Farmington : Development News

5 Metro Detroit cities share in $1.06M grant for new lighting tech

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Light bulbs that are part of a million-dollar-plus investment from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation could flip the switch on job creation, energy savings and environmental protection.

Through the MEDC's Advanced Lighting Technology Demonstration grants, 14 Michigan communities are sharing the $1,066,429 pool. They're committing to updating their bulbs to higher tech, energy saving designs and, when possible, to buying them from Michigan manufacturers. The object is to save money (taxpayer dollars) on energy costs, prevent greenhouse gases by replacing old-style inefficient bulbs and create jobs that involve the nuts and bolts of updating, replacing and maintaining the new bulbs.

Melanie McCoy, general manager of Wyandotte's municipal services department, says the LED project will be completed in tandem with a solar panel installation on city buildings.

"What we're going to do is actually a fabulous project," she says.

The $100,000 grant will pay for part of a project to replace existing street lamps and pedestrian walkway lights along a path that leads from the public library, down Biddle Avenue through downtown and up Eureka Road for several blocks to the high school.

The project, which will go out to bid as soon as the city searches for Michigan companies that can benefit, will be completed by next July. At the same time the city will use its own funds to add solar power generators to the library and a water department building.

"This is a combination of a renewable energy project together with an energy efficiency project," McCoy says.

MEDC President and CEO Michael A. Finney says in a statement announcing the award of the grants that "the energy and cost savings benefits plus the maintenance savings due to the longer life of the lamps are impressive with the newer technology lighting that's now available. These benefits are more important than ever to local governments in reducing operating expenses."

"In addition, manufacturing of advanced lighting technologies is a growing industry in Michigan and has the potential to create a new source of jobs and investment for local and state economies."

The types of lighting to be used in the government facilities and on public transportation vehicles include LEDs, or light emitting diodes, AKA solid state lighting; induction lighting, and plasma lighting.

The recipients of the grants must collect data and report their energy savings, cost savings, jobs created. The Michigan Energy Office will require that funded grantees regularly collect, track, and report metrics data related to energy savings, cost savings, jobs created and emissions reductions.

Besides Wyandotte, other metro Detroit recipients are Roseville, $81,074; Hazel Park, $50,150; Farmington Hills, $81,405; and Detroit, $100,000.

Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Melanie McCoy, city of Wyandotte
Writer: Kim North Shine

DTE Energy's community gardens expand

metromode Thursday, May 26, 2011

DTE Energy's community gardens are growing by four acres and possibly hundreds of new volunteers this year.

Farming season for the 10 DTE Energy Gardens kicked off in Southfield earlier this week, starting a multi-faceted project that provides food to Gleaners Community Food Bank. The gardens also offer volunteers the opportunity to get involved in their communities, to get more exercise and to learn about gardening. The gardens also serve as aesthetic buffers around DTE facilities.

Last year, the 10 gardens produced 44,000 pounds of food for Gleaners and its food banks. With extra land and more volunteers - as many as 1,000 total - the amount of food grown is expected to increase this year, DTE Spokesman Scott Simons says.

DTE Energy and Gleaners started the program at two electric substations in 2008 and have since expanded to company properties in Allen Park, Birmingham, Farmington Hills, Frenchtown Township, Plymouth Township, Pontiac, Southfield, Lyon Township, Washington Township and Westland.

Source: Scott Simons, spokesman, DTE Energy
Writer: Kim North Shine

Six Oakland County Main Streets ace their tests

metromode Thursday, May 19, 2011

What does it take to be declared a perfect downtown Main Street?

Six Oakland County communities have been told they're perfect when it comes to their Main Streets and carrying out the mission of working to make their core go-to destinations for great shopping, eating, working and living and community gathering places.

Farmington, Ferndale, Lake Orion, Ortonville, Oxford and Rochester all received perfect 10 out of 10 scores on their accreditation from the National Main Street Center in Washington, D.C..

Each community has its own character: Ferndale with its eclectic, hipster vibe, Rochester with its upscale feel mixed with history, and all the rest their local style and appeal.

Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson recognized the accomplishments of the Oakland County Main Street programs (half a billion in investment in 11 years) last week at the Rust Belt Market on Woodward and 9 Mile in Ferndale, a poignant example of concerted DDA efforts to keep Main Streets thriving.

"The perfect scores attained by these six Main Street communities in their annual evaluation attests to the hard work of many in our downtown areas involved with our Main Street Oakland County program," Patterson says in a statement. "This is a wonderful and well-deserved recognition."

