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	The Manchester Enterprise A Heritage Newspaper Weekly Publication

Main Street project receives support from area groups

Village Council passes resolution endorsing street's realignment

By Ed Patino, Staff Writer

PUBLISHED: January 31, 2008

A proposed realignment to Manchester's busiest intersection is gaining support throughout the village and surrounding townships.

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A resolution to support the realignment of M-52 at its intersection with Main Street was approved by the Manchester Village Council during its meeting Jan. 21.

The resolution lays out the reasoning behind the realignment and asserts the village's support of the project.

The proposed redesign involves squaring up M-52 at the Main Street intersection to give north and southbound traffic along M-52 a straighter path across.

If the project goes through, changes on the north side of the intersection would involve bumping out the sidewalk by the Edward Jones building and creating an approximately 30-foot right turn radius (south M-52 to west Main). The northbound traffic lane would cut through about 40 percent of the current Borek-Jennings Funeral Home property.

Final decisions on what to do with the property are still pending. The original start date was tentatively scheduled for this spring, however the project could be pushed back to spring 2009.

Many around the area are also in support of the realignment. The Southwest Washtenaw Council of Governments, Manchester Chamber of Commerce, Manchester Community Schools, Manchester, Freedom, Sharon, Bridgewater and Lodi townships have asked for copies of the resolution so they could support it as well.

"We're getting a lot of support on this," village manager Jeff Wallace said. "The more support we have, the better it is for the project."

The resolution states that the project has a "direct impact on the focal point of the community's downtown."

It also states that the current intersection causes a lot of delay for motorists and that vehicular and pedestrian safety are an issue. Many children cross the intersection everyday going to and from Manchester Area Schools.

"The resolution hits all the points," Wallace said.

Wallace said that all area taxpayers would receive a notice in the mail if the project is approved.

The village, along with the Michigan Department of Transportation, is scheduling an open house for area residents to share ideas about the project Feb. 20 at the Manchester Village Hall.

The entire reconstruction project begins at M-52's intersection with Austin Road (southeast of town) and ends at Dutch Drive on the north end of the village. Reconstruction projects have taken place in sections along M-52 from the Michigan-Ohio border and through Adrian over the past decade. According to Wallace, the reconstruction project has been in the works for five years.

In other business:

•†The Manchester Village Council approved the appointment of Marsha Chartrand to the village's Planning Commission. Chartrand has served the Manchester community as former editor of The Manchester Enterprise and has served on the Manchester Parks Committee.

"Marsha is a very dedicated citizen who has given years of service to the community," Vailliencourt said.

•†DDA Chairman Karl Racenis was named the village's representative to Healthy Communities, an organization that provides grants for walking maps, bike racks, benches and other improvements to walking and biking paths in the area. He replaces former representative and council member Kari Newman.

•†The council gave its support to a group in the village that wants to organize a run in conjunction with the Riverfolk Festival. The proposed schedule of the event along with possible road closures has not been set yet. Tentative plans call for a 10K, 5K and fun runs within the village limits during Riverfolk weekend.

Staff Writer Ed Patino can be reached at 428-8173 or epatino@heritage.com.