BROMLEY HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION
MAY NEWSLETTER

Dates of upcoming events of importance to Bromley residents:

April 24--food collection for "scouting for food--good turn"
April 24-25--Dolfins Pool Cleanup
April 29--meeting about proposed incinerator
May 8--Bromley Garage Sales Day

APRIL 24, 1993
Scouting For Food--Good Turn; information from Stephanie Arnesen.  Each 
household should
have received a flyer concerning this program of the Boy and Girl Scouts 
of America.  The food
is to be collected on April 24; perishable goods cannot be used.  Please 
consider donating
canned goods--all food will be used at local charities.  Starting time 
for collection is 8:00 a.m.

APRIL 24-25, 1993
Come join your neighbors and support Dolfins Pool, the Bromley 
pool--first cleanup.  Help is
needed with general cleanup, including yard work, painting, interior 
cleaning, cement work, and a
number of other tasks.  If each of us pitches in a bit, we get to know 
our neighborhood and
develop a sense of community linking the pool site to the rest of the 
neighborhood.  Please
support your pool.  Remember also to send in your assessments or 
memberships--to Mary Ann
Gasiorek, 2144 Prairie, 996-4633.

APRIL 29, 1993
Hazardous Waste Complex Proposed for Washtenaw County
by Laura Nathan, Orchard Hills/Maplewood.

     A hazardous waste incinerator, landfill and deep injection well 
complex is being proposed for
construction by Envotech Inc. in Augusta Township, adjacent to Milan, 
Michigan, less than fifteen
miles from downtown Ann Arbor.  The site includes valuable wetlands and 
wildlife, and is near
prime farm lands which grow some of the produce sold at the Ann Arbor 
Farmer's Market.  The
facility would be one of the largest commercial toxic waste facilities in 
the country, importing
significantly more hazardous waste than the entire state of Michigan 
generates.  The Envotech
facility would run 24 hours a day, burning one-hundred seventy thousand 
(170,000) tons of waste
annually.  The facility would release numerous persistent toxic 
compounds, including dioxins,
into the Great Lakes environment.  It would pose a serious public health 
threat from air pollution,
groundwater contamination from landfill leakage, food chain contamination 
and possible
accidental spills during the transportation and handling of hazardous 
wastes.  The economy of
Washtenaw County could be negatively effected by the siting of such a 
facility.
     Modern technologies are available which can achieve detoxification 
of hazardous wastes on-
site where they are produced.  These technologies, combined with 
reduction of the use of toxics,
and reducing the production of toxic wastes at their source, provide safe 
and effective
alternatives to incineration and the use of landfills.  This plan of 
action reflects Michigan's
hazardous waste management policies.  The existence of commercial 
hazardous waste disposal
facilities, such as the one proposed by Envotech, removes the incentives 
for waste producers to
adopt policies of waste reduction and detoxification.
     Many government units, organizations, and clubs have officially 
stated their opposition to the
proposed Envotech facility.

Come learn about the proposed Envotech hazardous waste complex
THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1993
7:30-9:00 p.m.
Clague Middle School Auditorium
2616 Nixon Road
Public Education and Discussion Session
Led by MCATS (Michigan Citizens Against Toxic Substances)
Sponsored by Orchard Hills/Maplewood Homeowners Association and Bromley 
Homeowners
Association

All Ann Arbor residents welcome!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More on Envotech--one approach to questioning this proposal.

