The East Lansing Transportation Commission presented its plan Tuesday for safety and aesthetically-pleasing upgrades along East Grand River Avenue to the city council.
The commission’s proposal is to serve as a rough outline for improvements city leaders hope to make to a section of the roadway between Bogue Street and Hagadorn Road to make it safer and more aesthetically pleasing for its motorists, pedestrians and cyclists.
The city council will address the issue further at a public hearing June 18.
The proposed face-lift includes 8-foot-wide sidewalks with pedestrian level lighting, decorative paving, irrigated lawn parcels and a new traffic signal and crosswalk at Stoddard Avenue.
The plan would cost an estimated $550,000.
But some council members aren’t ready to buy it.
“The main reason we originally called for an improvement was for pedestrian and bike safety and the plan right now doesn’t do much to get there,” Councilmember Vic Loomis said.
“It’s more geared toward aesthetic objectives and making the area look better. I think the plan falls short of addressing the primary objectives.”
The improvement proposal is expected make Grand River Avenue more similar on both its downtown and eastern portions.
Loomis said the stretch of Grand River Avenue east of Bogue Street has proved to be treacherous for pedestrians, motorists, and city policy makers because of controversy involving the interest of area businesses.
The city began its endeavor to improve the area of road in question in 1999 when it assigned an eight-person team to evaluate the avenue’s problems.
It will likely be a while longer before city leaders can see eye to eye with residents and business owners on what to do with East Grand River Avenue.
Jim Spanos, property owner of 126 Stoddard Ave., said he would like the idea for the cross-walk at Stoddard Avenue to be reviewed by a professional engineer because he fears unforeseen traffic complications because of the crosswalk.
The crosswalk plan had not been approved by the Michigan Department of Transportation as of Tuesday’s city work session.
Nancy Kurdziel of Prime Housing Group, 1390 E. Grand River Ave., also had several points of concern to bring before the council.
Kurdziel said the proposed plan would not be ideal because it cuts too far into the properties of several apartment complexes thus endangering tenants to threats of traffic crashing into the apartments.
She cited the two instances of a vehicle crashing into the Asian House, 1001 E. Grand River Ave., last year.
But city officials say they won’t make a decision without hearing from all concerned parties.
Deputy City Manager Jean Golden said although the council could decide to vote on the plan soon, it would not do something without representing the majority of the community.
“We try to do things by consensus in the city wherever possible and until we come up with a plan that works for everyone this issue will not be resolved,” Golden said.
Erik Syverson can be reached syverso1@msu.edu.
