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151 Martin, P.O. Box 3001
Birmingham, MI 48012
Ph. 248.530.1800
Fax 248.530.1080
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AROUND TOWN
September 2016
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Welcome to the September 2016 edition of the Around Town e-Newsletter from the City of Birmingham. We hope you enjoy this e-newsletter and forward it along to others who may be interested in the City of Birmingham!
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Drive with Safety in Mind during New School Year
A message from Birmingham Police Chief Mark Clemence
With the end of summer upon us, the start of school is not far behind. The Birmingham Police Department would like to remind everyone in our "walkable" community how important it is to drive safely. Here are a few tips that all drivers should keep in mind:
- Watch your speed. All residential streets have a maximum speed of 25 mph. Please drive at or below that speed to ensure the safety of all children, pedestrians and cyclists.
- Pay attention to school zones, bus stops and other areas where children may congregate.
- Be aware of your surroundings. Do not be distracted by cell phones, radios or other media.
- Yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
- Do not use residential streets as short cuts.
- Treat every neighborhood you are traveling in as if it were your own.
When school begins after Labor Day, the Birmingham Police Department will conduct a traffic "blitz" on roadways surrounding schools to enforce traffic laws. Please do your part and drive safely for the benefit of everyone in our community.
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Progress Continues on W. Maple Road Resurfacing Project
The intention of this project was to remove and replace the upper layers of the road, which is an asphalt overlay. Once the asphalt is removed, bad sections of concrete can be removed before the final new top surface is installed. The project completion was delayed primarily because a much larger quantity of failed concrete is being removed and replaced than what was originally anticipated. Concrete removals and patching is expected to come to completion during the first week of September.
The asphalt overlay work began on September 1, starting at Cranbrook Rd., and moving east to Chesterfield Ave. The project is 60% completed at this time and the road is now planned for being returned to traffic about the middle of September.
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Birmingham Welcomes New Businesses
Stop by soon to check out the following new Birmingham businesses:
blo birmingham - 555 South Old Woodward. No cuts, no color: Just wash, blo, go. Guests choose from their signature styles featured in the Blo Hair Menu, from the razor-straight "Executive Sweet" to the runway-inspired "Pillow Talk". Learn more at http://blomedry.com/.
CoreRevolution Studio - 555 South Old Woodward. A boutique fitness studio with indoor cycling, pre/postnatal care, childcare and wellness coaching. Learn more at http://www.corerevolutionstudio.com/.
Sundance Shoes - 239 South Old Woodward. Sundance Shoes is known as a fashion-forward woman's shoe store, specializing in current fashion trends as well as comfort standbys. They also offer handbags and accessory needs. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/sundanceshoeshop/.
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Valet Parking Continues in Birmingham
To offer an advanced level of service to Birmingham customers, the Birmingham Shopping District has arranged for In-House Valet to stay in Birmingham throughout the rest of the year.
The service is located near the north east corner of Old Woodward and Maple. Drivers pay
$8 for valet parking for up to four hours, then $5 per hour for each additional hour. A $5 Short-Term option is also available for those who park for 30 minutes or less. The service is offered Monday - Saturday (excluding holidays) from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. For more information, call 248-530-1200.
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Attend a Regional Transit Forum Sept. 14th
Join your neighbors, local officials, county commissioners, business leaders and others at a
Regional Transit Forum on Wednesday, September 14 from 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church of Birmingham (1589 W. Maple Road).
Find out what's in the
Regional Master Transit Plan
for you and your family!
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Register for Ice Skating Lessons on Sept. 6th
 The City of Birmingham Ice Sports Arena offers ice skating lessons for Fall, Winter and Spring.
Series I 2016-2017 Learn To Skate Class Registration:
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Residents/Non-Residents
6:00 pm -8:00 pm
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Celebrate Michigan's Bountiful Harvest at the Birmingham Farmers Market
Corn Shelling ~ Farm Animals ~ Free Kid's Craft ~ Live Entertainment
Celebrating Michigan's bountiful fall harvest, the Birmingham Farmers Market's Harvest Festival will be held on Sunday, September 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Attendees will enjoy the season's best variety of Michigan-grown produce with large quantities filling the tables throughout the market. The event will offer hands-on activities for all ages.
Children will see and pet animals from Bowers School Traveling Farm. Birmingham Youth Assistance will staff the Kids Zone. Attendees will enjoy live entertainment, antique corn shelling tools and more.
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Save the Date: Fire Dept. Open House October 8
Saturday, October 8, 2016, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Learn about fire safety and meet your firefighters at their annual Open House Event on Saturday, October 8 from 1 pm to 4 pm at the Adams Fire Station (572 South Adams). Take advantage of the opportunity to operate a fire hose and view portable fire extinguisher demonstrations. In addition, attendees will enjoy an EMS and vehicle extrication display, along with HAZMAT apparatus and equipment. Enter a raffle and enjoy refreshments at this family friendly event! For more information, contact the Birmingham Fire Department at (248) 530-1900 or visit
www.bhamgov.org/fire.
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Native Plants & Flowers for Water Quality
 Over the past decade, the City has installed native plants and flowers in public parks to provide natural beauty, prevent streambank erosion, and deter waterfowl.
