gallery space on Saginaw Street in downtown Pontiac by May. His first show in the new location is scheduled for Juneteenth weekend, June 17-19.

While there have been both positive and negative reactions to his art, Harris explains, “As an artist it’s not my job to tell people, it’s my job to show them.

People can then interpret the piece how they want to – but I’m always willing to have a conversation about it.”

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Story: Tracy Donohue

Photo: Laurie Tennent

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LAW ENFORCEMENT AND

BY LISA BRODY irmingham Police Chief Mark Clemence was more troubled about the situation in his community than in all of his 37 years in law enforcement – and as he spoke to his fellow law enforcement leaders in neighboring communities, he knew they were experiencing similar problems, where too many police calls were those involving mental health issues. Many of the calls for help were from the same people, at the same addresses – “frequent flyers,” in their parlance. Rather than assisting, Clemence and many local officers felt helpless at their inability to provide relief and support to those in need.

“In my 37 years as a police officer, I've never seen the number and type of mental health issues we're seeing,” Clemence said. “About 50 percent of the mental health calls we're going on are people under the age of 30. Twenty-four percent are under 17, and 26 percent are between 17 and 30 years of age. There's a huge substance abuse issue. COVID-19 is an X factor – we haven't had normal socialization, and people have been cooped up.

HEALTH

SOCIAL WORKERS TEAM UP

“Further, I firmly believe social media has helped create anxiety and feelings of lacking self-worth,” he continued. “It's purely speculation, but I see it a lot.”

Within the law enforcement tool box, officers usually have had one of two choices in dealing with individuals in crisis, if they were not a violent threat to the themselves or others in the community – they could drop them off at a local hospital, without any follow-up, or at the county jail if they were violent and had committed a crime in their delusional state. Clemence and other chiefs knew that neither was an adequate solution.

In an era when the mantras of “Defund the police,” “Black Lives Matter,” and other potentially adversarial catchphrases have entered the mainstream, and we have all witnessed unfortunate interactions between some officers and members of the public, especially people of color, there has been a movement within some law enforcement agencies across the country to address some of the problems they see by integrating mental health workers, usually a social worker, into a law enforcement unit. Some are called co-response teams, others crisis intervention team programs.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) said, “The lack of mental health crisis services across the U.S. has resulted in law enforcement officers serving as first responders to most crises. A Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program is an innovative, communitybased approach to improve the outcomes of these encounters. In over 2,700 communities nationwide, CIT programs create connections between law enforcement, mental health providers, hospital emergency services and individuals with mental illness and their families. Through collaborative community partnerships and intensive training, CIT improves communication, identifies mental health resources for those in crisis and ensures officer and community safety.”

NAMI noted that CIT programs often can bring community leaders together, offer police officers more tools in order to do their jobs safely and effectively because they are trained in both attitude and knowledge about mental illness. It can also reduce the number of arrests for people with mental illness while simultaneously helping them receive mental health care and follow up services.

Clemence felt a co-response team would be an ideal tool for his force – and likely some of the neighboring local departments as well.

As they already share resources for things like HAZMAT and major crime investigations among other mutual aid services, Clemence reached out to Bloomfield Township Police Chief Phil Langmeyer and Auburn Hills Police Chief Ryan Gagnon to get their takes.

“The three chiefs had gotten together and chatted and talked about the number of mental health and the increase of issues because of COVID,” Langmeyer said. “We were going to the same places, many times over and over. We just didn't have the ability to help them, especially with HIPAA. We could refer them to Oakland Community Health Network. Thirty years ago when I started, we had options, there were mental health hospitals. They weren't perfect, but still. Now, we could only drop them off at hospitals, and we didn't know what would happen.”

Langmeyer said Oakland County has a plethora of resources, but police departments don't know how to take advantage of all those assets and opportunities.

Clemence's idea to share a dedicated social worker struck them all as a great idea.

“I don't have enough work to have one dedicated social worker full time – but three departments splitting someone – we're partners in lots of other programs,” Langmeyer noted.

“Clemence was certainly the visionary for this program, and gave me the latitude to go and explore it,” Gagnon said.

“Having us come to your home every other weekend does not help the underlying issue, and it is a drain on our resources,” Langmeyer noted. He added that “getting all our officers CIT trained, which is the highest level we can get, is a huge benefit.”

irmingham, Bloomfield Township and Auburn Hills police departments studied crisis intervention teams and its benefits for law enforcement, and recognized the best benefit for them would be to develop a co-response team, ideally with an embedded social worker who would learn their departments from the inside out, and work with them to help their community members. Clemence said that Gagnon teaches mental health responders, and he suggested reaching out to and partnering with Oakland Community Health Network, a provider service network that assists approximately 23,000 Oakland County citizens at more than 300 service sites across the county. That, in turn, helped them find and hire Hillary Nusbaum, a social worker who, since August, works full-time with

the three departments Co-Response (CoRE) Crisis Outreach Program, taking a 10-hour shift once a week with each, and is available at any time any department has a crisis call.

“I work with people who have suicidal ideations, delusion, psychosis, family trouble – where there are verbal altercations and they're getting destructive with threats of harm to themselves or family members, or with custody issues,” Nusbaum explained, as well as with domestic problems, where she said is often where physical issues come in.

Nusbaum said she is seeing suicidal ideations in all ages.

“Anxiety has heightened since COVID,” she said, “along with isolation, concerns about wages and employment, the housing crisis has changed.”

Prior to working on the CoRE Crisis Outreach Program, Nusbaum worked in three different school districts working with kids in crisis, and had been in private practice specializing in trauma, informed care, anxiety, depression, LGBTQ+ issues, among others. But law enforcement is in her blood – her father was the police chief in Coldwater, Michigan, and she said she always had an interest in policing – so much so that she had just finished a course in certified first responder counseling when the opportunity to apply for this job through Oakland Community Health Network came about.

All three chiefs rave about the work Nusbaum is doing – and the impact she has had already on their officers.

“She's been a welcome addition, and she's doing a wonderful job,” Clemence said. “She's adding a very needed service. With Hillary, before she ever took a call, we had her take as many rides with officers as possible so she understood how they thought, how they worked. In addition, we wanted the officer to get to know her and understand her role and how she thinks.”

“Our officers are responding very, very well. She's phenomenal,” Langmeyer said. “She fits right in. Her personality and outlook makes the difference. She's very comfortable and makes all the difference. She rides with the officers, spends time with the officers, to get comfortable with them so they feel they can talk to her about their wellness, too. She's become a resource for us here in the department – it's someone for us to go talk to. The job puts a lot of stress on our officers and this is one option to help them with their wellness.”

Gagnon agrees. “It's been really positive. It was really important to hire the right person because law enforcement and social work can have different objectives,” he pointed out. “Having her go on ride alongs and getting to know the staff was really important. When she shows up on scene when someone's in crisis, they know she knows what she's doing can help solve the problem for someone in crisis.

“She's the resource at the scene – before it was after the fact,” he noted.

Gagnon, like Clemence and Langmeyer, said the response from their officers has been extremely positive.

“Before we even introduced her, I got all four platoon commanders on board,” Clemence continued. “I made sure I explained the program, had them ask questions, understood their needs and concerns – what is her role, when we go on a call, who will be in charge? There is some stigma between social workers and police, and we're trying to get rid of that stigma.”

There has long been a disconnect between law enforcement and mental health professionals, with law enforcement toughing it out and those in the mental health world often viewing them as adversaries. That has been changing as there is a greater understanding of the disorders that affect mood, thinking and behavior, with society as a whole recognizing them as diseases rather than poorly informed choices.

Leah Jacobs, MSW PhD, University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work, said that researchers continue to fall along a spectrum when examining the criminal justice system and people with mental health disorders.

“Across the board, there is a recognition and agreement that law enforcement is being asked to do too much,” Jacobs said. “What to do about it is where they disagree. Those who are pro-law enforcement believe we must strengthen the police by training more

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effectively, using the CIT model, integrate social workers into departments so they have specially trained people who can respond to those with mental health problems.

“Even farther along the spectrum is the collaborative response which is a more distinct response,” she explained. That is where there is a call upon the community mental health and substance abuse based cooperatives to help provide assistance.

“Then even farther along the spectrum is 'Defund the police,'” Jacobs said. “It's 'why would we even strengthen law enforcement – why wouldn't we strengthen community mental health providers and behavioral health professionals?' Some people want to take current investments in law enforcement and shift them to social services and community-based organizations that are trying to promote collective efficacies and social cohesions, so communities can provide safety for one another. There are studies where communities are cohesive, this is an efficacious approach.”

Ultimately, Jacobs said the empirical question is – do you need a balance between law enforcement and a collaborative approach. She said that has not been answered by any randomized samples.

“They're really hard things to test for, for good reason,” she said.

“But we need to be aware of the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of any of the programs. It's the broader implications I'm concerned about – why are we so inclined to invest in law enforcement, and not in community mental health. We now have a highly fragmented and inaccessible community mental health system and welfare state retrenchment, and now we're having huge issues. We're setting up people to have these problems. I'm very leery about spending more on law enforcement when we're the number one country in the world with incarcerated individuals.”

That concern jibes with Clemence, Langmeyer and Gagnon's concerns, as well.

“It's another layer of resources and services we didn't have before,” Clemence said, noting that Nusbaum has access and understanding of the resources Oakland Community Health Network has to offer. “We didn't bring in someone from the outside, but someone inside who knows all the programs of Oakland Community Health Network. When we co-respond, Hillary can stay there with the family and provide them with the resources. Our population is getting much older, and more services are needed. We don't want to embarrass them, but they have needs but don't want to be recognized as being needy. We want to be of service in a respectful manner that otherwise would not be addressed, in addition to the more serious mental health issues we face.”

“In Oakland County, there's a jail diversion program instead of just sending someone to jail,” Gagnon said, for individuals who have been arrested for disorderly conduct, trespassing, and “low level misdemeanors committed by people mentally ill at the time, they can be temporarily diverted to Common Ground voluntarily, and if they agree, then they will not be charged. This way, they can get the help they need and hopefully won't repeat the crimes in the future.

Hillary has helped us with it, and helped us with with repeat offenders we've been going to. She can go to probate court and request hospitalization.”

“So far, we haven't seen any downside – it's all positive,” said Langmeyer. “We're really able to address the mental health issues we're seeing. All three chiefs, Hillary, Oakland Community Health Network, we meet monthly and coordinate so we address any issues that come up, because things are going to pop up. They're just minor procedural things, and they're addressed right there.

“The three departments work really well together and we've got a shared history,” he said. “That's the great thing about being close neighbors. A few positives came out of COVID, and this is one of them. It showed we needed to address mental health.”

“People with anxiety, depression, bipolar and more severe mental illness, react negatively with the police, and historically the police have not known how to address it (mental illness),” said Carrie Krawiec, LFMT, Birmingham Maple Clinic. “That leads to where people are hesitant to reach out to law enforcement. Even if it's only their perception, it's a negative reaction. A social worker can help walk you through the situation, make you feel more comfortable with

the process. A trained social worker or trained officers can really help because it can influence how they see the situation, conceptualize what issues or triggers are playing out, and help the families as well to be supported.”

Krawiec noted that “no one wants to call the police out on their kids, but this can be a way where people can find find a way to get a loved one help without getting them in trouble.”

“I am very glad there are attempts to train the police. They are witnessing things everyday that are unimaginable for ordinary people,” said Alireza Amirsadri M.D., associate chairman of clinical services, Wayne State University School of Medicine who has been in crisis work, including with frontline workers, for over 30 years. He currently has a $1 million grant from the state of Michigan studying the traumas of first responders who have PTSD, and they are educating them on how to best recover.

mirsadri noted that more than 80 percent of violent behavior is because of someone else – “a reactionary aggression to something or someone else,” which he explained is evolutionary for humans unless they are trained to not react. “With bias' on both sides, it is destined to be a fire that is not going to be extinguished. Police need to be trained in a supportive manner rather than a challenging way, because it puts others on the defensive – it puts you in an evolutionary challenge. It is a 'bullying' or judging attitude, and if they have a weapon, that can reduce many incidents to violence.

“What we are trying to do right now through our grant with the state is train first responders to be more oriented to this and help them when they encounter people as they are under stress or distress, as are their families,” he said.

It is a ripple effect. The officers then bring it home, Amirsadri explained, and that is why they often have difficult partnerships.

They are transferring their own distress and stresses to their partners and children, “and then the children endure the impact, and their longevity, health and welfare.”

By adding in a mental health wellness component to the culture of policing, both within the department and in their law enforcement work, it is working to remove the concept of “other,” he said.

“The culture of 'other' is very pervasive in policing,” which Amirsadri said is an evolutionary phenomenon. “By telling them you're working here, you don't think of them as 'other' – you are part of the community and one with them.”

The UC Center for Police Research and Policy, University of Cincinnati, supported by a grant from the Department of Justice, assessed the impact of co-responder team programs and their best practices. “The co-responder team model for behavioral health crisis response is a police-based intervention that pairs trained police officers with mental health professionals to respond to incidents involving individuals experiencing behavioral health crises. This collaborative crisis response model aims to improve the experiences and outcomes of persons in crisis by providing effective crisis deescalation, diversion from the criminal justice system, and connection to appropriate behavioral health services. Supporters of the co-responder team model highlight the cost-effectiveness of this response, suggesting its capacity to alleviate pressure on the criminal justice and health care systems. Although not without limitations, the available research examining the processes and impact of co-responder team programs suggest this model may have value for crisis response.

“This research provides preliminary evidence of the promising effects of this response model in (1) enhancing crisis de-escalation,

(2) increasing individuals’ connection to services, (3) reducing pressure on the criminal justice system by reducing arrests, police detentions, and time spent by officers in responding to calls for service, (4) reducing pressure on the health care system by reducing emergency department visits and psychiatric hospitalizations, and (5) promoting cost-effectiveness… The co-responder team model has been implemented across many communities hoping that joint police-mental health response to behavioral health crises will facilitate crisis de-escalation, reducing the frequency and severity of officer use of force and the risk of civilian and officer injury during these interactions. Few evaluations have assessed the impact of coresponder team programs on crisis de-escalation. The limited evidence suggests co-responder teams may be effective in deescalating crises… Supporters of the co-responder team model for crisis response suggest using co-responder teams in the community can alleviate pressure on the criminal justice system by diverting individuals in crisis away from the system.”

he conclusion of the UC Center for Police Research and Policy study concurs with University of Pittsburgh's Leah Jacobs that more research must be conducted on the co-responder model between law enforcement and social workers because “The use of the coresponder team model across communities has resulted in substantial variation in the definition and delivery of co-responder team programs. In many cases, this variation is a product of efforts to tailor co-response to the specific needs of communities.” It also criticizes the lack of consistency in methodology of research.

“It's a great idea, but the distinction of the calls that are mental health-based versus a violent crime is an issue,” said Barry Goetz, PhD, professor of sociology, program in Criminal Justice, Western Michigan University. “One of the struggles they are having to determine is when is it a true threat versus a mental health issue.

“It's all great – as long as they can sustain it, because 10 percent of all (police) calls involve mental health issues,” Goetz noted. “Most police calls are not for serious issues. For a lot of rank and file officers, they're willing to do it up to a point, but not to the point where they have to redefine what their jobs are. If police officers say, I'm a crimefighter, I don't want to deal with these social issues, what then?”

Goetz worries about the sustainability of the programs once grants run out.

“Instead of relying on a grant to fund these programs, incorporate it (the social work and CIT training) into police academies so they can learn it” from the beginning, he said. “You're going to need a bigger boat. One or two social workers aren't going to do it. Police officers want to fight crime.”

Birmingham Chief Mark Clemence fervently disagrees.

“I truly believe this model we're working on has the potential to change how law enforcement and mental health professionals can work together because what this program does is put us on the same team,” he said. “Some programs just want social workers, but that scares me to death. You don't know what you're walking into – we're trained in how to de-escalate a violent person, and social workers aren't, physically.

“This program shows how a police officer can co-respond with social workers, because both know their role,” Clemence explained.

