AUGUST, 1992.

     The BHA Board has been hard at work on a number of issues.  There 
are a number of letters
reprinted in this "regular" issue of the Newsletter.  You should each 
have received a special issue
on sidewalks just recently.  Please remember to return whatever parts of 
the questionnaire, that
were attached to that "special," that apply to you.

  Please note the  enclosed invitation to the
party in Bromley Park on August 4 !!

Bromley Directory.  Please check your old directory, or one that belongs 
to a neighbor--the one
with the green cover.  If you are new in the neighborhood and wish to be 
listed, call Sandy (761-
1231).  If you wish to change your listing, also call that number (in the 
address-ordered section,
check your address to see that the listing is correct; there has been 
considerable turnover; we
have some, but not all, of it).  We will be coming out with a new 
directory by the end of
September.  At the last meeting we voted to incorporate advertising in 
the directory (at the end,
as a set of yellow pages) as a way to raise extra capital from local 
merchants so that we might
support, with significant capital, projects of interest to much of the 
neighborhood (including the
Newsletter, Special editions of the Newsletter, and the Directory itself, 
as well as others).  The
directory will be distributed to the entire neighborhood, free of 
charge.  The idea is that BHA is a
service organization; membership dues are for that--not to purchase a 
directory, which is but a
small part of the service component.  A well-informed neighborhood is a 
safer neighborhood.
Finally, potential advertisers need to know the size of the delivery pool 
prior to investing in the
neighborhood.  A full page ad is $200; a half page ad is $100; and, a 
quarter page ad is $50.  We
hope to raise enough capital to be able to help the pool, to erect and 
set up a fund to maintain
(professionally) a sign marking Bromley as a neighborhood--at least these 
are two ideas we have
discussed.  Naturally, if we are successful in raising funds, we will 
wish input from the
neighborhood as to how to award "Bromley Grants."  If you do not wish to 
be listed, for any
reason, let Sandy know that, as well (feel free to leave changes on the 
answering machine).
Please make all changes/additions/deletions by August 15  so that we can 
proceed with our
printing, binding, and handling of photographs.  Otherwise, your listing 
will appear, or not appear,
as it was in the green directory or in our somewhat updated version of it.

Plans for a possible Lexus dealership
     Letter from S.A. to Planning Director, July 12.  Kirk Dodge called 
BHA concerning this issue.
One very kind Bromley resident helped BHA by going to a meeting 
concerning this issue; four
other Bromley residents were nice enough to go, too.  The entire Board 
thanks these dedicated
individuals who were willing to help.  They obtained, and gave to BHA, 
copies of the proposed
plans for this venture.  The proposed site is in front of the Best 
Western (former Marriott) motel
at Plymouth and Green, overlooking the southbound freeway entry ramp.  
Naturally, this material
is available to anyone wishing to see it.

Dear Ms. Hart,

     I write concerning the recent announcement of a possible Lexus 
Dealership adjacent to  the
Domino Farms Motel property.  The concerns reported to me by the five 
individuals from our
neighborhood who were able to attend a recent meeting on this matter were 
as follows:
     "What happens in the future if this property is converted to a 
dealership?
     What about putting a dealership directly in front of a highly rated 
Best Western Hotel--a stab
in the foot?"
      Now I do understand that the property is already zoned commercial, 
but not apparently at a
level sufficient to support the proposed development.  Bromley residents 
who attended this
recent meeting commented that no one was present from the requesting 
dealership.  It is nice
that the City participated in a meeting prior to development so that 
local input might be heard in
advance; what a pity, therefore, that we did not (as a community) have 
the opportunity to ask
questions directly of the dealer--such as:

    what is the success rate of Lexus dealerships--the last thing we need 
is to have a project
begun and not finished, or finished and abandoned only to be taken over 
by some less desirable
land use.

     what is the impact of the proposed dealership, not only on the 
Plymouth Road frontage (which
seems screened if the plans are followed--but then again there was no 
opportunity for local
people to directly confront the developer), but also on the Freeway 
facade; one of the very nice
things about bringing people from Metro Airport to Ann Arbor, rather than 
say to Dearborn, is that
they often don't even know they have arrived in a City of 100,000+ 
because the U.S. 23 corridor
has been preserved in a very attractive manner--in brief, there are no 
car dealerships to greet
them.  This sets newcomers off on an upbeat note and makes for good 
interchange between Ann
Arborites and other Americans, as well as for fine international 
interchange among the variety of
peoples who visit Ann Arbor on a regular basis.  It would indeed be sad 
to see any violation of
this corridor's tree-lined character.  What we have is evidently unusual 
and noteworthy--let's
keep it!

