Heir wants Eliza Howell Park back

[BVos]

Here's an interesting article from the DetNews about the heir to the family that donated the land Eliza Howell park is on:

http://detnews.com/article/20091118/...k-from-Detroit

[rjlj]

I like this quote. The people that run the city are it's worst enemy.

"About four years ago, he went to former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's administration with a pitch to bring a commercial and residential project to the land. Cheyne said he would release the deed restriction and develop the property, with the hopes of bringing in a big-box grocery store and new homes.
The city would gain property taxes and jobs. Neighbors would get higher quality shopping options, he said. Cheyne would make money.
Months, then years, went by without return phone calls, Cheyne said. He partly faults ignoring Kilpatrick's staffers' suggestion that he hire their hand-picked consultant to help push the deal. "

[Meddle]

" to bring a commercial and residential project to the land. Cheyne said he would release the deed restriction and develop the property, with the hopes of bringing in a big-box grocery store and new homes."

That's probably the last thing that's needed in that area. Telegraph is lined with carcasses of similar big ideas.


By the way, which one are they talking about, North or South?

[CountrySquire]

That article was interesting! I spent a little time there in my high school days. The park had a bad rep then.

I say leave it as a park, if this guy's itching to do some development in the city, buy up an abondoned warehouse, factory or whatever and have at it.

[Danny]

I say give the park and its neighborhood to Redford TWP. They can take care it more than Detroit.

[dcmorrison12]

This seems like a great opportunity for Detroit to start Rightsizing. I mean, someone is knocking at their door! It's an easy way out, and we should take it. Give the damned land back, we can't take care of it anyways. Detroit is too big as it is, please, TAKE THE PARK AWAY FROM US!

[Detroitnerd]

Oh, this is just a grab at greenfield development within the city. And how long do you think they'll stay before they leave an empty complex, having made their profits? No, this is a bad deal.

Say what you will [[rightly) about Kilpatrick, but one of his best moves was to demand that gas stations be built on the sites of derelict or current gas stations. Developers will brownfield or grayfield the entire city. These greenfields are assets. Let's not be too hasty to lose them forever for a quick buck.

[Trainman]

I say give the park and its neighborhood to Redford TWP. They can take care it more than Detroit.

I say give the park and its neighborhood to the city of Livonia and annex Redford TWP to the city of Livonia

Then, the cities of Detroit and Livonia could team up and fight the $2 Billion Dollar NEW Freeways of the SEMCOG Regional Transportation Plan by voting NO next August 2010 to defeat the more the $400 Million slashed from public bus service from Lansing since 1995.

Or, vote YES for more Wal-Marts and more federal and state mass transit cuts and the future of taxing fast food to pay for the union bus drivers and incompetent transit officials who don't care about the high cost of public bus service or fighting the large road projects that have made this park into a wilderness by making is easy to move to Lapeer and Sanilac County and work in metro Detroit with the large M53 bypass and M24 road expansions.

You see DY'ers, We destroyed the farmlands in the thumb and have made Detroit into a wildlife preserve.

It is not Detroit versus Livonia. It is Detroit and Livonia fighting together to get Wal-Mart to pay for SMART and DDOT. Only then can we again become a great city again.

So, go ahead Danny and vote YES because you will support the loss of state funding and then voila, you will get your way if you are the majority and you are that.

It makes no difference to me because I know the facts and they will be in concrete starting in 2011 with 25 miles of new freeway lanes being built. I would rather see Lansing buy SMART and DDOT new buses which they won’t do unless people like me and maybe you fight for this by electing mass transit leaders to represent us.

Please comment on my website in DETROIT LINKS and challenge, if you can.

[Danny]

I say give the park and its neighborhood to the city of Livonia and annex Redford TWP to the city of Livonia

Then, the cities of Detroit and Livonia could team up and fight the $2 Billion Dollar NEW Freeways of the SEMCOG Regional Transportation Plan by voting NO next August 2010 to defeat the more the $400 Million slashed from public bus service from Lansing since 1995.

Or, vote YES for more Wal-Marts and more federal and state mass transit cuts and the future of taxing fast food to pay for the union bus drivers and incompetent transit officials who don't care about the high cost of public bus service or fighting the large road projects that have made this park into a wilderness by making is easy to move to Lapeer and Sanilac County and work in metro Detroit with the large M53 bypass and M24 road expansions.

