Plymouth Township officials will begin accepting reservations for the township park next Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Township residents can reserve a park shelter or pavilion for the 2024 summer season which continues from May through September. Reservations can be made in person from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Department of Public Services counter on the 2nd floor of Plymouth Township Hall.
A plan to bring a harness racing track to Plymouth Township continues to meet objections from the public and recently from the director of a new group called the Economic Development Responsibility Alliance (EDRA) of Michigan.
Marjorie Steele, the founder and executive director of the group, recently issued a statement noting that local residents continue to protest the plan to move Northville Downs harness track from the current location in downtown Northville to a 128-acre parcel of land near the intersection of Five Mile and Ridge roads in Plymouth Township. Plans for the new track were approved as a Planned Unit Development (PUD) by members of the planning commission in February. That approval expires in February of 2024.
Plymouth voters will be asked next month to approve a charter amendment to allow a new 1.75 mill tax to fund new recreation opportunities in the city.
The new tax, if approved on the Nov. 7 ballot, would be in effect for 12 years and would generate an estimated $1.3 million annually for recreational expenses in the community through 2035. The new millage would cost homeowners about $1.75 for every $1,000 of market value of their property. Homes with a $300,000 market value would pay an increase of approximately $260 if the measure is approved.
The proposed growth of an apartment complex at the site of Sparr's Greenhouse and Nursery in Plymouth Township hasn't flourished with planners or the public.
The proposed building would be constructed on the 5-acres at the corner of Joy and Lilley roads where Sparr's Greenhouse and three houses have stood for five decades. The budding plan which includes 68 units in three apartment buildings, was first presented to township planning commission about six months ago by property owners Mohammad Nawwas and Naji Kahala. Planning commissioners at that time suggested multiple changes to the initial plan which would include a smaller, renovated Sparr's Flower Shop.
A Norwegian hydrogen manufacturer will invest $400 million in a new Plymouth Township facility and bring 517 new jobs to the area.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced last week that Nel Hydrogen will locate a new automated gigafactory in the township. The factory produces electrolyzer technology for green hydrogen production. Hydrogen can be produced from water and renewable energy. As the most abundant and lightest element in the universe, hydrogen can play a significant role in accelerating a clean-energy transition away from fossil fuels, according to a state spokesman.
“Plymouth Township is honored to have been selected by Nel Hydrogen for this revolutionary facility that will help bring a new source of clean, sustainable energy to power the future of the auto industry and beyond,” said Plymouth Township Supervisor Kurt Heise. “This $400 million investment by Nel will bring over 500 new jobs to our community and will be the centerpiece of our Michigan International Technology Center Redevelopment Authority - converting vacant prison properties into engines for jobs and economic development.,” Heise said.
Updated lights being installed in downtown parking deck
Crews were scheduled to begin lighting upgrades in the Central Parking Deck in downtown Plymouth last Monday.
The work is expected to be complete in a week, officials said, but this week up to 20 parking spaces on both the upper and lower level may be closed so crews can work safely. Motorists are asked not to move any cones or barriers in the parking deck while the work continues.
The lighting upgrades follow recent upgrades to security cameras in and around the Central Parking Deck, officials said. Members of the Downtown Development Authority board approved the upcoming lighting upgrades at the September meeting.
Questions can be directed to splymale@plymouthmi.gov. or dda@plymouthmi.gov.
 |
| The Old Village Inn stood at the junction of Mill Street and the railroad tracks where a brutal murder took place in 1981. |
This Plymouth story begins with the Old Village Inn, at left, that stood at the junction of Mill Street and the railroad tracks. A hotel or boarding house stood on this location as early as 1875, according to researchers.
Names changed through the years, including San Francisco House, Commercial House, Hotel Victor, Hotel Anderine, Hotel Nelson, and finally the Old Village Inn.
Because of its location just east of the train depot, the establishment was frequented by rail workers and later by transients and renters.
And the next afternoon, the Plymouth Fall Festival will open to the public with games, booths, entertainment and the traditional Rotary Chicken Barbeque on Sunday. Fall Festival President Andrea Gerber said she and the committee which organizes the civic event expect to see large crowds again this year as this event offers the public a chance to help give back to the community.
Meijer, the Grand Rapids-based retailer known for its supercenters across the Midwest and Southfiled-based developer Redico Holdings LLC have filed a lawsuit against Plymouth Township seeking to overturn a decision of the township planning commission.
The lawsuit, filed Aug. 9 in in Wayne County Circuit Court, claims that the plans for a new super-center and gas station at Five Mile Road west of Beck Road in the township is permitted by special land use, “subject to meeting standards set by the township zoning ordinance and is consistent with the Township's 2015 Master Plan and Future Land Use Map.”
Members of the planning commission denied the special land use request from Meijer by a 5-1 vote at their meeting June 21. Plans included a 159,000 square foot Meijer, a nature center, gas station and convenience store on a 21-acre parcel at Five Mile Road, west of Beck Road.