     Please keep in touch concerning this issue; I will write about it in 
the next Bromley Newsletter
(and of course you will receive a copy).  Many thanks for all your efforts.

Thumbs down on traffic light--for now.

Copy of memorandum from Alfred A. Gatta to Mayor Brater, June 26, 1992.  
Here is the
complete text of that memo and of a reply to it.

"Subject:  Bromley Homeowners Association Traffic Related Requests

This memo is in response to the February 20, 1992 letter which was sent 
to you from the
Bromley Homeowners Association regarding a number of requests which 
centered around their
request for traffic signals at Nixon/Huron Parkway and/or Nixon/Bluett.  
At the time that the letter
was received, the Transportation Department agreed to study both 
intersections to determine if
the intersections met the warrants for traffic signals as defined by the 
Michigan Manual of
Uniform Traffic Control Devices.  These studies have been completed and 
it has been
determined that neither intersection currently meets the signal warrants.

The Michigan Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices provides 11 
warrants or situations
which cause an intersection to be considered for the installation of a 
traffic signal.  These
warrants include such things as traffic volumes, accident history, 
interruption of traffic, delays,
etc.  As an overview the primary traffic volume warrant requires that the 
major street carry over
600 vehicles per hour for eight hours while the highest volume approach 
of the side street carries
200 vehicles per hour for the same eight hours.  This provision was never 
met for one hour at
either intersection.  The warrant which involves traffic accident history 
requires that five or more
right angle accidents occur within a one year period.  Reviewing the 
accident history for both
intersections for the last three years showed that the intersection of 
Bluett/Nixon had one
accident in 1991 (no accidents were on record for 1989 or 1990) and that 
the intersection of
Huron Parkway/Nixon had 2 accidents in 1990 (1 accident in 1989 and in 
1991).  Althought the
signal warrant study is much more detailed I will spare you the entire 
study.  Based on these
studies it is staff's recommendation that traffic signals not be 
installed at either Bluett/Nixon or
Huron Parkway/Nixon.

As you may be aware, the intersection of Huron Parkway and Nixon is 
currently a multi-way stop.
The intersection of Bluett and Nixon was also considered for similar 
signing, however, the
intersection did not meet the necessary warrants for a multi-way stop.  
The warrants include
traffic volumes of over 500 vehicles per hour for eight hours within a 24 
hour period with a
minimum of 200 vehicles per hour on the side street.  The peak hour 
traffic for Bluett was found
to be 114 vehicles.  It is staff's recommendation that multi-way stops 
not be installed at Bluett
and Nixon.

It is understood that the residents in the area are witnessing increasing 
traffic volumes due to the
large residential and commercial growth in the area.  Although the 
traffic signals are not
warranted at this time, these locations will be monitored in future years 
to come.  It is
recommended that the situation be revisited in approximately three 
years.  It is anticipated that
the growth will have subsided by that time.

One factor which plays an important role in the situation which the 
Bromley Homeowner's
Association described in accessing Nixon Road is that of speeding.  
During 1991 the
Transportation Division posted numerous speed limit signs along Nixon 
Road.  During that time
the Police Department has conducted extensive speed enforcement.  With 
this enforcement in
place the problem of speeding was reduced.  It is recommended that this 
enforcement be
continued in the best interest of safety.

Approved by:  William Wheeler, Public Services Director;
Submitted by: John Avendt, Transportation Manager."

Complete text of reply sent to Gatta, July 12, from S. Arlinghaus (the 
"enclosure" referred to the
letter below is a CV of SA).  No response to this letter as of July 24.  
Copy of August Newsletter
sent to various City offices and to Wendy Carman of Orchard 
Hills/Maplewood and to Esther
Bishopp of Parkway Meadows.