The 10 criteria for scoring were:
Broad-based community support for downtown revitalization
A clear mission and vision statement for the downtown
A downtown revitalization work plan
A historic preservation ethic recognizing the importance of sense of place
A downtown management organization
An adequate operating budget
Paid professional program manager
Ongoing training for staff and volunteers
Reporting of key investment statistics
National Main Street membership

Oakland County was the first county in the United States to operate a county-wide Main Street program, Main Street Oakland County.

Main Street is a trademarked program of the National Main Street Center in Washington, D.C. In addition to the perfect score recipients, members of Main Street Oakland County are: Franklin, Highland, Holly, Pontiac, and Walled Lake. Berkley, Clarkston, Clawson, Hazel Park, Leonard, South Lyon, and Waterford are in the Main Street Oakland County mentoring program.

Since Main Street Oakland County's formation in 2000, there has been more than $560 million of new investment in Main Street Oakland County communities, over 5,100 jobs created, 551 new businesses opened, and almost 170,000 volunteer hours logged, according to the county.

Source: Pam Tremble, executive assistant, Oakland County
Writer: Kim North Shine

Oakland Community College invests $1.3 million in campus improvements

metromode Thursday, April 07, 2011

As enrollment hits record levels at Oakland Community College, it is investing in improvements to campus facilities.

The latest project, $1.3 million, will pay for improvements at the Orchard Ridge campus in Farmington Hills and the Royal Oak campus.

In Farmington Hills, exterior sealant and glazing on bricks will be replaced while the other project will replace lintels and brick masonry supports above doors at three buildings.

In Royal Oak, a shower is being converted into a science lab and multipurpose classroom and one of two parking structures on the edge of downtown will receive a new payment system on the first floor.

"We have in excess of 29,000 students enrolled, the highest we've ever registered," says George Cartsonis, director of communications for OCC.

Oakland Community College has five campuses and is the largest community college in Michigan -- 25th largest in the U.S., Cartsonis adds.

Source: George Cartsonis, director of communications, Oakland Community College
Writer: Kim North Shine

Smart meters spreading across Oakland County

metromode Thursday, April 07, 2011

Installation of high-tech electric meters that will change the way DTE Energy receives power usage information and increase customers' control over energy use has begun in Oakland County.

Over the next several months about 350,000 meters will be placed at homes and businesses in 25 communities: Berkley, Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, Clawson, Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Franklin, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Lathrup Village, Madison Heights, Northville, Novi, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak, Royal Oak Township, Southfield, Southfield Township, Troy, Walled Lake, and Wixom.

This portion of the installation of the "smart" meters come at a cost of about $168 million, half of it from a Smart Grid Investment Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The meters will form what DTE Energy is calling "the backbone" of its SmartCurrents program. DTE's matching $84 million grant helps achieve a nationwide effort to update the country's electrical grid.

The meters will provide detailed information about energy usage directly to DTE, recognize power outages without customer input, and allow DTE to quickly locate and repair outages and other service problems. The meters will nearly eliminate estimated billing and allow for service to be remotely connected or disconnected rather than requiring appointments with technicians.

In addition, technology will be wired into the meters to allow customers to better manage their energy usage and bills. The SmartCurrents technology can be tied to similarly "smart" appliances, thermostats, and such. The DOE funding will allow DTE Energy to offer an in-home display product and special thermostats to nearly 1,500 customers. Check out smartcurrents.com for more information.

DTE has installed about 250,000 meters so far in Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Commerce Township, Grosse Ile, Harsen's Island, and West Bloomfield Township. By early 2012 a total of about 600,000 meters will have been installed.

Source: Scott Simons, spokesman, DTE Energy
Writer: Kim North Shine

Main Street Oakland recognizes top downtown projects

metromode Thursday, March 10, 2011

An assortment of projects, seen as prime examples for how to carve out thriving a downtown, are winners of the 2011 Main Street Oakland Awards.

Among the more than 25 winners were:

The Farmington DDA's Grand River Avenue Streetscape Promotion Campaign, which won the Outstanding Brand & Imaging Campaign Effort/Strategy.

In the design category, Patti's Place in Lake Orion won Outstanding Facade/Building Rehabilitation Award for projects between $10,000 and $50,000. The Village Mall in Farmington won the same award for a project of more than $50,000.

