DELRAY SHAFTED...IS SANDWICH NEXT

When you see the truth in black and white it hurts. Remember the comments in Port Huron when the local politicians and residents saw reality after MDOT promises:

• ---Port Huron officials were misled
• ---Promises of mitigation appear hollow
---Mitigation does not include financial assistance

• ---There is no substantive assistance
---We cannot spend transportation money to buy new housing or rehab existing

The people in Delray who attended the DRIC Public meeting in Detroit on March 21 must have felt as if their dreams were shattered right in their faces. It was all words and artists' impressions after all.

John Nagy, head of the Delray Community Council was quoted in a Detroit paper as saying:

• "But lately Nagy, a retired machine operator who's lived in the neighborhood his entire 51 years, has become excited by a proposed project he hopes will spur nascent redevelopment efforts...
  
  You'd think Nagy and other community leaders would be dead set against funneling thousands of semis spewing diesel fumes through their neighborhood every day. But the promise of development dollars has helped win them over...
  
  MDOT officials have met frequently with residents, promising to sweeten the pot if and when a bridge is built. At 23 public meetings conducted so far in southwest Detroit, agency director Kirk T. Steudle and study director Mohammed Alghurabi have sat with residents in community centers and high school gyms, answering questions and seeking input. They promised the agency would help bring housing and commercial redevelopment to the neighborhood, showing pictures of varying styles of residential buildings, cultural attractions and business projects, asking residents which would be most welcome.
  
  At first, Nagy says, he had no intention of agreeing to an international crossing running through his neighborhood. But after hearing MDOT's promises, his opinion changed.
  
  "I think, overall, the bridge is a win-win situation," he says. "It's going to do away with a lot of blight and contaminated properties."

Hmmm I wonder if John has seen the Ambassador Bridge animation video on www.YouTube.com (search "ambassador bridge") that shows that their enhancement project does not put a bridge in Delray.

More importantly, how does he react to this knee-capping by DRIC and MDOT:

• "Joe Corradino introduced the topic of Delray land use concepts. He noted that the work is based on a series of workshops with the community, from December 2005 through August 2006 that defined Planning Priorities. That work addressed Delray land uses with and without a new bridge. He explained that MDOT is a transportation agency, not a land use planning agency, but, realizing that transportation changes would affect land use, helped formulate the concepts shown in the meeting room.
  
  Joe Corradino asked those in attendance use the comment forms to write down their ideas about what they like or do not like in the alternative land use concepts shown. He suggested that of about 200 single-family occupied dwelling units that could be would be affected by the plaza, MDOT can help relocate the residents (and the businesses) to the areas in Delray selected for redevelopment, if they choose to stay. This can be a catalyst for other redevelopment. There are things like this that MDOT can do. This can complement activities by others. But, as time goes on, a partnership will have to be built with the City of Detroit and others to accomplish the redevelopment ideas shown."

In other words, DRIC just said that MDOT washed their hands in helping out in the redevelopment of Delray and passed the buck to Detroit. Go ask Kwame and someone else to do it. It's not their table. DRIC was merely helping in formulating concepts.

I'd suggest that John might want to re-read my BLOG March 01, 2007, "What Sandwich and Delray Can Learn From Port Huron." So should the West end activists and politicos!