"Dear Mr. Gatta:

Thank you very much for your recent letter, explaining a number of 
issues.  I do think, however,
that patronizing remarks, such as "I will spare you the entire study,"  
are inappropriate.  We do
wish to have information; indeed, one obvious observation, which I 
certainly hope is not "covered
over" in the mass of detail that you suggest, is that the Kroger store 
was at the height of its strike
during the time residents out here observed the hoses in the street.  We 
are quite receptive to
logical explanations and we are quite capable of handling, and commenting 
on, any mathematics
you might wish to throw our way.  From the standpoint of my own 
professional expertise in
mathematics and in geography (see enclosure), I find the assumptions on 
which you base your
conclusions to be outrageous.  THE REASON we request aid at this 
intersection is because of
development; as I pointed out to the Mayor when she visited our 
Homeowners' Association
meeting, it is insufficient simply to consider the history of the 
intersection--its character has
changed.  Thus, it is mandatory to have a traffic count during a time 
when the Malls are
operative (Kroger's not on strike and an anchor present in Plymouth Road 
Mall).  I also find it
remarkable that you tell us what the numerical requirements are for the 
intersections in question,
yet only supply exact data from the traffic count for Nixon and Bluett.  
Why not for Nixon and
Huron Parkway?  How far short did it fall--would an active Kroger's 
account for the difference?
You cannot know unless you measure it during a time when Kroger's is active.

     In the past, our Board has had very fine relations with the City; we 
have dealt honestly with all
offices and have received open, fair, and respectful treatment in 
return.  One advantage to this
sort of approach is that neighborhood chairs can serve to stem various 
emotional tides that seem
to rise up from the grass roots when logical communications fail.  
Indeed, your memo does not
address any of the concerns that might be a cause for an emotional 
response--such as, what
about the issue of senior citizens crossing at these intersections?  I 
hope that you will address
them, soon, with some sort of thoughtful commentary rather than mere 
blind application of
"warrants."
What you seem to suggest is that we "need" to have accidents!"

      No doubt readers of this news will have various reactions--at the 
very least, it seems obvious
that one should be certain to report any accident to the police.  What a 
shame driving skill is not
rewarded!  Clearly this is an ongoing issue that will require a 
continuing effort not only on the part
of the Board, but also on the part of individuals in Bromley and in other 
neighborhoods (and of
course their organizations) affected by this decision.  It may be that 
various printed outlets are
appropriate places to describe our frustration with this issue; we will 
need to discuss this at our
next meeting on September 17, 7:30 p.m.

Bromley facade--no news yet.

Ducks
     Many of us enjoy the mallard ducks that live in our neighborhood.  
Please try to be sensitive
to the concerns of your neighbors as well as to the ducks' appetites!  
One resident reports that
the ducks around her are so aggressive that she can barely get out of her 
front door!  There are
also other obvious problems that come from overfed ducks.  Let's be nice 
to ducks and to
people, too.

Other letters.
Letter to Avendt, July 24, 1992 from SA

"Dear Mr. Avendt:

     I write on behalf of the Bromley Homeowners' Association to request 
an extension for our
neighborhood to comply with sidewalk replacement.  We note the following 
reasons for this
request:

1.  Both Board member Mike McConnell and I were told in independent 
telephone conversations
with your division, shortly after the sidewalk marking took place, that 
the letters to residents
would not be sent out until the end of the summer and that we would have 
a year from that point
to comply.  In fact, the letters were sent out in the beginning of July 
and gave us an August 20,
1992 deadline to declare our plans and a September 30, 1992 deadline to 
complete the project.
No doubt this was the result of some sort of communications tangle and 
indeed it was quite kind
of Bob Stegink to apologize for the inconvenience, bordering on panic in 
some residents, caused
by it.  He suggested that I write you directly and request an extension 
to, say, July 1, 1993.  We
wish to comply; we care about our neighborhood; but, we do want a chance 
to do the job right.
Naturally, many individuals were away for the summer when the letters 
arrived, and are still
away.  Others made plans based on the earlier information.

