March 15, 2022

Hubbard Farms Neighborhood Association Minutes

March 15, 2022, 6:30pm-8pm

1. Welcome and Introductions
   1. Board: Martha Potere, Mary Duran, Mike Smith, Adriana Zuniga, Karina Odom, Monte
   2. Martinez, Melvin Henley
   3. Residents: Caton Arreguin
   4. Other: Devin Caldwell (Inkwell, also a resident), Ryan Zampardo (Inkwell), Tim Flintoff (4545 Architecture), Sen. Stephanie Chang, Rajan Varmon (Office of Senator Chang)
2. Development Updates in HF
   1. Porter and W. Grand – Developer Update (Inkwell Partners)
      1. Formed Inkwell in 2017. Did real estate dev in DC. Ryan grew up in Metro Detroit, Devin moved here.
      2. Really liked strength of existing neighborhoods in SW with vibrant retail.
      3. Own/manage 300+ units, deployed over $20M.
      4. Heavy in apartment rehabs, 66 units in SW. 2 more coming for 35 more units this spring.
      5. Projects usually 50-70% AMI.
      6. Examples: 1241 Hubbard, 820 Vinewood, 1255 Hubbard, 2055 Vinewood.
      7. Top end and bottom-end is covered, Inkwell wants to fill missing middle rents and products.
      8. Trying to do just vacant or lightly occupied buildings (not in the business of displacing people).
      9. They don’t think for-sale condos or rental units work without heavy subsidies. Townhouse model is what works with existing rents/sales prices.
      10. Move close to the sidewalk, height variation to break up monolithic feel, hide parking as much as possible.
      11. From a team perspective, wanted to work with groups that have already done this work (4545 Architecture in N. Corktown, New Center, Woodbridge, elsewhere). Bondy Construction as builder, did N. Corktown project. Loft Warehouse for sales.
      12. Designing for parking only through the alley, no on-street curb-cuts.
      13. 8 unit building on W. Grand, 3 unit building on Porter. 3 types of units: 2-story tall buildings, 3-story on the corner, and 4 units with detached garages and interior backyards. Parking almost two cars per unit to reduce on-street parking needs.
      14. Balconies on the front to engage the street. Kept to residential scale. Even highest point of 3 story will be 33’, two-story units around 22’ tall.
      15. Still at massing stage, haven’t delved into design yet. Like lots of windows, big windows. Will likely introduce planter boxes. Materials will probably be some brick and other ideas taken from neighborhood context.
      16. Still early in process, no formal submission to the City yet.
      17. Next steps – refine exterior, engage PDD and HDC on thoughts on setbacks and contextual direction.
      18. Goal is to break ground this year, but will depend on process with City steps. Probably about 12-15 months of construction.
      19. Unit sizes – all 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath. Units all around 1300 SF exclusive of garages.
      20. In past projects, how did community input get factored into projects. Worked closely with N. Corktown and Woodbridge boards.
          1. Moved Scripps Park from suburban feel to something more in line with neighborhood context.
      21. Mike – like the scale.
      22. Monte – Many years ago the church tried to buy the property. What will Inkwell do about the church parking? Inkwell is now in touch with the church about their parking.
          1. This conversation will be in conjunction with the the City and DLBA, who still own the property.
          2. They are asking for help with more connections with that church.
      23. Monte – what are other plans for neighborhood expansion?
          1. Ryan – they are looking at single in-fill lot at NE corner of Bagley/W. Grand to design/build pilot a single-family for-sale house. They want to find a way to figure out a reasonable price point on new construction single-family in-fill. If that works, would consider more scattered site new-build in the future.
          2. Also really trying to get Broderick Manor rehabbed. Working on that, still in the very early stages.
             1. Monte lives across from this. They REALLY want that green lot at Bagley/Vinewood to remain a green lot, not a parking lot. SWHS said Kathy Makino bought it. She actually owns the vacant lot next to Broderick Manor site itself.
             2. Inkwell thinks the Bagley/Vinewood lot makes sense to keep as green space or as housing, not as parking.
      24. Monte – in this community, it was 65%+ rental. How to keep this from mostly rental neighborhood?
      25. Inkwell wants new-build to be for-sale if possible.
      26. Broderick is more challenged to do as for-sale, that would be rental. They feel that’s better than a vacant building.
      27. Historic questions – architecture – new construction should establish itself separately from historic buildings. It can pick up historic elements, but shouldn’t fake historic (per Secretary of Interior). Will be modern, with elements taken from existing architecture. This is a federal historic guideline.
      28. They can’t promise prices yet until they’re ready to bid. They want to be sure they don’t promise something they can’t deliver. They’d like to try to deliver a for-sale product to those who pay average rents in near-downtown neighborhoods.
      29. Will probably come back here before HDC deadline. They’d like to submit in April for a May hearing. But they’ll probably ask to come back in April for a May or June HDC hearing. Can they get feedback in between? Maybe do a Saturday meeting on boards at-site.
      30. How does the church interact with Hubbard Farms? They don’t, it was a church whose residents lived where the Ambassador Bridge is and got displaced.
      31. Board will recommend some dates via email to each other to set a time to see design before HDC.
   2. Suffolk – getting very close to leasing. 2055 Vinewood also will be wrapping up in next few months.
   3. Joe Louis Greenway Meeting 3/16 at 1pm
      1. There are choices between current and alternate alignment options for this through Hubbard Farms.
   4. Review Development Tracker (MP)
3. Committee Updates:
   1. Beautification Committee (Caton) – 11-12 people at last meeting. Ben wrote/submitted grant opportunity that was offered on the list. They looked at another grant opportunity. Motor City Makeover application opening April 1.
      1. Assigned tasks for community garden.
      2. SWS contact to keep tools in the building next door pre-COVID. Can they do that again?
      3. Next meeting Wed 4/13 (in-person TBD).
      4. New instagram! https://instagram.com/hfgreenspacescommittee
   2. Neighborhood focus – are there planting ideas? Got Comerica to partner here in the past. Lafayette/W. Grand and maybe the one at Fort/W. Grand.
4. DPSCD // El Club Parking
   1. No update at this time; DPSC still considering expansion of WIHS
5. Resident Issues
   1. Senator Chang – whip-it issue. 2018 banned minors buying whip-its. Now it’s being abused by older populations. Whip-It Wipe-Out Coalition. Lot of local groups like Ideal and Health Dept working on this.
      1. Now have a bill banning the sale of the paraphernalia. The chargers and crackers are the issue. Bill should get voted out this Thursday and passed on to whole Senate.
      2. This Saturday is a virtual storytime with Sen. Chang, Santiago-Romero, and congressperson Tlaib.
      3. Working on a bill related to elevators. Many buildings in Detroit have had elevator outages for months, which is not only inconvenient, but a huge safety issue. Manage companies need to have a plan in place for accommodations if there’s an extended elevator outage. Please let them know if you know buildings having extended elevator outages.
   2. How to get more community residents to join these meetings?
      1. Monte and Adriana also have been through many years of this problem.
      2. Show up more for the BBQ. But the same people every year.
      3. This can be a board priority in board strategic planning. Can we get our strategic planning before July?
         1. Good conversation both about how to promote home ownership and that we be careful about not letting home ownership/renters be code for other socioeconomic topics.
6. Board Training
   1. Board Basics (Vinny)
      1. Deferred until April.