“A social worker can talk to a person, and a police officer is there if the situation turns physical or violent. The key is you have to have buy-in from both sides. No one is trying to protect their turf. For the first time, we're working together.”

He said the difference between the CoRE Crisis Outreach Program and other crisis intervention training programs is not only they are working together, but they have very strict set of rules on both sides; they meet monthly to review issues, see how to improve, and connect people with resources; and “because we're working so well together, we’ve removed barriers that were impediments to success between law enforcement and social work.”

The three local municipal governments approved the inter-local coresponse team, with start up costs at approximately $45,000 per agency.

But first, it needed to be funded. A proposal in spring 2021 from the three chiefs garnered a $75,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan to help it launch in September. That was followed up in July 2021 by an announcement from Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham, Auburn Hills) that she had secured $260,000 in federal funding for the co-response program.

“This federal funding will facilitate the hiring of two mental health clinicians who will be contracted by the three participating agencies from OCHN,” Stevens' spokesperson Larkin Parker said. “It will also provide a vehicle and communication equipment for the clinician so that they can have flexibility to move about freely among the three communities, to respond to crisis situations and follow-up with families, the hospitals, and courts. Funding will also provide much needed Crisis Intervention Team training and Mental Health First Aid training to 100 percent of all sworn police officers in all three agencies (150 police officers).”

Nusbaum's salary is split by the three communities, and with the federal grant secured by Stevens, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township and Auburn Hills will be able to hire a second social worker as well as to train 100 percent of the officers from all three departments in CIT. “We're certainly excited about that because it will give us more coverage,” Auburn Hills' Gagnon said. “Hillary is only one person.”

For example, between October 1 and December 31, 2021, Nusbaum worked with 132 referrals from all three police agencies; there were 47 referrals just from Bloomfield Township police. Referrals have come from police dispatch or from officers answering calls for which Nusbaum was not immediately called.

Several other police agencies are now requesting to participate in the CoRE Crisis Outreach Program, recognizing their success and looking to incorporate it into their department, including the Oakland County Sheriff's Department and Troy Police Department.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has seen the need for mental health care since he was a street officer, he recalled.

“When I became sheriff (1999), about eight percent of the population was on meds,” he said. “Now, pre-COVID, 43 percent of the population is on psychotropic medications. Now if you look at the jail populations, the largest mental health provider in America are the county jails. It's not the best place for the person with mental health challenges or for the facility.”

Many years ago, he said, with that in mind, he launched an initiative to divert an individual in mental crisis to treatment at Common Ground, which has relocated to the Oakland County campus. He also has a fulltime PTSD expert on reserve with his SWAT team.

“Having him as part of our agency has informed our training process for officers to identify PTSD, chemical dependency and acute mental illness. He has also gotten called out for barricaded gunmen,” Bouchard said.

Adding a full time clinician as a co-response person can inform their calls, help with their techniques and procedures, “and keep people safe and informed on mental health,” he said. “We have a lot of layers working on this. Our folks are great about this. If we can diffuse a situation, all the better. So many calls have a mental health component or a chemical component.

“We have a proactive mentality,” Bouchard said. “You don't need to defund the police to fund mental health. 'Defund' is a false concept. If you take money out of police services and give it to just to mental health, you create a whole new set of problems. It's give more funding.

“Fund mental health – but give more money for better training for best practices. You've got to come at it from a lot of different angles. You try to do the best you can in any situation, and the more training and equipment and tools you have, the better it turns out.”

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That strength and level-headedness is a birthright she received from her Haitian immigrant parents, who met here in Michigan, “when my mom worked for my dad’s brother.” Raised in Detroit and Oak Park, she is a proud graduate of Marian High School in Bloomfield Township.

“I started at Shrine Schools in Royal Oak, and I played all the sports. When I went to Marian, as a sophomore, it was too late to join the tennis team, so I said, this is my shot,” Compére recalled about trying out for the school’s play, You Can’t Take It With Me. “It was fantastic, and I made so many of my best high school friends.”

Initially, she was hesitant to fully commit to the acting bug. She received a full scholarship to the Ross School of Business at University of Michigan, where she also took classes in acting. “I never thought to double major!”

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Her first big time role came as Laura on the TBS comedy The Miracle Workers, in 2019. She followed that up with a recurring role with Anna Kendrick on the HBO show Love Life, and the Netflix film Uncorked, among other roles. And then came the role Compére said “changed my life.”

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TREES BALANCING PRESERVATION CONCERNS AND GROWTH

BY STACY GITTLEMAN

he next time you find yourself in a wooded area, or step beneath the shade of a mature neighborhood tree on a hot summer’s day, observe the change. The air feels instantly cooler and cleaner, and there may even be a breeze.

That’s no coincidence. More than an aesthetically pleasing feature on a piece of property, the branches and canopy of a mature tree absorb carbon, emits clean oxygen and can cool the ground below up to nine degrees.

Matching the expanse of a mature tree’s leaf canopy above is its extensive root system below.

Tree roots prevent soil erosion and keep stormwater runoff in place instead of overburdening stormwater and sewer systems that can lead to flooding. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, depending on size and species, a single tree may store over 100 gallons of water, until it reaches saturation in a rain event with up to two inches of precipitation. When multiplied by the number of trees in a community, this interception and redistribution can be significant. It is estimated that the urban forest can reduce annual runoff by two to seven percent. This reduction can be converted into dollar savings due to the use of smaller drainage and artificial retention systems. When trees are combined with other natural landscaping, studies have shown that as much as 65 percent of storm runoff can be reduced in residential developments. Sometimes even 100 percent of rainfall can be retained on site.

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hese powerhouses are vital parts of the green infrastructure that towns and cities need in order to be climate change resilient. And for practical, environmental and sentimental reasons, just as we notice when we are in the presence of trees, we feel their absence once they are cut down for development.

Since the 1970’s, municipalities have been trying to balance the need for growth and development with the need to preserve tracts of forested land, maintain the health of heritage and landmark trees in public parks or along right of ways, or even limit how many trees a private landowner can cut down on their own property.

Ordinances are as diverse as the communities they serve, and therefore no two are alike. State forestry officials estimate that about 400 Michigan municipalities have adopted preservation ordinances designed to protect and maintain existing trees on public property and right of ways and encourage new plantings both on public areas and private properties. In general, within the ordinances are regulations for restricting cutting down a tree when it reaches a certain girth in diameter at 4.5 feet high, referred to in ordinances as diameter at breast height (DBH), signaling a tree has reached enough of a state of maturity to hold economic and environmental value. Municipalities that have tree ordinances stipulate that if a mature healthy tree must be taken down, it must be done through a permit process, and the party removing the tree must replace it by planting trees that measure up to half of the cut tree's girth or providing fees to a community’s tree fund at an arbitrary value deemed by the municipality.

In a slight variation, municipalities that have more forested land have adapted woodland ordinances to protect contiguous swaths of forested land regardless if they are on private or publicly owned land.

Most tree ordinances concern themselves with trees located primarily on public property, but some do have detailed regulations on limiting how many trees a homeowner or property owner can remove. And lately, that’s where municipalities are running into trouble. Ordinances are beginning to become contested in some municipalities when private developers deem ordinances to be too strict and bump up against their rights.

But having a standing tree or woodlands preservation in place qualifies a community to be categorized as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation, a program the organization launched in 1976 to promote tree stewardship. In 2020, the foundation designated 130 Tree City USA communities in Michigan – an increase from 122 in 2019.

According to the foundation, healthy urban forest resources help absorb noise pollution from traffic by 40 percent, neighborhoods with tree-lined streets are up to nine degrees cooler than those without, shade from trees reduce energy costs by 25 percent and communities with mature trees have higher property values.

Lately, the strength and viability of tree and woodland ordinances have come into question, and have even been contested in court, in Michigan after two developments – one on the property of Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield Township, and the other on a tract of proposed land to be developed in Canton Charter Township in Wayne County. As municipal litigators ponder what this can mean for the status and strength of their current ordinances, expert arborists, foresters and landscape architecture consultants see these recent developments as an indication that ordinances may need to mature and change to adapt as communities everywhere work out the balance between preserving green and open space versus bringing needed

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healthcare, business and tax base revenue into town for economic viability.

Kevin Sayers, urban forestry coordinator at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is the sole urban forestry manager in the state. Part of his multifaceted job includes consulting with municipalities on developing preservation ordinances.

Sayers said that while larger towns and cities have such ordinances, more rural townships may not, but it’s still something to consider for better management of their park spaces and open space.

“As you can imagine, among these kinds of ordinances, there is a high variable in degree and type,” Sayers explained. “Some communities are more likely to have landscaping standards that pertain to trees and forestry. These are not what I’d call a traditional public (street/park) tree ordinance, and they are usually contained in their zoning code. On the other hand, many communities (e.g. cities and villages) have designated sections in their municipal ordinances specific to public trees, tree care, authorities, and penalties.”

Sayers said communities with woodland ordinances focus on protecting and preserving undeveloped woodlands as well as protecting landmark and heritage trees that have implications across both public and private property. Woodland ordinances are less common but may be found in various local government ordinances. Sayers said these often become a point of conflict between municipal government and private property owners. ayers continued that while tree ordinances may protect an urban or suburban forest canopy, a woodlands ordinance can preserve acres of remaining contiguously forested land and is valued for larger-scale nature and wildlife habitat preservation, water quality and stormwater runoff. When it comes to tree or woodland ordinances, he stressed that there is a reason and importance for both.

Sayers cautioned that municipalities with woodland ordinances must walk a thin line between preservation and growth.

"You cannot put too many controls on growth by virtues of these ordinances because that is not what they should be used for," Sayers said. "When they do, they often fail. Both types of ordinances are intended for preserving a community's tree canopy when growth is happening. An ordinance needs to recognize that growth is going to happen and needs to address the question, ‘How does a community work within that growth process to preserve trees or woodlands to the greatest possible extent?’

Sometimes, I think communities see tree and woodlands ordinances as a way to prohibit development. That’s a hard thing to fight. The things we bring into communities that promote economic growth and resources, that’s how we became the communities we are now.”

Sayers said there is a lot of recognition of the benefits of trees, and this is becoming reflective in local policies.

“There's a need for them in helping communities build sustainability and adapt to climate change," Sayers said. “Many communities are beginning to realize that resiliency is where it’s at. Tree plantings can build resilience by retaining stormwater, offsetting heat islands in urban areas, and just having a population of healthy, vibrant and extensive and equitable tree distribution across every community.”

West Bloomfield has had a woodlands conservation ordinance within its zoning code in place since 1976. That’s why environmentalists and residents have expressed extreme

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disappointment that the township’s planning board went against the recommendations of its environmental commission to approve a proposal from Henry Ford Hospital West Bloomfield to clear up to 18 acres of a stand of old-growth trees, some estimated to be up to 200 years old, to make way for a 192-bed mental health hospital.

Henry Ford Hospital came to the environmental and planning board to request rezoning for the project in 2020. The project is already underway, and the hospital is currently clearing about 15 acres on the hospital's ground that borders Maple Road, Drake and 14 Mile Road to make way for the building, as well as an emergency access drive. As part of the zoning permit approval, the hospital , along with the township, will preserve another adjacent 16-acre stand of old-growth trees in perpetuity.

Of the most disappointed is Anthony Spokojny, who quit his chairperson post on the township’s environmental commission in protest in February. He had served the township since 1988, when the body was first formed as the West Bloomfield Wetlands Board.

In April, another member of the commission also resigned in protest.

As Spokojny mourns the loss of the old-growth trees he said they could have been saved, and the much-needed mental health facility could still have been developed if the hospital chose a proposed alternative plan to shift the proposed building’s footprint.

Spokojny said this is the first time the West Bloomfield planning board did not honor the recommendation of the environmental board.

“In this case, Henry Ford had already developed 25 percent of the trees on the West Bloomfield property, a piece of land they knew was protected under our ordinance,” Spokojny said. “And they came before the environmental commission, asking to take down another stand of trees which brought them up to 60 percent.

In the history of the West Bloomfield woodlands ordinance, there has never been a recommendation of the environmental commission that was rejected by the planning commission. This is the first time any developer has approached the township asking to remove more than 25 percent of the trees on their property.”

He continued, “Those trees (where the mental health facility will be built) were already subject to the woodlands ordinance and were already protected. All (West Bloomfield) had to do was stand our ground, even at the risk of a lawsuit, if (Henry Ford) thinks we are pressing something on them as property owners that is unconstitutional. But Henry Ford purchased this property knowing there was a woodland and a wetlands ordinance in place, and they knew the limitations of potential development there.” my Neary, West Bloomfield Director of Planning and Development Services, explained that a developer is allowed to deforest up to 25 percent in a regulated area, and can go up to 40 percent if a project meets certain criteria and needs to make way for necessary roads, buildings or utilities as identified in the ordinance and is reviewed and approved by the township.

"The planning commission made its decision after Henry Ford explored other alternatives (for where to place the building) and deemed it was appropriate for them to take the additional woodland in this location under this provision of the ordinance,” Neary said. “Henry Ford approached the township two years ago, and there was time for public comment and public hearings held at the time, but we approved the hospital’s request to rezone the area for use to build this behavioral health hospital, and the township granted the hospital permission.”

According to Henry Ford Hospital officials, the hospital led a two-year period of engagement with West Bloomfield Township

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leadership, including the planning commission, environmental commission, and township board; the state of Michigan environmental agency (EGLE), as well as engaging surrounding neighborhood communities in open-to-the-public meetings. The facility is slated to open in 2023.

In an email to Downtown Newsmagazine, Denise BrooksWilliams, senior vice president and CEO, North Market, Henry Ford Health stated: “The need for mental health services has reached crisis levels across our nation. We are honored for the opportunity to increase access to those services and eager to make this a reality for the communities we serve. When we acquired the land in the 1980’s, we committed to being good neighbors and mindful stewards of the land. Over the years we have taken a thoughtful approach to our development plans.”

Brooks-Williams said the development meets all state environmental regulations, and of the 40 acres rezoned for this project, it is using just 15. he statement continued: “Robust conservation efforts associated with this project include the permanent preservation of more than 17 acres (42 percent of the property) of woodlands and wetlands through a conservation easement, and positioning the building to minimize the impact on natural features.”

Another case that is troubling municipal litigators, as well as ordinance officials, is taking place in Canton Charter Township.

Canton’s tree ordinance was met head-on in 2016, when Texasbased F.P. Development, which owns a 62-acre tract of undeveloped land, was approved by the township to split the parcel in two. Right down the dividing line of the parcel was a Wayne County-owned drainage ditch that was clogged with brush and fallen trees. When the county refused to clear the ditch, F.P. Development hired a timber company to remove the trees – but did not get a permit from Canton to do so. Canton in turn fined the developer $47,898 to pay for the cost to replant 187 trees either on their property or elsewhere in the town.

Instead, the developer refused to pay the fine and took Canton to court.

On Oct. 13, 2021, the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati sided with the developer in the case and found the township’s tree ordinance to be unconstitutional. After accruing legal bills that amounted to $72,439, Canton officials have abandoned pursuing the case further at the federal level but will continue the fight in the Michigan Court of Appeals.

In a statement released to Downtown Newsmagazine, Canton Township Supervisor Anne Marie Graham-Hudak said though she and township officials are disappointed in the court’s decision, they will be “working to amend the ordinance to comply with the court’s ruling while still protecting the vibrancy of our community.”

“Trees and green-space are vital to the quality of life in our community,” Graham-Hudak stated. “Trees mitigate flooding and soil erosion, produce oxygen, provide a natural habitat for wildlife and contribute to an aesthetic that makes Canton a place where people want to live, work and enjoy the natural landscape.”

Graham-Hudak stated that the township is now reviewing its zoning ordinance in a place that was historically a farming community, where trees were used to mitigate stormwater and flooding and alleviated the severity of soil erosion.

“We are now reviewing our zoning ordinance from a broader planning perspective to ensure that we can continue mitigating flooding and soil erosion, as well as other preservation efforts.

