A LAND USE PLAN FOR BRIGHTMOOR Urban + Regional Planning Program Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning University of Michigan, Ann Arbor April 2008 A LAND USE PLAN FOR BRIGHTMOOR PREPARED BY: Kimiko Doherty Lisa Morris Tim Parham Sarah Powers Erin Schumacher Bonnie Wessler Urban + Regional Planning Program Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planning University of Michigan, Ann Arbor April 2008 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We thank the Brightmoor Alliance, our community partner, and those who served on our advisory committee: Reverend Jerome Warfi eld of Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church; Pastor Cecil Poe, Ph.D., of Leland Missionary Baptist Church; John O’Brien of Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Development; Brandon Ivory of Local Initiatives Support Corporation; and Marvin Hicks. We thank the following people and organizations for their time, expertise, and willingness to help with creating a land use plan: Brightmoor neighborhood residents Participants in our three community meetings Mary Banks and Mike Chateau, Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Development Dave Douches & Joe Coombs, Michigan State University Extension The Detroit Recreation Department Gregory Parrish, Detroit Planning and Development Department Deacon Burk, Deacon Wilson, and the staff of Leland Missionary Baptist Church Carrie Lewand-Monroe, Michigan Land Bank Fast Track Authority Many thanks go to the organizations that paid the expenses of this project: the Detroit Local Initiatives Support Corporation and the Detroit Vacant Properties Campaign. This project would not have been possible without the support and guidance of Professor Margaret Dewar and Community Partnerships Manager Eric Dueweke. Acknowledgements i ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Summary .............................................................................................................................................................. xi Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Current Conditions ............................................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 3: Goals ................................................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 4: Future Land Use ............................................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 5: Residential Reinforcement .............................................................................................................. 29 Chapter 6: Residential Revitalization ............................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 7: Neighborhood Reinvention ............................................................................................................ 55 Chapter 8: Parks Enhancement .......................................................................................................................... 75 Chapter 9: Business District Realignment ........................................................................................................ 85 Chapter 10: Implementation ............................................................................................................................ 101 Appendices: Appendix A: Methods ................................................................................................................................. 107 Appendix B: Resources ................................................................................................................................ 119 Table of Contents iii iv LIST OF FIGURES Chapter 1 1.1: Brightmoor in the region ................................................................................................................................................................ 1 1.2: Brightmoor boundaries ............................................................................................................................................................... 1 1.3: Brightmoor Community fl ag on Fenkell Street ....................................................................................................................... 2 1.4: Original B.E. Taylor house and fl oor plan ................................................................................................................................. 2 1.5: Remaining Taylor house in Brightmoor ................................................................................................................................... 3 1.6: Brightmoor Community Center ................................................................................................................................................. 3 Chapter 2 2.1: Age of Brightmoor residents, 2000 ............................................................................................................................................ 5 2.2: Age of Detroit residents, 2000 .................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.3: Unemployment rates, 2000 ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.4: Poverty rates, 1999 ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6 2.5: Per capita income, 1999 ............................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.6: Example of a Brightmoor neighborhood threatened by foreclosure ........................................................................................ 7 2.7: Generalized land use in Brightmoor, 2005 .................................................................................................................................. 8 2.8: State, city, county, and NDND-owned properties .................................................................................................................. 9 2.9: Vacant land in Brightmoor .......................................................................................................................................................... 10 2.10: Figure-ground showing structures in Brightmoor ...............................................................................................................11 2.11: Median household income in the Brightmoor area, 1999 ......................................................................................................12 2.12: Median value of owner-occupied lots in the Brightmoor area, 2000 .................................................................................12 2.13: Assets in and around Brightmoor ............................................................................................................................................. 13 2.14: Bus routes and bus frequency in the Brightmoor area ........................................................................................................14 Chapter 4 4.1: Future land use planning areas ................................................................................................................................................. 20 4.2: Diagram of the character of the fi ve planning areas ............................................................................................................. 22 4.3: Cross-section of Brightmoor as shown in Figure 4.2 ............................................................................................................ 22 4.4: Well-maintained homes south of Schoolcraft Road .............................................................................................................. 23 4.5: Row of homes near Eliza Howell Park with lamps in every front yard ............................................................................ 23 4.6: The Hubert School ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23 4.7: NDND infi ll housing ................................................................................................................................................................. 24 4.8: House in the process of being deconstructed ........................................................................................................................ 24 List of Figures v 4.9: Vacant lot transformed into a community garden ................................................................................................................ 24 4.10: Solar panels for alternative energy production ........................................................................................................................ 25 4.11: Detroit homestead near Schoolcraft Road ............................................................................................................................ 25 4.12: Urban agriculture ..................................................................................................................................................................... 25 4.13: A splash park ...........................................................................................................................................................................