The Observation Deck

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:50 am**

I will never forget how exciting it was when it was announced a new $12,000,0000
Lakewood Public Library would be built, and designed by one of the top Architects in the world.

Then I remember the excitement over the new Detroit Streetscape, prepared by the
George Administration as a sketch of what Detroit could look like, and we cheered! The
next administration found that rough sketch and ran with it as "the plan."

Then I remember when so many people got excited about how we need to brand the area
between the new Library and Bunts Road as "DowntowN" as it would add so much to the
marketability and for attracting economic development to "DowntowN."

Then I remember the excitement about looking for the logo for "Downtown" and how great it
would be, but then we would need wayfinding, otherwise how would people know they are "Downtown?"

Then I remember the excitement of the Library Gala opening, and how much the entire
city loved the new library.

Then there was much excitement as The Friends Of The Library - and these people are really friends of the library, making many of the great things about the LPL possible - announced new art for the outside of the Library. Something spectacular, and they had $150,000 in private money to spend!

Then some celebrated because we had new lights and signals coming to Detroit and
Downtown that would help tie everything together and we celebrated that.

So many good ideas coming together in the "Best Suburb in The County!"

WHEN GREAT PLANS OF LAKEWOOD ARE BROUGHT TOGETHER!!!!

This photo above underlines so many of the worries I have as a resident and businessman
in Lakewood the city I love dearly. This photo represents approx $15 million in investment
and nearly ten years of efforts from the residents of Lakewood.

... a family I know ... bought an acre in the country on which to build a house. For
many years, while they lacked the money to build, they visited the site regularly and
picnicked on a knoll, the site's most attractive feature. They liked so much to visualize
themselves as always there, that when they finally built they put the house on the knoll.
But then the knoll was gone. Somehow they had not realized they would destroy it and
lose it by supplanting it with themselves. - Jane Jacobs

I would kindly like to ask the Planning/Building Department to consider removing
"Planning" from their name.

FWIW

.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 9:06 am**

I would like to point out that the drawings of the new library show people walking across the street to get to the library but it is now against the law to walk across the street to get to the library because people walking across the street to get to the library slowed down cars racing through town.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:04 am**

Bill Call wrote:I would like to point out that the drawings of the new library show people walking across the street to get to the library but it is now against the law to walk across the street to get to the library because people walking across the street to get to the library slowed down cars racing through town.

To be fair, that crosswalk was in place at the time this rendering was done. The church in the background is now gone too.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:31 am**

Valerie Molinski wrote:To be fair, that crosswalk was in place at the time this rendering was done. The church in the background is now gone too.

Valerie

If we are to be fair about the images, there are no wires or traffic either.

The images were not placed there to be accurate, they were placed there to capture the excitement of the
moment, and to stress what good accomplishments they were at the time.

The final image is not a slam on CVS. Far from it, they were told what to do by the building department, and
did better and more than they were asked to do. A good thing.

My problem is that it has seemed City Hall has sent two very different messages out at the same time again
and again. Do we want streets to have a clear view, and allow for patio living? Are we a walkable bikeable
community, or do we frown on sidewalks being used so that we narrow them down? Do we want a cool typical
"Mainstreet" or do we want chains?

I have this feeling, deep in my heart, that if at anytime during the last 8 years if we had been told Downtown,
and the millions being pumped into would be gated by Get-N-Go, CVS, Taco Bell, and Moon's, we would have
possibly paused and thought, is this really what we want to spend millions of dollars and thousands of
volunteer hours on? Do you think Rozi's would have done signage different if when going through approval
someone from the city would have said, the new lights will block all of your signage? Would the Friends of
the Library spend $150,000 for art that cannot be viewed properly? Wouldn't the Planning Department say,
well you know, we are building to the corner and will block it with massive poles? Or maybe the Planning
Department would say to CVS, you know, maybe you could angle your building as Social Security did to save
and old tree, and UVerse Boxes.

This is not about the art, or the images, it is about the final product.

It is about vision and planning.

FWIW

.

.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:05 am**

The city isn't fitting inside Mr. O'Bryan's box once again.

It's always interesting how one can adjust the perspective of any image or topic to illustrate their point.