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Other communities across Michigan have similar green-space preservation ordinances that may be impacted by the court’s decision.”

Jeff Kragt is an Oakland County municipal attorney who has been closely watching the case with concern along with his colleagues in the Oakland County Municipal Bar Association. ragt said that the federal decision leaves municipalities guessing about the effectiveness and strength of their tree ordinances and preservation codes, even with the court acknowledging the power and effectiveness of tree ordinances as a viable authoritative tool for land conservation.

“The court just decided that each case needed to be individualized and there could not be a blanket formula for determining what the cost of each replacement tree should be,” Kragt said.

"Within municipal attorney circles, we are puzzled about what the court is indicating to us in its decision. Tree ordinances have been in place throughout Oakland County for a long time and have served a great purpose in maintaining regulating tree canopies, soil erosion and enhancements to quality of life. The court’s decision in the Canton case removes a lot of the teeth of what has otherwise been a commonly accepted way to regulate what happens to trees in a community. “ Highland Charter Township Planning Director Elizabeth Corwin, who is responsible for ordinance development and administration, said though she has not completely reviewed the details of the Canton or West Bloomfield cases, she does believe they will have a “chilling effect” on such ordinances.

With 25 percent of Highland’s 36-square mile footprint already protected within the state and county park system, Corwin said its 10-year-old tree ordinance may be more lenient than other municipalities. The main intention of the ordinance is to maintain the health of the township’s tree canopy by keeping invasive tree specimens in check and replacing them with a diverse culture of different native and deciduous species that are resistant to pests and disease.

In addition to the ordinance, Highland also has a natural features inventory and stewardship plan which requires developers to take a detailed stock of the natural features of a parcel of land proposed for development. Site development plans must include the size, condition, and species of trees. Trees that are 18 inches DBH (diameter at breast height) and over need to be marked and the developer must indicate whether they will remove, relocate, or keep trees that are six inches DBH or greater. Also, if a developer wishes to plant a specimen tree, it must be a certain distance from a wooded lot to minimize disease, pests, and encroachment into the native stand of trees.

Corwin said that the township's rules on what trees to cut down do not prohibit clear-cutting on a parcel of land, even with mature trees, if the developer can prove that they can keep a substantial portion of the tree canopy intact.

“We ask developers to explain their design choices and would never outright deny a site plan just because they were taking out even big significant trees,” said Corwin. “We might negotiate with the developer to protect the trees, but we would not outright deny their project. We just don’t have that in our ordinance.

"The township does not see a design priority to prevent clearcutting, but the ordinance is there to make sure that at the end of the day, there's the appropriate tree cover on the site,” she continued. “Because we have so much protected green space in our parks, we couldn't get much of an interest in having a strict

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regulations on removing trees. There's a tendency around here to think of trees as almost a crop, that it's okay to take out a tree and put back a tree. It is a real challenge to try to ramp up enforcement on regulating the cutting down of trees, you can send the developer a letter, but it very seldom goes beyond issuing them a ticket.”

Ultimately, Corwin said the township trusts property owners to do the right thing, and it is a rarity if a violation will wind a developer in court. Instead, if a developer goes against its approved plans – such as removing trees that were slated to be preserved or lets other features of the property degrade – the township holds that violation against them as leverage.

"When property owners do take things down that goes against their approved development plans, it is a challenge because you would then have to go after them in court for non-compliance.

We've had mixed success in that regard and therefore we don't have much will to (bring cases to court.)."

Moving closer into more urban communities around metro Detroit, tree ordinances are more about regulating and maintaining trees on public lands and right-of-ways. Most communities limit the percentage of trees a homeowner can remove on their property without attaining a permit, or when the town arborist can enter private property to inspect or remove a tree.

Lauren Wood, director of public services for the city of Birmingham, said the differences between its tree preservation ordinance, passed in 2003, and West Bloomfield’s woodlands ordinance is, except for regulations on trees along the 25-foot wide envelope of a property, it does not dictate what trees can and cannot be removed on homeowner property.

Instead, Wood said Birmingham focuses its tree preservation efforts on its vast inventory of trees on right-of-way streets, parks, and school grounds, reflected in its 2012 Tree Management Plan. ood said the city is updating its public tree management plan for release in 2024. The 2012 report reflected how the city had been taking inventory of the health and species of 19,000 city trees. Wood said the revamped plan will include 5,000 additional trees in parts of town that were not included in the original survey.

“The 2012 plan provided us with an opportunity to better determine and keep track of tree removals, pruning, and planting schedules,” Wood explained. “The inventory also revealed what trees we had an overabundance of – such as various types of maples – and how to diversify our canopy by adding species such as disease-resistant elms, linden, and rubber trees, as well as the Kentucky coffee tree.”

Wood mentioned that Birmingham in 2022 will celebrate its 44th year of having a Tree City USA distinction and celebrated this recognition with a tree-planting program at Pembrooke School on Arbor Day, April 29.

"Even before putting this plan in place, green infrastructure has been important to Birmingham,” said Wood. “What the management plan does is it provides us with a constantly updated inventory of the health and condition of every public tree and helps us evaluate and prioritize which trees to care for. And that’s made our urban forest healthier and more attractive in the last 10 years.”

Wood added that many of the city’s silver maples are reaching the end of their lifespans and are in decline. To compensate for this, they are being removed and replaced with disease-resistant trees that will eventually grow to bolster the canopy.

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Wood said on occasion a private resident may object to a tree being planted on a right-of-way near their property, or may object to the city taking down an aging tree such as silver maple, which may rot from the inside out but may seem healthy to the untrained eye. In these cases, Wood said that they inform the public that for every mature tree that is removed in town, two or sometimes three trees are planted around town to replace it.

In other tree preservation and addition efforts, the city, recognized as a Tree City USA community since 1978, in 2021 received a $4,000 tree planting grant from DTE Energy in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Statewide, DTE in 2021 awarded a total of $92 million for tree planting and stewardship to municipalities for tree planting including Bloomfield Township, Berkley, Birmingham, Clawson, Farmington, Beverly Hills and Milford, which in total received $24,050.

Trees also play a significant role in Birmingham’s 2040 master plan, which is in development, and are seen as a viable asset for improving the city’s soil, water quality, and street design. The second draft of the 2040 plan includes a continued inventory of trees so that the town can repopulate neighborhoods that may have a thinner canopy and provide for ample root growth, and preventing existing trees from being removed due to new construction.

Bloomfield Township’s Ordinance to Preserve and Protect Trees regulates trees on private and public property to safeguard the township’s natural resources and features for generations to come.

The township regulates trees beginning at eight inches DBH (diameter at breast height) and over. Landmark trees are classified at 24 inches DBH or over, but even smaller, rarer specimen trees can be considered landmarked beginning at eight inches in diameter.

“Trees significantly decrease stormwater runoff and erosion, significantly filter air pollution, protect water quality and decrease energy use and consumption,” said Andrea Bibby, deputy director of planning, ordinance and building in Bloomfield Township.

Further, she noted, trees and forests define the character of Bloomfield Township. rivate homeowners and developers must apply for a permit to clear-cut, remove, transplant or destroy any regulated or landmark tree anywhere in the township. Additionally, a tree permit is required for any clear-cutting activity on any property in Bloomfield Township.

If an individual proposes to remove a protected tree other than a landmark tree, the township has calculated the replacement rate at 50 percent of the total DBH removed. Landmark trees must be replaced at a rate of 100 percent of the total DBH removed. Each protected/landmark tree must be replaced with a tree that is at least three inches in diameter for deciduous trees or eight feet high for evergreens.

Exceptions to attaining a tree permit include routine pruning (but not clear-cutting), removing dead, diseased or destroyed trees for the interest of public safety, or repair or maintenance work performed on trees by public utility workers.

Property owners can also remove trees that are deemed nuisance or invasive species if they have not reached landmark size include such trees as silver maple, box, elder, ash, poplar or willow trees, for example.

Last August, the city of Bloomfield Hills, in response to several residents who were cutting down trees on their property, amended its tree and woodlands protection ordinance that was originally

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adopted in 2012. The amended language of the ordinance states that “no tree that was planted or preserved as part of any landscape plan or in accordance with any street tree requirements approved in conjunction with a subdivision or site plan shall be removed, except for such trees …. damaged, dead or dying, and/or diseased trees that are part of a landscape plan approved by the city commission or planning commission in conjunction with a subdivision or site plan.”

The amendment states that if a tree is removed, it must be replaced by the owner of the property at their own cost with replacement trees in compliance with the landscape plan.

Exceptions to this ruling include any necessary work to be conducted by public utilities or city arborists removing trees or branches of trees deemed diseased or in danger of falling onto structures or streets. loomfield Hills City Manager David Hendrickson said the new changes have not been contested among private property owners, and the city continues to educate property owners who intend to improve their property on the importance of preserving the city’s leafy character.

The ordinance also makes an exception to remove nuisance or invasive tree species, which include for example ash, horse chestnut, autumn olive, box elder, Russian olive, common buckthorn, tree-of-heaven, elm (except American), and weeping willow.

The updated ordinance requires that property owners photograph damaged trees they would like to remove, or parts of a dead or dying tree that has less than 50 percent of its canopy during the growing season, and a diseased tree is determined to have a terminal disease.

“Our tree ordinances are enforced primarily through education, cooperation, and voluntary compliance,” Hendrickson said.

“Additional enforcement efforts can be used but are generally not necessary. People who choose to live in Bloomfield Hills typically understand the importance of preserving the character of our city.

What attracts people to Bloomfield Hills is the rolling hills, estatesized lots and green spaces that are filled with mature canopy trees.”

Nik Banda, deputy city manager of the city of Rochester, has also been a professional forester for 40 years. Before his current post, he worked on developing the tree ordinance for Southfield.

He believes the intent of tree ordinances should be to balance the needs of a community’s growth and development while also valuing the importance of a healthy tree canopy in urban and suburban settings.

Banda said he finds the West Boomfield and Canton cases concerning for what they might mean for the rest of the state.

Banda said tree ordinances have evolved from preventing clearcutting and excessive tree removal on commercial property to encouraging private property and homeowners not to cut down trees in their own backyards.

“That was the big jump, the leap of faith that cities began to take beginning in the 1980’s,” explained Banda. “(Back in Southfield) we wrote our tree ordinance so that would allow residents to remove up to three trees on their property for free, and beyond that people had to pay into a tree fund or replace them on their property. We never faced litigation against the ordinance.

Alongside that part of the ordinance, you also protect specific landmark and historic trees. So, in that evolution, (municipalities) have made sure that tree ordinances were defensible."

Banda said he believes that since 2010, the city of Rochester

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has had a reasonable tree ordinance that has yet to be seriously contested. He said that perhaps the only sticking point that private homeowners may have with its tree ordinance was that, up until recently, a private property owner could have cut down three trees on their property without paying an administrative fee. Now, they must pay a $50 permit fee to the city for the same right to cover administrative costs.

Banda said like many other communities, the city of Rochester educates its residents on the importance of a healthy tree canopy and encourages them to participate in the city’s already-popular tree planting program it puts on each year in partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation. It has been a Tree City USA community since 2014.

“The goal and intent of the city of Rochester’s tree ordinance is to maintain or increase our tree canopy year after year. That’s tough to top in a 200-year-old community with trees to date back over 100 years.”

Just south of Rochester, the city of Rochester Hills enacted its tree ordinance in place in 1984 and has been a designated Tree City USA community since 1990, with a tree fund totaling over $1 million.

Its tree ordinance was revised in 2019 to reflect the community’s desire to strengthen and specify what trees needed more protection, including trees that were not protected in areas of the town in commercial and industrial areas, according to Rochester Hills Director for Parks and Natural Resources Ken Elwert.

“For a long while there has been a desire in the community for stronger tree preservation measures,” Elwert said. “There were some holes in the previous ordinance where regulations left out parts of the city because the ordinance came into effect after the city was planned, and certain areas were grandfathered in as commercial or industrial. Now, these areas are also regulated. These are changes that the finance commission, city council, and the parks and natural resources department all agreed were important to make. We tightened up not only the penalties but improved carrot-and-stick incentives for developers. We encourage them to create development projects that would save older trees and in turn, they could get credit for removing smaller, younger trees."

The ordinance is enforced by various city officials including the mayor, the county sheriff's department, and ordinance enforcement officials for example. Under the ordinance, trees are regulated once they reach six inches in diameter and 4.5 feet high, and tree removal application permits are $90 per tree.

The ordinance states that those removing any regulated tree in the city who do not apply and pay for a removal permit will have to “pay the city a civil fee equal to the total value of trees illegally removed or damaged, as computed.” xceptions to requiring a permit when removing a tree include when a tree needs to be removed when it is terminally diseased, structurally unsound, or it poses a danger to pedestrians or vehicles on right-of-ways as determined by the city.

Also, a private residence on parcels of one acre or more do not need a permit to remove or transplant a tree for an approved construction plan such as an addition to the home, though this exception does not apply to trees on right of way or trees that are designated with a historic or landmark status.

Additionally, Elwert said under the revised city tree ordinance, a commercial development must preserve at least 40 percent of the trees around a new building’s envelope. As for the trees that come down, they must replace them or put money into the municipality’s tree fund.

“One of our goals is to try and put as many trees in the ground as we can as other trees are coming out and we’re pretty close to that goal with our tree fund.”

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Elwert said that another goal of the city is to increase the diversity and the overall health of their tree canopy. In years past, maples were the most popular tree to plant, so planting efforts are moving away from these trees in favor of varieties such as species of buckeye, hickory, beech tulip and magnolia trees. The more diverse the canopy, the less susceptible it becomes to one pest or disease.

As municipalities grapple with balancing the need for growth up against the need to be stewards of their natural resources, Pamela Blough, associate professor of landscape architecture at Michigan State University and a certified arborist who serves on the board of directors for the Michigan Forestry & Parks Association, said revised ordinances are a sign that these regulations are adapting with the times. rom her perspective, the situations in Canton and West Bloomfield are proof that tree ordinances, which she believes at times were added into municipal zoning codes from a “purely emotional standpoint,” are evolving and need to mature. “As tree ordinances reach into private land, they tend to be reactionary and they penalize after the fact (when a mature tree is taken down), versus expressing opposition to a building a community feels does not belong,” Blough said. ”What is happening here is a maturity coming in terms of revising these ordinances, as these ordinances are now beginning to be tested.”

Blough is also principal landscape architect at PM Blough, a Michigan-based landscape architecture firm with branches including in Charleston, S.C., where centuries-old oak trees line the city’s streets and are strictly protected within local ordinances.

While the ordinances regulating trees on public right of ways and public lands are more widely accepted, Blough added that sections of ordinances that dictate what a private landowner can do with the trees on their property become adversarial.

For example, Plough ruminated, if a municipality in its master plan zones an area in town for retail or commercial development, there should be an expectation that that area, if wooded, will be mostly deforested to make way for something like a big box store.

“If the expectation that this parcel of land is not going to be converted from a woodland to a large building or parking lot, then the tree ordinance or woodland preservation ordinance is not matching up,” said Blough. “So, there is a disconnect that has occurred in these ordinances. Of course, we all love trees, but at the same time, at what point is an ordinance not allowing for other resources that the community is encouraged to bring into their community – for jobs, a tax base, economic growth?"

Blough, who lives in Grand Haven and served on the city planning board, said there have been times when the city has had to strike a balance between development and preservation of its natural resources such as sand dunes, agricultural, wetlands, and forested areas. During her tenure on the board in the early 2000s, Walmart proposed building a store on U.S. 31 on a 24-acre parcel of land originally zoned for agricultural use.

Blough explained, “There was a major discussion as to where Walmart could put a store. Under our ordinance, they were not permitted to cut down mature trees on the right of way, but they did put in a store and had to provide landscape in their parking area that included tree plantings. You can hardly see it from the road now. With tree ordinances, you have to find that balance. And I just don't think the tree ordinances right now are as integrated as they need to be in the overall planning of the communities they serve.”

