Belle Isle Advisory Committee

Michigan Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee

Parks

Thursday, May 18, 2023
9:00 a.m. EDT

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Reporting

Edited and summarized by the Detroit - MI Documenters Team

Note-taking by Robert Dewar

Mobility study seeks to improve overall visitor experience with better auto, bike and pedestrian traffic flow and signage.

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Live reporting by Amber Umscheid

Mobility study seeks to improve overall visitor experience with better auto, bike and pedestrian traffic flow and signage.

Amber, she/her @organizedoracle

Good afternoon! I'll be live-tweeting today's Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee Meeting at 9am for #DETdocumenters.
@DetDocumenters media partners:
@BridgeDet313 @chalkbeatDET @freep @metrotimes
@MichiganRadio @media_outlier @PlanetDetroit
@wdet @wxyzdetroit

07:58 AM May 18, 2023 CDT

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Today's meeting will be hosted on teams. Information on how to join via Teams or Phone can be found on their website >>
michigan.gov/dnr/about/boar…

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Today's agenda can be found below 👇 https://t.co/SM9sXi6aFj

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Meeting was called to order at 9:00am by Chair Michele Hodges. Michael Curis is the only other member on the line so there is no quorum yet today.

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The Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee advises the state on implementation of improvements, master planning and public safety for Belle Isle Park.

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To kick us off we are hearing from Thomas Bissett from the DNR regarding BIPAC Meeting Schedule in the bylaws. He is suggesting to add 2 more meetings, and include an evening meeting.

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Member Reverend Peek has joined the meeting.

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Member Curis said he will do vote for whatever is best but thinks in-person meetings on the island are important.

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Mr. Bissett stated all in-person meetings will still have a virtual component for the public to join.

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Chief Ron Olson is discussing the current vacancies. They Mayor has discussed the appointments and they should come "pretty soon".

He is talking about a proposal that is out for spray pads at several different parks, including Belle Isle, but no decisions have been made.

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Park Updates from Karis Floyd --
▪️New Park Ranger hired for a seasonal position.
▪️The fountain is up and running. ⛲️
▪️All restrooms on the isle are now open.
▪️Reminder to pickup your trash!
▪️There was a hit and run on the booth so it is cash only until repairs are done.

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State worker training was on May 11th. There are 27 employees for Belle Isle that participated.

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Belle Isle will be participating in the swim program again for Summer 2023.
wxyz.com/news/metropark…

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Barbara Graves shared the 2022 Belle Isle Annual Report in the Teams Chat. Check it out!
michigan.gov/dnr/-/media/Pr…

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Lance Couturier shares the legal update --
Patrols will be more frequent as the number of people on the isle increases. Many folks are coming to see the freighters in the river.
freep.com/story/news/loc…

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Brief Presentation on the Scott Fountain ⛲️
Shout out to Robert Carpenter being the fountain expert and helping get these improvements done. https://t.co/wWibhMyg1i

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The photo on the left is up to the main water line!
(I never thought about what goes into a fountain so getting a sneak peek underneath is pretty cool!) https://t.co/QR6zxFfSxS

Amber, she/her @organizedoracle 18/35

Belle Isle Multimodal Mobility Study presentation by Courtney Piotrowski up next --
Below is a list of the team handling the study https://t.co/EpKErEnxkP

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This study is being done to increase safety and enjoyment, improve wayfinding, and ease of travel for all users and modes. A phased strategy will be developed for implementing sustainable improvements to better manage all modes of travel, circulation, and parking on Belle Isle.

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https://t.co/i676AQZLFF

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The data tells us that parking demands gaps and more spaces at popular areas. Operation and safety issues with cars parked in bike lanes and on lawns, etc. Safety issues resulted in confusion on getting places, speeding around, and traffic control. Safe walking is lacking. https://t.co/j0BOiseuAU

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83% arrive by car and folks tend to stay awhile once they arrive. People are interested in bike rentals and shuttle opportunities. Bridge backups and closures are number one issues for law enforcement and visitors alike. https://t.co/9ym95MqeqK

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To help with confusion on where to go and access to places, one-way to two-way conversions will be taking place. https://t.co/LttWowfgqE

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Below is an image showing distances between main attractions on Belle Isle and highlighting the ease of walking or biking around. https://t.co/EdCd7V0MQ2

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The study is working to keep historical aspects and honor the island in these upcoming changes. Below is an image map of Belle Isle from 1948. https://t.co/xfmyxZbQXB

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The study raised confusion around recreation passports. If you already have a pass, you can bypass the toll booths. A pass is $13 annually and gives access to 103 state parks.
michigan.gov/dnr/buy-and-ap…

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Next steps related to this study and any changes including two stakeholder meetings and a public open house. https://t.co/O0TKQe544L

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Forgoing infrastructure updates and moving to Belle Isle Conservancy updates by Ayo Thomas.

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@DBCC1839 has registration open for learn to row. Visit the site below for more details.
detroitboatclubcrew.com/learn-to-row

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TONIGHT!! Nature at Night at the Belle Isle Nature Center 5-9pm
belleislenaturecenter.detroitzoo.org/events/nature-… https://t.co/DArk2LMVOy

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Belle Isle Conservancy upcoming events and activities. Be sure to save the dates! https://t.co/Ts9rbgCnSr

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Public Comment 3 min each --
1. Gerald Hasspacher with Sierra Club hosted a fantastic event on the Isle with astronomers and scientists.
2. Patrick Livingston encouraged by study presentation.

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3. David Kasbow from Livonia and cheers to 3 way traffic on Isle. He asked about restoration of the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon tower.

Chair Michele said the chimes are having electrical issues that the staff are ordering fixes for.
historicdetroit.org/buildings/nanc…

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Next meeting of the Belle Isle Park Advisory Committee Meeting is on June 15th at 9am.

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That concludes the BIPAC Meeting for May 18th, 2023. For more meeting coverage, check out documenters.org. #detdocumenters

If you believe anything in these notes is inaccurate, please email us at documenters@outliermedia.org with "Correction Request" in the subject line.

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