August 12, 2014 Board Meeting Audio Link
As published in the Cheboygan Tribune on Friday, August 15, 2014
The
Topinabee Development Association's annual Topinabee Green
Corridor/Streetscape project has become a long-running farce that
deserves wider exposure. Once upon a time, back in 2008, Tom O'Hare and a
few like minded Lakeshore Association members formed the TDA and hired a
Grand Rapids design firm to render their vision of Topinabee. That
vision included new facades for all commercial properties and what was
euphemistically called a "green corridor" for M27 in Topinabee.
The
first Green Corridor/Streetscape project in 2011 was a whopping $2.8
million dollar plan. The grandiose design was submitted to the federal
USDOT Tiger II Grant program and was denied. The next Green
Corridor/Streetscape project in 2012 was simpler. The $1.2 million
dollar proposal was submitted to the federal USDOT Tiger III Grant
program and was again denied. Grant applications to other sources, all
requiring some level of local matching funds, were also rightfully
denied.
On
August 5, 2013, the Mullett Board approved a $33,600 contract to Wade
Trim for the Topinabee "Village Center" Street Scape Plan including a
Conceptual Plan, engineering, etc. This rehashed $1.2 million dollar
project is notable as the single largest proposed road project on the
newly inked Cheboygan County Capital Improvements Program. More
expensive than Phase 1 or 2 of East Mullett Lake Road, Devereaux Lake
Road, Club Road, or any other "real need" projects.
Now, a year after the project has gone to the engineers, the Mullett
Board has appointed a "streetscape committee" in an apparent attempt to
meet grant requirements. Chaired by Clerk Rachel Osborn, the committee
includes the same tired TDA players; Tom and Mary O'Hare, Kim Wilkins,
and possibly one or two actual business owners impacted by the farce. Mr
O'Hare will again be seeking a letter of support from you. Please tell
him your roads are more important than his "streetscape".
