Businesses in Miller Road contruction zone allowed to have temporary signage
by Pardeep Toor | The Flint Township News
Tuesday May 06, 2008, 11:11 AM
FLINT TOWNSHIP, Michigan -- Businesses along Miller Road will be allowed to use temporary signage to mark their presence during its reconstruction.
In a a special meeting Monday, Township Board members proposed an amendment to the sign ordinance to allow portable signs for business owners between Ballenger and Linden roads to advertise their entrances and locations.
"We're trying to anticipate the needs of the business community. We know that it's trying times for them," Trustee Brady Smith said. "We're going to do as much as we can to help. We want to make sure it's as painless as possible."
The amendment will take effect May 15, at which point businesses can submit a notice of intent to the building department to erect a sign along the road. Approved signs can be a maximum of 32-square-feet and must be removed by Sept. 15 or within 24 hours of the completion of the reconstruction project.
"It will give us help with our advertising. It won't kill us but it'll help," said Heshimu Williams, manager of Bob Evans, 3267 Miller Road.
Supervisor Douglas Carlton said the signs will help travelers on Miller Road determine entrances and driveways to the businesses they are searching for during the construction period.
"During tough economic times, we're being sensitive to the business community," Carlton said. "Because of the construction, they (commuters) won't be able to see the signs (of the businesses) but now they will be visible."
"They're going to have a lot of people put stuff out there then, especially now with the construction going on," said Janice Maldonado, kitchen manager at Old Country Buffet, 3583 Miller Road. "We can let people know that we are willing to give them a deal if they are willing to fight traffic."
Both Williams and Maldonado said they would consider portable signs for their businesses in the coming weeks.
"We're trying to make this as convenient as we can," Clerk Kim Courts said.
The amendment will have a second reading at Monday's Township Board meeting before a vote takes place.
***
Top
Work on Miller Road in Flint Township a pain -- but a 'necessity'
by RoNeisha Mullen
The Flint Journal
Friday May 09, 2008, 8:11 PM
FLINT TWP., Michigan -- Motorists sit there in narrow lanes, stuck in stop-and-go-traffic, only inching forward as red lights turn green and then red again.
Welcome to Miller Road.
One week into a $10-million road reconstruction project in Genesee County's commercial corridor, the side effects are evident in the lines of red brake lights.
"I was frustrated as soon as I got off the freeway," said Diane Hall, who travels from Rankin to work at Hurley Medical Center. "You're coming home from work and you try to make a quick stop to run an errand and you're instantly tied up in traffic."
Construction began Monday and is being done in sections. Crews are currently working on a strip between Ballenger Highway and Manwaring Drive, reducing the five-lane road to three -- one lane each way and a left-turn lane.
And, not everyone's complaining.
After all, residents have long complained about Miller Road and all its potholes.
"I'm OK with it. They absolutely need to do it," said Monalisa Bissonnette, who visits the area at least four or five times a week. "With all the traffic on this road, it's a necessity."
Bissonnette of Swartz Creek said that because she's familiar with the area, she's learned a few shortcuts that help her avoid some of the construction.
Work there is expected to be completed by June 13, with the exception of the area of Miller between Ballenger and I-75. Crews will begin work on that area and the area between Manwaring and Linden on June 14.
Crews are working directly in front of Yorkshire Plaza and business owners there weren't too worried.
Neighboring subdivisions bring in a lot of shoppers, and repeat customers already know how to get around the construction.
"Business has slowed a little, but for the most part, it's been pretty much the same," said Russ Meyers, manager of Steve's TV & VCR, a sales and repair shop.
Meyers said that on average the store would see 10 to 15 customers a day, but since the construction started foot traffic has been reduced to about eight to 10 people.
"We're only in the first week, though," Meyers said. "It may get worse, but I hope not."
John T. Plamondon, construction manager for the road commission said he's pleasantly surprised by the acceptance of the traffic shift by area businesses.
"I figured the first day we set this up, my phone would be ringing off the hook," Plamondon said. "But I haven't received one phone call."