Ferndale took home several awards, including the Pedestrian Alley Project, a cooperative effort between the city, the DDA, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and Foley & Mansfield, which won the Outstanding Private/Public Partnership Award. The Lofts on 9 in Ferndale won the Outstanding New Construction Project Award and the Ferndale DDA won the Special Achievement award, in addition to businesses that took home awards.

Creekfest in Ortonville won the Outstanding Special Event Award.

A Special Partnership Award went to Pontiac Mayor Leon Jukowski, the Pontiac DDA and the Pontiac Downtown Business Association.

The Outstanding Core Area Downtown Master Plan went to the Walled Lake DDA Design Committee and Beckett & Raeder, Inc. for the Walled Lake DDA Lakefront Area Framework Plan.

Main Street is a program of the national Main Street Center in Washington, D.C.

Farmington, Ferndale, Franklin, Highland, Holly, Lake Orion, Ortonville, Oxford, Pontiac, Rochester, and Walled Lake are MSOC communities. Berkley, Clarkston, Clawson, Hazel Park, Leonard, South Lyon and Waterford participate in the mentoring program.

Oakland County was the first in the U.S. to operate a county-wide Main Street program that works with 32 downtowns deemed to be distinct or historic. Since Main Street Oakland began in 2000, according to the county, there has been $560 million in investment in 11 downtowns, more than 5,000 jobs created, and 529 businesses established.

For more information or a complete list of 2011 Main Street Oakland Award winners, go to www.mainstreetoaklandcounty.com.

Source: Stephen Huber, Oakland County Economic Development and Community Affairs
Writer: Kim North Shine

Virtual 8 Mile shows sky-high views of the 3D street-level

metromode Thursday, February 24, 2011

Technology and marketing are converging in a push to promote business, transportation, and commercial development along 8 Mile.

If Virtual 8 Mile, an application developed by the Eight Mile Boulevard Association and Plymouth-based Luna Tech Designs, goes as planned the 27-mile corridor can be viewed on a 3D virtual interface using Google Earth.

Ideally, visitors to the site can zoom in on member businesses, which also will get Google priority listings during searches for businesses of their type.

The $5,000 in funding for the application came from the Michigan Dept of Transportation.

Virtual 8 Mile will also show visitors development possibilities and real estate opportunities, including details and photos of available land and property, along the stretch of road that cuts through Wayne and Oakland counties.

In addition, the site shows improvement projects, including facade renovations and median gardens, and public transportation routes and other information that can make patronizing a business or starting one easier.

For a business such as the Belmont Shopping Center, which now is viewable by visitors, "it is another way to promote an existing tenant mix and is also a business attraction tool for vacancies," says Tami Salisbury, executive director of the 8 Mile Boulevard Association.

The 13 communities bordering the Eight Mile corridor, which spans Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, stand to gain from increased exposure, Salisbury says.

"It really is a snapshot of 8 Mile, what's going on there and the potential that is there," Salisbury says.

In a larger sense, she says, the project helps the association in its mission to change the reputation, accurate or not, that 8 Mile Road is a has-been.

"It's equally as important to change the mental landscape as it is to change the physical landscape," Salisbury says. "We are changing mental perceptions people have of 8 Mile by showing them these physical transformations."

Source: Tami Salisbury, executive director, Eight Mile Boulevard Association
Writer: Kim North Shine

Oakland County makes energy efficient upgrades, saves $4 million

Metromode Thursday, December 09, 2010

Window replacements, new weather stripping, new heating systems, and heating and cooling system management are all energy efficient improvements that Oakland County plans to make in its buildings.

And with those improvements, savings are estimated at $627,000 a year on utility bills for those buildings, according to a recent audit.

Art Holdsworth, director of facilities management for the county, says that although the audit turned up significant potential savings and improvements, it also determined that the county was already doing a lot of things right. "The audit was very complementary to the campus and what we've been doing here. We've gone a long way toward green activities and energy conservation."

The $200,000 audit, done a few months ago, was paid for by a $4.8 million Energy Efficiency and Conversation Block Grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy. More than $3.5 million worth of energy retrofit projects were identified, of which at least $2.5 million will be covered by the grant.

Some examples of pending projects include tightening building envelopes through new weather stripping, new windows, and additional insulation; replacing inefficient heating and cooling systems; replacing light bulbs; and improving energy monitoring systems, such as controlling on and off times for heating and cooling.

Holdsworth says the Dept. of Energy likes to have EECBG recipients using half their funds by the end of June, so over the next few months, the county will issue requests for proposal for the projects.

