Master plan, new look for village eyed by DDA

Brandon Twp.- The results are in.
About 35 citizens were in attendance at a town meeting Dec. 4, during which results of a downtown Ortonville consumer survey were announced.
The Downtown Development Authority sent out 5,000 consumer surveys in an April edition of The Citizen to village residents, as well as residents of Brandon and Groveland townships.
DDA Chairman Dave Bonner was pleased with participation, with 446 written surveys returned. Additionally, 79 phone surveys were completed, for a total of 525 completed surveys. Although this is 4 percent of the Brandon-Groveland-Ortonville population, Bonner says other communities, like Royal Oak, that have done such surveys, have had only a 2 percent completion rate.
‘The survey results are great,? said Bonner. ‘There are a lot of things people want, and it will happen by following through…. The village is 100 years behind the times and it is time to catch up.?
Of the survey participants, 83 percent have a 48462 zip code and 66 percent have been living in the Ortonville area for 11 years or more. The median age of survey respondents is 36.3; average household size is 2.97 and median household income is $74,932. Women were 70 percent of the survey’s respondents.
The consumer surveys asked about shopping habits of participants and found that 49 percent of respondents do business in Ortonville 1-2 times weekly; 44 percent purchase goods downtown 1-2 times monthly; and 45 percent do their shopping Monday-Friday.
When survey participants were asked what type of dining and entertaining they would prefer to see downtown, 22 percent said fine dining; 20 percent said a micro brewery; 18 percent said family dining; 18 percent said a deli; and 17 percent said a coffee shop.
Several questions were formatted to asked what priority (high, medium or low) respondents placed on certain efforts regarding the downtown. Findings included a majority placing high priority on revitalization efforts to restore and preserve downtown character (49 percent); to expand businesses and recruit new businesses (54 percent); to add additional entertainment-oriented businesses (39 percent); and to add additional festivals and special events (49 percent).
More questions asked how Ortonville compares to other business districts, with 62 percent finding the downtown weaker in terms of attractiveness; 77 percent saying weaker in terms of entertainment; 61 percent saying equal in terms of cleanliness; and 42 percent saying equal in terms of festivals and events. In terms of convenience, 38 percent found Ortonville stronger, while 36 percent found it equal; 47 percent found parking equally convenient to other business districts, and 27 percent stronger. 81 percent of respondents found Ortonville equal in terms of prices and values. In terms of selection and variety, 81 percent found Ortonville to be weaker.
When asked what should be the first thing done to improve downtown Ortonville, 19 percent of participants said sewer systems; 16 percent said aesthetic enhancements; 12 percent said add new businesses; 9 percent said restaurants; 2 percent said youth club; and 42 percent gave other responses.
After results were presented in a slide show, Bonner reiterated the importance of sewers.
‘Sewers have to come first,? he said. ‘We must have them before we do anything.?
But to get sewers, he says, a master plan is necessary. The village master plan will be a complete layout of the type of businesses to go in, what type of buildings and where a sewer system will go. The planning commission will work with the village and township on this plan, the cost of which is estimated to be about $40,000.
Several citizens at the meeting questioned spending money on a master plan when sewers have yet to arrive in the village.
One woman asked, ‘Why not see what people want in just the village? The villagers and people on (Bald Eagle) Lake are going to be the ones paying for sewers.?
Others noted the hard economic times people are facing.
Bonner responded that a master plan is necessary and money can be returned to the village once the fire station and township offices move out (land on which no taxes are paid), a reference to the recent purchase of land on M-15 by the Brandon Fire Department, which may be used in the future for a fire hall and township municipal complex.
‘A master plan can be done in a year and a half,? Bonner said. ‘It’s not an overnight deal. It’s for our kids so they have something to be proud of. You have to plan if you want it done right… The town has to be remodeled every so many years to keep it updated.?
Attendee Frank Olson, a village resident, thought it was a good meeting.
‘I think we need sewers, but a lot of people can’t afford it,? he said. ‘I think you’ll see a lot of people move… As far as restaurants, there’s not a whole lot of room to put businesses… I don’t know how to fix things here.?
John Strunk, a township resident who answered both a written and telephone survey, was at the meeting. He believes the survey offered a lot of demographic information, but said it’s obsolete.
‘None of that stuff can take place until they take care of their infrastructure problems,? he said. ‘No restaurant will come into town and become the firehouse steakhouse when you have a history like the Village Pub had. That will repeat.?
Strunk was referring to septic issues the Pub spent thousands to clear up earlier this year.
‘There is conflict between the village and township governments,? says Strunk. ‘The township is doing their best to get out of town and the village is saying good riddance because they’ll get a tax base. But they won’t. The village is delaying sewers because they don’t have the money. The only way sanitary sewers will work is if they incorporate the township… The village by itself can not afford it. The only way to offset the cost is to bring the township in, but they’re too spread out.?
Bonner said there were great questions from people at the meeting, which he thought went well.
‘We need a master plan now, even if sewers aren’t in,? he said. ‘We’ll have meetings after the first of the year and hopefully talk to companies that specialize in smaller towns. Everyone who wants to get involved can.?