     Thanks much to Laura Nathan for all of her efforts, for her 
informative article, and for her
suggestion that BHA co-sponsor this event.  Surely we should all wish to 
know more about this
proposed hazardous waste complex.  It seems appropriate to attend this 
meeting and to ask
questions of all sorts; often strategies for handling complex issues 
emerge when all questions,
including those from individuals who are new to the issue, are laid out 
on the table.  For
example, here is a summary of a recent conversation Sandy had with one of 
her professional
colleagues.
     1.  We do have a serious waste problem in the Ann Arbor area--the 
landfill is closed and our
solid waste is moved, at great taxpayer expense, to a landfill outside 
the city.  There is a rim of
perimeter trash--mattresses, refrigerators, and other large 
items--emerging.  So, one can see
that we are prime territory for corporations wishing to sell waste 
management facilities.
     2.  As a long run solution, certainly it seems critical for society 
as a whole to reduce the
volume of trash and to do so at the consumer as well as at the commercial 
end--there seems no
need, for example, when buying a tube of toothpaste to have the tube 
enclosed in a box.  Sure
boxes stack easily on supermarket shelves, but find a different solution 
to the stacking problem
that does not involve excess packaging.
    3.  The long run solution does not, however, address the short run 
problem of reducing the
present volume of trash.  Incineration is one alternative--it is the one 
being proposed, so let's
look at it a bit more.
     4.  The Envotech proposal appears to suggest a huge incineration 
facility to handle more than
our local problems--indeed, to handle toxic and hazardous wastes from 
beyond those generated
locally.  So, why is it to their advantage to build one huge facility 
that would appear to handle
much of the midwestern waste problem rather than to build a number of 
smaller plants designed
to handle problems at a more local scale.
     5.  There may be economies of scale that come to the business--often 
this is a motivating
factor in decisions.
     a.  Political economies of scale:  Envotech will no doubt be 
expecting to have to "handle the
locals" no matter where they choose to build.  No doubt they would prefer 
as few fights at the
local level as possible--the larger the facility, the fewer the 
difficulties of this sort.  There are no
doubt similar advantages in licensing such facilites with the State.
     b.  Technological economies of scale:  It may be the case that the 
bigger the furnace, the
more efficiently the plant works and the more money it makes for its 
owners.  There may be
diminishing returns on the process, or it may be strictly increasing and 
the proposed facility may
fall into the strictly  increasing end of the spectrum.
     6. What are the flip-sides of these economies of scale?
       a.  Locally unwanted land uses (lulus) are always difficult 
politically--as with any issue of this
sort, greater understanding and education is important initially.  When 
arguments are constructed
against lulus it seems important to have tightly constructed, written, 
rational arguments in which
facts are correct, so that experts with narrow focus cannot dismiss the 
arguments in front of a
political forum as being based on incorrect facts.  Solution--we need to 
inform ourselves.  Come
to the meeting and talk to people and read.
     b.  With a huge facility, that takes advantage of technological 
economies of scale, there will
be a need to transport waste to the facility.  Transporting hazardous 
wastes has a high level of
risk--there are accidents all the time.  Long distance hauls increase the 
risk of accident and
possible litigation against the company whose decisions force these hauls.
     7.  One way to focus an argument against the proposed facility might 
therefore be to
emphasize the point about long distance hauls of hazardous wastes.  
Solution then is to have
short distance hauls.  Then that means that not as much waste can be 
brought to the plant, and
that means that the developer would not wish to build as large a plant.  
Then we might focus on
getting the political end downsized as well, by working to get political 
action that requires that
local units handle their own wastes (at the state level or even more 
locally)--that is, encourage
severe downsizing of this proposal, at the very least, while further 
informing ourselves and
getting others involved.  The concentration at a single location of this 
amount of incineration
certainly appears dangerous.

Discuss this issue with your neighbors; take both sides; play devil's 
advocate.  Then come to this
meeting and talk with a wider range of neighbors.  We need to be informed.

On April 8, 1993, WUOM carried a report on NPR about landfills, 
nationally, noting that the U.S.
is overbuilt with landfills--they have to compete for business.  Given 
this, we become, even
more, a prime target for landfill and other waste-site 
developers--especially as recycling and
other changes in consumer behavior become established..
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MAY 8, 1993

Bromley Garage Sales Day
by
Mary Ann Gasiorek

     Bromley Garage Sales Day will be Saturday, May 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 
3:00 p.m.  To date,
there will be 13 families participating.  We would like to have some more 
families join the fun.
There is still plenty of time to clean out the basement and garage.  If 
you are interested in having
a garage sale, please call me at 996-4633.

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Dolfins Pool

MAY 8, 1993
     The Dolfins Pool Board is planning a plant sale at the 
pool--remember those beautiful
hanging baskets with begonias that they had last year?  They sold out 
quickly and those who had
admired them early and wanted one later were out of luck.  This year the 
plan is that you can
order them at the pool on May 8--pre-paid--stop by and look at the 
display baskets and get
further information!
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Huron Parkway Reconstruction

