The Plymouth Board of Public Works and Safety is seeking input from property owners before making a decision on alley closure options related to the Heartland Art Center's upcoming major renovation project.
The Heartland Art Center initially requested an eight-week closure of the alley between Michigan Street and Water Street in the 200 block of North Michigan Street to allow masonry work at the back of their building. However, the request was tabled after the board raised concerns about a previous alley closure.
Last year, the same alley was closed for an extended period for a widening project and subsequent paving work. These closures caused significant hardships for businesses that rely on the alley for product deliveries and disrupted the regular trash pickup schedule. The board asked to explore alternative options that would minimize the impact on neighboring businesses.
At last week's meeting, Plymouth Plan Director Ty Adley presented four options for managing the construction project while keeping the alley as accessible as possible.
Option 1 would use narrower scaffolding with jersey barriers, allowing traffic to pass through but creating a tight squeeze for vehicles.
Option 2 proposes using a movable scissor lift. However, this would require the contractor to move equipment in and out daily, potentially creating confusion about when the alley is open or closed.
Option 3 has two variations (A and B) that would leave the alley open on both the north and south ends, with the closure limited to the section directly behind the Heartland Art Center. This would allow the contractor to use their preferred scaffolding system.
Option 3A would require six parking spaces for traffic flow, allowing vehicles to exit south from Heartland back to Garro Street, while the remainder of the lot would exit north toward Washington Street. This option would have the least impact on parking, maintain southbound alley traffic to most parking spaces, and create a safer working environment with predictable traffic flow.
Option 3B would require nine additional parking spaces to be blocked, with all traffic exiting northbound to Washington Street. While this option would also create a safer work environment, it would have a greater impact on available parking, but would provide simpler, easier-to-follow traffic flow for residents.
Option 4, which closes the alley, would have the least impact on parking and maintain southbound alley traffic to the majority of parking spaces while creating a safer working environment and greater predictability for traffic flow during construction.
Board member Dave Morrow requested that property owners be allowed to review the options and provide their feedback before a decision is made.
The Board of Public Works and Safety tabled action on the matter for two weeks to allow neighboring property owners time to examine the plans and share their input.
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