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FACES Jake Chelios ake Chelios didn't read the comments on social media or the opinion pieces openly chastising him and some of the other American-born athletes who competed for China during the 2022 Winter Olympics. He learned quickly that it's best to ignore the criticism.

Chelios, the son of Red Wings Hall of Famer Chris Chelios, has no regrets about his participation in the Winter Games nor his decision to move to China in 2018 and skate for the country's only professional hockey team.

Although the Chinese Olympic team, made up of players from the United States and Canada, lost all four of its games, Chelios said it was still an incredible experience.

"It was such a cool thing to walk in the opening ceremonies,” said the left-handed defenseman. "Obviously, the way I got there was not the most traditional way. I've been a part of that team for the last three years and played with basically the same group of guys. It's cool to be a part of something like that. I never thought politics and sports should mix. This was the first time China had a hockey team in the Olympics, so being a part of the building block for what they want to do for the younger generation of players makes it a little more special. And, being in the village with all the other athletes is something I'll never forget."

Brandon Yip, China's team captain, a player who skated in 174 games during his NHL career, praised Chelios for his hockey skills and leadership.

"We really rely on his ability to be an all-around defenseman that can be played in every situation. He logs a lot of key minutes for us, and without him, we would be a lot weaker. He's the type of player that doesn't get enough credit for what he does. He shows up every day at practice and competes, and works hard.

"Jake is also a very good teammate. He's always taking care of the guys and putting the team first. We were roommates at the Olympics and had a great time together."

Chelios, a graduate of Cranbrook Schools and Michigan State University, played briefly for the Red Wings during the 2018-19 season. After playing just five games in Detroit, he signed a two-year contract with China's Kunlun Red Star. He previously skated for several teams in the American Hockey League and the East Coast Hockey League.

Chelios, 31, was born in Chicago and came to Michigan when his father was traded from the Blackhawks to the Red Wings. The family settled in Bloomfield Hills, where Chelios lived from the age of nine until he began playing hockey at Michigan State in 2010. He joined his older brother Dean, who was already skating for the Spartans.

Chelios said he met his closest friends at Cranbrook. Although it's been 12 years since he lived in Bloomfield Hills, he has fond memories of skiing at Pine Knob, attending the Birmingham fair, and the Woodward Dream Cruise.

With the Olympics and his third season skating for the Kunlun Red Star behind him, Chelios left China for California to spend time with family. His parents own a home in Malibu. There he spent much of his time surfing and mountain biking.

From California, he heads to Chicago for off-season training. His contract with China's team ended this season, and Chelios expects to know whether it will be renewed soon.

"I enjoyed my time over there. Obviously, I got to play in the Olympics, and that was a huge added bonus. It's one of the best leagues you can play in, kind of a step up from the AHL, so I'd strongly consider going back," he said.

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MUNICIPAL Apartment building gets early approvals

By Kevin Elliott

Plans for a 157-unit luxury apartment building reaching up to six floors along 770 S. Adams in Birmingham’s Triangle District received preliminary approval on Wednesday, March 31, from the city’s planning board.

The massive 235,475-square-foot building planned by developers from the Forbes Group, Hunter Pasteur and Soave Enterprises is billed as a “mixed-use” building, with retail planned for the first floor and residential uses on the upper floors.

However, planning board members took issue with the limited amount of space – about 5,000 square feet – dedicated to commercial use.

The city’s Triangle Plan was created to guide development in the area, however, board members on Wednesday pointed out that the city’s ordinances and zoning requirements have never been properly adjusted to reflect the goals of the plan. The gap, board members said, led to the proposed development that contains just two percent retail use. Further, the development includes three first-floor residential units along Adams, which planners envisioned as retail and commercial use in the plan that is intended to activate the street.

Planning board member Stuart Jeffares said the city must be more aggressive in the future to ensure ordinances meet long-range plans.

“Two percent retail – it’s a loophole because we don’t have a number in (the ordinance), but two percent, I think most of us would agree, isn’t mixed use. It’s residential and just happens to have a little bit of retail,” he said. “The zoning ordinance isn’t specific enough to deliver the direction.”

The proposed building is a maximum of six stories tall and steps down to four stories. Plans call for an internal, private parking garage for residents. The site includes three parcels that are currently home to a two-story office building, Citizens Bank, parking lots and streetscape elements along Haynes and S. Adams.

Jeffares said the project represents seven percent of all commercially-zoned property in the Triangle District.

“The bottom line is that the city needs to review ordinances to ensure these plans can meet the vision, and downtownpublications.com

Sexual misconduct claim reported

By Lisa Brody

n an act of transparency, the Cranbrook Education Community (CEC) sent out an email to alumni on Tuesday, April 12, communicating that a Cranbrook graduate had informed the schools that he had experienced sexual misconduct while a student by a former faculty member, who worked at the schools from 1946-1961.

CEC Board of Trustees Chair Mark Reuss, President AimeClaire Roche and Director of Schools Jeff Suzik jointly sent out the email, noting that “Although the reported incident occurred more than 60 years ago and does not involve any current faculty, administrators, staff or students, we take all disclosures of this kind very seriously.”

The letter noted that the former faculty member who is accused of the sexual misconduct is now deceased.

“We commend the graduate for having the courage to share his experience with us all these years later, and we thank him for contacting us.”

Upon learning of the allegation, they said they immediately reviewed the situation in accordance with their established protocols, noting “awareness of sexual misconduct in schools has grown over the last decade.” The board and administration has engaged the services of Linda Burwell, in independent investigator, a nationally-recognized employment law expert and owner of National Investigation Counsel, PLLC, a national niche law firm which partners with law firms and inhouse counsel, primarily in high-level independent workplace investigations.

Burwell recently informed the school that her investigation, while ongoing, has identified additional alumni from this time period reporting sexual impropriety by this same former faculty member. Reuss, Roche and Suzik urged anyone with information about an incident or situation during the time period of 1946-1961 involving sexual misconduct by any faculty or staff member at Cranbrook. In order to preserve confidentiality, individuals are being asked to contact Burwell directly at a special 800 number for this investigation, 1.800.964.1766, or email her at linda@nationalinvestigationcounsel.com.

“Please know that Cranbrook is deeply committed to creating and maintaining a learning environment that affirms and supports the safety, health and well-being of all students,” the email continued.

They noted Cranbrook takes many steps to safeguard against incidents of sexual misconduct, including training faculty and staff, and they investigate issues of sexual misconduct with dedicated resources.

Further, they emphasized that protocols are continually updated and strengthened, and routinely circulated with students and families. “We abide by our roles as reporters and work collaboratively with local authorities whenever it is appropriate or necessary to protect our students.”

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not rely on private property owners to do stuff,” Jeffares said. “We bring in the whole community when making these (district) plans. … The next step is that someone is going to come in here with a vending machine and say they have ‘mixeduse.’”

Board members continued a review of a community impact study at the planning board meeting, as well as a preliminary site plan and design review that began in January and was delayed while the city’s traffic engineering consultant reviewed the proposal. The applicants returned in February with

an updated plan that included relocating some first floor fitness and residential space.

Randy Wertheimer, with Hunter Pasteur, said the development group has agreed to provide $20,000 to the city for a future pedestrian crossing on S. Adams, as well as $100,000 for the future development of Worth Park, which was made a condition of the site plan and community impact study.

Planning board members voted unanimously to accept the community impact study. Board members voted 4-1 to approve the preliminary site plan and design

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review, with Jeffares opposing. The board will review final site plans in the future, with final approval from the city commission required. Board members Scott Clein and Jason Emerine recused themselves due to potential conflicts of interest with the developers.

Board member Bryan Williams agreed with Jeffares about updating ordinances, and used the situation as a “lesson learned” for the city’s 2040 Plan.

“The lesson here is the lesson we must take into account with the 2040 Plan, which is about to kick off,” he said. “Plans are not code.

Plans are not ordinances. We have said this time and time again in the process when people talk and spoke as if the plan was going to be rezoning. Wrong. This is a clear demonstration for the entire city of Birmingham – and the city commission – if listening, take this into account. The 2040 Plan won’t change anything without ordinances and code being revised.”

Janelle Boyce, who previously opposed the development at 770 S. Adams due to lack of robust retail space, voted in favor of the site plan.

“I think retail is viable on Adams because it’s there now from Woodward to Bowers,” Boyce said.

“You’ll be bringing in 300 people to live in this building. You’re creating your own retail customer base. Don’t forget, you’re directly across from an established, dense residential neighborhood that has thousands of people and potential customers that can, would and should come to you with retail on Adams. I think it’s not possible because you don’t want to give up any internal parking spaces to satisfy the parking requirement that comes along with retail on Adams.”

Board member Daniel Share said it isn’t appropriate to blame the developer for the city’s failure to implement the appropriate ordinances to require more robust retail, as envisioned in the city’s long-term plans for the Triangle District. Still, he said the project meets housing needs for the city by providing quality rental units and spurring development in the area.

“Perfect can be the enemy of the good,” Share said. “It’s a really good project, but not a perfect project. It may be perfect for developing property in the area, and I would like to see (other) things get started there. It’s an important site, and hopefully the beginning of what we've wanted for years.”

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Birmingham liquor licenses approved

By Kevin Elliott

irmingham city commissioners on Monday, March 28, approved renewing liquor licenses for nearly two dozen establishments in the city that were on hold since February to allow for outstanding payments and code violations to be addressed.

City commissioners on February 28 approved liquor licenses renewals for 14 drinking establishments in the city, but held off on others that had either outstanding debts with the city or unaddressed code violations. The city routinely holds off on annual liquor license renewals as a way of forcing local establishments to address any outstanding issues with the city. That included about two dozen businesses, nearly all of which had addressed and resolved the issues with the city by the March 28 meeting.

Deputy City Manager Jana Ecker said 21 of the 24 businesses had addressed the issues, with just three requiring a special public hearing at the commission meeting. Public hearings were held for the licenses belonging to Dick O’ Dow’s; The Maple Road Taproom (Whole Foods); and Casa Pernoi.

Ecker said inspections revealed an unauthorized sidewalk sign at Dick O’ Dow’s, as well as an extension of outdoor dining that extended into the public right-of-way in the alley beyond what is permitted.

Dick O’ Dow’s owner Mitch Black, who has operated the bar and restaurant for more than two decades, said the sign has already been moved, and that new outdoor dining markers will be painted to keep outdoor furniture within the authorized space.

Commissioners unanimously approved renewing the liquor license, with the agreement that Black would follow through with the dining boundary within the next 45 days, to which he agreed.

Ecker said Maple Road Tap Room, 2100 E. Maple, which operates in Whole Foods, is currently closed, and the space is currently being used for storage. Further, Ecker said the business didn’t notify the city that it wasn’t operating as approved.

“The bistro itself is blocked off and being used for storage,” Ecker said. “It’s not operating in the way it was required and approved, and not only that it’s being used for storage.”

Attorney Kelly Allen, who represents Maple Road Tap Room, said the bistro closed during the pandemic, and plans to re-open by May 1.

She asked for the commission to approve the license, and instead holding the bistro’s special land use permit as a remedy if issues weren’t addressed. Allen said the bistro must conduct a deep cleaning of the space, as well as hire and train new staff.

Commissioners unanimously agreed to renew the liquor license for the Maple Road Tap Room, and subsequently set a public hearing for May 9 on the special land use permit, which is required to operate.

The liquor license is held by the state.

Commissioners also discussed technical violations at Casa Pernoi, 310 E. Maple, related to the covered, outdoor dining area, which includes the use of isinglass, or plastic windows, which aren’t permitted under the city’s current ordinance. Ecker said the isinglass was permitted under the former special land use permit belonging to Cafe Via. Allen, who also represents Casa Pernoi, said the business has applied to amend its special land use permit to allow for the use of isinglass. She said the location raises a unique issue related to wind, which essentially makes the space unusable without the screening due to wind coming through the narrow via.

Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus recommended the commission approve the liquor license, but instructed Allen and the owners to pursue an amendment to the permit, as well as a variance from the city to allow for the use.

Allen said they would also be pursuing an amendment to the city’s outdoor dining ordinance, which is being rewritten, in hopes of permitting the use on private property, only, as is the case with Casa Pernoi.

Commissioners unanimously approved both the license, as well as instructing the business to pursue a permit amendment and variance from the zoning board of appeals. The commission and city administration also indicated the restaurant could continue to use the isinglass screening while pursuing the authorizations.

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Public safety millage on the August ballot

By Lisa Brody

A new Bloomfield Township public safety millage was unanimously approved to be placed on the August 2 ballot by the Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees on Monday, April 11, to replace two current public safety millages that are expiring.

The new replacement millage will be an increase of .6021 mills, providing an estimated increase of $2.67 million for public safety in 2023.

It is a 10-year millage, to be levied starting in December 2023.

There are currently four separate public safety millages in Bloomfield Township. The two that are expiring in 2022 and 2023, public safety millages number 3 and number 4, were both millages with a 10-year levy, and with the replacement millage, number 4 will not be levied in 2023. For 2022, public safety millage number 3 had a levy rate of 1.0572, and public safety millage number 4 had a levy rate of 2.2307, for a combination levy of 3.2879 mills.

The new replacement millage will have a 2023 levy rate of 3.89 mills.

The administration explained that with this new proposal the township in fiscal year 2023-2024 would have three public safety millages totaling 6.4087 mills.

Administration said the combination of the millages with the increase in the levy will allow the return of a traffic unit to provide targeted traffic enforcement; expand animal welfare hours of operation while increasing patrol officers availability; provide for better supervision of dispatchers; and improve the ability to respond to community problems and needs.

Trustee Stephanie Fakih asked why they were putting it on the August ballot, and supervisor Dani Walsh explained it was because there are also two more millages expiring next year, a senior services millage and the safety path millage, “and you don't want to have four millages on the ballot at the same time.”

Walsh said the plan is to have those two on the November ballot, with August devoted solely to public safety.

Clerk Martin Brook explained there was a study session on March 28, and ballot language needed to be approved by the end of April by trustees to make it on the August ballot.

The ballot language reads as: Shall the Charter Township of

Bloomfield replace two (2) voter authorized public safety tax levies of 2.2307 mills, and 1.0572 mills (a combined total of 3.2879 mills reduced by required millage rollbacks), due to expire in 2022 and 2023 respectively, with one new combined replacement rate of 3.89 mills, authorizing a levy of $3.89 per $1,000 of taxable value to finance the Charter Township of Bloomfield’s continued providing of fire, police and public safety protection, for a period of 10 years, with the new combined replacement millage to be levied commencing in December 2023 and if the new combined replacement millage is approved, the Charter Township of Bloomfield would not levy the December 2023 levy of the 2014 voter authorized public safety 1.0572 mills as rolled back. This new combined replacement millage will be subject to applicable statutory and constitutional tax limitation provisions at the time of the levy and will not exceed the above stated rate.

It is estimated that this proposal would result in the authorization to collect $18,175,000 in the first year if approved and fully levied.

Settlement reached with estate of victim

By Lisa Brody

Bloomfield Township officials announced on Thursday, March 24, they had reached a settlement agreement of $40,000 with the estate of Bradley Bauer, who was hit and killed in a fatal pedestrian accident on September 22, 2021 when he ran into oncoming traffic at 3:30 a.m.

Former township clerk Jan Roncelli was the driver, and called 911. At the time, she was driving a township-owned vehicle.

Birmingham police and the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office declined to file criminal charges. It was determined Roncelli did not have any drugs or alcohol in her system, and from accident recreation and the accident report, it was believed Bauer ran into the driver's side of Roncelli's vehicle as she passed through the intersection.

Toxicology reports determined the man, Bradley Bauer, 30, had a drug alcohol level of .34. Surveillance photographs from near the crash site indicate Roncelli's vehicle had been stopped at a red light at Maple and Coolidge and the light had just turned green when the accident occurred. It does not appear Bauer was in a crosswalk. Roncelli was not charged in the accident.