"Clearly the energy savings is very important because the county and local governments are seeing their revenues plummet, property devaluation, and so on," he says. "At the same time, if we can be environmentally friendly on top of the energy savings, and pursue them both hand in hand, then that's a real win-win."

With other energy management technology, Oakland County has already saved about $4 million in utility bills over the last few years. These energy savings are part of Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson's OakGreen Program and Challenge announced in May to encourage local governments, businesses and residents to reduce their energy consumption 10 percent by the end of 2012. For more information on the OakGreen Program and Challenge, click here.

Source: Art Holdsworth, Director of Facilities Management, Oakland County
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Diversifying economy boosts Oakland County's bond rating

Metromode Thursday, December 02, 2010

Seven years ago, Oakland County executive L. Brooks Patterson saw a headline proclaiming that 200,000 jobs had left Michigan. He turned his director of economic development onto a research project: look into what new sectors of business were being developed.

By the next year, they had a program - Emerging Sectors, dedicated to growing new economy jobs.

Now, six years after that program took effect, the county is reaping awards in addition to the jobs now in place -- Emerging Sectors was among the reasons the county's AAA bond rating was reaffirmed on the $3 million Bloomfield Township Combined Sewer Overflow Drainage District bonds and $1.2 million Highland Township Well Water Supply System bonds.

What this means for the taxpayer is millions of dollars in savings. With a higher rating, there's less interest on the bonds, and taxpayers end up paying less. "It's a reflection of the confidence by Wall Street of how Oakland County is managing in these tough times," Patterson says.

And, "It gives me as an elected official bragging rights," he jokes.

Through Emerging Sectors, the county focused on growing the health care sector and worked to diversify the county's job base. "When we're done, we won't be recession proof, but we will be recession resistant because we have diversified our economy among many sectors," he says. "Wall Street saw that."

"It's proof that we can and we will manage our way through these very tough times," he says.

The sale of bonds was approved earlier this year for inspection and rehabilitation of the Bloomfield Township system; the Highland Township system will see 6,500 feet of new water main to connect two well water systems.

Source: L. Brooks Patterson, Oakland County executive
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Farmington Hills to dedicate greener City Hall next week

Metromode Thursday, November 11, 2010

Farmington Hills' new city hall -- with a range of energy-efficient features -- will be shown off at an open house and re-dedication ceremony next week.

The celebration comes after an 18-month renovation of what had been a hodge-podge of buildings and additions to the original 1950s building. It hardly made for efficient working or energy-saving conditions. The new city hall boasts a laundry list of new, green features -- glass, skylights and translucent wall panels to let in daylight; a 40-well geothermal heating system; solar thermal hot water heating; solar photovoltaic system; a green roof; native landscaping; and many other features.

"We tried to make this building as sustainable as our budget would allow," says city management assistant Nate Geinzer. "Using less energy also saves us money, and allows us to use those dollars in other places."

He estimates that the project is about 95 percent complete, with a few punch list items still to be taken care of. No cost savings quite yet, but models of the project estimate the city will save about $30,000 in energy annually off of the previous average of $80,000 each year. The heating system is also estimated to be 68 percent more efficient.

The project came in just under the $8 million budget, with the solar photovoltaic panels covered by a block grant, and the rest allocated by the city over time so as not to raise taxes. The price works out to have about a 20-year payback with energy savings, according to the models.

Geinzer says the old building, built in the 1950s, had leaky roofs and old wood windows -- "You could practically fly a kite in the office," he jokes. Plus, between the original building and six or seven different additions over the years, he estimated, the hall used 14 different HVAC systems. "That alone was worth going to one geothermal system," he says.

The city hall also serves as a means to educate the public and to give them ideas about what they can do in their own homes, he says. He hopes to track energy savings live on the city's Web site and via other informational postings throughout the hall.

The public space has also seen other improvements, including wider corridors, and the work space is more efficiently organized.

The city is working toward LEED gold certification for the project; the design submissions are in and construction items are soon to be submitted. The city will probably know by early next year whether the building has accumulated enough points.

The re-dedication will be next Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 5:00 p.m. The city hall is at 31555 Eleven Mile Road at Orchard Lake Road, and has public parking access from both Eleven Mile and Orchard Lake roads. To learn more, click here.

Source: Nate Geinzer, Farmington Hills management assistant
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Local sculptor sees his "Pyramid Earth" relocated to Oakland Comm College

metromode Thursday, November 04, 2010

Local artist and Oakland Community College faculty member Kegham Tazian is leaving his mark on his employer, after an art piece of his was moved to the Orchard Ridge Campus.

