Citizens for Public Accountability and Responsible Development (CPARD)

I will keep it short for tonight. Tonight we were told that REIS is not cutting trees or making roads for equipment on contaminated land.

A young lady asked Supervisor Abbo how he knew REIS was not cutting trees on contaminated land at the Hospital Property.  After all, he did meet with them on Sunday.

His answer? (I will paraphrase as I do not have time to reference the recording)

Abbo: I took the (REIS) answer at face value.

He took the answer at face value?  He must not have asked exactly where the cutting was occuring so he could simply compare it to the contamination map… instead he took the answer at face value… From a developer that in the Township’s own words “DUPED” them on the annexation issue.

Apparently the Twp. did not think to contact Wayne County Dept. of Environment on this issue either from what I understood at the meeting tonight.  Seems like that should have been something they would know to do regarding erosion and possible contamination migration… but we are just lay people… what do we know?

Further, the discussion about the Twp. buying the land via Brownfield or any other way did not seem to go anywhere.  I suppose he could have soimply asked for their price so we would have an idea of where to start?

More to follow

Just received an anonymous photo that appears to show a fully loaded logging truck leaving the property.

Maybe they are just “cleaning” up from the first go round… maybe not.

If you have information please forward it to cpardinfo@gmail.com

I only have time to write a summary.  A detailed post will follow as time allows.

On 1/5 we were informed that the Township recieved a short memo that REIS would start “select cutting trees” on the property as soon as possible.

Many, many emails were transacted with the board and others to find out what this meant.  There are of course big concerns with this cutting even though I am told it is totally legal.

1. No site plan.  Without a site plan it is difficult for us to understand why REIS would start “select cutting” trees.  Basically, the only trees of real value seem to be on the two old growth “lots” that were to be preserved in the 2006 plan submitted by REIS.  These trees are irreplacable and up to 400 years old according to REIS if I recall the documentation correctly.

2. Contamination.  The site is highly contaminated.  Removing trees and driving heavy equipment on the land could easily spread the contamination and that contamination could run off to the wetlands donated to the Township and neighboring areas.  the REIS memo had nothgin in it relating to mitigating or monitoring this issue.  Many asked the Township on 1/8 to take samples from the surrounding areas for contamination so that we would have a baseline.  The Township did not say they would act on this request.  This is very odd since they are very concerned about some dirt, purchased from the county that was taken to Thayer’s Corner park and are demanding that dirt be tested for contamination.

3. The township has options to buy the wood lots via. the Brownfield the developer has requested and we IMPLORE them to look at options like this.

4. Lumber prices are basically at an all time low.. so if the developer is just doing this to raise money it seems odd to “buy high and sell low”.

On 1/9 a CPARD memeber saw full logging trucks exiting the property.  The cutting, to some extent, has started.  A flurry of emails and phone calls went out to the Township.  Mr. Snider seemed to do all he could to help with the issue.  Mrs. Hillebrand and Mr. Gans showed up at the site to witness what was occuring.  chief Werth even stopped by to see if there was anything he could do. Anther member started photographing the trucks.  The trees appear to be 150-200 years old and as far as we know could only have come from the old growth wood lots.  They may have come from elsewhere on the land but REIS has not said where trees of that age would come from publicly.

On 1/9 many, many people phoned and emailed the Township asking for the contamination testing, etc.

We did get “responses” but none saying “Yes, we will have that done ASAP”.  Instead, late in the day I got a one line email on behalf of Supervisor Abbo saying that he had arranged a meeting for 1/11 with the developer regarding the tree issue.  Only Mr. Abbo and two trustees could go or they would need to hold a special session.  It is my beliefe that more than those two trustees wanted to attend the meeting.  It is this kind of meeting that partially got us into this mess and I am curious as to why it could not include all trustes (after being properly noticed under the OMA).

We have not heard anything about the outcome of that meeting.

Photos of the logging trucks and more details to follow as time permits.

From the Northville Record…

http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20081225/NEWS12/812250394/1029

Federal Community Development Block Grant funds may be used to help pay for the clean up of the former Northville Regional Psychiatric Hospital property in Northville Township once the brownfield redevelopment plan for the land is finalized.
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Thelma Kubitsky, assistant township manager and finance director, explained to board members at the Dec. 18 public hearing on the grant funding that the money could be used for this purpose if it is placed in the grant funding budget and approved in a public hearing.

The board did approve the funding, which was budgeted at $50,000 a year, can be carried over a three-year period and be used in 2010 or 2011 as well as 2009.

The federal government is providing $104,000 in CDBG funds to the township for 2009-2010, which much be earmarked for specific uses in a public hearing. In other words, all funding classifications must be approved by the board.

The remaining $54,000 goes toward housing rehabilitation, public administration and administration costs.

Richard Henningsen, township treasurer, said that such funding is also available to help out senior citizens who may need housing repairs. However, many residents who need the funds don’t ask for the money because they don’t want to divulge all of the financial information required by the federal government to prove their eligibility for the funding.

Funding can be reallocated later in the program, but it has to be initially earmarked for certain uses.

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And an anonymous comment from the Northville record:

Using block grant money intended for rehabilitating less fortunate taxpayers homes to demolish buildings on a private commercial enterprise, is truly robbing the poor to further enhance the rich. Next the township board will be telling us to eat cake if we hunger, and that did not make Marie Antoinette very popular with her people. How many taxpayers are even aware that block grant money is available or how to apply for it? No wonder it goes unused. Maybe Thayer’s Corner Nature Park should benifit from the grant money instead of REIS.

