Visitors and residents of Grand Blanc Township will begin to notice enhancements to the newly-formed Pointe North Commercial Area as soon as spring arrives.
In general, the district comprises Saginaw Street and Dort Highway between Maple and Hill roads. Township authorities formed a team of area stakeholders to undertake beautification and other improvements alongside the municipality.
Melissa Roberts, the township’s executive coordinator, stated, “I feel like we’re gaining a lot of steam.”
The township is working with Rowe Professional Services on a proposal to link the sidewalks on Saginaw Road from Hill Road to Maple Road.
Roberts stated, “At this time, we’re not allocating funds for this endeavor, but we’d like to be prepared for when grants and funding become available.”
Roberts has been working on a number of grant applications, including one for a Community Foundation grant to fund the installation of planters and flowers along Saginaw Road and at the point.
She stated, “It would be fantastic for us to have.”
If accepted, the fund would cover the cost of 12 “self-watering” pots that only require watering every two to three weeks, as well as flowers and a watering tank for a Department of Public Services vehicle. The planters would weigh around 500 pounds when filled with flowers and water, according to Supervisor Scott Bennett, who hailed the pots as “phenomenal.”
Roberts stated, “No one will want to accept them (because to their weight)” They are also quite appealing.
In addition, the township was recently given a $76,000 Energy Efficiency grant, which will likely be utilized for lighting along Saginaw Road in the Pointe North Business Area.
“We are all aware that illumination is a problem,” Roberts remarked. Improved lighting and lighting-related safety is one of the things that company owners desire to see the most.
The Pointe North group will hold another meeting on March 21. Jill Bahm of Giffels Webster is anticipated to provide a pattern book with suggestions for commercial facade enhancements.
Roberts stated that the municipality is not interested in cookie-cutter enterprises, but the company owners have requested some broad design principles.
Bennett stated that a revolving loan fund has been discussed. “They (company owners) have stated that they seek suggestions for what we want to see. Not that we want a Bavarian motif or anything like, but what are (we) looking for? The last thing we want is a revolving loan fund that causes someone to ask, “We funded it?”
