DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Detroit Thermal Company received approval from the Detroit Historic District Commission Wednesday to move forward on its project to install a new steam service line under a neighborhood in the Lafayette Park Historic District, which has remained untouched for decades.
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While the steam line would provide heating services to a high-rise condominium complex at 1300 E. Lafayette, residents where the construction would take place are pushing back.
"Help them find a real solution, not this bull(expletive) from Detroit Thermal," one resident said during Wednesday's Detroit Historic District Commission meeting.
Rows of concerned residents attended the meeting to voice their opposition to changes in their historic neighborhood. Detroit Thermal operates the steam systems visible throughout downtown, primarily providing heat to older Detroit buildings.
Julia Sosnowski, a resident of the area, acknowledged the need for heating at the cooperative building.
"1300 needs heat. That has never been a topic that was questioned — we understand that," Sosnowski said. "What we're concerned about is many of the plans we're seeing involve digging through our front lawns," she added.
The project would require excavation and construction that could impact trees in the area, potentially disrupting the historic Mies Van Der Rohe Townhouses and green space.
"They don't seem to have done the level of research or preparation the neighborhood was hoping for," Sosnowski said.
The city of Detroit issued a stop work order last spring after residents raised concerns, determining that the Historic District Commission must approve key aspects of the work plan. That meeting took place Wednesday, where the commission approved the application with certain conditions.
Meanwhile, Lafayette Park District residents filed a lawsuit this week, claiming Detroit Thermal is trespassing and damaging historic landscaping.
"These are nonprofit co-ops. We do not want to spend the funds, we do not want to engage in a lawsuit if we don't have but really, Detroit thermal left us no choice," resident Laura Lewis said.
Detroit Thermal responded with a statement saying:
“This is a baseless and frivolous lawsuit filed by a few misguided Lafayette Park residents who seem determined to prevent 600 of their neighbors at 1300 East Lafayette Cooperative from receiving safe, reliable, clean and affordable heat in time for winter."
"The suit is riddled with falsehoods, ignoring multiple updates to our application based on input from the community, including the plaintiffs themselves. We took the absolute best approach to serving the entire Lafayette Park community.”
"Finally, we find the timing suspicious. The suit was filed three days after the Historic Detroit Commission staff recommended approval of our updated application, and on the eve of the HDC's special meeting on the project. Rather than work with their neighbors and the City of Detroit, the plaintiffs seem determined to hijack the city's process."
Regarding the approval, the company said in a statement:
"We are grateful for the Historic Detroit Commission’s approval of our application to update and reconnect our heating system to the 1300 East Lafayette Park Cooperative. Now we look forward to completing the project in time to serve its 600-plus residents before this coming winter.
“As a Detroit born-and-run company headquartered a few blocks from Lafayette Park, we will honor and respect the historic integrity of this cherished neighborhood as we provide safe, clean, reliable, and affordable heat to the community. We appreciate the commission’s thorough and demanding application process, which included two public hearings. We also appreciate the many public and private comments we received from Detroit residents during this process.
“In response, we made numerous modifications and improvements to our plan, and we had the opportunity to address some of the misinformation that had developed around the project. One example: The route chosen and approved for this project is not a shortcut; it’s simply the best and safest route available. We don’t have a viable alternative.”
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