You see DY'ers, We destroyed the farmlands in the thumb and have made Detroit into a wildlife preserve.

It is not Detroit versus Livonia. It is Detroit and Livonia fighting together to get Wal-Mart to pay for SMART and DDOT. Only then can we again become a great city again.

So, go ahead Danny and vote YES because you will support the loss of state funding and then voila, you will get your way if you are the majority and you are that.

It makes no difference to me because I know the facts and they will be in concrete starting in 2011 with 25 miles of new freeway lanes being built. I would rather see Lansing buy SMART and DDOT new buses which they won’t do unless people like me and maybe you fight for this by electing mass transit leaders to represent us.

Please comment on my website in DETROIT LINKS and challenge, if you can.

Trainman,

You and your public transit blues. I WILL NOT change my vote on the SMART bus millage on 2010. Because public regional transit is a birthright. Most people will not give up in it and neither should you. So far you only provide circumstantial evidence explaing why everyone should vote no in the millage. My stongest evidence in the SMART bus millage of 2010 is .08 mills to the Wayne, Oakland and Macomb Public Transit Authority that will deliver its taxpayer dollars to SMART each year. I urge you and TRU folks to vote YES on the millage on 2010.

[jtf1972]

Note how he does not wish to do anything himself to maintain or improve the park that he has such affection for. He simply notes the problems.

[jlnascar]

I used to hang out in that park years ago, some interesting things use to go on.
As far as giving it back it appears to me we have another rich developer trying to get more into his pocket developing building that are not needed.

[econ expat]

Must have been a sweet deal his ancestors cut with the city. They picked up that farm and land for back taxes during the Depression, so really only owned the land maybe 5-6 years, if that.
Some of the grandchildren of the owners who lost that farm in the Depression are still in Detroit area [[ I know 2 of them)

[CountrySquire]

Must have been a sweet deal his ancestors cut with the city. They picked up that farm and land for back taxes during the Depression, so really only owned the land maybe 5-6 years, if that.
Some of the grandchildren of the owners who lost that farm in the Depression are still in Detroit area [[ I know 2 of them)

Neat!! What else can you tell us about Brigthmoor history? What you say makes sense as the development in that area is largely post war.

[iheartthed]

Absurd.

I mean, if he is legally entitled to reclaiming the land then that's one thing. But to frame this as some good will gesture for the community is absurd.

[econ expat]

Neat!! What else can you tell us about Brigthmoor history? What you say makes sense as the development in that area is largely post war.

Personally, I don't know alot of Brightmoor history.
I emailed a link for the news story and already heard back from one of the 'heirs'
The man suing the city is not one of her relatives. She recalls in 1933 that her grandfather was 'laid out' for his funeral wake in his farmhouse. The farmhouse was located near the present day Murphy school.And that the farm lost for back taxes within a couple years. I have seen old plat maps, the Perry family owned the north 1/2 of 'Eliza Howell 'as well as the land to the east along 5 Mile, to Lahser Rd. The maps, etc are at the redford Twp historical society 'red schoolhouse' on Beech Daly Rd.
Brightmoor development started early 1920's, before the Great Depression and well before WW2. Indoor plumbing was an option added later as homeowners could afford it. It was obvious by some of the houses I was in that the 'additions' were the part of the house that contained the bathrooms. Due to the Depression, the mostly Appalacian settlers and the 'shacks' , etc Brightmoor was sometimes called 'Hooverville'[[not Hooterville ) during the Depression.
Ah, that's been discussed in past DY threads and other internet postings. Easy enough to google BE Taylor Brightmoor subdivision..

[Detroitnerd]

I've often thought that the fictional "Rosewood Manor" in Jack Conroy's 1930s Detroit novel "The Disinherited" was based on Brightmoor.

[bailey]

Note how he does not wish to do anything himself to maintain or improve the park that he has such affection for. He simply notes the problems.

Yup..did nothing to get the city to improve the park....

Cheyne said he's been flexible with the city when it needed his cooperation.
About 15 years ago, Detroit wanted him to release several acres along Fenkell so the city could build a sewer plant. He did, but as a condition, required Detroit to add more playground equipment and tennis courts near the park entrance. Now the nets are down and the playground equipment has been swallowed by weeds and tall grass.

Detroit wants to keep the park it needs to "maintain" it as such. Otherwise give it back. One less headache to deal with.

