Farmington, Hills Mull Grand River Corridor Authority

and officials may soon start the official process of creating a joint Corridor Improvement Authority along Grand River, from Eight Mile Road in Farmington Hills to Mayfield Avenue in Farmington.

Council members from both cities met Monday night at Farmington City Hall to hear a presentation from Harry Burkholder, a community planner from Land Information Access Association (LIAA), a nonprofit that helps communities work together on improvement projects.

Farmington City Administrator Vince Pastue explained the cities received a grant to look at forming a corridor authority, which would focus on redevelopment along Grand River, a main artery for both cities. Already, Burkholder said, LIAA has held six meetings with stakeholders—residents and business owners in the affected area—to provide information and answer questions.

Burkholder explained the goal of the project is "to establish a vision for the corridor, and then establish policies that will create that vision." Each council would create an authority, and then those two groups would work together under an interlocal agreement, he explained. Members would be appointed by city officials; the majority must own a business or have interest in property within the corridor, he added.

The state's Corridor Improvement Authority Act, created in 2005, gives the authority a range of powers to plan and implement improvements, Burkholder said. The authority could accept donations, issue bonds, take in revenue from properties or establish special assessments or a tax increment financing district, which would capture the increase in property taxes as the taxable value of the corridor increases with redevelopment.

While a handful of communities have established joint authorities, they have not been wildly successful. In the examples Burkholder cited, the taxable value of the corridors has actually dropped below a baseline set when they were established. Gaines and Byron Township "are hoping to get above their baseline soon," and Plainfield and Grand River Charter Township projects are "moving forward slowly," he said.

The next step is for both cities to pass resolutions to establish an authority then hold a public hearing and establish the corridor boundaries. Residents within the affected areas would receive mailed notices; the cities are also required to publish two notices in a local newspaper and post the meeting notice in multiple locations.

"The board would work closely with the cities of Farmington and Farmington Hills and their planning commissions to get that vision for the corridor, and then implement that plan," Burkholder said.

First, however, officials may have to get past a fairly large hurdle. Hills Mayor Jerry Ellis said the project doesn't make sense if it includes only commercial properties.

"I don't see a purpose in doing this, unless we include residential properties," he said. "The only way you get any traction at all is to go into residential neighborhoods, and that is a difficult thing to do."

While Ellis thought that would increase the value of those properties and others adjacent to the corridor, Hills City Council member Nancy Bates worried it would decrease values. Hills City Manager Steve Brock urged caution when talking about how this might affect property values.

"This is intended to make it more valuable for everyone," he said.

Hills council member Barry Brickner added that people also need to know they can't be forced to sell their properties if they are included in the authority. Also, as Farmington officials discussed the proposed corridor map at their special meeting after the work session, City Manager Vince Pastue pointed out that the underlying zoning would remain residential.

Ellis felt officials should first have a vision for the corridor before appointing an authority. "Both sides have to be able to sell that vision to their residents. We've got to make sure we have buy-in from residents," he said.

"My preference is to let the people out there establish the vision," Brock said. "I think if we decide the vision for them, we're going to have trouble." The city can provide guidance with staff or consultants if need be, he added.

However, if a vision is established before the corridor authority, Burkholder said the vision could be outdated by the time the authority is ready to put funding mechanisms in place.

Farmington council member Dave Wright and Hills council member Randy Bruce had basically the same concern: What happens when conflict arises or the authority takes a direction not supported by the city councils?

The councils have control over the development plan, the tax increment financing plan, appointing board members and the authority's budget, Hills management assistant Nate Geinzer said.

Even if the cities can't come up with a development plan, Farmington council member JoAnne McShane said the authority could work on beautification, parking improvements or even a park that benefits both cities.

At their later meeting, Farmington officials went over the proposed corridor map in detail. It will be presented, along with a resolution to create the authority, at a meeting later this month. Hills officials will also consider placing a resolution on a future agenda.

Those actions, however, don't mean the corridor project is inevitable.

"It essentially says you're starting the process," Geinzer said.