Public Input Needed on Future of Dam and Riverfront Development at Upcoming Thursday Meeting

The future of Manchester’s planned River Raisin Riverwalk will depend greatly on the public input garnered at a meeting to be held at 7 p.m. this Thursday, Feb. 6, in the Village Room on the lower level of Village Hall.

A Riverfront Development Committee has worked the past several months with consultant Neal Billetdeaux (a Manchester Township resident), of the engineering firm Smith Group JJR. The Committee was developed partially in response to feedback received at public hearings regarding the village Parks 5-year Master Plan in early 2013. It consists of Village Manager Jeff Wallace, Village President Pat Vailliencourt, along with Pat DuRussel, Sarah Andrews, Brian Marry, Ron Ellison, Ray Berg, and Coy Vaughn, Supervisor of Park Planning for Washtenaw County and has been exploring alternatives to the current riverfront landscape.

At the Parks 5-year Plan meeting, interest in village-wide walking and bike routes was high, as well as in the idea of improved access to the River Raisin as it flows through the downtown area. Some of the riverfront property is owned by the village and is ripe for natural development.

The Waterfront Recreation Plan that is being discussed is a 20-25 year project, that eventually will encompass the River Raisin as it winds throughout the village from the Leonard Preserve on Union Street, to the Village Hall on City Road. However, this week’s public meeting will focus solely on a concept plan for the river from just north of the Main Street bridge to just south of the Duncan Street bridge, and will be a project that could be completed in a two-three year span, depending upon available funding.

The illustration of the River Raisin Waterfront Recreation Plan borders M-52 and Main Street and extends from the railroad right-of-way at the north end to Main Street. It would include dredging the Mill Pond, adding a fishing deck and a canoe/kayak dock, an accessible walking trail, and amphitheater seating with performance space.

Different plans may emerge depending on community reaction to the potential removal of the dam that currently exists under the Main Street Bridge. The original earth filled dam washed out several times prior to 1908, and was replaced in 1912 by a rock-filled, timber crib type dam with a concrete apron and spillway. This dam has now aged to 102 years. The dam is privately owned, and is not village property. Permission of the dam owner would be required to make any changes in the site.  However, with the prospect of bridge reconstruction in 2015 now close to reality, the Village Council will rely heavily on the direction of the community input received at Thursday night’s meeting.

This week’s meeting will consist of introductory remarks by Village President Pat Vailliencourt, and will continue with members of the public completing a questionnaire developed by Billetdeaux with input from the committee. Vailliencourt and Wallace, along with other committee members, will be available to answer questions from the public.

Wallace indicated that these major improvements to the downtown area will be a step in the right direction for bringing business back to the Manchester community, and filling the vacancies in downtown storefronts.

“These projects will be a continuation of the efforts that began with the streetscape improvements in 2012,” he said. “An attractive downtown creates opportunities to attract new commercial, residential, and industrial development in the village. That will bring more jobs and consequently more commerce to the entire community.”

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.