Streetscape Diary
Streetscape Diary
Thursday, August 26
All underground boring is done….now just finishing pouring concrete for the light foundations….still waiting for DTE to commit to an installation date!
Wednesday, August 25
The concrete mixer continues to be a presence in Downtown. Concrete has been poured for some of the on-street parking spaces on the south side of W. 14 Mile and they continue to pour for the streetlight foundations. We expect all concrete work to be completed this week.
Friday, August 20
Streetlamp prep work continues – underground boring for the power lines and prepping and pouring the foundations. We should see the new lights in two more weeks…if DTE stays to schedule that is.
Cobblestone Pavers is busy on North Main Street removing pavers that were installed over the past few years that were not a very good match to the existing pavers. The are being replaced with the new pavers that are a much better match to our original. The pavers they are removing will be used on the 14 Mile curb splashwalks where they don’t sit adjacent to original pavers.
Work began this week for the on-street parking spaces on the south side of West 14 Mile Road.
The irrigation lines are all in and the soon-to-be grassy areas are being graded and prepped for sod that will be installed in early September.
Monday, August 9
Work will continue this week to prepare for the new streetlamps. Underground boring is underway on the north side of East 14 and will progress on to South Main and West 14 Mile. Installation of the new power lines was completed last week on South Main and the concrete foundations have been poured for the majority of those lamp locations.
The contractor made the decision last week to push back the install of on-street parking spaces on the south side of West 14 Mile. The vacant land west of Clawson Shoe Repair is being used as for construction storage and it is vital to have unobstructed access to this area. The new parking areas were prepped with the removal of the grass and location markings for gas and utility lines and the new spaces will be dug out and poured in the next few weeks.
Monday, August 2
The final on-street parking spaces will be poured this week on the south side of West 14 Mile Road. This will complete all of the new parking spaces and means that the heavy equipment from Eastlund Construction will be disappearing from town. Eastlund remains on-site as the general contractor and will be supervising their subcontractors for the remainder of the job. Many thanks to the great construction crew from Eastlund!
DTE will continue directional boring for the placement of the new lights and that means orange barrels are everywhere along the sidewalks. The barrels will stay with us until the new lights are installed. The brick pavers had to be removed for the DTE crews leaving holes throughout our downtown landscape. We are still waiting for word on the installation date for the new lights.
The DDA Design Committee is consulting with local landscaping companies and designers regarding plantings for the planter boxes that will become part of our streetscape this fall. Like everyone, we too look forward to the new trees, grass and plants this fall.
Tuesday, July 27
The downtown will be pretty dark at night starting tonight. While some of the lights are still standing the power has been disconnected. It means time stands still too since the clock was on the same circuit!
We don’t have a firm date for the installation of the new lights, but we’ll have power to the clock in two weeks.
Monday, July 26
The crew began removing the blue streelights today. They are being stored at the DPW until they can be installed in Clawson City Park.
Monday, July 26
It’s going to be another busy week in Downtown Clawson….
Installation of power lines and foundations for the new streetlights begins today. Last week DTE was on site marking gas lines in preparation for the underground boring.
Out with the old in with the new….. The new downtown streetlights have arrived and removal of the old blue lamps begins today! Installation of the new lights will begin once the power lines are in place.
Cobblestone Pavers, will begin to set brick pavers over the old light locations.
Concrete work continues on 14 Mile Road with the pouring of new parking spaces on the south side of West 14. There will also be some concrete removal and re-pouring along 14 Mile due to cracks that formed in some of the new slabs.
The installation of irrigation lines continues throughout the project. Water lines need to be in place to take care of the trees and sod that come in the fall.
Thursday, July 22
DTE began underground boring this morning on South Main to install the power lines for the new street lights…..Hooray! This is the first step to seeing the lights become reality.
Update: DTE is marking gas lines this week to prepare for power line install next week.
Meanwhile Eastlund, the general contractor for the streetscape, is doing everything they can to make South Main look fit for the Car Show. Today they are leveling, tamping down and tidying up the soon-to-be green areas. Next week they will drop in some black dirt. Sod may(???) be installed before the car show, but if not, they are doing their best to have it look neat and let us show off Downtown Clawson. Good job guys!
Monday, July 19
Lane closures will continue on 14 Mile Road as the crew works to complete on-street parking spaces on West 14 Mile. Concrete has already been poured in some of the spaces on the north side of the street – in front of Leon & Lulu and the old theater building – and the remaining spots will be poured this week. The crew will also begin to dig out and prep the spaces on the south side of 14 Mile. 
DTE will begin on South Main Street this week with directional boring to install underground power lines and the pole foundations for the new streetlights. They expect to be on site on Tuesday morning to begin working.
Cobblestone Pavers, the contractor in charge of all our new brickwork, will begin Monday morning prepping the area for DTE. They will be removing brick , in 8′ x 10′ areas, from 12 sites where the new lights will be placed.
Unfortunately, DTE has gotten off to a later start in this project than was scheduled and, as a result, will be covering any additional expense incurred with the brickwork. Thankfully, this has not caused any delay in the project which is moving ahead right on schedule!