20 ft further east you have an unobstructed view of the sculpture. Remove a old lights and poles that will come down when the traffic light project is finished and a 3rd of the pole and equipment clutter is gone.

Bill

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:11 am**

Jim O'Bryan wrote:
Valerie Molinski wrote:To be fair, that crosswalk was in place at the time this rendering was done. The church in the background is now gone too.

Valerie

If we are to be fair about the images, there are no wires or traffic either.

Welcome to architectural renderings. I'm merely pointing out that the crosswalk isnt there anymore, but neither is the church. These kinds of renderings are rarely reality. Why WOULD one show overhead wires on something like that? They are meant to highlight the design of the building (library). If you want reality, take a picture... which you did.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:21 am**

The final image is not a slam on CVS. Far from it, they were told what to do by the building department, and did better and more than they were asked to do. A good thing.

Oh, but I think this is a slam. Maybe not on CVS, but it is a slam. I think that image is disingenuous (or not fair) as well. The building is not done, a piece of construction fence fell over, the planters are still bare, the extra pole is yet t be removed. As a pedestrian moving east past the CVS, it is actually quite cool to come upon the sculpture all of a sudden. It doesn't NEED to be seen down the street for a mile from blocks away to be appreciated. I actually appreciate the 'break' at the library all the more now.

So you think everyone should have ESP and plan for the future in every move that is made in the city? What if the sculpture never happened and the building cut back for....nothing? You cannot forsee every eventuality. Additionally, I believe there is something to be said for organic development. If we planned everything out, it might get rote and boring. Opportunities can be missed if we pencil out every unintented consequence. Sometimes, that how great civic spaces are made.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:39 am**

Valerie Molinski wrote:Oh, but I think this is a slam. Maybe not on CVS, but it is a slam. I think that image is disingenuous (or not fair) as well. The building is not done, a piece of construction fence fell over, the planters are still bare, the extra pole is yet t be removed. As a pedestrian moving east past the CVS, it is actually quite cool to come upon the sculpture all of a sudden. It doesn't NEED to be seen down the street for a mile from blocks away to be appreciated. I actually appreciate the 'break' at the library all the more now.

So you think everyone should have ESP and plan for the future in every move that is made in the city? What if the sculpture never happened and the building cut back for....nothing? You cannot forsee every eventuality. Additionally, I believe there is something to be said for organic development. If we planned everything out, it might get rote and boring. Opportunities can be missed if we pencil out every unintented consequence. Sometimes, that how great civic spaces are made.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:47 am**

I'll just leave this here:

Given urban planners' almost universal reverence for Jacobs, it is ironic that many have largely ignored or misinterpreted the central lesson of "Death and Live"--that cities are vibrant living systems, not the product of grand utopian schemes concocted by overzealous planners...

[Contemporary] planning trends run completely counter to Jacobs's vision of cities as dynamic economic engines that thrive on private initiative, trial-and-error, incremental change, and human and economic diversity. Jacobs believed the most organic and healthy communities are diverse, messy and arise out of spontaneous order, not from a scheme that tries to dictate how people should live and how neighborhoods should look.

She felt it was foolish to focus on how cities look rather than how they function as economic laboratories. "The main responsibility of city planning and design should be to develop--insofar as public policy and action can do so--cities that are congenial places for [a] great range of unofficial plans, ideas and opportunities to flourish," Jacobs wrote.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:47 am**

J Hrlec wrote:
Valerie Molinski wrote:Oh, but I think this is a slam. Maybe not on CVS, but it is a slam. I think that image is disingenuous (or not fair) as well. The building is not done, a piece of construction fence fell over, the planters are still bare, the extra pole is yet t be removed. As a pedestrian moving east past the CVS, it is actually quite cool to come upon the sculpture all of a sudden. It doesn't NEED to be seen down the street for a mile from blocks away to be appreciated. I actually appreciate the 'break' at the library all the more now.

So you think everyone should have ESP and plan for the future in every move that is made in the city? What if the sculpture never happened and the building cut back for....nothing? You cannot forsee every eventuality. Additionally, I believe there is something to be said for organic development. If we planned everything out, it might get rote and boring. Opportunities can be missed if we pencil out every unintented consequence. Sometimes, that how great civic spaces are made.

