*Neighborhood Street Infrastructure Update
9/23/22
*MORE Traffic Calming Measures, Bike Lanes, and Sidewalks coming to Our Neighborhood Soon!
Here's some great news regarding more traffic calming measures, bike lanes, and sidewalks to be implemented in our neighborhood in the next year! See/read the details HERE These initiatives directly relate to the ODWN Neighborhood Plan and the City's Master Plan *Woods Lake - Summer Water Quality Update
The County Health Department's Woods Lake Park swimming beach E.coli reports from August continue to look good. See the reports HERE. The Health Department only tests the water at the County's "bathing beaches" between Memorial Day and Labor Day each year, so these are the last testing that will be done for Woods Lake in 2022. The Woods Lake Association's volunteers will continue to monitor and take samples as late into the year as possible as part of its participation in the Cooperative Lakes Monitoring Program (CLMP) through the Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). They have also been pursuing water quality monitoring of Woods Lake directly by EGLE and have learned that EGLE may soon be implementing a chloride (i.e. salt) monitoring plan this year involving the use of conductivity sensors which would remain in the lake for the entire winter and spring. The Woods Lake Association postponed its contractor's second invasive species/algae treatment of the lake scheduled for early August because the water condition was still quite good. They plan to reschedule it for September. *Foundation for Excellence Series
Presentations to update the public on programs and projects funded by the Foundation for Excellence (FFE) City staff and partners who are leading work in youth development, affordable housing, small business development, shared prosperity, and neighborhood infrastructure improvements funded by the FFE will be presenting at City Commission meetings in September and October to spread awareness of projects and celebrate the FFE’s Fifth Anniversary. Presentations will last between 30 and 45 minutes and include an overview of activities as well as more in-depth presentations about select projects and programs. All meetings are open to public attendance and comment. The meetings will be streamed live on the City’s Facebook page and YouTube channel. Full details and the day/time & presentation topics of presentations is available HERE *Winchell Ave. Bike Lanes: Explained
There has been some FB chatter and questions to our board regarding the Winchell Ave. bike lanes, particularly asking why parking can't be added back in them in front of the Preserve's entrance. Below is our board's and the City's rationale. This all starts with the ODWNA Neighborhood Plan, a 2+ year culmination of meeting, talking, and surveying hundreds and hundreds of our neighbors, as well as the work of five committees comprised of over 50 neighborhood residents. It is officially a part of the City’s Master Plan. The highest priority issues identified, neighborhood-wide, were traffic calming and increasing our safe, non-motorized networks (i.e. – sidewalks & bike lanes), both within the neighborhood and to connect us to other neighborhoods. As outlined in the City Planner’s June 9, 2022, correspondence, I will briefly reiterate her, and our boards, reasoning behind these bike lanes:
Our ultimate goal is to build a safe, green, effective, and inclusive intra- and inter-neighborhood non-motorized transportation network that will safely move bikers, pedestrians, and others through our neighborhood and city. The bike lane on Winchell Ave. is the first (and key) component of this larger plan. Our board understands not every resident will agree with every decision that is made, or action implemented. We believe the main responsibility of the ODWNA board is to serve the greater goals of the neighborhood (as identified through our Neighborhood Plan) and we believe these bike lanes are an important first step to satisfying this responsibility. *Stewards of Glen Park - Work Days
SATURDAY October 1, 10:00-11:30am (Rain date SUN. Oct. 2) Volunteers Needed Come in work clothes, gloves and tools. Be aware that the mosquitoes are thriving. We will be working to remove invasive Honeysuckle and weeding around our new native species. It would be nice to work on the Japanese Knotweed by the road if we have the tools. We will also need garbage bags to pick up debris from the road. If you have a chainsaw and willing to bring it, we could use it on the honeysuckle and perhaps cutting some larger logs into easier sizes to move. Questions? Email Karin The Stewards of Glen Park's mission aligns with the ODWN Neighborhood Plan's "Environmental Responsibility" section, which focuses on ways to promote the enjoyment and sustainable management of existing neighborhood natural systems, recognizes them as important assets, and proposes ways to protect them. *Monthly Brush Collection Program
May through October More information (including the schedule), is available HERE *2021 Water City Quality Report Available
The 2021 water quality data in the report demonstrates that the water we provide to our customers exceeds the standards established by federal and state regulations. The 2021 Water Quality Report for the City of Kalamazoo is available HERE *Parkview Avenue Reconstruction Project
Between Tamsin Ave. and Oakland Dr.: Work Continues Coordinated project will upgrade water main, rebuild street, and improve biking and walkability Additionally, the width of vehicle lanes will be reduced to 10 feet wide to calm traffic. The additional space on the roadway will allow the width of the bike lanes to be expanded. New sidewalk will be installed on the north side of Parkview from Broadway to Barnard, and a crossing with a pedestrian island will be added at Barnard to connect the Oakwood and Oakland Drive/Winchell neighborhoods. The project will be completed in two phases: 1) March 21 through early April: will require full closure of Parkview Avenue between Knox and Madison 2) April - October: Eastbound traffic will be maintained, and westbound traffic will have a signed detour Project information including improvement and detour maps are available HERE =========== Traffic or speeding concerns can be submitted to the city HERE There will be brief disruptions to water service for some properties in the project area. Precautionary boil water advisories should also be expected. Affected residents will be notified in advance of any impacts to their water service. A list of active boil water advisories is also available HERE *Deer
