Royal Oak Declines Paving Mt. Vernon Blvd.
(Crystal A. Proxmire, June 26, 2018)
Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak City Commissioners declined to move forward with a resident request and petition to pave Mt. Vernon Blvd. The three-block street, with trees along the middle, is among the City’s remaining 3.5 miles of unpaved roadways.
A petition of property owners showed that 43.2% on the block furthest west wanted paving, while 32% of the entire street wanted it.  City Commissioners could have moved forward with paving even without majority of resident support, however after hearing from several residents at the Monday night meeting, they declined to pursue it.
Had the City moved forward, they would have covered approximately half the cost, as well as the full cost of intersections because of funding from a roads millage passed in 2014.  Since the millage passed in 2014, ten streets have been paved at resident’s requests.  Residents would have been assessed for the remainder of the costs.
“This has always been a contentious issue,” said City Commissioner Patricia Paruch.  “We saw petitions in the 70s, in the 90s…  I think this is the 12th time I’ve seen something like this.”
The cost of maintaining the dirt road is over $5,000 which includes grating twice per year as well as filling in potholes and ruts.  The cost for paving would have been $466,900 per block.
Several residents spoke – some in favor of paving, some opposed.  Soren Anderson was among those opposed.  “We will lose our park-like ambiance and instead be closer to a parking lot,” he said.
The decision not to pave did not require a direct vote, only the absence of a motion to move forward.  “Mt. Vernon is a special place; it is a unique neighborhood,” said Mayor Michael Fournier.  “The neighborhood is free to collect their thoughts and pursue what they’re going to pursue.”
Residents could decide to come back to the City and request another petition, however there is no guarantee that funds from the millage would be available to do a match by the city. In the meantime, the City will look at how to better maintain the street.
Alice Brown has lived on the boulevard for over 30 years.  “I chose to purchase a home on an unpaved road,” she said.
Mt. Vernon is located just north of 13 Mile off Main Street.