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BSD board tables retail recruiter pact

MUNICIPAL

By David Hohendorf

he governing board of the Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) on Thursday, April 7, tabled renewal of a one-year contract with CC Consulting of Bloomfield Hills, represented by Cindy Ciura, which has been the retail recruiting firm since 2019, after objections to the contract terms were raised by Birmingham City Manger and BSD board member Tom Markus.

The contract with CC Consulting for bringing new businesses to fill storefront vacancies actually expired at the end of March and the Business Development Committee of the BSD had recommended the contract be extended by the board for another year with no change in terms or compensation.

Some alterations to the original 2019 pact have been made in past years, raising the base annual pay from $25,000 to the current level of $28,000, along with increasing the maximum annual bonus to be paid for signed leases for a total package of $75,000. There has been discussion in the past of possibly raising the maximum package annual amount beyond $75,000 after a bonus could not be paid for a signed lease in the last year without exceeding the annual limit on compensation.

A motion was made at the meeting to renew the contract without changes but during discussion the city manager raised a number of concerns.

Markus noted the contract did not specify that BSD Executive Director Sean Kammer would be the person directing the city's recruitment desires to the recruiter and that the recruitment firm would answer directly to Kammer, alluding to reported instances when the firm was communicating with members of the Business Development Committee and staff members of the BSD which he said has created “friction.”

Further, Markus suggested that the contract should also include a requirement that the retail consulting firm appear at BSD board meetings at least on a semi-annual basis and the firm should also supply written reports on recruitment efforts on a regular basis.

In addition, the city manager referenced the fact that the contract now includes a requirement that all business activity must comply with the city's ethics policy, following an incident when gift cards were supplied by Cindy Ciura to BSD staff members, which had to be returned to comply with the ethics policy.

Markus said the city and CC Consulting “need to have a sitdown” to improve communications and so that certain concerns could “be spelled out,” among them the fact that the BSD board is empowered to make decisions and not committee members, an issue he said he has recently addressed with committees of the Baldwin Birmingham Library organization.

The city manager also recommended that an analysis of retail and commercial tenants now underway by the BSD should be acknowledged in the recruiting firm contract so that it is understood that the city would be dictating the categories of retail business it was hoping to attract to the downtown area for a balanced business community that would attract shoppers.

Markus recommended that the contract renewal be tabled and the agreement reworked to address “flaws” while at the same time shortening the agreement to six months to allow the city administration time to develop a request for proposals (RFP) which could be issued before a new pact expires.

Board members entertained a motion and unanimously voted to table the contract renewal and have the agreement reworked to include the suggestions of the city manager. The revised contract would be considered at the next monthly meeting of the BSD board, which are held at The Community House at 8:30 a.m. on the second Wednesday of each month.

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On December 29, a lawsuit was filed against Roncelli and Bloomfield Township in Oakland County Circuit Court on behalf of Karissa Duff, representing the estate of Bradley Bauer, by attorney Kevin Riddle of the Fieger Law firm. The lawsuit seeks in excess of $25,000 in damages to be determined and attorney fees, alleging gross negligence by Roncelli and said the township should have known her driving practices, history and habits, and that by allowing her to drive a township vehicle “she would likely be involved in a traffic collision.”

Roncelli does not have a history of traffic violations.

Roncelli was dismissed from the lawsuit in January of this year, by way of a stipulated order of dismissal.

In a news release, the township said: “The Township entered into a very reasonable settlement of $40,000 with Plaintiff which has now been finalized. By the express terms of the settlement agreement, the settlement is not to be construed as an admission of liability or responsibility but, instead, was entered into for the purpose of avoiding significant legal and expert fees which would be incurred through continued litigation of this matter.”

The board of trustees met in closed session to approve the settlement agreement.

Local golf courses thrived during COVID

By Kevin Elliott

Public golf courses in Birmingham reached a new record with the number of memberships in 2021, according to the city’s annual golf report.

The city of Birmingham operates two municipal golf courses. Lincoln Hills is located at 2666 W. 14 Mile Road at Cranbrook, and Springdale is located at 316 Strathmore Road.

Nationally, rounds of golf played have increased during the pandemic, with 2020 among the strongest years in recent history. That trend held true in Birmingham, both in 2020 and 2021, said Birmingham City Golf Manager Jacquelyn Brito.

“While most sports struggled to survive the pandemic, golf has managed to thrive, becoming more popular than it’s been in decades,” Brito said. “New golfers are entering the game with a different perspective. Their mindset of becoming a good player and

mastering the game has been replaced with their need to be outdoors, spending time with family and friends, and to have the ability to properly socially distance themselves from others.”

Memberships at both of Birmingham’s public courses increased in the past two years.

Resident and non-resident memberships totaled 3,223 in 2021, up from 2,866 in 2020. Pre-pandemic memberships peaked in 2015 with 2,946 total memberships. In terms of rounds played, Britto said 64,065 combined rounds were played at the two golf courses in 2021, just 38 more than 2020, but far more than the 29,583 played in 2019. Gold rounds at Springdale totaled 29,493 in 2020, up 1,634 from 2020. Rounds played at Lincoln Hills totaled 34,576, down 1,592 from 2020.

While Britto said food and beverage sales were limited during the pandemic, both courses had increases in total sales over previous years. Total food and beverage sales at Lincoln Hills totaled $56,975 in 2021, up from $41,645 in 2020 and $53,341 in 2019. Springdale sold $46,494 in food and beverages in 2021, up from $27,771 in 2020 and $37,871 in 2019.

Overall, net income at both courses more than doubled since pre-pandemic years, including substantial increases in the past year. Net income at Lincoln Hills totaled $240,316 in 2021, up from $193,900 the previous year. Prepandemic net income totaled $68,211 in 2019, $49,629 in 2018 and $115,895 in 2017.

Net-income increases at Springdale Golf Course were even larger, with $139,364 in 2021, up from $65,436 in 2020, and losses of $58,712 in 2019 and a net loss of $100,811 in 2018.

Britto said weather was one of the biggest factors in rounds of golf played, with high numbers for April and May. “Mother Nature visited a few times this summer, and the storms were torrential downfalls,” she said. “At least they were short and quick, versus long and slow moving events.

It was definitely a factor this year, and if the weather was similar to 2020, we may have surpassed last year in rounds and cart revenues.”

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Budget approved for S. Old Woodward

By Kevin Elliott

The removal of more than 60 parking spaces along S. Old Woodward is necessary to improve pedestrian and vehicle safety in the area of downtown Woodward, Birmingham officials said on Monday, April 11, as the city commission approved the budget and special assessment district for the $10 million phase III construction project.

The project is the third phase of the city’s downtown streetscape redevelopment project, which includes installing new water and sewer lines along S. Old Woodward, as well as a reconstruction of the streetscape. Phase I of the project included the reconstruction of N. Old Woodward, with the second phase being Maple Road.

The third phase of the project runs from Brown to Landon Streets, and is intended to enhance both the northbound gateway into the city from Woodward Avenue, as well as safety related to southbound traffic. However, the new design calls for the removal of 66 parking spaces along the street in order to meet state and federal transportation requirements. The loss of parking was a point of contention for about a dozen individuals who spoke during at the city commission meeting.

“When it comes to this project, we didn’t rush into it. Although not all parties are going to be happy with every design factor that came into it, there are limitations for safety that we truly had to follow that resulted in a lot of spaces being removed,” said Scott Zielinski, assistant city engineer. “We didn’t remove these without putting great consideration into it. There are some that by state and federal requirements we have to remove.

Additionally, to allow for ADA compliance, we had to remove parts.”

Zielinski said the state vehicle code no longer allows new designs to place parking directly across from an intersection, such as those that only connect to one side of S. Old Woodward. Further, parking spaces that would require vehicles to back up into pedestrian crosswalks aren’t permitted.

Additionally, disabled parking spots require additional space to meet federal American with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

Several representatives from the 555 Building’s commercial and residential interests, as well as business owners operating in and near the building, asked commissioners to reconsider the plan to retain some of the parking targeted for removal. downtownpublications.com

Jodie Croft, who owns and operates Beauty Fusion Aesthetics in the 555 building, said she is a new business owner concerned with the loss of parking and how it will impact her clients.

“My clients come in from 15 minutes to an hour,” she said. “As a new business I’m concerned,” she said.

“Please keep some of the parking spots available for businesses.”

Jack Reinhart, managing partner of 555 LLC, said many of his occupants, particularly business owners, are concerned about the loss of parking, as well as safety for pedestrians in the area.

Molly Baran, owner of Studio M Pilates, said her business has been on the lower level of the building for 13 years. She said it's imperative for the city to address parking so she can prepare her clients as soon as possible.

She said her concerns are for during and after construction.

“If we make parking easy and clear, we can all get through the construction,” she said. “If I lose money again over this summer, I will have to close after having a thriving business in Birmingham for 13 years. I was shut down for six months just 18 months ago. My business is just starting to make money, again.”

Brad Strader, with the city’s engineering consultant, MKSK, said the design plans must meet state and federal standards, which the current design doesn’t do. He also said the design includes relocating a bus stop to S. Old Woodward from Bower Street, between S. Old Woodward and Woodward Avenue, to improve traffic and safety.

Strader said of the spaces being removed, about a quarter are too close to crosswalks to meet design standards; another quarter are located across from terminating intersections; about 40 percent will be removed for bump-outs to increase visibility and the distance of crosswalks; with others removed for ADA compliance, valet for the forthcoming Restoration Hardware development, and three for the bus stop.

Former city commissioner Mark Nickita, who spoke during the public hearing, commended staff for their work on the project, which he said he fully supports.

“A lot of the comments were talking about safety, which is incredibly important and a concern,” Nickita said.

“I live about 100 feet from this project, and safety is a concern. It’s very unsafe. I’ve almost been run over several times. This project will, and the design elements in it, will diminish

concerns for safety. It will narrow the street and create circumstances that will slow traffic. Slower traffic by design creates a safer street. That’s absolutely proven fact.”

Nickita, who works as an architect and urban designer, also reminded the commission that the items they were considering were only related to the approval of the special assessment district and budget, and the award of the construction project, as the design plans were approved months ago.

Birmingham commissioners in October 2021 approved the design plan for the third phase of the project.

Commissioners then voted 6-1 to approve the project design, with only former commissioner Rackeline Hoff opposing, citing her concerns for the loss of parking. Commissioners Clinton Baller, Pierre Boutros, Brad Host and Therese Longe, who served on the previous commission, voted in favor of the plans.

Former commissioner Stuart Sherman, who also supported the project plans, spoke to the commission to urge them to approve the contract and budget item.

“The issue on the agenda tonight isn’t to redo the plan,” Sherman said.

“That plan has already been analyzed and approved. The agenda item is to award the contract. The project has already been carefully designed. It’s a continuation of phases one and two of updating our downtown. There have been multiple hearings and reviews.

“My question is: where was everyone during phases one and two?

They didn’t notice that the streets were torn up? That they were replaced and moving that way? I don’t understand.

Everyone has to be aware this is going on.”

Birmingham resident Paul Regan, who was often at odds with the former commissioners, noted he concurred with them. However, he also said he is concerned about parking in the area as it continues to be developed.

“We are about to see three new major buildings,” he said “So, those of you on the southern end, if you think it’s bad now, just wait.”

Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the special assessment districts within the project area, as well as the budget for the project.

2040 final draft gets commission direction

By Kevin Elliott

Plans for the development of Birmingham over the next 20 years will focus on preserving the quality of

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neighborhoods over bold changes or grand aspirational goals, under direction given on Monday, April 18, to the city’s planning consultants by the Birmingham City Commission.

City commissioners gave approval to consultants with DPZ CoDesign to begin the third and final draft of the Birmingham 2040 Plan, which sets out long-term development goals in the city. The plan includes various zoning and overlay districts throughout the city, including residential neighborhoods and commercial districts. Planners will also consider future transportation demands, multimodal transportation plans, parks and recreation and other aspects of development.

City commissioners met on Monday, April 18, at a joint meeting with members of the city’s planning board, which in March finished its review of DPZ’s second draft of the plan.

“The plan is a solid plan,” planning board chair Scott Clein said. “Dropping all the veneer: it’s probably not a plan that is all that bold or robust. The changes included in this plan aren’t significant. In much of the city, there is no recommendation to change any public use zoning. There are a few areas, but those have been insignificant, or small changes.”

Clein said while he was personally disappointed as a planner that there weren’t more aggressive goals proposed in the plan, it is a realistic plan congruent with desire expressed by city commissioners and the general public.

“In the grand scheme of things, we have a very practical and pragmatic, implementable plan that focuses on the neighborhoods, which is precisely what you told us to do when this whole thing started,” Clein said.

Development of the 2040 plan started in late 2019, with a first draft and review process approved by the city commission, followed by the second draft and review process that concluded with the joint meeting. The review process involved more than a dozen public meetings, as well as extensive public input sessions and outreach efforts, including a website, thebirminghamplan.com, where the plan, information and public comments can be made and reviewed.

“We arrived at the plan through a very transparent process,” Clein said.

“The public provided input and we removed parts of the plan that the public didn’t like, and we are here today with draft two for you to review.”

The first draft of the plan contained elements that called for bolder 70

changes along neighborhood seams, or where particular zoning districts abut each other or overlap. Many members of the public representing residential neighborhoods pushed back on the recommendations, insisting density should be pushed to mixed-use areas. They also opposed increases to accessory-dwelling units, such as detached homes and carriage houses.

Planning board member Bryan Williams concurred with the assessment. “In my world, I think the consultant’s first draft was aggressive on a variety of topics, and the board and citizens of Birmingham told them to scale it back, and they did,” he said.

Daniel Share, a member of the planning board, said the second draft contains fewer “political” elements, which have been removed. For instance, he said a recommendation that the city hire a liaison to work with homeowner associations across the city was removed.

“We said, ‘that’s not a landplanning issue, and is not what we think of as part of a master plan,’” Share said. “We pushed that aside, and a number of things like that. The

downtownpublications.com

process wasn’t contentious, and ultimately they ended up coming back.”

Commissioner Clinton Baller asked planning board members whether there were any areas of disagreement among fellow members on aspects of the plan.

Members said while there was some differences of opinion on some specifics, the board didn’t have any areas of major contention. In some cases, unresolved issues were left to the discretion of the city commission to undertake. For instance, Williams said board member Robin Boyle felt the current lack of parking requirements for some retail developments is at odds with the requirement for residential developments in the same areas.

Likewise, the lack of affordable housing in the downtown area remains a concern.

“It’s an example of ‘we didn’t try to solve this problem, but the city commission needs to study this,'” he said. “If we want more obtainable housing, you have to change some things,” Williams said. “Right now, housing downtown is very expensive and may be beyond the reach of most of our residents. That’s another area

where we didn’t try to solve it, but said it needs attention moving forward.”

Baller said the general agreement amongst planning members was encouraging.

Planning board members did stress that future ordinances or zoning changes drafted in alignment with the 2040 Plan must be scrutinized to ensure the intention of the plan is followed.

“It’s critical we look at language to make sure it’s incorporated in the ordinance,” Williams said. “The Triangle Plan doesn’t do it, and that’s a deficiency we found out about.”

Williams was referring to a planned development in the city’s Triangle District that includes a 240,000 squarefoot building billed as “mixed-use” of residential and commercial use, and contains about two percent of space dedicated to retail use. The proposed development also includes some firstfloor residential units in the mixed-use building, which is at odds with the city’s long-term plans for the Triangle District. Williams said ordinances enacted in conjunction with the city’s Triangle District master plan failed to incorporate stronger mixed-use

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requirements, as intended in the plan.

“There are these complex issues in this plan,” Williams said. “For example, crossing Woodward. It involves the state, the city, private property – it’s very complex. Those things are going to be difficult to achieve by ordinance, and we have to take a very careful and very critical look so we don’t wind up here 15 years later with it, again.”

Birmingham resident Paul Regan suggested to the commission and planning board members that they engage other boards in the city when undertaking development plans, such as the multimodal transportation board and parking committee.

“We have these boards that would like to participate, but cannot,” Regan said. “I suggest we change the way, slightly, that we meet with them.

Parking, for example, is an issue that moves across a number of our boards, but they never meet together.”

