A group of determined Oxford senior citizens is mobilizing to fight the building of the controversial Polly Ann Trail bridge, the design of which was recently denied by the state.
Approximately 20 Oxford seniors attended the village council meeting Monday night to express their staunch opposition to building a pedestrian bridge over M-24 to connect the western and eastern portions of the Polly Ann Trail in downtown Oxford.
‘We have all agreed that this bridge is unwarranted and that it will degrade the image of our town,? said Violet Kintz (see her letter to the editor on page 6).
‘I can’t believe this bridge. It’s the most disgusting looking thing I’ve ever seen,? said Helen Smith. ‘I just can’t imagine the thing being there.?
‘If there’s anything we can do to stop that thing, I think we should do it,? Smith added.
Tony Donofrio, owner of Oxford Orion Plumbing Heating and Cooling at 74 N. Washington St., expressed his concern the bridge will not be setback far enough from the road and effectively ‘block the view? of his building.
Donofrio also had questions about who will maintain the bridge, given he’s had to spend his own time and money cleaning up a section of the Polly Ann Trail next door to his business ? a section he described as a ‘trash pit? where homeless people sometimes sleep overnight.
‘It’s been a mess for years. Nobody’s lifted a finger to do anything,? Donofrio said.
‘This bridge does nothing for the historic appearance that we’re striving for,? said Marilyn Schils, who questioned how many people will actually use the bridge.
Village President Renee Donovan said it’s ‘difficult to determine an exact number,? but ‘the trail is used by quite a few people.?
‘Not very many,? Schils replied. ‘There are so few people who use that (trail). It’s not worth the money (to buld the bridge).?
Other audience members agreed with Schils.
‘You might see two people cross down at the trail a week. Maybe one . . . and they stop and wait for the cars,? said Helen Workman, who lives across from the main fire station on N. Washington St. ‘I’ll bet there aren’t going to be 50 or 100 people using that.?
‘I’ve never seen five people in a month on that (trail),? said June Pridemore, who lives at the corner of Divison and Powell streets. ‘I’m home all the time. I’m retired. People are not using that . . . Once I saw three people on horses go by and that was a big group.?
Donovan said the idea behind the bridge and corresponding trail resurfacing is to enhance the potential for increased trail use.
‘There really are a lot of people who do use it,? said the council president, noting she sees walkers and bikers on it and ‘quite a few people on weekends,? but ‘to give an exact number is very difficult.?
Donovan informed the group ‘the bridge has been put on hold right now by MDOT (Michigan Department of Transportation).?
Village Manager Joe Young said the design of the bridge ‘has not been approved by MDOT? and in fact was denied because it ‘wasn’t wide enough? ? plans call for a 12-foot wide bridge, but the state requires a 16-foot width ? and the ‘curvature? of the bridge didn’t meet with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.
‘It has to be redesigned,? said Young, noting the project ‘is kind of on hold at this point.?
Because council’s Aug. 24 approval (by a 3-2 vote) of the bridge plans applies only to the design which was recently denied ? making the village’s approval null and void ? officials said the project would have to come back before the village planning commission and council.
‘Any significant alteration of the site plan would have to go back through the entire process,? said Councilman Steve Allen, who suggested this delay in the project be used to ‘possible back up and maybe start fresh.?
‘I think we can take this opportunity at this point, with MDOT’s disapproval of the current bridge design, to actually back up and go to square one when there was no bridge there, there was a crossing,? Allen said. ‘And start to honestly and openly have dialogue without having to listen to someone say, ‘That’s not going to work . . . You don’t have the input into this . . . This is what we’re doing.??
Village officials urged the group of concerned residents to contact Bridge Project Manager Larry O’Brecht and their elected state representatives, along with officials at MDOT, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Road Commission for Oakland County.
‘It is not a local issue in terms of final say-so,? said Allen, who told residents to contact the officials in writing. ‘Multiple voices are much louder than single voices.?
Smith said she called O’Brecht and told him she didn’t like the bridge, but, ‘He said there wasn’t anything we could do about it.?
‘I’m not surprised to hear Mr. O’Brecht said nothing could be done because we have heard him say that before,? said Councilman Dave Bailey, who suggested the residents start and circulate a petition against the bridge.
Young offered to help draft the petition’s language and forward the signed petitions to the proper agencies.
With the design on hold and therefore the construction on hold, Young said, ‘It’s time to act now.?
Resident Merle Smith asked if ‘in view of the opposition voiced here tonight? would council reconsider its support of the bridge?
Because the agenda for the meeting was already approved, council could not reconsider it that night, but Donovan said the issue could be placed on the next meeting agenda.
The council president said she would prefer to wait. ‘In all fairness, I would like a couple of weeks? to talk to people, discuss it further and ‘think about it,? she said.