Valerie

I am not thinking everyone should have ESP.

I am thinking that the "Planning Department" should care as much about $150,000 pieces of art, as they do
$100 bannisters.

I am thinking that a Planning Department should be able to look at a corner, and say, "Hey you know what,
this is really going to narrow the entrance to "DowntowN" something the city has collectively spent millions
on. I am hoping that someone, has some sort of vision to what so many are trying to do.

I mean it is the "Planning Department." Am I right?

I do believe the quote was something to the effect. "Did you mention any of this to the city?" and the answer was they want everything like Warren and Madison. Which is just
the most worthless corner in Lakewood, in my humble opinion.

The only people being questioned in this thread is "PLANNING."

I think it is a fair question and statement.

You do not think this is an underwhelming entrance to Lakewood's Downtown .8 of a mile?

You believe it was welled planned out?

.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:51 am**

Jim O'Bryan wrote:I am thinking that the "Planning Department" should care as much about $150,000 pieces of art, as they do
$100 bannisters.

How do you know they don't? (rhetorical question) So we should appreciate something more based on cost? I'm going to call up Banksy and have him do a free installation somewhere in Lakewood so we can all appreciate that too.... but not too much because it was free.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:54 pm**

My two cents, for what it's worth.

I just live here... been here 9 years, about to buy a house here. I don't have any say in anything but voting, so I"ll just give my opinion.

I like the new CVS. Okay, it's a CVS ~ it's nothing to get all hyped up about. It's a drug store. It's a shame it's not a privately owned mom & pop, but it's rare to find those anymore.

To quote my husband "It's better looking than the Rite-Aid."

But I like the building. I think it was thoughtfully done and well executed. When looking at that picture, it would appear that it was set back on the street, and I believe on the other side there is even a flower bed ? Am I wrong on that? between the building and the sidewalk.

What you see are all of the polls... but as I drive down the street it's only blocked momentarily. Personally I like the new polls that were put up as well.

So... that's just me. I like it. For what it's worth.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 3:49 pm**

Valerie Molinski wrote:
Jim O'Bryan wrote:I am thinking that the "Planning Department" should care as much about $150,000 pieces of art, as they do
$100 bannisters.

How do you know they don't? (rhetorical question) So we should appreciate something more based on cost? I'm going to call up Banksy and have him do a free installation somewhere in Lakewood so we can all appreciate that too.... but not too much because it was free.

Valerie

While I love you playing the devil's advocate to so many of my posts.

I would hope the city would pay attention to the residents collecting nearly $13,000,000 dollars for a project
they wanted. Especially when it is the massive brand builder that the LPL is.

But that is merely my opinion.

.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:04 pm**

Jim O'Bryan wrote:
Valerie

While I love you playing the devil's advocate to so many of my posts.

I would hope the city would pay attention to the residents collecting nearly $13,000,000 dollars for a project
they wanted. Especially when it is the massive brand builder that the LPL is.

But that is merely my opinion.

.

I thought we were talking about $150K art, not a $12M building. Regardless, I don't agree with you that the brand or success of either is diminished by your picture of the cacophany of a city scape.

Posted: **Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:35 pm**

Valerie Molinski wrote:I thought we were talking about $150K art, not a $12M building. Regardless, I don't agree with you that the brand or success of either is diminished by your picture of the cacophany of a city scape.

Val

At the end of the day, one can hope that the area might be cleaned up better, and that at least one city
could flow in harmony and common sense. From what I have been told through the city. They wanted the
CVS building to the street. It was pointed out that it would block the art, and the building. Before CVS was
built.

The Arthur Block Group were preparing to recreate historic walls on the North end of Detroit that had been
there up till around 1960 or so. They appear in an LO comic strip, I'll try to find it. I could be wrong, but I
believe CVS was open to that idea, but were asked to build to the street.

None of this matters, they are not moving CVS back, nor should they. CVS has done a good job.what matters
is next time. Maybe they will take that step back and look at sight lines. Maybe the Councilman will actually
walk into the park he is closing early before doing it. Maybe they will ask for one more opinion before pulling
the trigger. In the end, would that be so tragic?

.

The Observation Deck

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Re: You Have To Love Great Plans Coming Together!