Thursday, July 15
Work continues on the north side of West 14 Mile. The old concrete is torn out in front of Car One, Lim’s Palace and Leon & Lulu to make way for new parking and the planting of a new grassy area with trees along the front of these businesses.
The 14 Mile westbound traffic narrows to one lane on East 14 Mile, and traffic does back up!
Monday, July 12
Lane closures for westbound traffic today on West 14 Mile as construction begins for additional on-street parking
Tuesday, July 6
So much was accomplished last week. Thanks to a great construction crew and good weather, our project is moving along right on schedule. Last week the the East 14 Mile parking spaces were 95% completed with new spaces prepped and concrete poured.
The brickwork at the 14 & Main intersection is complete, with just one little problem area on the SW corner to be fixed up in the next few days. It’s so nice to see the asphalt patching from the install of the new traffic signals this spring finally gone. The corners are all brick again and the City of Clawson sign is in good repair….so much better!
The Shared Parking lot on E. 14 Mile between Renshaw and Pare (Old Port to Dunkin’Donuts) is done. The It’s been patched, leveled, feathered, re-sealed, striped …and has a new dumpster enclosure. All done in two weeks!
This week the concrete will be poured in the one remaining E. 14 Mi. parking space and the orange barrels will disappear from the four corners with the completion of the brickwork.
The east side of South Main will have activity this week with a bit of brickwork and the installation of some irrigation line at the Tacoma corner. DTE will also begin work with directional boring to install the lines for the new street lights.
Tuesday, June 29
Expect lane closures on both sides of East 14 Mile for the week. Concrete is being poured for the parking spaces on the north side of the street and prep work is being done on the south side.
Monday, June 28
Prep work continues on the north side of East 14 Mile for the upcoming on-street parking. The new parking spaces are starting to take shape. Traffic is down to one eastbound lane to make room for the construction equipment.
Working today on the NW corner of the 14 & Main intersection. New irrigation line is being installed for the new trees that will be planted. Then work will resume to get all the brickwork completed on the corners.
The new bricks are all installed on the west side of South Main and the spaces for sod and trees are just waiting till fall for the planting. Work will begin this week on the east side of the street. It’s been a long time torn up for the businesses on that side of the street. They’ve put up with construction work since the new sewer line had to be installed this spring. It will really be nice to have the street back in order.
The new shared parking lot, on E. 14 Mile between Renshaw and Pare, is almost complete and it really makes a big improvement to that block. On-street parking spaces will be added on each side of the new 14 Mile drive. Sod & new trees between the road and the sidewalk will be the final touch.
The City of Clawson sign on N. Main got some needed repair work last week and is back in tip top condition.
Friday, June 25
Brick work started today at the 14 Mile & Main intersection. The crew will remove the asphalt and replace the bricks that were put in storage when the the mast arm traffic lights were installed. It will sure be nice to have the four corners back in shape….and just in time for the parade!
Thursday, June 24
The concrete’s poured and the ADA ramps at the four corners are done. The contractor in charge of that work was the one that installed the new mast arm traffic signals. With the ADA ramps done, his portion of the work is complete. The brick layers working on our streetscape project will move on down to the intersection now and fix up the brick work…and while they’re there they’ll do a little fix-up and repair on the City of Clawson sign. Work there may start as early as tomorrow, if not, then Monday for sure.
Work continues but almost finished with the new brickwork on the west side of S. Main. It’s lookin’ pretty good!
Monday, June 21
The contractor for the ADA ramps didn’t make it last week and asked to reschedule to Saturday – last Saturday – and then showed up on Monday morning. Don’t ya love contracting! Anyway all four corners are torn up and 14 Mile is down to one lane in both directions…so traffic is going slow. But, the good news is they should be done tomorrow.
new ADA ramps
Now, for the rest of the week, the schedule consists of finishing the brick work on South Main Street and preparing the way for the new on-street parking on East 14 Mile Road.
Monday, June 14
Crews started digging to install a new catch basin in front of the old Clyde’s Carpet building (126 E. 14 Mile) and ran into a water main….oops! Businesses on the south side of East 14 Mile from Main to Pare lost water service. Good job to our DPW for getting temporary hookups almost immediately!!
Work began – ahead of schedule & much to our surprise – on the new shared parking lot for Old Port, Village Shoe Inn, Renshaw Lounge & Dunkin’ Donuts.
Sunday, June 13
The schedule for the week includes:
Prep work continues for on-street parking on 14 Mile with catch basin work on the north side of E. 14 Mile…..expect continued lane closures here
New Federally mandated ADA ramps will be installed at each of the corners of the 14 Mile & Main intersection…..expect traffic to be narrowed at times through this intersection.
And the good news is….The project is on schedule!!
Friday, June 11
The new brick work is installed in front of DairyO….and it really looks nice. I know Fred and Katie are pleased. Also, the new concrete driveway approaches were poured today for the new shared parking lot on E. 14 Mile between Renshaw and Pare.
Thursday, June 10
In addition to the saw cutting of the curbs on 14 Mile Road, they are also installing new catch basins. The drainage sites currently sit where the on-street parking will be carved out. Work underway now in front of Toto Floorcovering.
