The Manchester Enterprise
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Streetscape, M-52 face possible delays
Projected start date set for 2009, MDOT plans open house Feb. 20
By Ed Patino, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: January 24, 2008
Plans to renovate the downtown area and parts of M-52 have hit a temporary halt.
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Originally scheduled to begin in the spring, village officials said due to a conflict of opinion with the state over the historical value of the Borek Jennings Funeral Home, the M-52 construction project is likely to be rescheduled for 2009.
Since the Downtown Development Authority's Streetscape project was also tied into the M-52 project, it could be pushed back to 2009 as well.
Village Manager Jeff Wallace said the delay will give more time for the village to work with the Michigan Department of Transportation on the logistics of the M-52/Main Street realignment.
"This allows us to have more communication and dialogue to flush things through," Wallace said. "It's not frustrating at all. It should benefit us and allow for a better project."
Though the DDA had its Main Street Transportation Enhancement Grant approved by MDOT in November, chairman Karl Racenis said the delay has allowed for the organization to continue working on specific designs for the Streetscape project.
"The content proposed in the grant was approved, but we needed to translate that into specific designs," Racenis said. "We'll take our design and integrate it with the M-52 project."
Racenis said final designs should be finished by the end of the first quarter of this year.
The major sticking point with the M-52 project involves its realignment at the intersection with Main Street. The proposed change involves squaring up M-52 at Main Street, giving north and southbound traffic a straighter path across Main Street. The northbound traffic lane would cut through about 40 percent of the current Borek-Jennings Funeral Home property. MDOT would have to purchase the entire funeral home property to go forward with the design.
While many in the community are in favor of the M-52 redesign, there are those who want the funeral home preserved as a historical building. However, the property is not registered as a historical site, and is not located in the registered historical district of Manchester.
"The key for people to understand is the site itself is not protected as a historical site on record," village president Pat Vailliencourt said. "If the property is sold tomorrow, the new owners could tear it down and put whatever they want there, including a commercial building like a CVS."
Wallace feels that the delay will allow officials to find out more about the community's position on the funeral home issue.
"We can also deal with the right-of-ways and finish our plans," Wallace said. "We can have public open houses on the project."
According to Wallace, the funeral directors at Borek-Jennings are on board with the project and promise to keep the business in the community.
MDOT is currently planning an open house for Feb. 20 at the Manchester Village Hall.
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