Tazian, a Farmington Hills resident and also the first art faculty member hired by the Orchard Ridge Campus more than 40 years ago, created the eight-foot tall "Pyramid Earth" for TRW Automotive, an auto supplier in Sterling Heights, about 15 years ago. When the plant closed, one of his students happened to know someone who worked there, and was able to connect the piece to his art professor. That student, Charlie Neff, paid for the sculpture's transportation and granite base, Tazian says.

The sculpture is an interpretation of the globe, a relief of the western hemisphere on an upright background.

Tazian says everyone wants to leave their mark, whether it's helping others or creating something that will be around long after you're gone, and art is how he does so. Plus, being on display at a college gives more people the chance to enjoy it, he says.

"I think it enhances the environment," he says of public art.

Tazian teaches sculpture, painting, design, and drawing among his classes at OCC. He has other pieces on display at the college and throughout metro Detroit, including the Farmington Hills Library and St. Sarkis Armenian Church in Dearborn.

Source: Kegham Tazian, artist and Oakland Community College professor
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Farmington Hills offers green building incentives

Metromode Thursday, July 29, 2010

The city of Farmington Hills wants to share its wealth and make homes and businesses more energy-efficient in the meantime.

Federal funding is still available for property owners looking to make environmentally sound improvements. The stimulus money came from the U.S. Dept of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, with the purpose of reducing fossil fuel emissions and total energy use and improving energy efficiency.

"There's a broad range of improvements that qualify for the program," says city management assistant Nate Geinzer. Those include heat pumps, hot water heaters, new windows, and other technologies. "We know as exciting as energy efficiency can be in a home -- the idea of reducing energy costs appeals to most people -- economy-wise, not everybody has the capital to invest. Our EECBG funds provide a little extra incentive to take these measures."

The city has been getting multiple applications per week, he says, and had awarded $14,000 by the end of last quarter since its launch in December. He expects there will be money to award through the busy fall season, even with an onslaught of people tightening up their homes for winter.

Farmington Hills has also set aside money to fund energy audits, although those have been of less interest; Geinzer believes families with limited amounts of money to spend on energy efficiency would invest in a product before an audit. "But for homeowners who know there's a lot to do in a home, but don't know where the best dollars could be spent, an energy audit is a good way to go," he points out.

The city received a total of $791,300 from the Department of Energy, of which it set aside about $50,000 for its energy efficiency improvement incentive program, as well as a separate fund for its building energy audit incentive program. Other improvements include renewable energy and energy enhancements at city hall, the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office, and public information dissemination.

Download an application here.

Source: Nate Geinzer, management assistant for the City of Farmington Hills
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Numerous construction projects recognized with Engineering Society of Detroit awards

metromode Thursday, July 01, 2010

Social significance and innovation are part of what made several local construction projects stand out enough that they were recognized by the Engineering Society of Detroit.

The Construction and Design awards are awarded annually to projects either located in Michigan or built by local companies. The projects were selected based on the quality of the overall design; use of unique engineering solutions; innovative construction techniques and sustainable design; use of environmentally safe products; and economic and social impact.

In the metro area, award recipients were the College for Creative Studies' Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education (Detroit) and JARC's Nusbaum House (Farmington Hills), a group home for adults with disabilities. Robert Stevenson, chair of the committee in charge of selecting the winners and senior vice-president of GHAFARI Associates, says CCS's building was socially significant because of its location in Detroit and the schools involved. "From a design standpoint, it was well done," he says. "Some of the things they did were interesting, like how they brought in light, how they handled utilities."

Recognized with honorable mentions were Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital and Wayne State University's Marvin I. Danto Engineering Development Center in Detroit. Wayne State's engineering building includes outdoor walls that actually lean inward from the top down, but Stevenson says what also makes that building interesting is its housing of high-tech testing. "It's important because it's an important research center here in southeast Michigan," he says. "And then to put that on a college campus and make it look good -- we thought that was a challenge."

Winners from the last few years have had a focus on green and sustainable features. Since the awards are given by a peer group of other architects, that will hopefully foster more innovation, Stevenson says. Teamwork also plays a large part, and that's why the owner, contractor, and designer are all recognized. "We're not an (American Institute of Architects) award -- it's not a beauty contest," he says. "We're looking beyond the skin."

Source: Robert Stevenson, Engineering Society of Detroit award committee chair
Writer: Kristin Lukowski

Greenpath Debt Solutions begins construction on new Farmington Hills HQ

metromode Thursday, May 27, 2010

The ground is broken and the construction fences are up around the site of the future home for GreenPath Debt Solutions.

