FeedsCouncil approves master plan contract
If things go according to plan, the City of Wayne could start the Master Plan process next week.
The city council approved a contract Tuesday night with Langworthy, Strader and Leblanc (LSL) of Royal Oak to update the master plan, which was created during the 1960s.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the final project,” said Wayne Mayor Al Haidous.
LSL was one of seven firms to apply for the job and one of two finalists. They received a unanimous recommendation from the planning commission last week.
“We all thought they would do the better job for us,” said Planning Commissioner Kurt Kuban.
The city will pay $72,000 for the work. The project will be funded through the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The contract award was one step in the process. The council also made a motion Tuesday night that stipulated they would have the final say in the master plan. That means the project is ready to get under way.
“They should be ready to get started on (Oct.) 14,” said City Manager John Zech.
That’s the next regular planning commission meeting. Carmine Avantini, project manager for LSL Planning, said they would start by discussing with the planning commission the scope of the project and the timeline from here on out.
“We’ve been working hard just to get to this point,” he said. “We’re excited to be involved in this.”
The master plan process will take a look at the downtown area, evaluate existing uses and suggest trends for future development. It’s a type of roadmap for development and may encompass future zoning changes.
The process could include everything from urban design recommendations to traffic calming suggestions as well as ways to better tie in existing amenities–such as Dynamite Park–into the downtown area.
It involves plenty of input from the community, as well.
“We’re going to do a lot of good things,” said Avantini. “I think everyone will be happy with it.”
The City of Wayne master plan has not been updated since 1965. The city funded a similar project in 2006–performed by students of Andrews University–but that was more of a conceptual plan. A certified master plan, once approved, must be filed with the State of Michigan and updated every five years.