     Elfriede Hofacker, Marie Kilbane, and Sandy Arlinghaus met with Don 
Todd and Bill Fritz of
the Engineering Department to discuss the Huron Parkway Reconstruction 
proposed by the City.
The primary concern of the City is to repave Huron Parkway from Plymouth 
to Nixon Roads.  In
so doing, they will also fix up both sides of the Parkway, with 
additional space at the sides
coming from the center left turn lane when it is not needed.  Copies of 
questionnaires sent
around to the entire neighborhood, and of a very specific questionnaire 
sent only to affected
residences, were forwarded to this City department (awhile ago).  The 
proposed reconstruction
will involve an entirely new road surface, underlain with conduits 
sufficient to support a possibly
eventual traffic light at Huron Parkway and Nixon Roads.  The space on 
either side of the road is
to be wider than it is now, to accomodate an 8 foot wide (on average) 
asphalt sidewalk/bikepath
in accordance with recent city recommendations for newly-constructed 
roads.  The result is that
homes that currently back onto Briarcliff will be farther from the noise 
than they are now; there
will apparently also be plantings of various sorts done in the sodded 
strip between the bikepath
and the road--to be done by parks/urban forestry.  We understand that the 
primary guiding
principle is to be salt resistance.  Thus, we would not expect to see 
evergreens, for example.
There may also be the option of lateral storm sewer drains into back 
yards on Briarcliff with
drainage problems.  This option is likely to come from a separate budget 
and written permission
would be sought by the City from homeowners wishing to participate.   
Basically, it seems that
we should have an improved road, a much better sidewalk, and an improved 
appearance of the
Huron Parkway facade coming from trees planted in the newly-created, 
wider (parts over 3 feet
wide), tree lawn.  The idea is to make this stretch of Huron Parkway more 
consistent than it has
been with the rest of Huron Parkway--easier for cars, bicyclists, 
joggers, and walkers to use, as
well as improved in appearance.
     This project is moving ahead, and hopefully will be completed by Art 
Fair 1993.  Residents
should expect the sort of noise level and general inconvenience 
experienced during the laying of
new streets in Bromley.  The Bromley Homeowners Association subcommittee 
was very
impressed with the thoughtfulness of the engineers; Don Todd did our 
Bromley streets recently
as well as much of the landscaping along Plymouth Road (toward town) and 
Huron Parkway
south to the river.  It is satisfying, indeed, to know that not only did 
they seek input from the
homeowners association, but also that they listen to it.  Thank you, all; 
we are fortunate to have
these engineers working on this project!
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Other news from Dolfins Pool:
1.  Please remember to pay your yearly assessment (at least) for taxes; 
remember, it is your
pool.  Six free passes are awarded to households that pay the $30 
assessments; twelve free
passes are awarded to households that buy a membership (at any of a 
variety of levels).
2.  Pool board members will be going door to door.  Please welcome them.
3.  Pool cleanup days--in addition to April 24-25, later cleanup days 
will be:  May 1, May 15, May
22, May 23, depending on weather.
4.  When you clean out your garage for the May 8 garage sale, consider 
donating some items to
the Dolfins Pool.  Here is a partial wish list of items the board 
considers would be useful:
     a.  picnic tables
     b.  refrigerator
     c.  grill
     d.  lawn mower
     e.  hoses
5.  Dolfins Pool will again maintain a curbside, weatherproof bulletin 
board that can be as you
drive by--be sure to do so!  There are a number of exciting events in the 
planning stages.

Thank you!
1.  Thanks to Rebecca Crawford, of the Dolfins Pool Board, for her 
excellent work with the
neighborhood Tupperware Party in support of Dolfins Pool--it was a big 
success!  Look for more
events of this sort in the future.
2.  A thank you note was received from the Dolfins Pool Board for the 
$300 donated by the
Bromley Homeowners Association to the Pool Repair fund.  It was a gift 
that matched another
from a generous Bromley resident; look for more on this story in a later 
BHA Newsletter!

Comments from the neighborhood:

     As pleasant spring weather returns, most of us enjoy returning to 
the outdoors.  Naturally, we
notice things that are different from our memories of last fall--many can 
be easily corrected.
Also, please remember to protect your home and property with adequate 
security measures.

1.  Dog stuff.  The melting snow deposits dog droppings in various 
locales.  Some may be
transported by run-off from the lawn to the sidewalk, but some may not 
be, either.  Please
remember that Ann Arbor has a leash law.  It is a matter of public 
health, for children as well as
adults, for dog droppings to be properly handled; a plastic bag is a 
covenient scoop.  However
you do it, please do remember to scoop.

2.  Signage.  Signs put up by the City, such as stop signs, are 
expensive.  When individuals use
them as targets for practicing rock-throwing, the signs are damaged.  The 
City then comes
through, rotating neighborhoods, to replace signs.   The end result is 
that someone pays for the
new signs--guess who--the taxpayer!  Please encourage children to protect 
the street signs.  A
single sign, including labor as well as materials, can apparently cost as 
much as $1000.

3.  Language.  There have been complaints (two independent sources--one 
on Nixon, one on
Briarcliff) about offensive language by individuals walking along the 
sidewalk.  Noise pollution
can be a serious problem, especially when it involves foul language 
spoken around young
children playing on the sidewalks..

4.  Sidewalk writing.  New sidewalks can invite writing in freshly-laid 
cement.  At least one
Bromley resident has experienced this difficulty.  The problem has since 
been resolved;
hopefully, this will not happen again, but when you have cement work 
done, please try to be alert
to problems of this sort.  It might help if a group of neighbors can work 
cooperatively to see that
there is no vandalism while the cement is still wet.

5.  Bromley Park.  The consumption of alcoholic beverages in Bromley Park 
is prohibited by City
law.  It is illegal for minors to purchase alcohol--store owners that 
sell to minors risk serious
problems.  There have been some recent problems in Bromley Park.  The 
City has sent trucks
out to clean up the mess; again, at an expense to us all, as taxpayers.

6.  Salt residue.  Residents might wish to wash the salt residue, using a 
hose, from their
sidewalks and elsewhere in front of their homes.  A few pennies of water 
expended in the early
spring, might prolong the life of our new sidewalks and streets.

If we all work together, in a cooperative manner, these are problems that 
can be resolved.  May
8 is the Garage Sales Day--an ideal time to be out on the street sprucing 
up our homes and
getting to know our neighbors and others!
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Found:  necklace--musical motif.  Call 761-5105
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Bromley Homeowners Association--Call for Board Members
     Want to serve your community?  There will be a number of vacancies 
on the BHA Board this
September.  Call Sandy (761-1231) if you wish to have your name put on 
the September ballot
for the election at the September meeting.