The non-profit that specializes in financial counseling (think dealing with bankruptcy or foreclosure) is building a new headquarters in Farmington Hills, not far from its existing headquarters on 12 Mile Road. It will house the company's 400 employees, with enough room to accommodate foreseeable growth.

The four-story building will be situated on a 10.5-acre plot just east of Halstead on the south side of 12 Mile Road. The planned 125,000 square-foot structure will house both the non-profit's headquarters and call center, and will come complete with high ceilings to deaden noise.

GreenPath is going for LEED certification by incorporating lots of natural light in the building and preserving a two-acre wetland on the property. The structure was designed by Harley Ellis Devereaux. Work is expected to take up to a year to complete.

Source: GreenPath Debt Solutions
Writer: Jon Zemke

Q&A with Ron Campbell on the Oak Street Fair

metromode Thursday, May 06, 2010

Preserving and improving existing building stock will be a central theme to this year's Oak Street Fair in Hazel Park. The event will focus on helping Oakland County's urban stakeholders revitalize their neighborhoods through sustainable rehabilitation and playing to the area's strengths, such as its local character.

The free event will be held in Scout Park from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Ron Campbell, a principal planner/preservation architect for Oakland County Planning & Economic Development, is helping organize the event and Oakland County's Oak Street program. He agreed to answer a few questions over email about the event and preservation of the region's housing stock.

In a sentence or two, could you sum up what people attending the Oak Street Fair could come away with in regards to improving their home and their neighborhood?

Oak Street and the Oak Street House is a generic term that we are applying to any house built before 1960. We want these home owners to realize that their homes are unique. The issue of keeping and maintaining a house built in 1890 is going to be different than it will be for a house built in 1930, which will be different than for a house built in 1950. Homeowners should come away understanding that maintenance and repair can be very cost effective and there are resources available from experts who understand and have worked with older homes, which is far different than new construction. We want to build a resource bank of knowledgeable and skilled people to share with homeowners.

Metro Detroit's urban housing stock is aging and in many cases crossing the century mark, but many of its building and housing policies, practices, and even conventional wisdom are geared toward new housing. Could you name one policy or idea that either already is or could help bring more of a focus on making the most of the building stock that we have?

A good example that comes to mind is Oakland County's Oak Street program. The primary purpose of Oak Street is to make homeowners and local officials more aware of the economic and social value embodied in established neighborhoods. Also, there are many existing programs/movements focusing on the existing housing stock. The Community Development Block Grant Funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has also provided focus to the importance of existing neighborhoods and homes. But by far the best-known one is the green movement or sustainable design. If it makes sense to recycle soda cans and bottles, how much more sense does it make to recycle our buildings. The greenest house in America today is one that you don't have to build �because it already exists. Building green is more than using Energy Star appliances and bamboo flooring. It is far more environmentally friendly to repair than replace. Fairgoers will find exhibitors to show how you can be green, save money, and have curbside appeal for your home.

Historic preservation is a term that everyone in Metro Detroit seems to easily identify with but is not the best at when it comes to practicing its ideas. The state also recently passed enhanced historical preservation incentives. How much of an impact could these incentives have on making local stakeholders more preservation inclined?

There are various incentives for historic homes, including tax credits, which are effective for those stakeholders, but those incentives apply only to a very small percentage of the existing housing stock. While historic preservation is a component and tool within the Oak Street program, Oak Street is more of a smart rehab program than a historic preservation program. We would certainly advise homeowners to the principals of historic preservation when they repair and remodel their homes; but it would be more with an eye to the economic and environmental sense it makes. The more we can help people realize the extent of the investment our neighborhoods represent and the benefit that we all receive when that investment and unique character that distinguishes their house or neighborhood from others is protected, then the more new and innovative programs will be available to help this larger population.

Name an idea, policy, or mindset from elsewhere that you would like to see this region adopt?

We don't have to go too far to find examples of strong and vibrant neighborhoods. They are sprinkled throughout this region. What helps neighborhoods stand out comes from the housing stock being maintained and the intrinsic character of the houses and neighborhood being preserved. Recognizing what the important features and character are is difficult to put a finger on, but it includes everything from architectural style to walkability. Oak Street is envisioned to help homeowners and neighborhoods discover theirs and provide the means to protect it.

Source: Ron Campbell, principal planner/preservation architect for Oakland County Planning & Economic Development
Writer: Jon Zemke