River Rouge MASTER PLAN 2017 THIS PAGE HAS BEEN LEFT BLANK INTENTIONALLY Acknowledgments A special thanks to Karl Laub, the Community Development Director, for his dedication and support of this planning process. COUNCIL Michael D. Bowdler* Derek Perry Mayor Councilman Karen Ward Percy Pierce* Mayor Pro-Tem Councilman Patty Campbell Mark Pruneau Councilman Councilman Daniel Cooney Ellis Houghton Councilman Constable Dennis Shiels Constable *Members of both the City Council and Planning Commission PLANNING COMMISSION Donald Love Olive Roberts Commissioner Chairperson Jesse Jordan Douglas Myers Jr. Commissioner Commissioner Kenneth Burgess Vicky Dobbins Commissioner Commissioner Karl Laub Voting Member IN ASSOCIATION WITH Figures, Maps, Tables 1: Regional Location Map 9 2: River Rouge Compared to the State of Michigan on PRT Criteria 11 3: Age and Gender Pyramid, % 13 4: Population Growth 14 5: Poverty Threshold Guidelines, 2016 15 6: Race by Block 16 7: Poverty by Block Group 17 8: Percentage of Workers by Occupation 19 9: Educational Attainment 20 10: Wayne County Health Rankings 21 11: LUST and Brownfield Sites Map 26 12: Average Density of Fine Particulate Matter, 2002-2012 27 13: Existing Land Use Categories 28 14: Existing Land Use Map 29 15: Vacant Properties Map 31 16: Neighborhood Typologies Map 35 17: Community Engagement Results 39 18: Housing Assessment Scoring 47 19: Housing Units Map 48 21: Housing Checklist Example 49 20: Boarded Homes by Block 49 22: Housing Conditions Map 50 23: Market Potential vs. Existing Housing Stock, Share of Total by Building Size 51 24: Road Classifications Map 55 25: Public Transportation Map 57 26: Preferred Roadway Configuration, West Jefferson Corridor 59 27: Sidewalk Gap Analysis Map 61 28: Barriers to Economic Growth in Michigan 70 29: Tree Canopy Cover Map 73 30: Redevelopment Opportunities 77 31: Future Land Use Map 81 32: Future Land Use Districts 82 33: Current Land Use Districts 84 34: Zoning Map 85 35: Corresponding Future Land Uses 87 36: Housing Goals 90 37: Redevelopment Goals 91 38: Health, Environment, and Energy 92 39: Transportation 93 40: Communication 94 41: Economic Development 95 42: River Rouge Master Plan Survey Results 96 43: Pathway to Becoming a Redevelopment Ready Community 139 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 6 INTRODUCTION 8 DEMOGRAPHICS 12 EXISTING LAND USE 24 DOWNTOWNS & DISTRICTS 32 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 38 HOUSING 46 CORRIDORS 54 ECONOMIC PROFILE 68 POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT SITES 76 FUTURE LAND USE & ZONING 80 ACTION PLAN & IMPLEMENTATION 88 APPENDIX 96 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PLANNING COMMUNITY strengths identified for River Rouge lie in strong leadership and the new PROCESS ENGAGEMENT plans produced through the PRT This phase of the Project Rising RESULTS process. Some of the opportunities Tide (PRT) Master Plan process mentioned are economically-driven began in the summer of 2016. A 29-question survey was hand with the construction opportunities Over the course of the following delivered to every home in River from the Gordie Howe International year, a team of planners, economic Rouge asking residents how they Bridge, access to available developers, and workforce would prioritize issues pertaining grants, and intra- and inter-city experts collaborated to engage to housing, commercial, industrial, collaboration for economic growth. the public in order to develop recreation, and transportation. On the other hand, the weaknesses recommendations designed to The results demonstrated an and threats are serious concerns. guide growth and development in overwhelming response to prioritize River Rouge is concerned about River Rouge for the next decade. housing, specifically to remove the DTE closure and tax base loss, The Action Plan is a result of blighted structures. Community absentee landlords, and an aging a community survey, a SWOT members also expressed a desire population, all of which have analysis, and discussions held for the city to prioritize business potentially severe and negative during various meetings with recruitment, improved air quality, consequences if not properly the Planning Commission, City better maintenance of existing addressed. Interestingly, there was Council, Downtown Development recreational facilities, and increased no overlap between weaknesses Authority (DDA), and the Economic bus frequency. and threats. Community members Development Corporation (EDC). In May 2017, the Planning believe drugs, race relations, and Commission, City Council, and the absence of a grocery store to residents underwent a Strengths, be the top weaknesses. Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threat (SWOT) analysis. The top 6 RIVER ROUGE MASTER PLAN ACTION PLAN annually for the next five years. • As of 2015, 38.6% of families lived below the poverty line. The Action Plan addresses • River Rouge follows national recurring concerns exposed during trends of an aging population. • River Rouge and Wayne County the community engagement • African-American/Black has have lost 4% of manufacturing process. The Action Plan is divided become the dominant racial jobs, but one-third of jobs are into five broader categories: group accounting for 53% of still in manufacturing. housing, economic development, the population. • A Gap Analysis revealed that redevelopment, transportation, and • More than 1 in 5 residents aged the River Rouge market is communication. 25 years or older do not have a saturated in gas stations, liquor The housing recommendations call high school diploma. stores, and fast food chains, for increasing the supply, improving but has not captured the • Wayne County consistently demand for auto parts, grocery the quality of the housing stock, ranks within the bottom two and increasing the types of housing stores, clothing and general counties in the state for most merchandise, and a full-service largely through modifying the health variables. zoning ordinance and creating restaurant. a year-round rental inspection program. The redevelopment Housing Natural Features and recommendations are centered • As of 2015, River Rouge has a Existing Land Use housing vacancy rate of 27.6% on proactively inventorying and • Over 60% of land is used for which equates to approximately marketing potential sites to industrial purposes. developers who otherwise might 1,057 units vacant. • Belanger Park is the only public not come to the community. • A residential Target Market access to the riverfront. The intent of the health and Analysis (TMA) showed that environment goals is to boost the 90% new households that • There are no wetlands physical health of River Rouge’s move in River Rouge are renters remaining but there are residents through non motorized and are from the poorest potential wetland restoration transit, expanded tree canopy to lifestyle segments. areas left along the Rouge improve air quality, and increased River. exercise classes. The public • River Rouge’s housing stock • Almost 10% of the city’s transportation goals aim to improve suffers from a lack of “missing parcels are vacant. public options that are safe, middle” housing options. accessible, and affordable including • Likely due to the Great • There are 21 open underground building bicycle lanes in the short Recession median housing storage tanks (UST). term, and in the longer term work values have fallen by about with SMART and DDOT to expand $30,000 and have not Corridors the bus frequency. Communication rebounded. • Average annual daily traffic on goals are intended to improve • A housing inventory conducted West Jefferson Avenue dropped two-way communication between in November 2016 found that between 2013-2016 due to the the city and its residents, as well 78% of housing structures Bascule Bridge closure. as communicating the city’s were considered in “good” • The sidewalk gap analysis receptiveness to business through condition. their new branding. shows that most of the gaps • One-third of homeowners are are located along industrial land cost-burdened compared to uses. MAJOR two-thirds of renters. FINDINGS Redevelopment Sites Economic Profile • There are two publicly Demographics • The median household income held properties that can be (MHI) has dropped by $2,000 • River Rouge has been redeveloped. annually since the year 2000, experiencing population • 479 parcels are vacant land. and the MHI of $27,641 is decline since the 1950s and 56% of Wayne County’s. is projected to lose 0.83% RIVER ROUGE MASTER PLAN 7 INTRODUCTION REGIONAL of the regional government HISTORY SEMCOG, the Southeast Michigan SETTING Council of Governments. River Rouge’s location has forged its destiny as a hub of industrial River Rouge is one of the seventeen SEMCOG plans for eight counties activity. Primarily beginning as Downriver Communities of Detroit. in southeast Michigan to help outgrowth of Detroit’s expansion, The City covers 2.65 square miles, coordinate development across its position between the iron ore a small city that is home to major jurisdictions, and can assist local in the upper peninsula and the industrial giants such as National governments through grants for coal mines in the eastern part of Steel Corporation, Texaco, and planning initiatives, for example, the US, and along the Detroit and Amoco Petroleum Products. The the Transportation Alternatives Rouge Rivers, made it an ideal spot City is linked to Detroit in many Program (TAP) that gives funding for manufacturing. River Rouge ways; in addition to sharing a for pedestrian and bicycle transitioned from farmland to a border, they are connected