Oakland County workshop focuses on green downtowns
Source: metromode, 8/13/2009
The last of three workshops aimed at the revitalization of downtowns in Oakland County is set to go down on Friday, August 14.
The
"Lead Your Downtown from Brown to Green" workshop will focus on
tackling sustainability issues, such as historic preservation and
eco-friendly development.
"As the title says, we're trying to
take downtowns from brown to green by letting them (local stakeholders)
know what they can do in this economy," says Bob Donahue, executive
director of Main Street Oakland County.
A
number of topics, including how to make best use of brownfield sites,
effective historic preservation, and how to incorporate green-building
practices, such as LEED standards, will be covered. Other subjects will
include tapping into farmers markets, the cost-effectiveness of LED
lights, and how best to employ urban forestry.
Main Street
Oakland County is encouraging local architects, planners,
preservationists, developers, city officials, and community activists
to attend. The cost is $75 per person. The workshop will be held
between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Oakland County Executive Office
Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph,
in Waterford.
Source: Bob Donahue, executive director of Main Street Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County pushes for land bank to deal with foreclosures
Source: metromode, 7/30/2009
Oakland County is beginning to publish
its stock of foreclosed buildings electronically to prepare them for
auction. However, at least one Oakland County official would like to
see this process changed -- with a land bank.
Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner
sees a number of things wrong with the auction process. It's why he is
pushing for Oakland County to form a land bank, as many other Michigan
communities have done, to handle its problem properties.
"There are some perils with the auction approach," Meisner says.
For
instance, speculators are scooping up large batches of these homes and,
at best, turning them into rentals. More than people like to admit end
up falling further into blight and becoming eyesores, weakening what
were once otherwise strong neighborhoods. Meisner says this sort of
speculation is the junk food of the real estate market, supplying
short-term profits at the expense of long-term investment.
"We're rolling up our sleeves and trying to get families in those houses," Meisner says.
He
adds that a land bank gives local officials the power to package
parcels and sell them to a developer or even ensure that individual
buildings end up in the hands of local residents. Right now he is
trying to build up awareness about the idea, and hopes to begin a
legislative push for one later this year.
Source: Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner
Writer: Jon Zemke
Main Street Oakland County brings in AIA Michigan for workshops
Source: metromode, 6/18/2009
Main Street Oakland County is bringing in a big gun to help keep the investment in its downtowns going - the American Institute of Architects Michigan.
The renowned association for architects is helping Oakland County with issues vital to vibrant city centers, such as sustainability, revitalization, and preservation. AIA Michigan members will provide advice about how to best take advantage of tools and opportunities that spur growth and development.
"The idea is to help businesses understand what is going on," says Ron Campbell, principal planner/preservation architect of Oakland County and president of AIA Michigan.
The first workshop will be held Friday, June 19 and will focus on dealing with and taking advantage of today's economic situation. It will also take a macro view of development in downtowns, including how to find the best design and identify financing.
The downtowns present opportunities for all sizes of projects and firms," Campbell says.
The workshop will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph Road, in Waterford. Architects, planners, preservationists, Main Street staffers, developers, business and building owners, community officials, and downtown stakeholders and activists are invited. For information, click here.
Source: Ron Campbell, principal planner/preservation architect of Oakland County and president of AIA Michigan
Writer: Jon Zemke
Oakland County to hold workshop on zoning flexibility
Source: metromode, 6/4/2009
Oakland County officials want local
governments to become more flexible in their zoning rules and master
plans, and now they're ready to teach them how to do it.
The
county wants municipalities to be ready to welcome and facilitate
growth from new economy firms; hence, it will hold a Technology
Planning Toolkit workshop on Monday, June 8.
"We hope they can
use this as a basis when they update their own planning documents,"
says Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County.
It introduced this program
as a way of making local governments friendlier to knowledge-based
firms. By streamlining the old bureaucracy, the hope is to make these
cities more attractive for new economy start-ups and their new jobs.
For instance, buildings zoned for one purpose can be diversified to
include a number of uses.
"It's very important, especially with how quickly the market is changing," Rasegan says.
The
free workshop will be held at the Oakland County Executive Office
Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road, west of Telegraph
in Waterford. For information, call (248) 452-2166 or send an email to browningj@oakgov.com.
Source: Brett Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke
Main Street Oakland County hosts downtown preservation workshops
Source: metromode, 5/28/2009
Oakland County's downtowns have spent
decades turning themselves into some of Michigan's most vibrant urban
centers, and the county isn't going to allow a few bad economic years
to retard that progress.
That's why Main Street Oakland County
is being proactive this summer, with three workshops aimed at helping
keep these downtowns thriving and continuing their development
momentum. And this is while those downtowns are in slightly better
shape than the overall state economy.
"The whole thing is about how to make it in a tough economy," says Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County.
The
workshops will feature local, state, and national experts for a range
of urban issues, such as preservation and obtaining grants. The idea is
to help downtown stakeholders get new perspectives on these topics and
see how they can help each different downtown.
The first
workshop, set for June 19, will tackle issues like dealing with
declining property values in a down economy and financing projects in a
tough credit market. The second (July 17) will examine how to encourage
new economy development in the downtowns and take advantage of historic
assets. The last one (August 14) will tackle sustainability issues like
LEED architecture.
All will be held at the Oakland County
Executive Office Building Conference Center, 2100 Pontiac Lake Road in
Waterford. For information, call (248) 858-1848.
Source: Bret Rasegan, planning supervisor for Oakland County
Writer: Jon Zemke