Shores council adopts master plan
over some residents' objections
In a 4-2 decision, the Grosse Pointe Shores City Council voted Tuesday (Sept. 15) in favor of adopting the Master Land Use Plan on the recommendation of the Planning Commission.
About a third of the three-hour meeting, which turned into a pointed discussion between the council and residents, was used to discuss the master plan.
The state requires every zoning community to have a master plan that must be renewed every five years, even if no changes are made.
One change in the plan “suggests creating a smaller-lot-sized district for those lots that currently don’t meet our standards,” said Chris McCloud of Community Management Planning. “What this will do is pull some of those lots into a ‘non-conforming’ status.” This will make it easier for some areas to be redeveloped at a more lenient pace, giving those citizens more time to meet the community’s expectations.
Included in the master plan are the possibilities for construction of a community center and a water tower.
The council was divided on the some of the language and whether it should be sent back to the planning commission for revision.
McCloud emphasized the plan is not written in stone. Instead, it should be seen as a list of goals, or a set of guidelines, for which the city should strive. It is a list of what may be possible for the Shores to achieve in the future.
Mayor James Cooper agreed, and said residents will still have an opportunity to be heard before its adoption. “Anything in this master plan doesn’t have to happen,” Cooper said. “We are not building anything, and that’s why I would recommend we approve it.
“If we ever decide to do something in it, we would be going through a process of public hearings and public meetings.”
Despite McCloud’s assurances that taxes will not increase to accommodate those additions, some residents were still not convinced.
Shores resident Janice Pemberton has some reservations about building what she called “nonessential structures.”
“I think that taxes will increase,” Pemberton said. “Whether they build these things or not, we have some major financial problems. We’re over the top already. These buildings would definitely cause us to levy our bills even higher.”
Resident Wally Thursam, however, appreciates the forward thinking. His children have found jobs in the area and he is concerned about keeping them and others here. He says that cannot be accomplished by “shutting down our foresight.”
“My sons are the ones who, when the time is right, will look for a community center, look for amenities,” said Thursam, who is originally from Detroit. “That’s how we’re going to keep people moving into the Pointes and not moving out.
“I just want to applaud the Council for looking at every option available. Whether we do them or not is not the issue, but I would be far more displeased with you if you weren’t looking forward than looking forward and telling me, ‘I’m sorry, but we can’t do it right now.’”
In other business, the Council tabled discussion on televising City Council meetings, and entered into closed session to discuss collective bargaining negotiations.
E-mail Peter Jurich