Commissioners concluded the joint meeting by unanimously approving a motion to direct planning consultants to begin drafting the third and final draft of the plan, with city commissioner Andrew Haig not in attendance.

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MUNICIPAL Brown St. project to complement RH

By Kevin Elliott

A proposed four-story, mixed-use building at 294 E. Brown Street with two floors of residential units and a public courtyard and passage connecting to the future RH (Restoration Hardware) site received preliminary approval on Wednesday, March 23, from the Birmingham Planning Board.

The proposed building would include retail space on the first floor, a second floor dedicated to offices and a total of 38 residential units on the top two floors. Plans calls for underground parking facilities for residents, and an additional 12 spaces for office use. A proposed courtyard and passage would run east/west connecting the future RH development site, as well as a connecting via running from Brown to Daines streets.

The development encompasses the entire site, including the building, plazas, courtyard, landscaping, a fountain and courtyard that will be open to the public, said Victor Saroki, of Saroki Architecture, which is leading the project on the former Coldwell Banker site. He said the timeline calls for having the “eggshell” of the building in place about the same time the RH development is finished.

Outside of the public areas, plans for the the 101,875-square-foot structure include a rooftop swimming pool and lounging area with benches, fire pits, grills and other amenities.

The planning board reviewed a community impact study related to the proposed project, as well as a preliminary site plan. A community impact study is required for any proposed development more than 20,000-square-feet of floor area to identify potential impacts on community services, the environment and neighboring properties. The planning board in February postponed the review until the March 23 meeting to receive an updated traffic impact study from the city’s traffic consultants.

Saroki said on March 23, that the development would include improving the pedestrian crosswalk at E. Brown Street at the Pierce Street structure with new ADAcompliant ramps, striping and installation of crosswalk signage on both sides of the street, as recommended by the city’s consultant. downtownpublications.com

Birmingham animal hospital to rebuild

By Kevin Elliott

longstanding Birmingham animal hospital at Woodward near Quarton, hoping to replace its current building with a modern twostory structure, could face challenges meeting some of the city’s new zoning requirements.

Gasow Animal Hospital, 36877 Woodward Avenue, has been operating in its current building since the 1960s and is in need of updating, said Birmingham Senior Planner Brooks Cowan. Plans to update the site include taking the existing building down and constructing a new two-story building on a nearly identical footprint.

However, Cowan informed the Birmingham Planning Board on Wednesday, March 23, a dozen issues with current preliminary plans for the site would require changes or variances granted by the zoning board of appeals.

Cowan said the proposed building is located in the TZ-3 Transition Zone, which is one of the newer zoning categories in Birmingham.

Planning board members reviewed and approved the preliminary site plan by a vote of 4-1, with some members noting their reluctance.

“You mentioned a dozen things that don’t comply with our ordinance, and some of them are so significant – the footprint of the building doesn’t comply, the parking lot doesn’t comply. Those are fundamental things,” said board member Bert Koseck. “That concerns me because those are huge variances that go beyond this board.”

Koseck cast the dissenting vote to move the plan forward, with board members Scott Clein, Robin Boyle, Janelle Boyce and Daniel Share voting in favor of the preliminary site plan. Koseck said his biggest concern relates to the proposed traffic layout, which allows one-way entry into the parking lot from Woodward.

Architect Michael Mathys with The Linden Group Architects said the project started as a renovation but turned into a complete rebuild after considering the extent of work needed. Mathys, representing the owners, said many of the items discussed could be addressed prior to final site plan review in order to meet ordinance requirements. However, Mathys said they would continue to seek a variance from the city for some issues.

Among the issues that would require special approval from the city relates to the setback and placement of the building. The requirements relate to the setback of the building from the lot lines and are intended to prevent gaps in the number of storefronts. However, Mathys said the spirit of the ordinance doesn’t seem to fit in the location, as there aren’t other adjacent storefronts.

Mathys did say the plans would include additional screening of the parking lot and mechanical items following comments from adjacent neighbors and the planning board.

Board members passed the preliminary plans, but offered advice to the applicants for the next review.

“I would like to see you meet the ordinance as much as possible,” said board chair Scott Clein. “To me, variances are for hardships, not ‘we don’t want to.’ Please take that to heart.”

“We have an ordinance that requires a certain bulk and mass in place for buildings, and it seems like we are trying to do our best to avoid that ordinance by pretending this is a renovation when it’s a rebuild,” Clein continued. “I’m stuck on that. Not because I dislike the project – in fact I think it’s rather smartly designed – but if you could improve the glazing, I’m not opposed to the entire concept. I’m stuck on this idea that you are going to have to get a variance to prove a hardship. I’m not going to slow you down now, but I’m telling you I don't support the variance, per se.”

A

“We agree with the findings of the traffic consultant,” Saroki said. “Our traffic engineer has tried to satisfy all the questions, and with the

pedestrian crossing we have agreed to do all three: the ramps, new striping and the signage or lights, like near Salvatore (Scallopini) or

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Maple Road, near the waterfall.”

Currently, the block from Brown to Daines and Old Woodward to Purdy contains one- to three-story commercial buildings and surface parking lots.

Birmingham Planning Director Nicholas Dupuis said the area is recommended to serve as the beginning of the step-down of height and bulk from more intense buildings on the north side of Brown.

Dupuis said the proposed building also falls within the retail frontage boundary, requiring retail in the first 20 feet of the building frontage, with the plans calling for 6,826 square feet of retail along Brown, enhancing the activity and character. Zoning in the area calls for a mix of retail, restaurant and service anchors.

Birmingham resident David Bloom said adding residential development to the downtown area is “cool,” but said he was concerned about the loss of parking, considering the loss of surface lots and the future loss of street parking along S. Old Woodward with future developments.

Board member Robin Boyle also questioned whether office space would be in demand, as the office market continues to change.

Saroki acknowledged the fluctuating demand for office space, but said demand in downtown Birmingham remains strong. Further, he noted that the second floor dedicated to office space shares the same footprint as the residential floors, so converting the second floor to residential would be possible if needed in the future.

“We did a detailed assessment of the office market, and there is demand for it in this location,” Saroki said. “We have many already interested in taking the whole floor, but that said, the second floor is identical to the third. It’s the same windows and layout. The footprint is identical, the floor-to-floor dimensions are the same.”

“The only problem is the P-word,” Boyle said, referring to future residential parking needs if the floor were to be converted.

Board member Daniel Share praised the proposed development as an important building and location for the community.

“This is harmonious and interesting,” he said. “The courtyard and vias are public spaces. This is a building that it's mixed-use makes it interesting.”

Board members Boyle, Share, Janelle Boyce and Bert Koseck voted to accept the community impact 76

study and preliminary site plan. Board chair Scott Clein recused himself from the discussion and vote due to a potential conflict of interest.

Township water, sewer rates set

By Lisa Brody

Bloomfield Township trustees unanimously approved water and sewer fund budget and set rates for fiscal year 2022-2023 for water and sewer rates, effective April 1, at their meeting on Monday, April 11.

Olivia Olsztyn-Budry, director of engineering and environmental services, explained the township operates and maintains the water system that delivers the water to customers and the sewer system that collects the wastewater for each customer. There are about 500 miles of buried pipe throughout the township, several pump stations, multiple master meter vaults and pressure reducing vaults, several thousand hydrants and valves, and several thousand manholes

maintained by the township.

The township purchases water from Southeast Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) and sewage treatment services from the Oakland County Water Resources Office.

Early in 2021, the township hired Raftelis, a rates and financial consultant, to conduct a water and sewer rate study and make recommendations for changing the rate structure to better address customer types and usage types.

Tom Beckley of Raftelis presented the final draft report at the April 11 meeting, where the final analysis determined that it is the industry standard to apply fees to all meters.

Currently, residents with secondary meters, used for irrigation, do not have an extra charge.

“Secondary meters have direct costs, more intensive use of the water system,” Beckley said. “It is not typical to give customers a second meter at no extra charge.”

Trustees determined that this year they will continue their billing, but in 2023-2024, they will levy a secondary meter charge.

Beckley said future consideration trustees can look at is transitioning to monthly billing rather than the current quarterly, and to make bills more manageable “which will make it easier to catch leaks.”

“Months and months of work has gone into this,” said township supervisor Dani Walsh. “We now agree postponing the changes to get the information out to the community is the best way to proceed.”

Beckley said they were working on a one page insert to explain and educate customers on the proposed changes and details of the billing, as well as to explain “the values of the service they are receiving.”

Olszten-Budry then presented the 2022-2023 proposed water and sewer rates, noting that estimated water rate charges are six percent higher for this year, with water variable rate at $6.47 per 1,000 gallons. The sewer variable rate is $11.09 per 1,000 gallons, and the sewer flat rate charge is $425.42 per quarter.

“In general, there is a decline in water purchase for Bloomfield Township,” she said. “I looked back to 1980, and this year our usage is the

lowest ever, and we have more users and usage. It was a very wet year. It does fluctuate year-to-year.”

Olszten-Budry said the department plans to educate the public in fiscal year 2023 on the secondary meter fixed fee for implementation in fiscal year 2023-2024, and continue looking into implementing monthly billing capabilities and costs.

Walsh brought up the Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) funding issue with Highland Park, in which that community's water bill arrearage has been absorbed by other local communities to make up the difference. Some Wayne and Macomb communities are withholding payments to GLWA over the issue..

“No one in Oakland County is doing anything because we are not direct consumers of GLWA,” she explained. However, “We're all writing letters to the governor. SOCWA has already sent their letter on behalf of Oakland County.”

Walsh plans to send a letter on behalf of Bloomfield Township.

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Candidates file for 2022 elections Voters on Tuesday, August 2, will determine a number of primary contest races, the winners of which will advance to the November general election.

In a primary election voters are asked to vote either in the Republican or Democratic races to determine in contested contests who will represent a political party come November.

Below are the candidates who filed for office by the Tuesday, April 19, deadline.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (Two-year terms) 11th District: Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Waterford, West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, Commerce, Wixom, White Lake, Walled Lake, Farmington, Farmington Hills, part of Novi, Troy, Oak Park, Clawson, Berkley, Madison Heights.

Democrat: Andy Levin, Bloomfield Hills; Haley Stevens, Waterford Township.

Republican: Mark Ambrose, Bloomfield Hills; Mathew DenOtter, Waterford Township, Gabi Grossbard, Southfield MICHIGAN STATE SENATE (Four-year terms) 7th District: Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Lake Angelus, part of Waterford, Franklin, Lathrup Village, Beverly Hills, Southfield, part of Wayne County.

Democrat: Ryan Foster, Southfield; Vernon R. Molnar, Pontiac; Jeremy Moss, Southfield.

Republican: Corinne Khederian, Bloomfield Hills 8th District: Birmingham, Royal Oak, Clawson, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Pleasant Ridge, Ferndale, Oak Park, part of Detroit.

Democrat: Marshall Bullock II, Detroit; Mallory McMorrow, Royal Oak. Republican: Brandon Ronald Simpson, Detroit.

MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES (Two-year term) 5th District: Part of Birmingham, part of Bloomfield Township, Oak Park, Clawson, Berkley, part of Royal Oak, Ferndale, part of Detroit.

Democrat: Reggie Reg Davis, Detroit; Steele P. Hughes, Detroit; Ksenia Milstein, Oak Park; Natalie Price, Berkley; Michelle Wooddell, Southfield.

Republican: Keith Albertie, Birmingham; Luke Joseph, Bloomfield Township; Paul Taros, Birmingham.

19th District: Part of Birmingham,

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part of Bloomfield Township, Franklin, Beverly Hills, part of Farmington Hills, part of Southfield.

Democrat: Samantha Steckloff, Farmington Hills.

Republican: Anthony Paesano, Bloomfield Township.

20th District: Part of Bloomfield Township, West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, Sylvan Lake, Keego Harbor, part of Commerce Township.

Democrat: Noah Arbit, West Bloomfield; Kean Ferguson, West Bloomfield; James Sklar, West Bloomfield.

Republican: Albert Mansour, West Bloomfield; Diana Theresa Mohyl, West Bloomfield.

54th District: Part of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, Auburn Hills, Orion Township.

Democrat: Stephanie Fakih, Bloomfield Township; Gary Gerson, Bloomfield Township; Shadia Martini, Bloomfield Hills.

Republican: Sandy Kiesel, Lake Orion; Donni Steele, Lake Orion; Ken Trafton, Lake Orion.

56th District: Part of Birmingham, part of Bloomfield Township, most of Troy, Clawson, part of Royal Oak. Democrat: Sharon MacDonell, Troy; Cyndi Peltonen, Clawson.

Republican: Mark Gunn, Troy.

OAKLAND COUNTY COMMISSION (Two-year term) 1st District: Part of Birmingham, part of Troy, part of Royal Oak. Democrat: Dave Woodward, Royal Oak. Republican: Chris Meister, Royal Oak. 9th District: Part of Bloomfield Township, part of Pontiac.

Democrat: Mark E. Holland, Pontiac; Angela Powell, Pontiac.

Republican: Glysta Nuculaj, Pontiac.

11th District: Part of Bloomfield Township, Bloomfield Hills, West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake.

Democrat: Marcia Gershenson, Bloomfield Township.

Republican: S. Dave Sullivan, Orchard Lake.

18th District: Part of Bloomfield Township, Franklin, Bingham Farms, Beverly Hills, part of Southfield.

Democrat: Janey Jackson, Southfield.

Republican: Kat Phillips, Franklin.

19th District: Most of Birmingham, part of Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Ferndale.

Democrat: Charlie Cavell, Ferndale.

Republican: Joseph C. Pucci, Huntington Woods.

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FACES

Cole Thompson rowing up in Southfield, Cole Thompson was influenced by his father, who is a musician and his mother, who is an educator, but it wasn’t until he performed in “Meet Me in St. Louis” as a student at Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School that he realized musical theater was his passion.

“I was always surrounded by music. I’ve been in choir for as long as I can remember. I took piano lessons and (briefly) trumpet lessons. I started taking music lessons as a kid because it was something I enjoyed. At the time, I never thought it would lead to a career,” Thompson explains. “I started professional voice lessons my junior year in high school and continued voice training as a musical theatre major at University of Michigan.”

His love for musical theater took him to summer theater programs in Connecticut in 2019 and Vermont in 2021. Of course, the height of the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the performing arts world with closures, but happily theaters have since reopened. For Thompson, this set the stage for a move to New York City in the fall of 2021, and the pursuit of his dream of a theatrical career.

Recently, he auditioned for the Tony Award-winning musical “Into the Woods,” and was thrilled to have earned a part.

“It all happened so fast. I was thankful to be able to audition inperson for the creative team since in-person auditions are just coming back after COVID-19,” Thompson says. “It’s very exciting to be part of this production. I’m so grateful for this opportunity and to be working with an incredible cast of Broadway performers. It’s a great story that plays out like a fairytale.”

In the musical, the various fairytale characters each wish for something then must learn the responsibility that comes along with getting what they want. Thompson, who plays Jack – as in Jack in the Beanstalk – performs alongside well-known stars such as Heather Headley, Sara Bareilles, Christian Borle, and Ashley Park, among others. According to Thompson, the cast is rehearsing for several weeks in preparation for the May 4-15 run at New York City Center. His parents and brother will be in the audience watching.

While he now lives in Midtown Manhattan, Thompson says his roommate is a friend from Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School, and that he regularly sees friends from both high school and college. As many performers do, he works another job to help pay the bills while he pursues his musical theater ambitions. After the show ends, he plans to work as a nanny, which taps former local experience working with children as a camp counselor – an influence he credits back to his mother, the educator.

Thompson offers up this advice to aspiring performers, “It’s always said that you have to be your number one supporter – and it’s true. You don’t get a role from every audition – that’s just the way it works. But you have to tell yourself and believe that you are bringing something special to the audition or performance that no one else has.”

G

Story: Tracy Donohue

FROM THE BSD The South Old Woodward reconstruction work The South Old Woodward reconstruction project is expected to begin around the second week of May and is expected to be completed sometime in mid-October. It is the latest in a three-phase project to upgrade the city’s streetscape.