March 2022 Update - Results of Meeting with City Commission No commissioner had any direct objections to our report results or recommendations, a few seemed to be actively in favor of our recommendations, and all agreed that “no action” on this issue was no longer an option. Others indicated that they personally looked forward to learning more about deer. City staff is already actively working to develop/implement all “Phase 1” recommendations, and “Phase 2” (the actual creation of a deer management plan) has been given the green light to research the time, money, and resources needed to move forward. All things considered I believe it was the best our committee could have hoped for. The commission thanked our committee for doing our homework on deer and deer management before we came to them. Next steps by the city are still being determined. The understanding is that the Commission would like to, within the next 6 months, receive and review a detailed proposal on what it will take to move forward to develop and implement a deer management plan. You can review the Multi-Neighborhood Ad Hoc Committee's report HERE * Residents can now report traffic violations to police online
The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety (KDPS) new webpage https://kalamazoopublicsafety.org/traffic/ with a form which allows you to report speeding, stop sign and red light violations, school bus violations, crosswalk violations, and more. You can also report where violations happen, how often they happen, and other details. KDPS says they will use the feedback to determine where to deploy their resources to address concerns. In case of an emergency, call 911. To report a malfunctioning traffic light or other equipment issues, call 311. *Native Plants
Update: Further Info. and Plant Sales We had a great turnout (and interest!) in our February 2021 ODWNA meeting relating to native plants. As a follow up, you will find below further information regarding native plants, as well as opportunities for you to purchase native plants for this year! 1) Native Plants "Cheat Sheet" - thanks to our February speaker Linda Whitlock, you can download HERE a "cheat sheet" of native plant information for our area, as well as other valuable resources. 2) Local Native Plant Sales (click on the links for details): *ODWN Neighborhood Plan
APPROVED By City Commission 6/1/20 Our Neighborhood Plan is now a part of the City's Master Plan!
*City & Neighborhood: Site Plans, Road Projects, Other Projects
1) Site Plans: The city regularly posts to their website active site plans for review and comment by the public. You can find all site plans HERE You can send any comments regarding a site plan to: siteplan@kalamazoocity.org 2) Road Projects: You can find information about road construction and other projects HERE 3) Other Projects: All other "Imagine Kalamazoo" city projects can be found HERE 
*Neighborhood Crime
Here's a great new (FREE to you) initiative that partners KDPS and "Ring!" * You can also put the FREE app on your PC or Mac if you don't have a smartphone! Just go HERE ================== What should you do to report something that is of a non-emergency nature? Well, our friends at KDPS tell us you should:
KDPS is here to help us...but they need our help as well! By reporting non-emergency issues, KDPS can track and identify trends in our neighborhood, and not only respond, but understand how to best be pro-active to prevent crimes as well! "Quality of Life" Issues/Who to Contact
Ordinance Enforcement As a follow-up to recent neighbor concerns regarding nuisance/quality of life ordinance adherence, we have listed on our Resource Links page the areas of concern as well as the City contact phone number you may call to report any perceived violations. Our City Rental Inspector has assured us that any complaints registered with the city will be followed up on, and the person reporting the violation will remain anonymous. You can also report violations via the City's website with their Report It! link |
Our next ODWNA Association meeting is:
Wednesday October 19, 2022 Meet Your Neighbors @ 6:30pm; Meeting starts at 7:00pm Location: Third Christian Reformed Church (NW corner of Winchell/Broadway - enter from back parking lot thru wooden doors) Speaker - Chief David Boysen, KDPS Topic - Public Safety Initiatives and Q & A ========================================== Our Board can always be reached via EMAIL HERE NEW: 2022-23 Fall/Winter View From The Curb is now available and full of very helpful information! Download it HERE
*Vehicle Gates at City Parks Will Close For Season Starting October 1
Parks Remain Open Daily from 8 a.m. to Sunset Starting Saturday, October 1, vehicle gates at some City of Kalamazoo parks will close for the fall and winter months. Parks will continue to be open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. This will affect vehicle access at Spring Valley Park, Milham Park, Woods Lake Park, and Fairmount Dog Park. Gates at Versluis Dickinson Park will remain closed after Fall Softball is completed. Vehicle gates at these parks will reopen in May. Vehicle gates are closed during the fall and winter months due to reduced staffing and lower use. Restrooms and water fountains are also closed after Labor Day weekend through Memorial Day Learn more about Kalamazoo’s city parks including park locations and amenities at www.kzooparks.org/parks *City Commission Approves Community Sustainability Plan
On Tuesday, June 21 the City Commission voted unanimously to adopt the Kalamazoo Community Sustainability Plan. Learn more about the plan HERE *Safety Improvements to be Made at 75 City Intersections
