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Thundar. I T 16, 1975 THE OBSERVER & ECCENTRIC JQ3A
rains turn his lot into a lake
WOODROW SMITH points to the area that
was seriously flooded on Friday, Jan. 10. "The
water was two inches above the ground. It ran
into my well, and through my
a bunch of chicken feed an
bags."
PCDC lures industry
to strengthen
tax base
3
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parage, spoiling
sortie cement
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By RICHARD GOLD
CANTON—Woodrow Smith'owns 10
acres of land at 42690 Cherry Hill
Road. He calls his property "a 10-
acre lake."
v '
While this angry comment is not entirely
accurate, there is a degree of
truth to it. A good portion of Smith's
land has been covered with water
(now ice) since last Friday's rain
storm. His neighbor, Edward Meixner,
has been similarly afflicted with
flooding problems.
In the past such a storm would not
have caused a problem—or "a 10-acre
lake"—but since the development of/
two subdivisions across the street^ on
the south side of Cherry Hill, Smith's
property has been without surface
water drainage.
Smith and Meixner complained vigorously
to various township and county
officials in the past several months
trying to avoid a flood—but to no
avail. In fact until Tuesday, no help
was in sight.
Apparently, though, everyone concerned
wih the problem was not
called. When contacted, Richard Lewiston
of Practical Homebuilders (the
land development firm) said it was
the first he had heard of the problem.
"No one has mentioned anything to
me," he commented. "Hut we are
more than willing to agree with what
the township engineers decide."
A second call confirmed that Lewiston
was willing to cooperate, and relief
is apparently on the way. After
talking to township engineer Glenn
Roberts. Lewiston told Roberts he
would foot the bill for the drain reconstruction.
He added. "I hope to have
the necessary work done as soon as
possible."
THE PROBLEM for Smith and
Meixner began in the spring of 1974,
when utilities for the two subdivisions,
Cherry Hill Orchards and Tanglewood,
were installed.
A sanitary sewer, gas and electric
facilities were installed in front of
Smith's house and a third lane was
added to Cherry Hill to reduce traffic
hazards that might arise when the subdivisions
were completed and occupied.
However, the utilities were installed
on the north side of Cherry Hill, in
front of Smith's and Meixner's properties.
So was the additional portion of
the road.
The construction forced the removal
of the drainage ditch that ran next to
Cherry Hill in front of the two properties,
and effictively blocked all the surface
drainage from the two yards
Smith had two tiles and several ditches
that emptied into the roadside
ditch (now nonexistent). When the
rain fell on Jan 10, the flooding
began.
Although Smith, his wife Dorothy,
and Meixner had been complainingfor
several months about the lack of
drainage facilities, it was not until Lewiston
stepped forward that they received
any acceptable answers. They
had also complained last summer of
the dirt and dust that "covered their
house and property."
"We couldn't get satisfaction," said
Meixner. Added Dorothy Smith.
"They just passed the buck—no one
wanted to take the responsibility."
Her husband commented, "That
sewer may mean progress, but it sure
isn't for our benefit."
THE ISSUE, aside from the flooding,
is still one of accountability. It is
not clear who is legally responsible
,for the reconstruction of the drainage
facilities, despite Lewiston's offer to
assume the financial obligation.
Roberts explains. "There is no question
we have a surface drainage problem
here. The real problem, however,
is identifying whose responsibility it is
to rectify the situation."
Several jurisdictions are involved.
Canton, Wade and Trim Assoc., the
township engineering firm, and their
contractors are responsible for the
water main and sanitary sewer installation.
Practical Homebuilders paid
for those installations "in a round
about way." says Roberts Detroit Edison
ai«d Michigan Consolidated are responsible
for the gas and electric installations.
The county is responsible
for the drains and roads.
The question is who is legally responsible
for reconstructing the drainage
facilities for,the affected properties.
Up to Tuesday, no one would attempt
an answer
Dorothy Smith said she called
"everyone." "I called the health department.
the Wayne County Road
Commission, the xtrainage commission,
Wade and Trim, and Canton
Township. Everyone said they'd beback
to fix it— but of course nobody
came."-
The problem was magnified for the
Smiths because Smith, at 62. has a
heart condition.
During the severe flooding, surface
water ran into his well. "Since Friday
we've been hauling our drinking and
cooking water," says Smih
MEIXNER, WHO. LIVES at 42910
Cherry Hilj and owns another house at
Continued on Page 4A
By DARLBNE STINSON
Residents and businessmen in the
Plymouth-Canton area will pay less
tax dollars for the same or better
services in future years, if the
Plymouth-Canton Development Commission
(PCDC) has anything to say
about it.
Extending feelers toward national
and statewide industries and commercial
establishments, the PCDC is
attempting to entice industry and commerce
toward the acres of land zoned
commercial and industrial in the
Plymouth-Canton area
"I'm very positive that this area is
a strong contender for industrial and
commercial growth," maintains
PCDC executive director Jim
McCartney "However, we're going to
have to aggressively seek it. We have
a lot going for us "
ATTEMPTS to bring industry and
commerce to the area should build a
sturdy tax base if successful, says
McCartney, lowering taxes for local
residents and small businessmen.