Previous projects occurred on Maple Road in downtown in 2020, as well as North Old Woodward from Brown Road to Willits in 2018.

Phase three will extend the upgraded street and sidewalk design to Landon at the south end of the downtown. This will help connect the south end to the walkable streetscape that the rest of downtown enjoys.

The proposed design widens the sidewalks, adds planters for landscaping, and installs a median, making for 13-foot wide lanes in the street (Maple was redone with 11-foot wide lanes). This design slows traffic, improves accessibility for ADA compliant spaces, and Sean Kammer makes the built environment more pedestrian friendly, reinforcing Birmingham’s motto as “A Walkable Community.”

However, this project goes much further than beautification. It addresses safety, accessibility, traffic, and replaces essential infrastructure. Segments of the underground water and sewer infrastructure in the area will be replaced.

The Birmingham Shopping District (BSD) recognizes the value of this project in terms of helping to make more of downtown a safe, walkable, and attractive area to shop, dine, and engage in other “lifestyle” activities. It will encourage the flow of pedestrian traffic to the south end of downtown, which is desirable for a downtown known for its shopping and dining options. We are already seeing a shift in the downtown’s center of gravity, as the Daxton and Restoration Hardware projects extend development southward.

However, the Birmingham Shopping District recognizes that construction projects, especially ones on this scale, come with shortterm disruptions. The BSD seeks to mitigate these disruptions as much as possible with a number of coordinated programs. A southbound lane will be open from Daines to Landon during the course of construction, so access to businesses will not be restricted (previous phases did not have an open lane through the construction area).

Preserving some parking options during construction is a priority for the BSD. The BSD is working with private property owners to secure lots for public parking. Some limited on-street spots will be added on an ad-hoc basis where possible.

The BSD is also working on a number of initiatives to promote businesses with signage and incentives during the project. A texting service will also help provide downtown stakeholders with up-to-date information about time-sensitive news in order to help business owners and property owners navigate some of the challenges that may arise.

We at the BSD are looking forward to a refreshed streetscape with new amenities and are ready to assist businesses through the construction period.

Loan approval is subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not all loan programs are available in all states for all loan amounts. Interest rates and program terms are subject to change without notice. Visit usbank.com to learn more about U.S. Bank products and services. Mortgage and Home Equity Products are offered through U.S. Bank National Association. Deposit Products are offered through U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC.

Sean Kammer is the Executive Director of the Birmingham Shopping District.

©202 U.S. Bank.

downtownpublications.com

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THE COMMUNITY HOUSE The Future of The Community House On the eve of our centennial celebration in 2023, the leadership of the historic Community House commissioned a series of internal/external discussions, self-reflection and analysis – with key stakeholders, representatives from the business and residential community, employees, donors and supporters – of our nearly 100-year-old nonprofit charitable organization – to better understand the service needs of society today and to chart out how our landmark property and the vital services it provides (or should provide) can help formulate our next century of service to the community at the corner of Bates and Merrill Streets.

Through the process we learned that “an important part of what gives a city character, and a sense of community is its history. One way of acknowledging this history is by preserving historic buildings and structures. They may be an example of a particular style of architecture, or represent a significant era, or a milestone in the city’s history. These historic buildings are worth preserving for a number of reasons.”

Many of our generational donors, loyal supporters and staff already knew that “old buildings are witnesses to the aesthetic and cultural history of a city, helping to give people a sense of place and connection to the past.” Historic buildings often represent something famous or important to people who live in a city or those visiting.

Beyond our esteemed city, our county and state, recognizing the importance of old buildings to the public and to the country’s heritage, Congress enacted the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966. This act works to save historic buildings, explaining, “preservation of this irreplaceable heritage is in the public interest so that its vital legacy of cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational, economic, and energy benefits will be maintained and enriched for future generations of Americans.”

Some opined during COVID whether The Community House had seen its best days. Really?

Some wondered whether The Community House should be sold – perhaps to a developer? Outrageous.

Our leadership believes the opposite, that it should grow physically and programmatically instead. As its chief steward I couldn’t agree more. The Community House is irreplaceable. There are only two “Community Houses” modeled like us in Michigan: The War Memorial in Grosse Pointe and us. Only thirty-eight in the country. And following two years of the perfect storm – we are thriving once again post-Covid. How blessed we are.

Through our analysis we also learned that rehabilitating old buildings to their original appearance not only adds character to the area, but can also help downtownpublications.com

attract investment, as well as tourists and new residents if the structures are historically significant.

For example, a historic but abandoned industrial building can be turned into small business space, or a mixed-use development – giving new life to a building and even a whole neighborhood. Think the Rail District.

According to preservationists “older buildings often are also made with unique, valuable materials such as the heart pine, marble, or old brick.” They may have detailing and features that you can’t find any more like decorative facades, unusual glasswork, or copper lining, etc. – think Birmingham’s City Hall, the Baldwin Library, Birmingham Museum, Peabody House, our houses of worship, Bill Seklar The Community House, 220 (old Edison Building), Birmingham Theatre, notable residences, and others. Many people feel that because of these features, older buildings have their own identity and distinctive character, making them more interesting than modern buildings. “An added benefit to retaining and maintaining old buildings – old methods of workmanship are also supported.”

“America’s downtown revivals suggest that people like old buildings. Whether the feeling is patriotic, homey, warm, or reassuring, older architecture tends to fit the bill.” Regardless of how they spend their lives, Americans prefer to picture themselves living around old buildings.

Many architects and preservationists suggest the “the preservation of historic buildings is a one-way street. There is no chance to renovate or to save a historic site once it’s gone. And we can never be certain what will be valued in the future. This reality brings to light the importance of locating and saving buildings of historic significance – because once a piece of history is destroyed, it is lost forever.”

As we conclude our year long study and analysis, I think its safe to say – The Community House, its buildings, grounds, and important services are here to stay. While our programs and services will likely be tweaked and modernized to better align with our great city, today’s society – especially the next generation its young people – our seniors and those currently underserved. To stay relevant and to grow, change is inevitable. Responsible change. We are listening. Stay tuned.

William D. Seklar is President & CEO of The Community House and The Community House Foundation in Birmingham. doWnTOWN neWsMagazine

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DOWNTOWN NeWsmagaziNe

05.22

PLACES TO EAT

OPEN Mon-Sat 9am-7pm Sunday 9am-3pm

DELIVERY

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. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 220 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.2220.

5th Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 2262 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9607.

Adachi: Asian. Lunch & Dinner daily.

Liquor. Reservations. 325 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham 48009.

248.540.5900.

Andiamo: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 6676 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.865.9300.

Bangkok Thai Bistro: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 42805 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Township, 48304.

248.499.6867.

Beau's: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 4108 W. Maple, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.626.2630.

Bella Piatti: Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

167 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.494.7110.

Beverly Hills Grill: American. Dinner, daily.

Liquor. No reservations. 31471 Southfield Road, Beverly Hills, 48025.

248.642.2355.

Beyond Juice: Contemporary. Breakfast & Lunch daily; Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

No reservations. 270 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.594.7078.

Bill's: American. Lunch & Dinner, Daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 39556 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.646.9000.

Birmingham Pub: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily. Weekend Brunch.

Reservations. Liquor. 555 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham.

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

248.593.8880.

Bistro Joe’s Kitchen: Global. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Sunday brunch. Liquor.

Reservations. 34244 Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.0984.

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

248.645.6879.

Brooklyn Pizza: Pizza. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Liquor. No reservations. 111 Henrietta Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.258.6690.

Café ML: New American. Dinner, daily.

Liquor. Call ahead. 3607 W. Maple Road, Bloomfield Township.

248.642.4000.

Casa Pernoi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 310 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009.

248.940.0000.

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

Cityscape Deli: Deli. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. No reservations. Beer.

877 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.540.7220.

Commonwealth: American. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. No reservations. 300 downtownpublications.com

Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.9766.

Dick O’Dow’s: Irish. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 160 West Maple Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.642.1135.

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

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

248.258.9939.

Elie’s Mediterranean Cuisine: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 263 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.647.2420.

Embers Deli & Restaurant: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 3598 West Maple Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301. 248.645.1033.

Flemings Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: American. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 323 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.723.0134.

Forest: European. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 735 Forest Avenue, Birmingham 48009.

248.258.9400.

Greek Island Coney Restaurant: Greek.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 221 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.646.1222.

Griffin Claw Brewing Company: American.

Dinner, Tuesday-Friday, Lunch & Dinner, Saturday and Sunday. No Reservations.

Liquor. 575 S. Eton Street, Birmingham.

248.712.4050.

Honey Tree Grille: Greek/American.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, daily. No reservations. 3633 W. Maple Rd, Bloomfield, MI 48301. 248.203.9111.

Hunter House Hamburgers: American.

Breakfast, Monday-Saturday; Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 35075 Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.646.7121.

Hyde Park Prime Steakhouse: American.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 201 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.594.4369.

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

Joe Muer Seafood: Seafood. Lunch & Dinner daily; Sunday brunch.

Reservations. Liquor. 39475 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.792.9609.

Kaku Sushi and Poke': Asian. Lunch & Dinner. Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations.

No Liquor. 869 W. Long Lake Road, Bloomfield Township, 48302.

248.480.4785, and 126 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009.

248.885.8631.

Kerby’s Koney Island: American. Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

2160 N. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.333.1166.

La Marsa: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner daily. Reservations. 43259 Woodward Ave., Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.858.5800.

La Strada Italian Kitchen & Bar: Italian.

Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 243 E. Merrill Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.480.0492.

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.

Little Daddy’s Parthenon: American.

DINE-IN/CARRY-OUT/CATERING Mother’s Day & Father’s Day Celebration Graduation Parties • Memorial Day Weekend

Mother’s Day Red Bag Special Offers

$119.99 BRUNCH WITH MOM Only Valid May 8th Serves up to 6 or more - Choice of 8 Bagels - Cream Cheese - Tomato & Onion - Capers - Nova Lox Tuna - Seasonal Fruit Bowl - Jar of Cookies No Substitutions DT

$119.99

DELI DAY WITH MOM

Only Valid May 8th Serves up to 6 or more - Corned Beef & Turkey - Swiss - Mustard & Russian Dressing - Rye Bread - Coleslaw & Potatoe Salad - Mixed Dills - Jar of Cookies No Substitutions DT

6646 Telegraph Rd. (At Maple Road) Bloomfield Plaza Accepting

Closing Early Mother’s Day at 3pm

DOWNTOWN NeWsmagaziNe

248.932.0800

www.stevesdeli.com

Mother’s Day Orders Through May 4th

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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.

Dick O’Dow’s adds new courtyard The Irish-themed Dick O’Dow’s bar and restaurant has been a mainstay in Birmingham for over 25 years. In 2007, owner Mitch Black added a second restaurant/bar called The Dow in the under-utilized back area of establishment. “The Dow,” (appropriately named) was an instant success and is a place where the beer fluctuates in price every 15 minutes according to supply and demand. Now, owner Mitch Black is renovating again. The front of Dick O’Dow’s is being pushed back 15 feet to accommodate a covered outdoor patio complete with a cozy fireplace and four ceiling mounted heaters. The new courtyard will seat 30 patrons. The original outdoor deck seating on Maple Road will remain in place. In addition, the back patio of The Dow will be expanded to host 40 guests – up from the original 20. The menu at Dick O’Dow’s will remain the same. According to Black, the ahi tuna and beef tenderloin sliders are fan favorites. Black refers to his successful business as beer-centric. “We sell more Stella and Guinness beer than anywhere else in Michigan.” Sounds like the courtyard patio is a perfect spot to serve up even more! 160 W. Maple Road, Birmingham, dickodowspub.com

The Mosaic to open at Eastern Market Robert Montwaid, the founder and creator of Gansevoort Market in New York City and Chattahoochee Food Works in Atlanta, has signed a lease agreement to create an expansive food hall and outdoor area covering close to 30,000 square feet in Detroit’s Eastern Market District. Located at 3500 Riopelle Street in the former Detroit Water Department building, The Mosaic at Eastern Market will be a six-acre site featuring soaring 30-plus foot ceilings and mezzanines, restaurant offerings, food-related retailers, entertainment venues, outdoor gardens and patio nodes, along with a dynamic rooftop patio. The property developers promise to provide an eclectic culinary and retail destination for nearby residents and visitors from throughout the region. “Eastern Market is the one place in Detroit that brings people from throughout the region to the same place each week, and we expect to offer something special in this area that our guests have never seen before,” said Montwaid. “We think this is the perfect location for a family-friendly food hall that will feature talented small and independents chefs from the local Detroit area and the region.” The $33 million project is expected to start construction this year with completion in 2024.

3500 Riopelle Street, Detroit themosaicdetroit.com

May the fourth be with you Frame in Hazel Park is at it again, this time transforming itself into a galaxy far, far away. Taking place May 4-22, Frame invites you to unleash your inner Star Wars geek as Chef Michael Barrera, Frame’s culinary director/resident chef will prepare a Star Wars-inspired feast. The five-course meal includes: course one – “Hoth” chilled sesame soba noodles, sesame soy ginger dressing, scallion, carrot chips, peanuts, black sesame seed; course two – “Endor” broccoli potato soup with roasted garlic and rye crouton; course three – “Coruscant” spiced chicken kabob with grilled naan bread, tzatziki, red onion, and tomato; course four – “Tatooine” bladeback pork spare ribs with pomegranate apple glaze, sweet corn, and purple cabbage slaw; and course five – “Bantha” blue milk pudding with shortbread cookie. Organizers say that aliens, creatures, and costumes of all sorts are highly encouraged but not necessary. The cost is $65.00 per person, not including fees and tax.

The event runs on select dates in May with seatings on May 4-7, 12-14 and 19-21 at 5:30 and 8:30 p.m., and seatings on Sunday, May 15 and 22 at 4 and 7:00 p.m. 23839 John R Road, Hazel Park framehazelpark.com

Everything is just peachy A fast-growing dessert chain franchise is on its way to metro Detroit. The Peach Cobbler Factory was founded in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2013 by Juan and Tami Edgerton. The company began franchising in 2021, and has since signed more than 50 new store franchises. It was announced on the company’s Facebook page that a location at 1300 Broadway Street, Detroit, will open this summer. The corporate company website lists future franchises

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 39500 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304. 248.647.3400.

Luxe Bar & Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily; Late Night, 9 p.m.-closing. No reservations. Liquor. 525 N. Old Woodward Ave., Birmingham, 48009.

248.792.6051.

Madam: American. Breakfast, MondayFriday, Brunch, weekends. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 298 S. Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.283.4200 Mandaloun Bistro: Lebanese. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, Daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 30100 Telegraph Rd., Suite 130, Bingham Farms, 48025.

248.723.7960.

Market North End: Mediterranean. Lunch & Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations.

Liquor. 474 N. Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.712.4953.

MEX Mexican Bistro & Tequila Bar: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily. Liquor. 6675 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301.

248.723.0800.

Nippon Sushi Bar: Japanese. Lunch & Dinner daily. No reservations. Liquor.

2079 S. Telegraph, Bloomfield Township, 48302. 248.481.9581.

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

248.451.0500.

Original Pancake House: American.

Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 33703 South Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009.

248.642.5775.

Phoenicia: Middle Eastern. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

588 South Old Woodward Avenue, Birmingham, 48009. 248.644.3122.

Planthropie: Vegan. Dessert and Cheese.

135 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.839.5640.

Qdoba: Mexican. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Also 42967 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Township, 48304.

248.874.1876 Roadside B & G: American. Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 1727 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48302.

248.858.7270.

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

Shift Cocktail Bar: Small plates. Dinner.

Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380.

Sidecar: American. Lunch and Dinner, daily.

Liquor. 117 Willits Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.2380.

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

Social Kitchen & Bar: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations, parties of 5 or more. Liquor. 225 E. Maple Road, Birmingham, 48009. 248.594.4200.

Stacked Deli: Deli. Breakfast & Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Delivery available. No reservations. 233 North Old Woodward, Birmingham, 48009. 248.593.5300.