Construction hasn't yet begun in the area where Rib City Grill is located, but since it began up the road Monday, business has slowed significantly, said Lori Hincka, assistant manager at the restaurant.
"Our sales are down tremendously," Hincka said. "Nobody wants to fight through that traffic to come eat here when they can go eat on a road with no traffic."
Hincka said business this weekend will set the tone for the remainder of the construction period.
"Tonight will be the true test," Hincka said. "We're usually packed on Friday and Saturday, and if we're not busy tonight, it's going to be a long five months."
Hours for the kitchen staff have already been cut, but Hincka said the employees will get them back, at least for Mother's Day.
"I think no matter what, we'll be busy for Mother's Day, she said. "It's a Sunday, so the everyday traffic won't be out, and we've had a lot of request for reservations for that day."
The work on Miller Road will continue until Sept. 15.
***
Top
Businesses, residents brace for mess during Miller Road reconstruction
FLINT TOWNSHIP
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Monday, May 05, 2008
By Ron Fonger
rfonger@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6317
FLINT TWP. - Betty Lawrence has seen a lot living 40 years on and around Miller Road, and she knows the big reconstruction that starts here today will be another sight to behold.
"Everyone who comes in talks about it," she said Friday from her home on Curtis Road, just north of Miller Road. "It's going to be a mess."
The Genesee County Road Commission, businesses and drivers who make Miller Road one of the busiest in the county hope that mess at least ends up being manageable.
They will start to find out today as Miller Road traffic shifted this morning from I-75 west to Manwaring Drive and the first chunks of road are torn up.
About 21,000 vehicles drive that stretch on an average day and now, they'll have to share one eastbound, one westbound and one turn lane for the next six weeks.
Also starting this week will be work in the intersection of Ballenger Highway and Miller.
As soon as that first phase of work is complete, contractor Zito Construction will move the work area from Manwaring to Linden Road before finishing work in the area from I-75 east toward Ballenger Highway.
John T. Plamondon, construction manager of the road commission, said that when traffic is shifted to the southern-most side of Miller today, work can start on tearing out concrete and asphalt in the northern-most lanes.
"Once we get it set up, things will go smoothly," said Plamondon, who said shoppers shouldn't be scared away from the township because of the job -even if it is the biggest the road commission ever has managed.
The work on Miller Road is expected to cost more than $10 million and continue until Sept. 15.
Those long months of slow going on Miller worries business owners such as Dave Barclay of Duke's Car Stereo. He's right in the heart of the project and already is worried about the potential for backups and frustration.
"Four months -that's an awful long time," Barclay said.
"My first hope was for a faster turnaround time."
Like others bracing for the reconstruction, Duke's will remind customers it has other Flint area locations that might be easier to get to.
Barclay said he knows most businesses don't have that luxury and believes the summerlong construction will cause some businesses to close before its over.
"It's definitely going to hurt, (and) it's tough enough already in this economy," he said.
At Dale's Natural Foods, Manager Deb Gustafson said some customers already are making plans for how to get to the health food store when Miller Road traffic slows.
Dale's is posting construction updates on its Web site, www.dalesnaturalfoods.net.
"We're really apprehensive, (but) exactly how it's going to affect us, we don't know," Gustafson said.
Area homeowners such as Lawrence, who live on Miller Road's remaining residential side streets, also have mixed feelings about the need to repair the road and the short-term aggravation.
Lawrence, 81, hasn't been driving a vehicle since a car accident in 2005, but she continues to walk on Curtis Road and has regular visitors. She moved her home here from Miller Road as property values soared because of the demand for retail property.
"I imagine we're going to get a lot of noise and smells," she said. "There's nothing much you can do about it but to be stuck."
***
Top
Officials break ground on Miller Road project
FLINT TOWNSHIP
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
By Ashley A. Smith
asmith@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6249
FLINT TWP. - Look out: Construction starts next week on busy Miller Road.
Federal, county and local officials donned yellow hard hats and grabbed shovels Monday to break ground and celebrate the beginning of construction on the commercial thoroughfare.