[Detroitnerd]

"I asked the city to do something to improve this park 15 YEARS AGO and didn't have to spend a penny. Now they should give it to me so I can make a few mil developing a big box Detroit doesn't need." Sheesh ...

[bailey]

"I asked the city to do something to improve this park 15 YEARS AGO and didn't have to spend a penny. Now they should give it to me so I can make a few mil developing a big box Detroit doesn't need." Sheesh ...

First of all, why is it his responsibility to do any thing? The deed is conditional upon the city upholding it's end of the deal. Clearly the city is not.

Further...and just as clear- he accepted services to the park in lieu of a cash payment for property the City needed and he controlled. Would you require him to get the cash from the city THEN go out and use it to purchase new equipment?

Detroit ...as is so often pointed out here... has far too much parkland to deal with. It cannot be maintained and they [[generally) can not be sold. Give it back. Make it his problem. Generate tax revenue...or blight tickets.. either way, it;s not the city's problem anymore.

[Detroitnerd]

Detroit ...as is so often pointed out here... has far too much parkland to deal with. It cannot be maintained and they [[generally) can not be sold. Give it back. Make it his problem. Generate tax revenue...or blight tickets.. either way, it;s not the city's problem anymore.

Sorry, but greenfields are priceless in urban environments. The value of the plot of greenfield land, even reverted to nature, is not worth sacrificing for a big-box that's going to be vacant in less than 10 years. Once it's gone, it will cost millions to turn a polluted grayfield back into a greenfield. Who'll cough that up when a few years of "revenue" have been generated? Nobody.

I'm not saying the city is being saintly, but I think this guy is just trying to turn a buck and has no commitment to the city. And I'm not surprised when people get on board the "revenue" game with the same old enduring lack of long-term vision.

[eno]

Isn't that area of the park a flood plane. It would be impractical to pitch a development there.

[Novine]

"Detroit can build enjoyable parkland later after it has first mastered building new enjoyable residential neighborhoods."

Aiming for most clueless post? You can't have enjoyable residential neighborhoods without good parks. You don't accomplish that by giving up the land that you already have for parks to acquire polluted land for parks later, which is what you are advocating. The existing parkland is an asset around which Detroit can build quality neighborhoods. The idea that you build good neighborhoods by destroying the value of the park is as stupid as it is short-sighted.

[scuola]

"Detroit can build enjoyable parkland later after it has first mastered building new enjoyable residential neighborhoods."

Aiming for most clueless post? You can't have enjoyable residential neighborhoods without good parks.

Ha, nice dig--but at 250 acres this parcel isn't a neighborhood park even if it was well taken care of. It's regional in nature. There are other regional parks that would benefit from consolidated resources. Regardless, the overarching point, is of course, that Detroit needs to decide what is essential and then reorganize the city and it's resources according to that. Parks can be built when needed--look at the fine state park that was just built on the Detroit Riverfront downtown. Mine is a question of priority. Do you want a safe neighborhood well patrolled by police, with good schools, and robust local activity centers or a few acres of "never been built on land." Come on, be honest with yourself. There is nothing special about this piece of property.

You don't accomplish that by giving up the land that you already have for parks to acquire polluted land for parks later, which is what you are advocating.

I'm saying you have 40 square miles of abandoned property where you can build beautiful wonderful parks--but there are not enough people in the city to use them! Build strong police, schools, community centers, etc. FIRST. Interestingly, a common brownfield remediation technique is to plant grasses with deep roots that "drink" up toxins left over by heavy industry.

The existing parkland is an asset around which Detroit can build quality neighborhoods. The idea that you build good neighborhoods by destroying the value of the park is as stupid as it is short-sighted.

Short-sighted is to bitterly cling to resources which won't help you build the future you want to enjoy. Everyone knows that. You have to let go of some things in order to enjoy other things.

[Novine]

"In short, there is a difference between nature preserve and abandonment."

How much of the 130+ acres fits that definition?

[bailey]

"In short, there is a difference between nature preserve and abandonment."

How much of the 130+ acres fits that definition?

By the allegations made, it sounds like all of it has been abandoned. But of course there still is the rest of the 250 acres that will not and can not be developed. So there ya go... 120 acres of unspoiled illegal dumping grounds.

But of course the simple solution to the entire matter is to simply mow the damn grass and maintian the place.