Stateside Deli & Restaurant Deli.

Breakfast, Lunch, Sunday-Monday.

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, TuesdaySaturday. No reservations. 653 S. Adams Road, Birmingham, 48009.

248.550.0455.

Steve’s Deli: Deli. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. 6646 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield, 48301.

248.932.0800.

Streetside Seafood: Seafood. Dinner, daily.

Liquor. 273 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.645.9123.

Sushi Hana: Japanese. Lunch, MondayFriday; Dinner, Monday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 42656 Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48304.

248.333.3887.

Sy Thai Cafe: Thai. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. 315 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, 48009. 248.258.9830.

Sylvan Table: American. Dinner daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 1819 Inverness Street, Sylvan Lake, 48320.

248.369.3360 Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro: American.

Dinner. Monday-Saturday. Sunday brunch. Reservations. Liquor. 55 S. Bates Street, Birmingham, 48009.

248.731.7066.

The Franklin Grill: American. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 32760 Franklin Rd, Franklin, 48025. 248.865.6600.

The Gallery Restaurant: American.

Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & wine. 6683 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, 48301.

248.851.0313.

The Moose Preserve Bar & Grill: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 2395 S. Woodward Avenue, Bloomfield Hills, 48302. 248.858.7688.

The Morrie: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 260 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham 48009.

248.940.3260.

The Rugby Grille: American. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 100 Townsend Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.642.5999.

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

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

248.258.0500.

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

248.593.7881.

Townhouse: American. Brunch, Saturday, Sunday. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 180 Pierce Street, Birmingham, 48009. 248.792.5241.

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

248.566.3566.

Zao Jun: Asian. Lunch Monday-Friday; Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 6608 Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Township, 48301. 248.949.9999.

Royal Oak/Ferndale Ale Mary's: American. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 316 South Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.268.1917.

Anita’s Kitchen: Middle Eastern. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Beer & Wine. 22651 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.548.0680.

Assaggi Bistro: Italian. Lunch, TuesdayFriday. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday.

Reservations. Liquor. 330 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220. 248.584.3499.

Bigalora: Italian. Weekend Brunch. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily. No Reservations. Liquor. 711 S. Main Street, Royal Oak, 48067.

The Blue Nile: Ethiopian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 545 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.547.6699.

Cafe Muse: French. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday.

Reservations. Liquor. 418 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.544.4749.

Cork Wine Pub: American. Sunday Brunch.

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opening in Royal Oak, Birmingham, Troy and Southfield. No projected opening dates were mentioned at this time. The sweet eatery’s menu offers a wide selection of cobblers including peach (of course!) and also honey apple, cherry, blackberry, strawberry, mango peach, strawberry peach, sweet potato pecan, caramel apple, cinnamon peach praline, blackberry peach and apple walnut. The Peach Cobbler Factory also features five kinds of banana pudding and three different types of cinnamon rolls which can also be stuffed with your choice of cobbler. Cobblers and banana puddings get topped off with a scoop of ice cream. All desserts pair nicely with the company’s own brand of peachy tea or cold brew coffee. 1300 Broadway Street, Detroit peachcobblerfactory.com

Play Ball!

Ballpark concessions have come a long way in recent years and the days of food selection being limited to just hotdogs, hot pretzels and cheese whiz nachos are certainly a thing of the past. With the start of a 2022 baseball season, The Detroit Tigers, in partnership with Delaware North Sportservice, have announced about a dozen new additions to the Comerica Park food and beverage menu at various concessions locations. A few of the new selections include: Motor City Chicken – a tender pork loin wrapped in bacon, drizzled with spicy Michigan maple syrup; Polish Pasty – a rich, flaky crust stuffed with cheddar and potato pierogis, grilled smoked sausage and sauerkraut; Milk ‘N Cookies – a big chocolate chip cookie and half pint of Guernsey milk; The Notorious P.I.G. – a smoked pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, onion straws and pickled jalapeno peppers, drizzled with BBQ sauce on onion roll; Fat Rooster Chicken Sandwich – a fried spicy chicken topped with house-made pickles and slaw and honey mayo on sweet Hawaiian roll; Impossible Burger – a plant-based burger with lettuce, tomato and onion. In addition, the Chevrolet Pavilion, located in left field, has been reimagined with a new bar that now faces the Comerica Park field which will feature beers from Detroit-based Atwater Brewery. 2100 Woodward Avenue, Detroit mlb.com/tigers/ballpark

Anchors aweigh And speaking of baseball, Detroit’s iconic Anchor Bar, which had been closed since January, re-opened in early April just in time for the Tiger’s opening day. The watering hole, a favorite of Detroit sports fans, was purchased in 2018 by developer Zaid Elia, founder and CEO of the Iconic Collection. “The Anchor Bar has been a fixture of downtown Detroit’s dining scene for more than six decades, and we look forward to reopening and welcoming our guests again,” said Stephanie Prechel, general manager for The Iconic Collection. “The Anchor Bar is the perfect spot for people to gather and experience engaging, inspiring and real connections, great food and beverage options and personal service.” The menu has been updated to include new items such as the fried chicken sandwich topped with fresh lettuce and tomato, herb aioli and the baked mac and cheese with cavatappi pasta, white cheddar and fontina cheeses, topped with parmesan bread crumbs. Other classic pub fare favorites remain on the menu including the iconic cheesesteak; Doc’s crispy battered cod fish and chips; boom bang shrimp tacos with mango pico de gallo; and garbage can nachos with chili.

450 Fort St W, Ste 100, Detroit anchorbardetroit.com

New fast casual dining duo The Joe Vicari Restaurant Group (JVRG) has introduced a unique dual location concept featuring Andiamo Presto and 2941 Mediterranean Street Food. This new concept will give guests the opportunity to enjoy their favorite Italian or Mediterranean dishes in JVRG’s first of its kind, quick casual combination dining atmosphere. Andiamo Presto opened their doors in Washington Township on April 4, 2022, and 2941 Mediterranean Street Food will be opening in the coming weeks. This unique combination restaurant will allow each location to have their own entrance with a small lobby area joining the two establishments. The Andiamo Presto dining area will feature an Italian café décor with seating for 78 guests, while 2941 Mediterranean Street Food will have a rustic décor with seating for 62 guests.

“We think people will love the quick casual environment we have created here as well as the fresh menu items for each restaurant,” said Joe Vicari, President of Joe Vicari Restaurant Group. “We see a lot of opportunity with this concept and if the public responds like we think they will, we will do more of these combination fast casual restaurants.” 57336 Van Dyke Avenue, Washington Twp.

Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 23810 Woodward Ave., Pleasant Ridge, 48069. 248.544.2675.

Due Venti: Italian. Sunday Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Saturday. Reservations. Liquor.

220 S. Main St., Clawson, 48017.

248.288.0220.

The Fly Trap: Diner. Breakfast & Lunch, daily. Dinner, Monday-Friday. No reservations. 22950 Woodward Ave., 48220. 248.399.5150.

Howe’s Bayou: Cajun. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 22949 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.691.7145.

Inyo Restaurant Lounge: Asian Fusion.

Weekend Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

No reservations. Liquor. 22871 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220.

248.543.9500.

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

Kruse & Muer on Woodward: American.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 28028 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.965.2101.

Lily’s Seafood: Seafood. Weekend Brunch.

Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 410 S. Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.591.5459.

Lockhart’s BBQ: Barbeque. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, MondaySaturday. No reservations. Liquor. 202 E. Third St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.584.4227.

Oak City Grille: American. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 212 W. 6th St, Royal Oak, 48067. 248.556.0947.

One-Eyed Betty: American. Weekend Breakfast. Dinner, daily. No reservations.

Liquor. 175 W. Troy St., Ferndale, 48220.

248.808.6633.

Public House: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 241 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale, 48220.

248.850.7420.

Redcoat Tavern: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 31542 Woodward Ave., Royal Oak, 48073.

248.549.0300.

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

Royal Oak Brewery: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 215 E. 4th St., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.544.1141.

Strada: Italian. Dinner, Wednesday Sunday. Liquor. No reservations. 376 N. Main Street. Royal Oak, 48067.

248.607.3127.

The Morrie: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 511 S. Main St., Royal Oak, 48067. 248.216.1112.

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

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

248.541.1186.

Trattoria Da Luigi: Italian. Dinner, TuesdaySunday. Reservations. Liquor. 415 S, Washington Ave., Royal Oak, 48067.

248.542.4444.

Twisted Tavern: American. Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 22901 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, 48220. 248.545,6750.

Vinsetta Garage: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor.

27799 Woodward Ave., Berkley, 48072.

248.548.7711.

Troy/Rochester Capital Grille: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Saturday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2800 West Big Beaver Rd., Somerset Collection, Troy, 48084. 248.649.5300.

Cafe Sushi: Pan-Asian. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1933 W. Maple Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.280.1831.

CK Diggs: American & Italian. Lunch & Dinner, Monday-Saturday. Reservations.

Liquor. 2010 W. Auburn Road, Rochester Hills, 48309. 248.853.6600.

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

248.608.2537.

Kona Grille: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 30 E. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48083. 248.619.9060.

Kruse & Muer on Main: American. Sunday Brunch. Lunch & Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 327 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.652.9400.

Loccino Italian Grill and Bar: Italian.

Lunch, Monday-Friday, Dinner, daily.

Liquor. Reservations. 5600 Crooks Road, Troy, 48098. 248.813.0700.

The Meeting House: American. Weekend Brunch. Dinner, Tuesday-Sunday. No reservations. Liquor. 301 S. Main St, Rochester, 48307. 248.759.4825.

Miguel’s Cantina: Mexican. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 870 S. Rochester Rd, Rochester Hills, 48307.

248.453.5371.

Mon Jin Lau: Asian. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor. 1515 E. Maple Rd, Troy, 48083.

248.689.2332.

Morton’s, The Steakhouse: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 888 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084. 248.404.9845.

NM Café: American. Lunch, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 2705 W. Big Beaver Rd, Troy, 48084.

248.816.3424.

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

Ocean Prime: Steak & Seafood. Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 2915 Coolidge Hwy., Troy, 48084. 248.458.0500.

Orchid Café: Thai. Lunch, Monday-Friday.

Dinner, daily. Reservations. 3303 Rochester Rd., Troy, 48085.

248.524.1944.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro: Chinese. Lunch & Dinner, daily. Reservations. Liquor.

Somerset Collection, 2801 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.816.8000.

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.

Rochester Chop House: Steak & Seafood.

Lunch, Monday-Friday. Dinner, daily.

Reservations. Liquor. 306 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307. 248.651.2266.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House: Steak & Seafood. Dinner, daily. Reservations.

Liquor. 755 W. Big Beaver Rd., Troy, 48084. 248.269.8424.

Silver Spoon: Italian. Dinner, MondaySaturday. Reservations. Liquor. 6830 N. Rochester Rd., Rochester, 48306.

248.652.4500.

Too Ra Loo: American. Lunch & Dinner, daily. No reservations. Liquor. 139 S. Main St., Rochester, 48307.

248.453.5291.

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ENDNOTE

Time to resolve regional water debt issue he Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) is an independent regional water and wastewater authority, providing drinking water and sewer services to communities in southeast Michigan, including those in Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. It was created in 2014 under a bankruptcy order in federal court as the city of Detroit was undergoing bankruptcy proceedings, and is a separate entity from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD). A primary goal of its creation was to assume DWSD's $4 billion debt and its operations, so that GLWA could fund improvements to Detroit's aging water infrastructure. Among its numerous member communities are Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township.

Residents of member communities pay for GLWA services through a portion of their water and sewer rates. A problem arose with one of its member communities in July 2021, when GLWA revealed it had sued the state of Michigan seeking payment for nine years of water service to GLWA, as well as to DWSD, that had been provided to the city of Highland Park – and had not been paid, after the state shuttered the city's potable water facility in 2012 following years of operational problems.

Highland Park was $9.9 million in arrears to the two water providers, and the complaint asserted that neither the state nor Highland Park has paid for the water and the city has no means

T

of providing its own water again "in the foreseeable future." The lawsuit noted that Highland Park has collected monies for water services to residents and businesses, but had not paid the water authorities. And it points out that GLWA is violating a state law from 1917 that prohibits a regional water supplier from providing free water to another municipality.

The case has been paused. But in March of this year, GLWA determined it was time to collect on the debt...by billing its other municipalities, notably communities in Wayne and Macomb counties.

Water and sewer rate hikes can be contentious and upsetting to residents of municipalities where residents often see increases to the charges for these essential services. Municipal leaders explain the hikes are pass-through from the authorities, or in the case of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township, for water from Southeast Oakland County Water Authority (SOCWA) and the Oakland County Resources Commission for waste services.

According to GLWA, the arrearage is now at $54 million. Almost half of GLWA's 2.4 percent sewage rate hike is due to Highland Park's unpaid bills – a new kind of pass through – one that is being passed on to all other paying customers of the authority, as of July 1.

That's just not kosher. It's one thing to be billed and pay for water and sewer services you

receive in your community. It's a whole other thing to pay for a city, and their businesses and residents, that in essence are freeloading off of everyone else. GLWA and Governor Whitmer must get ahold of the situation and rectify it immediately.

That's exactly what several Wayne and Macomb county municipalities have decided – to withhold payments. As of this writing, over 18 communities in western Wayne County, like Plymouth, Canton, Dearborn and Livonia, along with Macomb County's Sterling Heights, St. Clair Shores, Macomb Township and Shelby Township, have said 'no more.' Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel said, “Enough is enough,” at a press conference, noting Macomb communities have already paid $13.5 million towards the debt.

Dearborn alone has paid $3.6 million of Highland Park's debt.

So far, no Oakland County communities have chosen to boycott payment, but Bloomfield Township Supervisor Dani Walsh said they have agreed to send letters in support to the governor.

This is an egregious abuse of the regional sewer and water organization. July 1 is around the corner – before another cent is spent to fix GLWA's Highland Park problem, they need to address the elephant in the room – Highland Park.

Its freeloading days must end.

Full transparency at private, public schools t's a shocking and disturbing revelation – but sadly, one that across the country has become more and more common. On Tuesday, April 12, the Cranbrook Education Community sent out an email to alumni communicating that a Cranbrook graduate had informed the schools that while he attended school there he had experienced sexual misconduct by a former faculty member who worked at the schools from 1946-1961.

Upon learning of the allegation, the board of trustees and heads of administration said they immediately reviewed the situation in accordance with their established protocols, which in today's environment is a necessity, and then hired an independent investigator who is a nationally-recognized employment law expert.

As she has begun her investigation, additional alumni from the time period have reported other incidents of sexual impropriety by this same former faculty member, who is now deceased.

The school is encouraging anyone with

I

information about an incident or situation during the time period of 1946-1961 involving sexual misconduct by any faculty or staff member at Cranbrook to get in touch with the special investigator.

We applaud Cranbrook Schools for its transparency on this heinous issue – and for the efforts to to safeguard against incidents of sexual misconduct. Yet, we must remember this is an allegation of an occurrence which occurred at the school over 60 years ago, and the communications director – who did not respond to an email or phone call to comment on the incident – and former administration have a track record of obfuscating incidents occurring in the present day. Unfortunately, when two Cranbrook Kingswood girls alleged they were sexually assaulted by a fellow Cranbrook student at a reported house party where it is believed about 100 youth gathered, not only did Cranbrook close the door on communications with the press – but completely blocked the

ability of the Oakland County Sheriff's Office from adequately conducting an investigation. At the time, Cranbrook instead said it had done its own internal investigation of the party.

Things happen. Those are but two unfortunate incidents that have occurred on a campus known for educational excellence.

Cranbrook Educational Community is a gleaming gem in the heart of southeast Michigan, and a treasure to be admired. Just as the 60-plus year old allegation is a tragic hiccup, every organization can face hits. It's not the punches you take – it's how you react to them that defines a person or organization. A lesson for all schools, both private and public.

Cranbrook should worry less about its marketing and reputation, which will transcend bumps in the road as long as it shines its headlights forward with candor and accountability.