I'm curious how accessible the pocket park will be. Right now it appears to just be a park along a long stretch of road/sidewalk without much else around it (on that side of the road). I think it'd be nicer if it connected to one of the greenspaces being added. A pedestrian signal on S Washington Ave at the pocket park would help.
The pocket park is ridiculous and totally unnecessary. Washington Park is within walking distance; this site doesn't need to be publicly accessible, really.
I'm just glad for the local environmental impact this will have, taking a lot of pressure off the overloaded stormwater sewer system whenever it rains down this way. Basements flood off of this stretch of Holmes to the east even during regular rains. With climate change as we've gotten more water being dropped at once, this stuff destroys basements almost every year.
Part of this is elevation, but most of it has to do with all of the asphalt surrounding the corners of MLK and Holmes. This will take some pressure off the sewer system.
Some small things from yesterday's Planing Board meeting:
A rezoning for 522 Lesher Place - a small single-family home at the corner of Lesher Place and Linden Grove Avenue on Oak Park - to allow Neogon to reuse it as office space. Neogon has done this with other buildings around its headquarters on Oak Park.
An upzoning of two vacant parcels at the northwest corner of West Cavanaugh and Lowcroft on the southside to allow for the construction of a duplex. It's currently zoned "A" Residential, the lowest zoning in the city which only allows single-family homes, and they want it "C" residential, which permits duplexes.
Both of these notes are interesting, one that this big company wants to put offices in this little house, and the other building new duplexes in South Lansing! Both good things just kind of unexpected.
This development at Holmes and MLK is fantastic! The stormwater work will have a major impact performance-wise and visually. Are there incentives for this? Or is the developer just fighting the good fight?
I used to go to the dentist out here and I would take MLK all the way from 496. This was always one of the most depressing sites along this stretch. What I never realized was how close this is to the more 'urban' stretch of S. Washington. This could really do a lot to get more people walking from the tower and neighborhoods along Washington to the businesses at Holmes/MLK.
The pocket park seems misappropriately named. Looks like more of a entry plaza for artwork or signage. I agree, no one will hang out here (unless there's a bus stop) so probably not worth investing that much in. Put some benches and tables out in the bigger green spaces....basically for employees on lunch breaks. These green spaces will have to be/should be depressed to hold the stormwater, so they won't be very usable for a 'park' space, but it would be great if they were planted and they could look really attractive.
Also, that rail line is no longer active right? The diagonal one that hits Mt Hope and s Washington. This should obviously become part of the greenway network sooner rather than later. This would definitely kickstart the redevelopment of Hood's dream site
Comments
I'm curious how accessible the pocket park will be. Right now it appears to just be a park along a long stretch of road/sidewalk without much else around it (on that side of the road). I think it'd be nicer if it connected to one of the greenspaces being added. A pedestrian signal on S Washington Ave at the pocket park would help.
The pocket park is ridiculous and totally unnecessary. Washington Park is within walking distance; this site doesn't need to be publicly accessible, really.
I'm just glad for the local environmental impact this will have, taking a lot of pressure off the overloaded stormwater sewer system whenever it rains down this way. Basements flood off of this stretch of Holmes to the east even during regular rains. With climate change as we've gotten more water being dropped at once, this stuff destroys basements almost every year.
Part of this is elevation, but most of it has to do with all of the asphalt surrounding the corners of MLK and Holmes. This will take some pressure off the sewer system.
Looks pretty nice for a storage business!
Some small things from yesterday's Planing Board meeting:
A rezoning for 522 Lesher Place - a small single-family home at the corner of Lesher Place and Linden Grove Avenue on Oak Park - to allow Neogon to reuse it as office space. Neogon has done this with other buildings around its headquarters on Oak Park.
An upzoning of two vacant parcels at the northwest corner of West Cavanaugh and Lowcroft on the southside to allow for the construction of a duplex. It's currently zoned "A" Residential, the lowest zoning in the city which only allows single-family homes, and they want it "C" residential, which permits duplexes.
Both of these notes are interesting, one that this big company wants to put offices in this little house, and the other building new duplexes in South Lansing! Both good things just kind of unexpected.
This development at Holmes and MLK is fantastic! The stormwater work will have a major impact performance-wise and visually. Are there incentives for this? Or is the developer just fighting the good fight?
I used to go to the dentist out here and I would take MLK all the way from 496. This was always one of the most depressing sites along this stretch. What I never realized was how close this is to the more 'urban' stretch of S. Washington. This could really do a lot to get more people walking from the tower and neighborhoods along Washington to the businesses at Holmes/MLK.
The pocket park seems misappropriately named. Looks like more of a entry plaza for artwork or signage. I agree, no one will hang out here (unless there's a bus stop) so probably not worth investing that much in. Put some benches and tables out in the bigger green spaces....basically for employees on lunch breaks. These green spaces will have to be/should be depressed to hold the stormwater, so they won't be very usable for a 'park' space, but it would be great if they were planted and they could look really attractive.
Does anyone know what the tan "new oulet (sic)" space is supposed to be?
Also, that rail line is no longer active right? The diagonal one that hits Mt Hope and s Washington. This should obviously become part of the greenway network sooner rather than later. This would definitely kickstart the redevelopment of Hood's dream site