Dexter Township Hall Parking Lot to Get $135,000 Facelift

The Dexter Board of Trustees unanimously voted to move forward with a construction project to rehabilitate the parking lot at the township hall at 6880 Dexter-Pinckney Road.

On Tuesday, board members directed the Livonia-based engineering firm of Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc. to post requests for proposals for the project, which is estimated to cost roughly $135,000.

According to information provided by the board, the township's 2012-2013 fiscal year budget includes an allocation of $142,000 to cover the project.

The rehabilitation will include repaving the lot, adding a handicap accessible ramp, lighting improvements, and landscaping improvements.

Township Supervisor Pat Kelly said township officials will ask the Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority for a donation to offset the cost of the project since the parking lot is one of the WWRA's designated drop-off sites for recycling.

The WWRA recently contributed $53,000 to the city of Chelsea's recycling center at the Chelsea Fairgrounds.

"I'm hopeful that the WWRA's contribution to Dexter Township will be in line with their recent decision to allocate funding to the Chelsea bin site," Kelly said.

Township Trustee Mike Howard said if the WWRA opts out of contributing, he feels the recycling bins should be relocated to another location.

"We can't be spending $100,000 on a parking lot, only to have to do it again in six or seven years," Howard said. "A lot of the traffic at the township hall comes from residents dropping off recycling and WWRA trucks collecting product."

Trustee Jason Maciejewski, WWRA board representative, said the board will meet next week to discuss a potential donation.

Matt Parks, a representative for OHM, said construction could get started as early as July or August.