Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.

Stewards of Belle Isle Park are designing a public square that would connect popular points of interest for visitors to travel between without driving.

The island park attracted 5.4 million visitors last year, but many people leave after driving to one destination instead of moving around the island. Meagan Elliott, president and CEO of the Belle Isle Conservancy, said the goal is to create a “central connection point” between attractions.

“Everyone drives to the island, they go to the spot they intend to go, get out of their car and go to that place, get back in their car and leave the island,” Elliott said. “We want to create some opportunities to actually make the space more usable and accessible for everyone in between those moments.”

Belle Isle’s beach, conservatory, aquarium, outdoor gardens, playgrounds and sports fields are a walkable distance from each other.

Still, Elliott said, park infrastructure is not laid out in a way that encourages people to think on their feet, so to speak. 

Elliott stressed that the “Belle Isle Commons” concept is in early stages and will depend on public feedback. A preliminary design will be released this summer for residents to weigh in on.

She said it’s the latest iteration of work to make the island feel less car-dependent, more accessible and better connected, building on a multi-mobility study released in January. That plan resulted in a $2.2 million project to resurface streets and add a two-way bike lane, which was finished last year.

Belle Isle is operated through partnerships with several organizations represented in Tuesday’s annual report to the City Council.

Detroit owns the island park and leases it to the state. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages the park and conservatory, the state’s Department of Transportation manages roads and bridges, while the Michigan State Police acts as the island’s law enforcement.

The Belle Isle Conservancy operates the historic aquarium. 

The state has invested $174 million into the park since 2014, including $33.6 million last year. Most of last year’s funding ($23 million) came from federal pandemic relief dollars.

Tom Bissett, urban unit manager for the DNR, outlined a few upcoming and ongoing improvements. Perhaps most notable is the closure of the James Scott Memorial Fountain until 2027 for repairs.

The marble fountain isn’t structurally sound, officials said, and needs a new foundation. Marble pieces will also be replaced, which rankled Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway.

She asked the Detroit Law Department to explore whether the city has any legal right to weigh in on the removal of assets as part of the repair project.

“If the city owns it and you are now going to remove parts of it, the city should have a say-so,” she said.

Whitfield-Calloway was also frustrated to hear the DNR will carry on with its plan to demolish old structures associated with the long-closed zoo.

“For those who don’t want to go to the Royal Oak zoo in Royal Oak, what about reopening that zoo for Detroiters?” she said. “It would be wonderful if we had a zoo in Detroit.” 

Amanda Treadwell, a DNR urban field planner, said there is no intent to bring back the zoo or rebuild structures that have been deteriorating for 20 years. She said the zoo was run by the Detroit Zoological Society, which is solely focused on the Detroit Zoo in Royal Oak.

Treadwell said 7,000 people responded to a public survey and many respondents wanted nature trails in its place. Whitfield-Calloway said it’s sad that children are being robbed of an amenity available in many other cities.

Bissett said $400,000 is being invested in solar streetlights that will be installed this year. He said there are 207 street lights on the island, and 43 were installed last year in parking lots and at intersections to make the island feel safer in the evenings.

Bissett said the new lights will make a “gigantic difference,” in response to questions from Council Member Coleman Young II, who reminisced about late night excursions to the island under the cover of darkness.

“I might be telling on myself, but I know I’ve snuck on the island a couple of times when I probably wasn’t supposed to be there,” Young said.

A $500,000 study will consider strategic development of park lands over the next decade.

In the meantime, several shelters are being improved and Bissett said federal pandemic relief funding will continue upgrading restrooms on the island. Heaters were added to bathrooms outside the Kids Row play area to keep them open in the winter months.

Residents want more food options, and a convenience store on the beach that offers sunscreen, ice and other general goods. The Belle Isle Conservancy applied to be a subcontractor that can provide convenience items, and parks officials are working on a plan to diversify food options.

Stuart Pitman Inc., a Detroit-based real estate firm, was selected by the DNR to restore the historic boathouse, adding dining options, an events space, kayak rentals and adjacent public marina. Bissett said attorneys with the state and city are navigating legal questions associated with a lease sought by the development company.