Although the project will cause lane closures, detours and traffic backups - the likelihood of which already is causing worries for some business owners - officials say the inconveniences will be offset by a smoother road, increased safety and better traffic flow when the project is completed.
"Thousands of people drive to work every day, go to stores and move from one end of the community to the other on this road," said U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
The $10-million project from Linden Road to Ballenger Highway is the largest ever for the Genesee County Road Commission. Construction is expected to last through September.
Roseanna Knoack, manager of Bob Evans Restaurant, 3267 Miller Road, said she hopes construction ends on time.
"It depends on weather conditions, if they run into problems and drivers," said Knack. "All businesses will be slightly affected, but we're excited and hopeful we will maintain sales."
While under construction, traffic will be reduced from two lanes in each direction to one.
A left-turn lane also will remain open.
The first phase of construction will begin east of Manwaring Drive to I-75. It will include the ramp to southbound I-75 and the intersection of Miller Road and Lennon and Ballenger roads.
The first phase is expected to be completed in June.
***
Top
Businesses brace for blow on Miller Road
FLINT TOWNSHIP
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Monday, April 07, 2008
Staff report
FLINT TWP. - Business owners along Miller Road believe its reconstruction is a necessity, but one that will cause a decline in their profits this summer.
"I know they're trying to make it painless, but it's still going to be painful," said Daniel Andrews, owner of Fuddruckers, 2373 Austin Place. "The businesses still have to pay bills and taxes."
Andrews and others gathered last week at the final public meeting on the project to discuss the impact of the busy road's reconstruction. While he acknowledges the necessity and eventual benefits of the reconstruction, Andrews fears the short-term financial losses during his peak summer season.
"We market Miller Road with billboards," Andrews said. "That's how we draw that traffic," he said of I-75. "This is going to discourage that."
Fuddruckers has only one entrance and exit off of Miller Road.
The project will repair Miller Road between Linden Road and Ballenger Highway, a stretch of about two miles. The construction will be split into three phases from May 5 through Sept. 15.
"There is no convenient time to do a road. Short-term, there is going to be adverse impact of traffic flow," said John Daly, manager-director of the Genesee County Road Commission. "But the road will stay for 15 to 20 years."
Daly said the construction will be completed before the peak fall shopping season. The road commission will keep the public informed about the construction through a daily or weekly e-mail service, he added.
In a presentation outlining the reconstruction, construction manager John Plamondon promised three lanes of traffic - a single lane going in each direction plus a left-turn lane - at all times; open driveway access to all the businesses; changeable message signs on I-75; and weekly updates to the public through an e-mail notifier service.
"My main concern is customers getting to the stores," said Mark Kloeckner, owner of Oreck Vacuums, 4270 Miller Road. "I'm going to see how they're going to accommodate the customers so I could pass along the information to them."
Jay Wise, district manager of Northwest Tires and Service, 4545 Miller Road, said the project needs to take place, but he doesn't understand why it's in the summer.
The majority of Northwest's business is from walk-ins, and he's expecting it to suffer with diminished traffic flow.
"If they get it done in the manner they described, I don't see a problem, but there's a lot of 'ifs,'" Wise said. "You don't beat your car up and then get it repaired."
***
Top
Public Meeting/Open House
Miller Road Reconstruction Project
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
April 1, 2008
Please join the Genesee County Road
Commission and the consultant team
as they present details of staging and timing
for reconstruction of Miller Road from Linden
Road to I-75.
The open house begins at 6:00 p.m.
and will be followed by a formal
presentation at 7:00 p.m.
Flint Township Municipal Center
1490 S. Dye Road
(NW corner of Corunna & Dye Rd.)
Refreshments will be served.
Click on map to enlarge.
Top
Miller Road hassles minimized
FLINT JOURNAL LETTER TO THE EDITOR
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Friday, December 07, 2007
By John H. Daly III
Journal Reader
I completely agree with The Flint Journal editorial regarding the pending reconstruction of Miller Road between Ballenger Highway and Linden Road [Nov. 12, Page A10]. As you correctly assessed: " even under ideal circumstances, the price will include a major disruption to this county's prime commercial district ...." But let me take this opportunity to assure you and your readers that every person involved in this project is keenly aware of the crucial nature of this corridor and that every effort is being made to keep disruption to a minimum.