New safety measures will be installed at intersections throughout the city this year. A grant awarded by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will help a dd audible pedestrian speakers and improve crosswalk marking s at 40 signalized intersections and install backplates and span wire tethers at 44 intersections. Get the details HERE 
*Recycle Coach
FREE App For Personalized Trash, Recycling Info. And More! The City of Kalamazoo has launched of a mobile app (iPhone & Android) and website plug-in containing all of the information residents need to know about residential trash and recycling services, tailored specifically to your neighborhood. Other features include:
The app is available for Android and iPhone users and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play for free by searching for “Recycle Coach” *Upcoming City Projects
Curious about a project that is happening in the City? Want to find out what street construction projects are planned this year? Wondering about upcoming parks projects? All City projects can be found at: www.kalamazoocity.org/projects Projects are identified on an interactive map that includes the project scope and estimate start and completion dates (actual dates are dependent on weather and other factors and may differ). You can also sign up for email updates on road construction at that website that will be provided approximately every two weeks. *Kalamazoo County Smart911 Available
Now Available! Public Safety Officials Encourage Residents to Sign Up For the Free Service That Provides Emergency Responders with More Information in the Event of an Emergency Public safety officials in Kalamazoo County announced today that Smart911 is now available to all individuals in Kalamazoo County. Smart911 is a free service that allows individuals and families to sign up online to provide key information to 9-1-1 call takers during an emergency. Smart911 allows citizens to create a Safety Profile at www.smart911.com for their household that includes any information they want 9-1-1 and response teams to have in the event of an emergency. When a citizen makes an emergency call, their Safety Profile is automatically displayed to the 9-1-1 call taker, allowing them to send the right response teams to the right location with the right information. *Are Your Service Water Pipes Made of Lead?
Check the map and database link below Kalamazoo's municipal water system has about 4,300 known lead service lines at about 2,800 addresses out of a total of more than 46,000 service lines in the system. At about 1,600 addresses, both the yard service lines and street service lines are lead. Of those addresses with one or the other, most of the lead pipes are yard service lines, according to city records. You can go to an MLive article HERE to access the map and/or search the database to see if your address is listed. Lead and Copper Program The City offers free lead and copper testing kits to City of Kalamazoo water customers. In an effort to streamline the City’s Lead and Copper program and respond timely to customers, the City requests that all calls and inquiries be directed to (269) 337-8550. ================== Here is a guide from the EPA, supplied to us by the City, that explains: • How lead gets into the body • About health effects of lead • What you can do to protect your family • Where to go for more information Protect Your Family From Lead in Your Home * Connect With City Government!
Connect with the city to receive news, updates, and alerts 1) General Questions / Comments? (269) 337-8000 or 3-1-1 within city limits -or- www.KalamazooCity.org/contact 2) Foundation For Excellence website 3) www.ImagineKalamazoo.com where the public can connect and collaborate with local decision makers and other residents on the future of our community. 4) www.kalamazoocity.org/connect provides information on how residents can connect with the city to receive important information and updates. 5) The city has created an online newsletter. This bi-monthly publication will contain information about what is happening around the City and include news, alerts, meeting schedules & agendas, and events. Go HERE to sign up. |
ODWNA Statement of Purpose
-Preserve and enhance the neighborhood living concept in the area.
-Protect the natural beauty of the area.
-Encourage the beautification, physical well-being and neighborhood spirit of the residential area.
-Constructively assist the Kalamazoo City and County Planning Commissions.
-Provide a forum for open and frank discussion of different points of view on neighborhood development.
-Provide for communication on matters of neighborhood interest to residents.
The Oakland Drive/Winchell Neighborhood Association was founded in 1973 in response to the City of Kalamazoo's proposal to widen Oakland Drive, which would have required the removal of many trees.
-Protect the natural beauty of the area.
-Encourage the beautification, physical well-being and neighborhood spirit of the residential area.
-Constructively assist the Kalamazoo City and County Planning Commissions.
-Provide a forum for open and frank discussion of different points of view on neighborhood development.
-Provide for communication on matters of neighborhood interest to residents.
The Oakland Drive/Winchell Neighborhood Association was founded in 1973 in response to the City of Kalamazoo's proposal to widen Oakland Drive, which would have required the removal of many trees.
2022-23 ODWNA Board Members
President - Peter Kushner
Vice President - Chris Shook
Treasurer - Kathy Shook
Secretary - Chris Bovid
Board Members at-large:
Eric Boersma
Diana Morton-Thompson
Paul Scott
President - Peter Kushner
Vice President - Chris Shook
Treasurer - Kathy Shook
Secretary - Chris Bovid
Board Members at-large:
Eric Boersma
Diana Morton-Thompson
Paul Scott
Oakland Drive / Winchell Neighborhood Map
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ODWNA ~ P.O. BOX 20061 ~ Kalamazoo, Michigan 49019
ODWNA ~ P.O. BOX 20061 ~ Kalamazoo, Michigan 49019