Monday, June 7
The schedule for this week includes work on South Main – finishing up the concrete work due to the water main work, beginning the installation of new brick pavers, and install irrigation for the green spaces.
On 14 Mile Road, the contractor will begin saw cutting the concrete curbing in preparation for removal and making way for the new on-street parking. Expect lane closures through the area during this work!.
Also, work will begin to create new driveways at Church Street and at Pare Ave. To create a safer pedestrian walkway, six of the driveways between Renshaw & Pare are being closed (Dunkin’ Donuts to Old Port Inn). A center drive will created along with the two new side road entrances to the shared parking lot .
What was completed last week? All of the DTE lights have been removed! We are awaiting the start of the underground work – installation of the new conduit – for the new lights.
Thursday, June 3
Sadly, the tree in front of Dariy O was removed. It was intended to stay, but the old planter box that had been built around the tree had allowed severe surface roots and roots growing from the trunk. It was impossible to level the area and allow for the brickwork and expanded width sidewalk.
Thursday, May 27
Removal of the Cobra lights continues. The property owner of the vacant land on 14 Mile Rd, adjacent to Clawson Shoe Repair, is allowing the land to be used for construction equipment and materials so it’s starting to fill up and may look messy for the duration of the project.
Tuesday, May 25
Work begins!! Tree stump removal began today!! Tomorrow DTE Energy is scheduled to begin removal of the aluminum colored Cobra-style streetlights. Some outdoor patios may be temporarily downsized, to allow room for the crews to work, but DTE has promised to have the cafes in full operating mode as soon as possible.
Meanwhile we are still waiting for a full construction schedule from the contractor.
Monday, March 29
Another FAQ;
Why don’t you spend the grant money to fix our road?
The grant money we were awarded can only be used for Traffic Enhancement projects – not road repair.
MDOT defines the Transportation Enhancement program as follows:
The Transportation Enhancement (TE) program is a competitive grant program that funds projects such as nonmotorized paths, streetscapes, and historic preservation of transportation facilities, that enhance Michigan’s intermodal transportation system and improve the quality of life for Michigan citizens.
Friday, March 26:
Questions we received today….
Will you remove the bricks that have names on them that were bought for the original streetscape work?
Absolutely not! The new streetscape is designed to enhance and expand the work started in 1995. The existing bricks that residents purchased will remain in place. We are adding simply adding additional brickwork.
What will happen to the existing streetlights?
New decorative streetlamps will be installed that are more efficient than the existing lamps allowing for the removal of the double light system we currently have. The blue colored lights will be removed and saved for a new life in City Park. The aluminum colored ‘cobra-style’ lights will be removed and disposed of by DTE.
Wednesday, March 24:
It’s a good news, bad news day today….good news; work started today on our improved streetscape…,bad news; the existing pear trees had to come down….any time a tree is cut down is a sad day….looking forward to better times.
Note: Downtown will be graced, this fall, with 100 honey locust trees that will be planted throughout the downtown.
While the pear trees were very pretty but they also turned out to be a fruit bearing tree which was becoming a health and safety issue due to the birds that flocked to them to feast. This was creating a not very pedestrian friendly situation. Also, the tree roots were beginning to heave the brickwork and interfere with underground utilities. Unfortunately, the trees could not be moved to City Park . The root system was so large and would incur too much damage to survive.
A few honey locust facts:
The Honey Locust grows approximately 2 feet a year for the first 10 years, making it one of the faster growing trees. Its fragrant spring flowers gives the honey locust its name.
The Honey Locust Tree is probably best known for its ability to withstand the harshest elements of nature and mankind. It has proven to be tolerant of drought conditions, urban pollution and air quality, and the salt of wintertime road treatments. Their canopy and leaves cast a light shade, allowing grasses and other growth under the canopy, making it a popular landscape tree.
Clawson receives grant funds
Clawson has been awarded a grant from the Michigan Department of Transportation to improve and expand our downtown streetscape. Of the five million dollars given to Michigan for distribution as Transportation Enhancement grants, Downtown Clawson will receive $760,398.00.
What will the streetscape do?
The streetscape is designed to encourage residents and visitors to visit, stroll, shop and eat in our Downtown and entice new businesses to join us creating a more vibrant downtown for all. The grant will allow us to enhance the appearance of downtown, add elements to encourage pedestrian and bicycle traffic, and calm traffic on 14 Mile Road through additional on-street parking.
How will the appearance change?
Here is a listing of some of the changes we will see:
- New Decorative Lamp Posts that will extend from Walper to Phillips and Bellevue to Washington
- The removal of the aluminum colored ʻcobra-styleʼ lights
- Additional tree planting as well as the removal and replacement of many of the existing trees
- Planter boxes on the sidewalks throughout the area that also double as additional seating spots
- The installation of bike racks
- Additional brick pavers for sidewalks and curb splashwalks
- Increased on-street parking along 14 Mile Road
What will this cost?
The total project cost of 2.3 million will be funded entirely through grant funds and the existing DDA budget – no additional funds are required from taxpayers.
When will this project be done?
Construction plans are not yet completed but we anticipate work to start this spring and be finished in the fall.