Plymouth Township was recently awarded a federal Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Grant in the amount of $545,271 for the Ann Arbor Road sidewalk project located under the CSX rail bridge.
The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) will also contribute $350,000 to the project effort, which is expected to be repaid by the "Plymouth Walk" apartment and condo project, using the projected Plymouth Walk Brownfield Tax Capture, according to officials.
Officials said the sidewalk installation will enhance public safety and connectivity in the corridor. They added they believe the project will also leverage the ability of city officials to request improvements to the bridge by the railroad operators.
Students returning to or starting classes in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district this fall will have some extra help available.
The district Department of Student and Family Engagement was designed to help with school transitions and staff members work with parents, guardians and families to ensure Plymouth Canton students have what they need to learn and succeed. Department counselors can help provide students and families with access to health care services, vision screenings, dental appointments, mental health resources and other wraparound services if needed, including access to food, clothing, toiletries and school supplies, according to a prepared statement.
Plymouth Township is accepting applications from residents interested in serving on the newly created Veterans' Commission.
The commission will have nine members and will be initially led by organizing chairperson Jen Buckley, who is veteran and a current township trustee.
The commission was established in an effort to help foster greater understanding and appreciation for the veteran community and their families, increase visibility of veterans and veterans' issues, inform the veteran community of available services, programs, and resources, and advocate for issues important to veterans and their families, officials said. Requirements to serve include Plymouth Township residency.
A form to submit interest in the commission is available at https://cms5.revize.com/.../ CToP_Board-Commission.
Preparations for the Annual Fourth of July Parade in downtown Plymouth are under way.
Members of the Kiwanis Club of Colonial Plymouth host and organize the Main Street parade which will begin at 9 a.m. July 4.
The parade includes veterans driven in vehicles, bands, floats, flags, the Plymouth Fife and Drum Corps, cheer and pom teams and several others. More than 1,500 participants make the Good Morning USA Parade a patriotic celebration, a Kiwanis Club member noted,
“With thousands of attendees lining Main Street, it is our community's salute to America on the Fourth,” he said.
 |
| Graduation ceremonies for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Starkweather Academy students took place June 8 and for Canton, Salem and Plymouth high schools on June 11. |
Kevin Lane has been the principal at Starkweather for 17 years and he says watching the students participate in the graduation ceremony at the Salem High School auditorium was a deeply joyful moment.
“The ceremony itself is very personal, with each student having a personally written message read about their goals and experiences and 'thank yous,'” Lane said. “Each Starkweather student has had significant barriers to overcome - that is why they are with us, and the joy of this accomplishment is so profoundly emotional. We have had many who are the first to graduate in their family or the first to be on a strong career path toward a trade or college.”
A final decision on the construction of a new harness race track in Plymouth Township could come before the board of trustees by the end of this month.
Following approval of the development plans by the Plymouth Township Planning Commission earlier this month, the plans will now be sent to the township trustees for final approval which could be on the June 27 meeting agenda.
The proposed Northville Downs of Plymouth Township is planned for a 128-acre site near Five Mile and Ridge roads. Only 52 acres of the site are suitable as the remainder is protected wetlands, according to township records. The plans for the Plymouth site include construction of a half-mile oval harness racetrack; a two-story, 4,900-square-foot grandstand with a patio for viewing; a 23,000-square-foot racing building; a 35,000 square foot horse barn and a 3,200 square foot maintenance building. Originally, plans included a 54,000-square-foot gaming facility to be constructed during a future phase of development. Any casino or racino gambling would require state approval.
 |
| The Plymouth Noon Rotary Club awarded scholarships to local graduates last week. Celebrating the awards are, from left, Muneeb Manood, Kayvan Keshavamurthy, Judi Pawar, Jibraan Rahman, Renee Burgess, Grace Fernandez and Jack Buss. Winners Sophia Werner and Madison Temple were unable to attend the presentation. |
A $500 scholarship was presented to Madison Temple who will be attending Michigan State University in the fall and will study accounting. Temple was unable to attend the ceremony last Friday due to a prior commitment. She graduated from Canton High School.
Jack Buss also received a scholarship for $500 and will be attending Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina in the fall where he will be studying political science, philosophy and economics. He is a home-schooled student.
Chemistry teacher Scott Milam is a finalist for the national Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, a prestigious award presented by the White House to one math and one science teacher from across the country every other year.
Casey Swanson, who teaches psychology and social studies, received the Mary Margaret Moffett Memorial Teaching Award. The award recognizes teachers nationwide who encourage students to consider careers in psychology and demonstrate effective and innovative teaching methods.
Work on the Central Parking Deck in the city was scheduled to begin this week, according to officials from the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). The major renovation will include significant concrete repairs, column repairs, drainage repairs and sealant upgrades, officials said, and approximately half of the parking spots will be unavailable during construction. In an effort to ease the inconvenience, additional public parking has been secured at the Christian Science Church located at 1100 W. Ann Arbor Trail, officials said. Time limits will not be enforced at the church although enforcement of all other time limits in the Central Parking Deck and other areas of downtown will be enforced during the project.