For one thing, the project is on an extremely tight construction schedule, with actual road work to begin in early May and be completed by mid-September, before the holiday rush begins. Also, the work will be done in stages. Phase I (the segment of Miller between I-75 and Lennon Road) will be completed by mid-June when Phase II (the segments from Lennon Road to Linden Road and from Ballenger to I-75) begins.
Further, three lanes of traffic (one lane in each direction and a center left-turn lane) will be kept open at all times during both phases.
We have also established a "Miller Road Program" page on our Web site (www.gcrc.org/miller_road.html), with project timelines, the latest news, funding information, video presentations, frequently asked questions and a link to contact us directly. It soon will also have a link to video cameras placed along Miller Road for a "live" look at construction progress and traffic conditions.
Perhaps most importantly, there is a link that enables users to be automatically notified by e-mail when the Web page is updated. Using this feature, you could be automatically notified when the next public meeting on this project is scheduled, for example.
Some disruption is inevitable on a project of this nature, but we intend to do all we can to make it as brief and painless as possible.
John H. Daly III
manager-director,
Genesee County Road Commission
Top
Road Critic Appeased
FLINT TOWNSHIP
THE FLINT TOWNSHIP NEWS
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Staff Report
Ken Grover, a member of the Flint Township Road Advisory Board,
said he's backing off of his criticism of the reconstruction of
Miller Road, which is scheduled to begin next year.
Grover and fellow board member David Huffman made headlines recently
when they suggested that much of the work could be done at night
to spare businesses and shoppers.
That idea was disputed by John Daly III, manager-director of
the Genesee County Road Commission. Daly said it probably would
be too difficult to do most of the work at night, and businesses
would be accommodated by always having a lane open.
Grover said he met with Daly last week and was satisfied with
how the contract allows night work if the contractor chooses to
do so.
The $12.5-million reconstruction, from Ballenger Highway to Linden
Road, is being funded primarily with federal dollars. The project
is expected to begin in May and be completed by September.
- Staff report
Top
$12.5-million Miller Road project to smooth path to shopping
FLINT TWP. - Just before the start of the 2008 holiday season,
just after Halloween decorations come down, the Genesee County
Road Commission will give merchants and their customers along
one of the county's busiest thoroughfares a $12.5-million gift,
according to The Flint Township News' Web site, www.mlive.com/flinttownship.
The gift: A new and improved Miller Road.
Construction on the 4.75-mile stretch of Miller Road, between
the Flint city limits at Ballenger Highway west to the old Lansing
Highway, should start sometime next spring, said John Daly, manager-director
of the Genesee County Road Commission.
The project should be completed by late October, or early November
at the latest, said Daly, who spoke at the October meeting of
the West Flint Business Association.
"This project is kinda like a duck you see swimming in a
pond," Daly said. While the duck may appear to be floating
leisurely across the water, "you look underneath and the
duck is paddling like hell."
The construction work will include not only rebuilding Miller
Road, but the placement of curbside "cutouts" for buses
that will enable them to pick up and drop off passengers without
stopping traffic.
The logjam at the entry points onto I-75 will function more efficiently
with the addition of dual turn lanes.
Traffic signals also will be replaced with a radio-controlled
system that will respond "to traffic that is actually there,
rather than the traffic we think is going there," Daly said.
The estimated price tag of $12.5 million makes the Miller Road
project the most expensive in the history of the road commission,
Daly said.
On Nov. 2, bids will be accepted for the reconstruction, and
on Nov. 7 bids will be accepted for the replacement of signal
lights along the road, Daly explained.
"We started looking at this in terms of the initial look
in 2002, and started putting the pieces together, how we were
going to break the project into sections ... in '03, '04 and really
starting putting it together in '06," Daly said.
While landscaping of the street would be a nice addition, Daly
said there is no room in the current budget for cosmetic improvements.
During the business meeting, Larry Ford, deputy director of the
Flint Downtown Development Authority, suggested that construction
work on Miller Road continue at night.
