PLYMOUTH, Mich. (WXYZ) — Community members, business owners and city leaders gathered for an interactive meeting to share input on what could become downtown Plymouth's most significant transformation in more than a decade.
The Plymouth Downtown Development Authority is working with design firm SmithGroup to gather public input on infrastructure improvements that will address aging street trees, upgrading the utilities underneath them and other challenges while preserving the area's historic character. The current streetscape dates back to 1995, with a refresh completed in 2010. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027.
Watch Christiana Ford's video report below:
"No decisions have been made because we want everybody to get engaged with the city and look at what our options are," Plymouth Mayor Linda Filipczak said.
The DTP Forward Streetscape Revitalization Project has included community surveys, pop-up events and interactive public meetings. At the most recent meeting, residents used stickers placed on display boards to help visualize and vote on options for the future of downtown.
Shannon Perry, a longtime Plymouth resident with the Downtown Development Authority, walked me through some of the decisions that need to be made.
"Trying to figure out how we can make this community more future forward. That means being walkable, making sure there's spots for cars where needed, electric car charging where needed and really honing in on what people want in communities not 20 years ago but 20 years in the future," Perry said.
Roadway enhancement ideas on the table include narrowing lane widths and reducing excess pavement areas, rightsizing roads to create more activated and beneficial space, consolidating curb cuts, establishing wider sidewalk and amenity zones and creating comfortable pedestrian and bike connections to Old Village and Hines Drive Trail.
Bigger ideas include crossing improvements, curbless streets and a Main Street reconfiguration that could include narrowing streets or reducing lanes to create more parking overall or widen sidewalks and include bike lanes.
Watch our previous coverage on the redesign project below:
Plymouth resident Albert Brooke said he appreciated the city's approach to the process.
"I like how the city has invited us here and I feel few cities do this kind of thing where they actually ask questions of the residents," Brooke said.
Brooke would like the bike lanes in the street reworked and a place to park bikes. He also weighed in on one of the key issues residents raised.
"We need more parking and we have a dilapidated old parking that needs to be expanded or just made bigger, I don't know," Brooke said.
Related video: Downtown Plymouth residents voice parking concerns as city considers reviewing parking
Not everyone agreed on every proposal. Resident Katie Langston said she wants to preserve the current charm and the road's current function.
"I want to make sure they're taking into consideration the function and the beauty and how do we make sure we're being realistic about the daily needs of the road," Langston said.
Cindy Eckley, owner of Frame Works Plymouth, has seen this process before. She was present for the 1995 streetscape and said this is her second major overhaul of the city.
"Being that I work with art, I want things to look pretty, but I'm also a carpenter so it has to be structurally sound as well. So I'm doing the same with the streetscape. Yes, we want it to look pretty and beautiful, but it also has to be functional and withstand the test of time," Eckley said.
After this phase of community engagement, the next step will be prioritizing ideas and considering funding. The Plymouth DDA has opened a second online survey as part of the second phase of the community engagement process, intended for residents and visitors to voice their concerns and opinions on the proposed streetscape ideas. The survey is open to the public and will close Wednesday, March 11.
Community members can provide input and follow progress at downtownplymouth.org.
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