Anne SnabesThe Detroit News
Warren ― Protected bike lanes, more street trees and new sidewalks could eventually be coming to a mile and a half stretch of the Van Dyke corridor in south Warren under a plan the city is considering to slow down traffic in the area and "bring the character back."
The city of Warren is looking to improve Van Dyke Avenue between Stephens Road and 8 Mile Road. The city commissioned Beckett & Raeder, Inc., an Ann Arbor planning firm, to do a study of the corridor and craft a plan for how to enhance it.
The stretch of Van Dyke between Stephens and 8 Mile is Warren’s Tax Increment Finance Authority District, an area where the city is trying to encourage economic development and neighborhood revitalization, officials said. A portion of the taxes that are collected from the businesses in the district goes towards improvements to the area.
Tom Bommarito, director of Warren’s Department of Community, Economic and Downtown Development, said the corridor plan is “a way to kind of slow traffic down without getting rid of any lanes.” He said the area was originally built to be a walkable, neighborhood community, but over time, many businesses in the area have closed and the speed limit has gone up.
“The character has changed, and so what we’re hoping is to bring that character back — slow down the traffic, protect the bike lanes, clean up the sidewalks” and bring new service businesses to the neighborhood, he said.
Mohammed Rahman, the owner of Checkmate Burgers on Van Dyke, welcomes the idea of improving that stretch of Van Dyke but wants to make sure other voices have a say in what's planned.
He called the plan "a great start," but "more ideas should be put into the pot." He said he'd like the city to let everyone in the neighborhood, including businesses and residents, know about the plan and garner their input.
"I just feel like Van Dyke needs a face lift," he said.
What the plan entails
The Van Dyke corridor between Stephens and 8 Mile is home to a mix of fast food restaurants, auto repair shops, maintenance shops and other businesses. Lamp posts are spread out along the corridor, some of which have pots with flowers. Small to medium-sized trees are also spaced out along the road, but most of the sidewalk is unshaded, helping the area to heat up on a summer day.
The Beckett & Raeder planning firm conducted a study on the Van Dyke corridor over two and a half years. Brian Barrick, a partner at Beckett & Raeder, gave a presentation on the City of Warren Van Dyke Corridor Plan at a recent council meeting. He said his firm held stakeholder sessions during the study with business owners, city staff, representatives from the school district and other individuals.
The firm also created a survey to garner opinions from community members. When survey respondents were asked what deters them from visiting Van Dyke more often, the top three reasons were "limited mix of good and services," "fear of crime," and "unpleasant walking/biking experience along the corridor," according to the plan document.
Beckett & Raeder's recommendations for the corridor fell into four categories: land use, mobility, design and brand. On the topic of land use, the study recommends revising city ordinances to support mixed-use development and housing along the corridor. Bommarito said Warren wants to attract service businesses to the area, including restaurants, a UPS-type store, a laundromat and daycare centers.
On the subject of mobility, the plan includes adding protected bike lanes to the road. The bike lanes on the road aren't currently protected, but Warren is considering adding planter islands to the road that would separate the cyclists from the motorists. The plan also recommends that additional lighting be installed, transit stops be improved, sidewalks be repaired, pedestrian crosswalks be upgraded and signalized midblock crossings be added to the road.
On the topic of design, the study recommends adding median islands with landscaping in specific areas of the turn lane, and it suggests expanding the street tree canopy. It also made several recommendations relating to community branding, including adding public art to the area and branded signage.
Bommarito said the plan would be partly funded by the Tax Increment Finance Authority and partly funded by grants that Warren plans to seek from the state and federal government. Barrick said the plan's steps can be implemented incrementally.
What local businesses think of the plan
Rahman, the owner of Checkmate Burgers, also would like to see more street lighting along Van Dyke. He also noted that there is a lot of vacant land in the area, including a property next to his own. He said he'd like to improve the property, perhaps by adding a patio and lights.
Anton Prekaj, the owner of Sunrise Coney Island on Van Dyke, also is all for an improvement plan, including better lighting. He said lights help out with safety, and trees are beneficial as well.
"Anything to help ... try to bring back, improve Warren as much as we can would be great," he said.
He said that bike lanes are "a good thing" and that people should ride bikes more often, but he doesn't think a lot of people use the lanes on Van Dyke.
He said he believes the improvements to Van Dyke could help his business.
"If people used it more, if they're walking more, they definitely might stop in at my restaurant and say, 'Hey, let's eat here,'" he said.
The proposed corridor improvement plan will have to be adopted by the Warren City Council for it to move forward. It can then start being implemented immediately, said Bommarito. The plan would cost $3 million to $14 million, depending on which components of it are implemented, according to the plan document. It will take several years to be completed.
asnabes@detroitnews.com