Native plants are plants that existed in the Great Lakes region prior to the arrival of European settlers.
Natives contribute to the natural environment in important ways:
- Erosion control: Native plants have extensive root systems that help control bank erosion.
- Nutrient filtration: These extensive root systems help filter phosphorus, nitrogen, and other pollutants.
* Habitat for birds, insects, and other beneficial wildlife:
Native plants provide food and habitat for
birds, butterflies, insects and other beneficial wildlife.
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Improvements Explored by Ad Hoc Rail District Committee
On January 11, 2016, the City Commission unanimously passed a resolution to establish the Ad Hoc Rail District Committee. The Committee was tasked with developing a recommended plan for addressing parking, planning, and multi-modal issues in the Rail District and more specifically along S. Eton Road. The City's adopted Eton Corridor Plan and Multi-Modal Plan are helping to inform decision making, while the Committee is considering other ideas recommended by other public boards to act on in both the immediate and foreseeable future.
S. Eton Road marks a transitional border on the City's east side as it demarcates residential neighborhoods to the west and a variety of mixed-use development in the Rail District to the east. Over the past 10 years, the District has added a new brewery and multiple mixed-use buildings with retail on the first floor and residential units above. In similar fashion, historically industrial land uses located between Holland and Lincoln are now beginning to evolve into more office and residential development.
Although the Rail District has much success to draw upon, there is certainly a need to improve parking, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and to calm traffic in the area. The Committee is reviewing traffic and parking conditions in the study area, and is exploring measures to improve the design of the District's streets and sidewalks for all users. One such measure involves the construction of curb extensions at select intersections. Curb extensions are designed to visually and physically narrow the roadway, creating safer and shorter crossings for pedestrians while encouraging drivers to slow down. The Committee is also exploring options to reconfigure S. Eton Road to better serve bicyclists without sacrificing necessary parking, and studying methods of encouraging shared parking throughout the district. A full report is expected by the end of the year.
For more information on the opportunities being studied in the Rail District, please visit the City's website.
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Limited Spots Available for Fall 2016 Citizens Academy
There are still spaces available in the Fall Birmingham Citizens Academy. This free, interactive 7-week program is open only to Birmingham residents 18 years or older and is designed to provide a fun, informative learning experience for citizens who want to know how the City of Birmingham operates. Classes will be offered on Tuesday nights starting Oct. 4 from 6-8:30 p.m. The program informs citizens about how local governments are organized, and how services are funded and delivered. It is an interactive learning experience from government staff on the services provided by the City.
Download a
Citizens Academy Application
or visit www.bhamgov.org/citizensacademy. For more information, c
ontact Joellen Haines, Assistant to the City Manager, at
jhaines@bhamgov.org
or 248-530-1807.
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September News from the Birmingham Museum
Our popular Greenwood Cemetery Tour is coming up on September 24, hosted by the Friends of the Birmingham Museum. This tour will focus on the oldest part of the cemetery and dressed docents will share stories about how the earliest settlers turned this patch of wilderness into a thriving community. Come learn about how a grisly murder created the iconic cemetery, which of the founders are buried there, Martha Baldwin's efforts to preserve it for future generations and much more! The tour will go on rain or shine. Everyone coming out should also wear comfortable shoes.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students and $20 for families. For more information and to reserve your spot, please contact either the Friends of the Birmingham Museum or call the museum at 248-530-1928.
The museum is open Wednesday through Saturday, 1 PM to 4 PM and located at 556 W. Maple Rd. Parking is available in the Chester St. structure on the south side of Maple. Admission is $7.00 for adults, $5.00 for students and seniors, children 5 and under are free. Please visit us on the web at www.bhamgov.org/museum or www.facebook.com/TheBirminghamMuseum.
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September News from the Baldwin Library
Cut the Cord
Tuesday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m.
Have you been considering canceling your cable package but are not sure how to access your favorite content without it? Learn about and try some of the most popular and user-friendly alternatives.
Registration required.
Paws with a Cause
Thursday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Come meet service dogs and learn how the organization Paws with a Cause selects, trains and pairs dogs with partners who need their help. Registration required.
Banned in Detroit: The Suppression of Hemingway's "To Have and Have Not"
Tuesday, September 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Author John Cohassey will discuss the legal battle of Hemingway's To Have and Have Not, after a Detroit Public Library patron complained it was immoral. Registration required.
The Baldwin Public Library is located at 300 W. Merrill Street in Birmingham.
For more information visit
www.baldwinlib.org
or call (248) 647-1700.
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Obtain Copies of Oakland County Records at Next on 12/1
With today's work and family demands, the Oakland County Clerk's office knows it can be difficult for residents to make it to their Pontiac office during regular business hours. With that in mind, they created Local Office Visits, an
on-the-road service offering on-the-spot copies of Oakland County records. The Local Office Visits, which operate at no extra cost, are simply a re-deployment of their existing resources. Normal copy fees and identification requirements apply.
During your Local Office Visit, you can:
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Thank you for reading Around Town, a monthly e-newsletter from the City of Birmingham. We hope you find the information timely and useful. Please feel free to forward this e-mail to friends and neighbors who may be interested in Birmingham.
Sincerely,
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