'Most communities want to have
that kind of tax base," McCartney
maintains. "If they don't, residents
will end up paying the high cost of
community services. That tax base is
an important factor.
"It also provides an opportunity for
local residents to be employed. The
same dollar a resident makes in a
local industry will be turning over in
the community. It keeps all the funds
that are being earned and taxed within
the community to pay for community
services "
Many communities, however, have
the same objective in mind
"This is a very competitive type of
business." McCartney said. "We're
competing with other suburban communities
in the Detroit area, if not
communities throughout the entire
country If we're going to be in front
of the competitive game, we have to
be willing to assist corporate officials.
"That's what this job is all aboutselling,"
McCartney emphasized. "Different
salesmen have many products.
My job is to sell the community "
TO STRENGTHEN the Plymouth-
Canton fight for industry and commerce,
the Plymouth Community
Chamber of Commerce and the
PCDC, formerly a separate organization
with a part-time director, were
joined by an important hinge,
McCartney, who was appointed in October
to serve as executive director of
both.
Although both organizations have
maintained separate boards of directors,
PCDC operations, funded by
$4,000 which the City of Plymouth,
Plymouth Township, Canton Township
and the Plymouth Community School
District each have contributed, are
conducted from the Chamber of Commerce
office on a contractual basis.
"To make the PCDC an even more
positive vehicle, it (the board of directors)
made this move," McCartney explained.
"The Chamber of Commerce
is very much interested in the growth
of the area, a viable economy of the
area and other people to share the tax
burden.
"There was an overlap between the
PCDC and the Chamber of Commerce
before," he said, "and now we're pulling
everything together."
To add more muscle to the
Plymouth-Canton fight for industry
and commerce, more selling tools are
needed, according to McCartney.
"THE ONGOING objective can be
realized easier by having more tools,"
said McCartney, as he pointed to piles
of brochures promoting other communities
atop his desk. "These all become
sale tools. We need more tools
of this nature."
Pointing to an out-dated aerial map
of the Plymouth-Canton area that
hangs upon his office wall, McCartney
added. "We need up-Uvdate aerial
maps to give a good idea of what's
going on in the community, so we can
provide that one-stop service to the
corporate executive.
"With an aerial map we can do
most of our talking from this office,"
he said. "If an area looks good, we
can get in the car and buzz oat
there."
Corporate executives, looking at the
Plymouth-Canton area as a potential
site for plants or offices, come to
McCartney's office to have their questions
answered.
To provide the needed answers,
McCartney works closely with the
Plymouth business community, the
Canton Township Chamber of Commerce
and the administrative staff of
the city of Plymouth. Plymouth Township
and Canton Township.
"THAT'S SO important,"
McCartney said. "I must say I've
been very pleased by the positive attitude
I've seen in the Plymouth-Canton
area (toward industrial growth). I be-
Board adds meetings
PLYMOUTH—The Plymouth School
Board is planning on putting in a little
overtime beginning Jan 25.
Approving a motion by board secretary
Marcia Borowski, the board
agreed to set up special meetings for
the next few months on Saturday
mornings to catch up on some pressing
business.
n
rrrntrtr
Co-Publishers
Hory M. Hogan, Jr. Philip H. Power
Editor .
Michael Arnholt
HOME DELIVERY SERVICE
N«w«*nd...
per copy, 15c
Carrier monthly, 90:
V.
The topic of the first meeting,
which will be held at the board offices
and open to the public, is proposed
budget cuts. The school board learned
early last month that the Plymouth
Schools will lose approximately
$150,000 in state school aid. The board
will be looking over up some $300,000
of items that can be trimmed to finallyu
pare off the $150,000 figure.
Other topics planned for the biweekly
weekend morning sessions include
study of in service programs
and staffing, board by-laws, and a review
of the exceptional child study report
recently prepared by teachers
and interested parents in the district.
The Saturday special meetings will
be in addition to Saturday workshop
sessions. 1, 1* which the board will hold on
remaining Saturday mornings.
Some board members expressed
doubt that they would be able to attend
the additional sessions, but if a
quorum of four members is present,
the meetings will be held.
lieve this will hel|
of the fastest
dustrial dollars
years.'
make the area one
g in terms of inthe
next couple of
The Plymouth-Canton area, according
to McCartney is fast becoming an
attractive area fo^r industries and businesses.
The expressway planned for the
Schoolcraft corridor will link the area
to downtown Detroit, while the proposed
1-275 route 'will link the community
to 1-96, 1-9^ and 1-75, avoiding
heavy traffic on f-7ij in downtown De-
, troit.
Most of the industrial growth in the
Detroit metropolitan area is concentrated
in Macomb and Oakland counties,
McCartney Inoted. Industrial expansion
in thos^ counties, however,
has reached a point as far north from
Detroit as Plymouth and Canton are
west
"Truckers corning from states to
the south of us £|re even closer to the
Plymouth-Canton area than to Ma-'
comb and Oakland counties," he said.
"Just look at th