2.  Some households have already dealt with the problem on an individual 
basis; others do wish
to have the homeowners' association gather bids for discounts that 
contractors might give to
groupings of homes (there are 231 in Bromley).  Our strategy, which I 
outlined in a coversation to
both Bob Stegink and "Brad" in the Sidewalk Department is roughly as 
follows (enclosed is a
flyer/questionnaire circulated to the entire neighborhood this past weekend):
     a.  Initial questionnaire--seek input from residents and communicate 
what we know.
          (This is the enclosed questionnaire.)
     b.  Follow-up questionnaire letting the neighborhood know of 
extension situation.  Follow-ups
on other topics as needed.
     c.  Formal bid gathering.
          i.  Orangeburg drain tile issue--a compounding factor in 
needing extra time to do the job
right.  Many homes in Bromley have had drain tile failures and others may 
well; the utility
trenches holding the settled sidewalks may also contain Orangeburg and we 
need time to
investigate the issue.  Of course, individual homeowners need time to 
decide what to do, as well.
         ii.  Sidewalk lifting.
        iii.  Sidewalk replacement with new concrete.
     d.  Hold a public meeting, to which we invite someone from the City 
involved with this issue;
likely date is September 17 at our next regular homeowners association 
meeting.
     e.  Create a network of block captains to facilitate information 
transferral--as was apparently
done successfully in Burns Park (south).
     f.  Execution of repairs/replacements/lifts.
     g.  Inspection of the new sidewalk network by the City.

     We hope that you will help us; we believe it is in everyone's best 
interest that we have this
extension.  I do understand that during the extended period, there might 
be a problem coming
from serious trip hazards.  Thus, we have also asked that each homeowner 
return a permission
sheet to the homeowners association, authorizing the Sidewalk Department 
access to property to
perform needed temporary repairs (using some sort of easily removable 
asphalt-type substance--
at City expense).  The flyers are to be returned here by August 1 and 
then, for your convenience,
I will forward a whole set of them to you in one shipment.  Of course, 
others may choose to send
them in directly, but we did want to minimize your bookkeeping time and 
effort in this regard.

     Thank you very much for your time and attention to this matter; all 
of Judy Overstreet, Bob
Stegink, and Brad have been very helpful and thoughtful."

Letter to Sign Board of Appeals, July 12, 1992 from SA

     "A resident of Bromley, a neighborhood of 231 homes north of 
Plymouth and East of Nixon,
has expressed concern about a possible sign measuring seven feet by ten 
feet apparently to be
installed on Plymouth Road in front of the office of a Dr. Hoffman.  Her 
concern is:  what will
such a sign do to vision on the curve at 45 miles per hour?  (This 
resident lives on Burlington
Street; not within the immediant "range" of the proposed sign.)  There is 
already great difficulty in
exiting from Bromley onto Plymouth Road.  Indeed, our Homeowners' 
Association recently
petitioned successfully for a widened, resurfaced street to ease these 
difficulties and for removal
of cut-through school bus traffic along this route.  Surely it would be 
inappropriate now to install
any sort of signage that might add to traffic difficulties.
     Our Homeowners' Association was not directly informed of this 
situation; it is of concern to us,
if it has impact on entering and exiting Bromley.  Thus, I wish to state 
that we do not wish any
signage that would interfere with the safety of cars traveling on 
Plymouth Road, nor do we wish
any signage that will interfere, even in the slightest, with entry and 
exit, to and from Bromley, at
the Prairie/Plymouth intersection.  We also support our neighboring 
communities of Orchard
Hills/Maplewood and would not wish to have any signage that would cause 
them difficulty in
entering and exiting their communities.
     Thank you very much."

Letter from Police Department--S.A. sent them a letter, in response to 
positive experiences with
two officers in particular, thanking the officers.  The letter was sent 
to the Chief of Police--here is
the response from Douglas F. Smith, Chief of Police.

"Thank you for your letter and comments about officers Feeley and Reed.

Our Department is going through a transition from the "traditional" 
method of service delivery to
a more personalized community oriented policing model.  Instances such as 
you describe in your
letter, reassure us that the project is working.

We at the Ann Arbor Police Department plan to continue to expand the 
community policing
philosophy throughout the organization with the expectation that 
instances such as you described
in your letter will become commonplace in every area of our city.  It is 
our belief that community
policing may not be the total answer to the problems within our 
community, but it is a superior
way to deliver police services.

Thank you again for your comments.  A copy of your letter will be placed 
in the officer's file."