The Board of Trustees will hold a special session on 12/11 at 7:30PM to discuss the CPARD litigation and another pending lawsuit.

At this time there are no other agenda items but agenda items can be added as long as all Trustees are present.

Per. Twp Clerk.

REIS has asked to have the brownfield public hearing set for 12/18 canceled.

On 12/18 the Township will attempt to hold a Public Hearing to decide whether or not we should allow REIS to use tax dollars to cleanup their property. The truth is though, the outcome of this hearing is ALREADY DETERMINED.

Are you unhappy that $6mln.-$8mln. in School Operating taxes will be used to clean land that the developer bought at a steep discount because it needed to be cleaned?

Unhappy that Public Safety, Parks and Rec., Shared services, RESA, etc. money will be used to clean the land the developer bought as-is knowing it had to be cleaned?

After a nifty presentation extolling the wonderful virtues of the Brownfield you can tell the Board why you oppose it… they will probably smile and nod and look interested. They might thank you and say some words to make you feel like they care then…

They will say that under the consent agreement they MUST pass the Tax-giveaway (A.K.A. Brownfield) and they will pass it 7-0.

This is not a hearing. It is a rubberstamp derived from a bad deal. They are using this bad deal to circumvent our rights as given to us by the State of Michigan to participate and affect the vote on this matter.

It doesn’t stop there though…

Don’t want wild zoning variances allowing six story buildings? Sorry… consent agreement.

Want to keep some of those 400 year old trees? Sorry… consent agreement.

Don’t want 1,000,000 sq. ft. mall/Wal-mart combo? So, so sorry… consent agreement.

And the beat goes on. The agreement allowed the Board to circumvent all of the rights of the citizens given by the state.

It allows them to circumvent the original Brownfiled committee that UNANIMOUSLY denied the Tax giveaway.

It allows them to circumvent virtually any Zoning Ordinances, Woodlands Ordinances, Traffic Mitigation…

It gave them 100% FULL CONTROL… then they gave it to REIS…

On Wednesday the I requested a copy of the Brownfield Repayment Schedule (Tax Capture Table Exhibit E, Schedule 1).

This exhibit shows how REIS intends to recapture taxes to pay back the $17mln. Brownfield that the Board of Trustees is scheduled to approve on 12/18.

I am NOT an expert on this but there seems to be some distrubing information on the exhibit I will try to outline here:

1. It appears that REIS will capture ALL SCHOOL OPERATING TAXES from this development until the Brownfield is repayed. CPARD is vehemently against this. They intend to add 500 households but not allow the district to use any of the school operating tax revenue generated by the commercial development. (Residential is generally homesteaded and not charged.) For example… in 2010 REIS claims they will repay $1,482,703 of the Brownfield… $602,910 of that will come from the School Operating taxes generated by the development. in 2011 that number more than doubles to $1,245,857 in School Operating Taxes.

2. It appears they intend to capture ALL of the School Operating taxes until at least 2014. In that same time frame 200 homes will be built and supposedly sold. How will the district pay for and support these additional students with no additional School Operating Taxes?

3. The assumptions seem VERY aggressive or even unrealistic. They assume that homes sold on 50′ lots will sell for an average price of $275,000 and those on 70′ lots will sell for $350,000 average. I think they need to check REAL comps. for the area and give a real basis for these numbers. Local agents tell me this is way too high.

4. They also seem to assume that commercial/office/medical will all be at 100% capacity as soon as the space becomes available. Take a drive down 6 Mile, Haggerty, 275, etc. less than two miles from this project and virtually EVERY commercial space has “For Lease” signs in front of it. This assumption is flawed to the core. They seem to assume at 1,110,000 sq. ft. will be 100% occupied in 2013.

5. They assume that all taxing authorities will allow their tax dollars to be recaptured. Such as: PUBLIC SAFETY, Library, State Education Tax, RESA, Schoolcraft, Wayne County Jail, etc.

Chip Snider is quoted regarding the consent agreement as follows:
“The schools can now relax, and with all reality not be faced with another school.”

How can they relax? More students… same School Operating Taxes for years… To make matters worse the Township agreed in the consent agreement to NOT FIGHT REIS if they ask to capture the School Operating Taxes. Good Lord.

I will try to scan these tables so they can be available to all on Monday. An initial review looks quite bad to me and I hope others will review these documents.

From the Northville Record this week.  We were unaware this would be published and it seems to infer that we want them to vote “yes” again on the consent agreement.  This is not the case.  I was explaining that they COULD vote yes again but the can and should vote no, that was left out.

I have placed comments at the end of the article for clarification.  Please see:

Northville citizens group CPARD wants township meeting on REIS agreement rescheduled

At the last regular meeting of the Township Board of Trustees 12/18 was selected for the public hearing regarding the $17mln. tax funded Brownfield award for REIS.

While we feel it is important for all to attend this meeting to voice their concerns over the decades it could and probably will take to pay this off, we also feel it is fair to let you know that unless the Township acts regarding our suit we will be seeking an injunction/restraining order to stop this vote until our case is resolved.

More to follow.