City committee set up to find canopy solution

DAVISON — A committee consisting of three city council members and three members of the Davison Downtown Development Authority will be formed to look into the possible removal of the two remaining blocks of canopies on the west-side of Main Street.

The Davison City Council voted Feb. 13 to appoint councilmembers Joan Snyder, Gary Peppin and Paul Hammond to a committee to discuss the 2013 Main Street widening project with three members of the DDA.

The committee was formed at the urging of Mayor Pro Tem Jack Abernathy who said the group will need to come back to the council quickly with a recommendation on how to resolve the issue of canopies so the city does not lose an estimated $600,000 in grant money for the widening project.

A public hearing will be held March 12 in the council chambers to render a decision on the project so it can be sent to the state for approval.

Abernathy said he does not wish to see further bickering by officials, residents and merchants over the canopies and urged everyone to move ahead with the widening project.

“As a council, and as the DDA, we have to look at what is in the best interest of the City of Davison,” said Abernathy. “We need to forget the mistakes of the past and press for a greater downtown.”

At issue are the remaining canopies on the west side of Main Street. Removal of the canopies was halted in 2010 by the now-recalled City Council, but the need to address the future of the canopies has arisen because the posts supporting those canopies are in the way of a proposed widening project on Main Street.

City Councilman Paul Hammond said he agrees something needs to be done.

“They’ve sat there all this time and nothing has happened,” he said. “If they remain, the posts will have to be shortened. It’s time to get this resolved.”

City Councilman David Martin, who was part of the majority on the council who opposed removal of the canopies, and the only council member who faced recall in 2010 who was not removed from office, said he agrees the widening project must move ahead.

With larger vehicles on the roads today, he said the widening of the street is crucial to drivers and will offer more safety. He said he supports removal of the canopies as long as it is not done without the input of the business owners.

“We must be mindful of ownership,” he said. “We must be respectful of ownership rather than mandating things.”

The DDA was expected to name its three members to the committee at its Wednesday meeting. The result of that vote were not available. The committee is expected to meet soon said it can have a recommendation to City Manager Michael Hart by March 1.