But Daly ruled out that possibility, saying there's not enough
local personnel and equipment, such as lighting, to support such
an approach.
Top
Preliminary Recommendations Presentation
The Genesee County Road Commission has announced that a public
meeting/open house for the Miller Road Reconstruction Project
(Miller Road from Linden Road to I-75) will be held on Wednesday
February 28, 2007 from 6-8 p.m. at the Flint Township Municipal
Center. The purpose of this, the second of three scheduled public
meetings, is to present preliminary recommendations regarding
operational, access and safety issues and get public input regarding
the transportation needs of the corridor.
The project will be engineered and designed in 2007. Actual construction
work will begin in early spring 2008, with the goal of being completed
by October 2008. Reconstruction of this heavily traveled corridor
is expected to cost over $8 million. It is being funded through
a combination of sources including the federal Surface Transportation
Program, the state “Jobs Today” program, the Flint
Township Central Business District Authority and the Genesee County
Road Commission.
The Flint Township Municipal Center is located at 1490 S. Dye
Road (at the northwesterly corner of Corunna Road and Dye Road).
An informal “Open House” begins at 6:00 and a formal
presentation of the project will be made at 7:00. The public is
welcome and encouraged to attend.
For more information contact Richard Hill at the Genesee County
Road Commission at rhill@gcrc.org.
***
Top
Miller Road plan pleases, concerns business
owners
FLINT TOWNSHIP
THE FLINT TOWNSHIP NEWS
Sunday, January 07, 2007
By Jeff Smith
jfsmith@flinttownshipnews.com • 810.766.6328
FLINT TWP. - A Genesee County Road Commission plan to rebuild
and repave Miller Road is a year late, according to one township
official.
But township Supervisor Doug Carlton said the project is mostly
in the county's control, even though it involves one of the main
thoroughfares in that municipality's retail hub.
"I would like to see it done in 2007, but they waited too
long," said Carlton, referring to the road commission. "We're
pretty much bound by what they end up doing."
The project, which has been on the township's wish list for several
years, involves rebuilding and repaving Mlller Road from Ballenger
Highway in Flint to Lansing Highway in Gaines Township.
"Originally they wanted to have a little more green space,
but the way things are set up, there's not much room for it,"
Carlton said.
John H. Daly III, manager-director of the road commission, said
he hoped construction could start this year in time for a 2008
completion date.
"The first thing you have to realize is that Miller Road
is not a project but a series of projects that make up a program,"
Daly said. The job involves the rebuilding of 4.68 miles of road.
Daly noted that some major funding for the project just recently
fell into place, hence the 2008 starting date. Federal aid, totalling
5.4 million was just allocated in November, while $1.4 million
from the Michigan Jobs Today!, a state program endorsed by Gov.
Jennifer Granholm, isn't expected to be allocated until March.
Because of the funding schedule, the project would have started
too late in 2007 to complete before the holiday season, so it
was decided to go with a 2008 starting date, he said.
"I would have liked to start it in '07 if the money had
been available, but our contractors usually like us to pay them
(first)," Daly laughed.
Initially, Daly placed the price tag for the project at nearly
$10 million, but said the total could come to $12.3 million with
the addition of a third lane, heading east toward Flint. He requested
$500,000 from the Genesee County Board of Commissioners, and is
counting on $6.4 million in federal funds, $1.2 million from his
commission's own budget, $1 million from the Michigan Department
of Transportation and lesser amounts from Flint and Flint Township.
Daly said if commissioners don't contribute, the road commission
should borrow from the state Infrastructure Bank loan program
to finish the job. The contribution from the township is coming
from the coffers of the township's Central Business Development
Authority, Carlton said. The authority, which suspended its operations
at the close of 2006, allocated $490,000 to the Miller Road project.
Don Eve, president of the West Flint Business Association, said
members of the group are happy to hear the work on Miller Road
is due to start.
"My understanding is he's going to have access available
to all of the businesses along the area," Eve said, referring
to Daly.
Eve runs an insurance company that would be directly impacted
by the work on Beecher Road.
