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BEVERLY HILLS — Sidewalks continue to be a priority to the village of Beverly Hills, as a process is in place to implement grant money to improve connectivity throughout the village.
The village recently updated the anticipated schedule for the Michigan Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), one of the grants that will be used to fund sidewalks.
Anticipated schedule
The current schedule is as such: on March 31, archeologists plan to begin site work along 13 Mile and Evergreen roads.
Final easement documents are anticipated to be completed by April 1. Final National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) clearance will occur once archeologists are done.
According to Village of Beverly Hills President John George, as long as everything goes according to plan, they hope to open final bids by June 6.
The NEPA clearance means that an archeological consultation has to occur to ensure sidewalks will not be placed over anything archaeologically important. To do this, the village will be bringing in archeologists to dig deep holes to thoroughly evaluate the area.
Background
The conversation on sidewalks dates back to the mid-’80s. In the late-’90s a ballot proposal to fund a plan to add sidewalks didn’t pass. Following that, the topic lay dormant for decades.
“There was a lot of thought put into this, over literally, generations, to get to the point where we had the opportunity to complete these sidewalks,” George said.
The sidewalks that are proposed to be added with the TAP grant funds are primarily along 13 Mile and Evergreen roads. These sidewalks go by Groves High School, the Douglas Evans Nature Preserve, Riverside Park and more.
The most recent revival of interest in the plan began in the spring of 2021. In September of that year, the public was notified about the opportunity for public comment on this topic. While some were against the project, a majority of the public comments were positive.
Beverly Hills originally submitted its TAP grant application in November of 2021. While it was not selected by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) for the TAP grant, MDOT recommended that the village pursue the TAP grant funding through the Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG).
In June of 2022, the grant was revised and submitted to SEMCOG. They were selected for funding through SEMCOG, which was finalized on Feb. 6, 2023, for 46% grant dollars, up to $1,643,000. The projected total was $2,763,000.
Village council members approved Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Inc. (HRC) to design the project in May of 2023. Project plans and specifications were submitted to MDOT in March, 2024, with comments returned by MDOT the next month.
In May of last year it was decided that the project would move to SEMCOG Fiscal Year 2025 funding (October 2024 – September 2025), since the village needed more time to complete the “permitting and environmental clearances” necessary for the project to be bid, according to the village’s website.
In August of last year, HRC found out that MDOT required a State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) review on the project. This past November, it was decided that there would be a tree-clearing plan that is separate from the project.
Working with MDOT and SEMCOG
SEMCOG has its own portion of the TAP grant funds to grant to projects. MDOT and SEMCOG work together to align projects and strengthen applications, so that they are as strong as possible for funding.
“MDOT has about $17 million that they can spend across all of the state of Michigan, including within southeast Michigan. SEMCOG has $10 million that it can spend specifically within our seven-county area. So we continue that partnership till this day,” Brian Pawlik, planner III at SEMCOG, said.
Previously SEMCOG and MDOT shared an application. However, this year is the first year that there are separate applications.
“Regardless of who funds the project, either SEMCOG or MDOT, after that decision is made, the project is handled by MDOT’s Local Agency Program. They do the project management to make sure that the project meets all the requirements of federal funds,” Pawlik said.
For more information on the village of Beverly Hills’ TAP grant, visit villagebeverlyhills.com.
