No. 14
NEWS YOU CAN USE, NEWS YOU CAN TRUST
75¢
April 7 – 13, 2016
w w w . a s s o c i a t e d n e w s p a p e r s . n e t
A 14-year veteran was
been honored as the Wayne
Police Officer of the Year
based on nominations from
members of the department.
See page 3.
The next meeting of the
Northville
Genealogy
Society will include two
noted speakers. Mary
Hazlett and Kathy Petlewski,
both experienced genealogi-
cal researchers.
See page 5.
Vol. 131, No. 14
Vol. 69, No. 14
Vol. 69, No. 14
Vol. 16, No. 14
The City of Romulus will
celebrate Earth Day will sev-
eral free events open to the
public during the entire
monthof April.
See page 2.
Vol. 131, No. 14
Vol. 69, No. 14
Vol. 69, No. 14
For home delivery of The Eagle call 734-467-1900.
The City of Westland and
the Michigan Humane
Society are offering a $2,500
reward for information in
the death of three dogs
burned alive during a bur-
glary.
See page 3.
Lotterywinners inCanton
Township will see $3.6 mil-
lion in street repairs to 13
local neighborhoods funded
by aWayneCounty program.
See page 5.
Vol. 16, No. 24
Michigan State Police are
continuing to investigate the
shooting last week of a man
well-known to law enforce-
ment killed by an assailant
just after midnight last
Thursday.
See page 5.
Former Township Park
Foreman Eric Anderson has
protested his replacement
with a younger employee to
members of the Plymouth
TownshipBoard of Trustees.
See page 4.
The five teachers who
were suspended from
Savage Elementary School
following allegations of
impropriety on state-man-
dated tests will apparently
be reinstated.
See page 2.
A nine-year discussion culmi-
nated in a unanimous vote of
Canton Township officials to
proceedwith the construction of
a $10.2 million water storage
tank last week.
The 96,297 square-foot tank is
expected to save an estimated
$3.5 million from the $12 million
that Canton currently pays
annually to the Great Lakes
Water System for water, officials
said. The construction will be
funded by an estimated $8.5 mil-
lion in low-interest bond money
from prior water and sewer
projects and from the township
water-sewer fund.
The facility, under discussion
since the project was first sug-
gested in 2007, is an effort to
control local water rates by uti-
lizing the 2.5 million gallon facil-
ity to store water accumulated
during "off peak" rate times for
use by residents. A higher rate
is charged for water during the
hours of highest demand, usual-
ly in the morning and evening
hours. Those peak hour higher
costs would be avoided and not
affect the cost of water from the
Great Lakes Water Authority
system, and the cost savings
passed on to local users, officials
said.
Work on the new storage
facility and pump station could
begin thismonth and the storage
tank is expected to be complete
and operational in May of next
year.
Officials said this is the
largest capital investment the
township has ever made in the
water system.
Currently, residential cus-
tomers in Canton pay an aver-
age of about $416 each quarter
forwater, including a proposed 7
percent increase effective May
1.
Thewater storage facility will
be built on land adjacent to the
Plymouth Christian Fellowship
Church and the township will
build an access road to the facil-
ity from the church property.
Township officials have agreed
to pave a church parking lot and
build a trashenclosure.
The $9.1 million contract for
the construction of the ground
level tank and 23,953 square-foot
pump station was awarded to
RCL Construction and the proj-
ect will be managed by OHM
Advisors at a cost of $940,000,
which will include engineering
services.
Officials said this is the largest
capital investment the township
has ever made in the water system.
”
Arson suspected
in Eloise blaze
‘Resignation’ denied by fire chief
Canton OK’s $10.5 million water tank
Westland fire officials continue to investi-
gate the cause of a fire at the former bakery
building on the Eloise Hospital property
which took place lastWednesday, March 30.
According to reports of the incident, fire-
fighters were called to the complex at about
2 p.m. where flames were clearly visible
coming through the roof of the building.
Getting to the building required the fire-
fighters to cut through a fence which
delayed their immediate action to quell the
blaze. Upon reaching the building, fire had
destroyed the structure, which was
declared a total loss, according to reports.
The Eloise complex, a former mental
asylum, is located at the corner of Michigan
Avenue and Merriman Road and includes
several buildings, most of which are now
abandoned. The 50-acre property is owned
by Wayne County, which has offered the
land and buildings, considered a historic
site, for sale for $1.5million.