In February, Daly is scheduled to speak before the business association
to address members' concerns, Eve said.
***
Top
Miller Makeover
Plan now so 2008 roadwork only part of corridor's face-lift
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Flint Township's busy and beleaguered Miller Road will be repaired
and resurfaced in 2008. But 2007 is the time for the township
to consider other ways to improve the corridor's traffic flow,
appearance and overall convenience for shoppers and business owners.
The road itself is a potholed mess and will need every last penny
of the $10 million slated for improvements. Thankfully, the Genesee
County Road Commission has vowed to see that the project progresses
even if it needs to borrow the money to do so.
In addition to the road, problems with blight, empty storefronts
and general wear and tear must be addressed - the sooner the better.
Unfortunately for Flint Township, the hands of time can't be
turned back. If they could, the township would be able to build
more service drives, require businesses to be farther from the
road and add more green space.
The township should revisit its effort to implement a sign ordinance.
The huge signs along Miller and Linden roads are eyesores. Efforts
to tackle this problem have not met with success, but officials
need to keep trying to find a compromise that all businesses will
buy into.
Miller Road is one of the busiest shopping districts in the county,
but it faces stiff competition from other, newer developments
that offer amenities shoppers appreciate and business owners want
to provide. The new Heritage Park in Grand Blanc Township and
the new town square project in Vienna Township are just a couple
of examples.
More competition is a good thing. Indeed, opening movie theaters
in Grand Blanc Township forced theaters elsewhere to cut prices.
But if Flint Township doesn't do something to improve the shopping
experience on Miller Road, patrons will easily be lured elsewhere.
***
Top
Miller Road reconstruction scheduled for 2008
Plan now so 2008 roadwork only part of corridor's face-lift
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
By Ron Fonger
rfonger@flintjournal.com • 810.766.6317
| QUICK TAKE |
| About the Miller Road project
Scope: The road will be rebuilt and resurfaced
from Ballenger Highway in Flint to Lansing Highway in Gaines
Township.
Cost: Estimated at nearly $10 million,
making it the most expensive job in the 69-year history
of the Genesee County Road Commission.
Timetable: Plans have shifted this year,
but Manager-Director John H. Daly III now says all construction
will occur in 2008.
|
FLINT TWP. - An expensive plan for resurfacing and rebuilding
Miller Road will be started and completed in 2008 - even if the
Genesee County Road Commission has to borrow the money to do it.
"The project will go. We have contingencies lined up so
it can be completely done in 2008," said John H. Daly III,
manager-director of the Road Commission.
In August, Daly said most of the nearly $10-million project would
take place in 2008 but still hoped to start work in 2007.
But with some of the project's funding still in question, Daly
told the three-member commission this month that doing the entire
job in one construction season makes the most sense.
Further, he said, the agency should do the job regardless of
whether the county Board of Commissioners decides to chip in $500,000
for the job as Daly has requested.
Condensing the work to one year will give officials time to finalize
funding even though most of the money is already committed. It
also would inflict the least hardship on businesses, Daly said.
In addition to the $500,000 sought from the county board, the
Road Commission is counting on $6.5 million in federal funds,
$1.2 million from its own budget, $1 million more from the Michigan
Department of Transportation and lesser amounts from Flint and
Flint Township.
Daly said if commissioners don't contribute, the Road Commission
should borrow from the State Infrastructure Bank loan program
to finish the job.
"We will rebuild in 2008 whether we have the cash on hand
or not," he said.
The SIB has a limited amount of money available for low-interest
loans for transportation improvements, according to the MDOT's
Web site.
The condition of Miller Road -home of one of the county's busiest
shopping areas -has deteriorated for several years, and business
employees and shoppers have noticed.
"I think it needs to be done because the road is quite bad,"
said Paula Huggard, office manager for A New Life Chiropractic,
4290 Miller Road.
Huggard said she's not sure if it's best to wait until 2008 and
suffer through repairs in a long, single construction season.
"Either way, it's going to be inconvenient," she said.
"The sooner they get it, the better."
***
Top
|