Other work is being done to improve shoreline habitats and wetland forests that were severely damaged in 2019 floods. A project to restore the hydrology in the 200-acre flatwoods and replant native species was completed last year. 

The Michigan State Police issued 552 citations and made 32 arrests last year.

Speeding remains the most common reason police interact with visitors. MSP equipped offices with radar tools and installed digital signs that let drives know when they’re over the 25 mph speed limit.

Bissett was saddened to report longtime park manager Karis Floyd died in December. Floyd had been park manager for the entire time Belle Isle was leased by the state and had 39 years of experience with the DNR.

Bissett said Floyd was a friend to many and will be missed deeply. His job was posted this week.

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Overheard in CAYMC

Tuesday’s meeting featured 52 public comments from residents. Here’s a recap of some notable issues raised by Detroiters and smaller actions taken by the council.

Dozens of residents urged a more aggressive approach to building affordable housing. Members of the Detroit People’s Platform, tenants rights organizers and others said affordable housing is the most important issue in Detroit.

Organizer Kia Mathis said the council is “subsidizing the wrong type of housing” and demolishing too many potential homes. Residents said Detroit should prioritize single-family dwellings that are affordable for someone who earns $21,210 or a dual-income household earning $27,270.

Steven Rimmer, a Detroit renter serving on the Tenants Rights Commission, said the city needs “permanently affordable” publicly-funded and community-controlled housing cooperatives owned by residents instead of corporate landlords. But he’s frustrated the council hasn’t moved forward with a “right to renew” ordinance crafted in partnership with Sheffield.

“How long do we have to come down here to protect our most vulnerable communities?” Rimmer said. “Why hasn’t a single other council member stepped up to carry this forward?”

Residents of Pingree Park asked the council to help address disruptions to their east side neighborhood from a youth football team with the Police Athletic League. Kaytea Moreno, a park champion for Greening of Detroit and director of the Burns Seneca Fisher Block Club, said the team had been using the park without a permit until recently.

But Moreno is more concerned about escalating tensions between residents and parents of athletes who have refused to stop parking in private driveways, blocking bus stops and emergency routes and sometimes even urinating in the park. Residents said the park doesn’t have capacity for the team, but a permit was approved that allows access five days a week.

Edythe Ford, a longtime resident and community organizer, said the team has cursed out seniors who asked parents to move their cars and blocked ambulances on two occasions. Ford said they’ve met with Sheffield, city officials and PAL representatives but have received no help.

Tyson Gersh, a North End resident and co-founder of the Michigan Urban Farming Initiative, said the city is wrongly taking land from residents for its Solar Neighborhoods Initiative. Gersh argued the city has a flimsy legal justification for invoking eminent domain to collect private property.

“You guys cannot just take people’s property,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of propaganda and narrative being spun to minimize what’s happening here, but if this stuff goes unchallenged, it just permanently lowers the eminent domain standard across the state.”

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Language access isn’t optional

City departments must provide translation services to residents who have limited English proficiency.

The council voted unanimously to approve a language access ordinance introduced by Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero. She said the new law codifies an existing practice already being carried out by the city’s Civil Rights Inclusion and Opportunity Department (CRIO).

It also complies with a state law sponsored by state Sen. Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, that requires state departments to help Michigan residents with limited English proficiency access state services.

Detroit’s new law requires all public-facing city departments to provide translated documents and interpretation services at the request of residents. There are an estimated 7,655 households that speak a limited amount of English, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Human Rights Department will create a citywide plan that applies to all departments, a process for residents to submit grievances and provide annual compliance reports.

City Attorney Graham Anderson said a person with limited English proficiency can converse but often needs help understanding technical terms. Spanish, French and Arabic are the top languages spoken by residents who need help, he said, but the ordinance was written without referencing specific languages in case immigration trends change.

Santiago-Romero said the council approved a $200,000 budget increase for CRIO to hire additional staff to help implement the language services.

The ordinance takes effect in 180 days.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated since publication to reflect that the MDNR manages the park and conservatory.