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Opinion: Commission approves site plans May 24

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By Elizabeth Jordan

Monday, May 30, 2011

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The Flint Planning Commission May 24 approved site plans for short-term medical rehabilitation facility on Clio Road and a new Michigan School for the Deaf building and athletic fields on its campus.

The medical rehabilitation facility at 5928 Clio Rd., between Stedron Street and Home Avenue, would have patients who typically would stay for three months or less. It will have 160 beds and room for an additional 20 dialysis patients. It includes physical therapy facilities and other amenities to promote convalescence.

Construction is slated to start in February 2012 and it would open in 2013. Commissioner Freeman Greer recused himself because he is the architect for the project.

The second site plan was a new Michigan School for the Deaf building and athletic fields on its campus.

Lurvey White Ventures bought the property from the state of Michigan and is now planning to build a new facility for MSD. They are in talks with Powers about adding to the existing Fay Hall, but that is not part of the current site plan. The site plan calls for demolishing two vacant buildings.

The planning commission heard presentations from a planner from the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce, who is involved in a planners roundtable, a planner from the Genesee County Land Bank and a planner from the C.S. Mott Foundation.

Each is providing in-kind technical assistance to collect background materials for the Flint master planning process because Flint does not have a planning department.

A proposed timeline for selecting the planning consultants that will be involved was presented as well as a process for selecting them.

A consultant selection committee will include two planning commissioners as well as the planners roundtable. After a request for qualifications is released, their task will be to narrow down the candidate pool to the top four to five to submit proposals. The full planning commission will then interview the top candidates and make a recommendation to the Flint City Council. The council is responsible for actually authorizing a contract.

Commissioners Robert Jewell and Greer volunteered to serve on the selection committee.

In an update on other facets of the master planning process the commission was told the mayor is considering applications for the chief planning officer job that were submitted in March. Jim Richardson has been selected as the community member who will serve as co-chairman of the steering committee.

The planning commission reviewed a proposed amendment to the outdoor seating ordinance that would eliminate the full site plan review process (and costs) for outdoor seating for eight or fewer people. The planning commission will probably have a public hearing on the amendment at the next meeting.

City departments continue to try to figure out how Flint can best deal with medical marijuana. The legal department will start drafting an ordinance this week as a starting point for getting feedback from the various bodies. It will probably be a multi-draft process because of the complexity of the issue.

The planning commission heard two presentations.

The first was for senior apartments in what was Oak School (near the White Horse Tavern). The developer and architect are making a submission to the Department of Housing and Urban Development for financing.

Commissioners said it was not possible to give preliminary approval because it did not have any materials to review. However, it did authorize staff to write a letter expressing the commission's appreciation for the presentation and its eagerness to fully review the plans through the site plan review process.

The second presentation was from students in an architecture design class at Baker College about redevelopment of the Delphi site on Dort Highway. The concepts included many ideas for green technology, mass transit, medical research, recycling, hydroponic agriculture and community services.

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Elizabeth Jordan is a lifelong Flint resident who represents the Ninth Ward on the Flint Planning Commission. In addition to working in the nonprofit sector, she is involved with various community initiatives promoting social justice and peace.

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