Investigators initially determined the
fire as arson when two gas cans and a flare
were found near the building, but no formal
ruling or arrests have been made. Initial
reports said that two 16-year-olds were sus-
pects, but investigators have not confirmed
any suspects or charges in the blaze.
The property is one of the original 76
buildings on what was once a 900-acre site
which began as a poorhouse and farm in
1839. The mental hospital, a tuberculosis
sanatorium and the Wayne County Hospital
were added over the years until it became
the largest complex of its kind. The bakery
building was constructed in 1905 and shut
down in 1960.
According to the Haunted USA.org web-
site, the buildings are rumored to be haunt-
ed and several tales of eerie happenings
and discoveries have been reported at the
site, including the vision of a “spectral
woman wearing white” seen on the upper
floors and on the roof of theDbuilding.
The Friends of Eloise, a volunteer
preservation group, has been working to
preserve the history and artifacts at the
property which at one time housed thou-
sands of homeless, mentally ill or hospital
patients.
The abandoned bakery building at the former Eloise Hospital site in Westland was a total
loss to suspected arson last week. The bakery was constructed n 1905 and shut down in
1960.
Northville Township plan-
ning commissioners have reject-
ed a request fromtheKroger Co.
to rezone the land on the north-
west corner of Five Mile and
Haggerty roads where the com-
pany plans to construct a 12-
pump gas station and conven-
ience store. The six commis-
sioners in attendance were
unanimously opposed to the
plan which was discussed dur-
ing a public hearing on the
request last week.
The recommendation not to
approve the rezoning will now
go to the Northville Township
Board of Trustees for a vote
April 21.
During the public hearing,
the commissioners discussed
various factors they said ren-
dered the request inconsistent
and incompatible with existing
and future land use as pre-
scribed by the township master
plan. The commissioners lis-
tened to public comment on the
request for rezoning and follow-
ing discussion voted 6-0 to rec-
ommended not rezoning the
property.
Kroger representatives have
requested a zoning change from
B-1 to B-3. The B-3 zoning dis-
trict allows several auto related
uses as a special land use. The
commissioners cited concerns
as to the suitability, traffic
impact, aesthetics and potential
influence on property values
compared to uses permitted
under the current zoning. In
addition, commission members
studied capacity of the township
utilities and street system to
safety accommodate the added
traffic that the gas station would
attract.
The Kroger store is currently
located on the north end of the
property. To the east is a
Marathon gas station. Tutor
TimeDay Care Center sits to the
south and a 15,000 square foot
school, formerly Tanger
Elementary, is located on the
west.
Kroger was represented at
the hearing by Matthew Pisko of
consulting firm, Project
Collaborative of Farmington
Hills. Pisko argued that the
Kroger redevelopment plan is
consistent with the goals of the
future land use map and does
not include any additional curb
Former Northville Township
Fire Chief Richard Marinucci
is disputing the terms of his
separation fromhis job.
Marinucci, 62, who had been
with the township since 2009,
left his $116,000 position March
18. According to his attorney,
Jill Schinske of Novi, there is an
ongoing dispute about his sepa-
ration.
“We maintain he was termi-
nated,” she said last Friday. “It
was not due to anything
improper or illegal, but he was
forced out.”
She would not comment on
the current status of any legal
actions regarding the situation
but said, “There is a process.
There is a dispute and other
issued that I cannot speak to.”
She said that no lawsuit had
been filed that there are no cur-
rent negotiations with the town-
ship.
“We are still considering all
options,” she said.
Township Manager Chip
Snider said, “As of today, I have
no reason to suggest in any way
that Mr. Marinucci did not
resign. His last day was Friday,
March 18.”.
Northville
Township
Director of Public Safety John
Werth also declined comment
on the resignation.
Marinucci is nationally -
known firefighter training
expert and is the Executive
Director of the Fire
Department Safety Officers
Association, a non-profit estab-
lished to promote safety stan-
dards and practices in the fire,
rescue and emergency services
community.
Marinucci retired from the
Farmington
Hills
Fire
Department where he served
since 1984.
(Staff Writer Don Howard
contributed to this story.)
Richard Marinucci
Don Howard
Staff Writer
See
Kroger,
page 6
The six commissioners in attendance
were unanimously opposed to the plan...
”
Kroger expansion plan nixed in Northville
