OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee Meeting - September 18, 2025

City Council — Thursday, September 18, 2025
BodyDetroit, Michigan
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, September 18, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:51:04

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Welcome to the planning and economic development standing committee for today, Thursday, September 18th, 2025.

0:07

Madam Clerk, good morning.

0:09

Please call the role.

0:10

Council President Pro Tim James Tate.

0:13

Councilmember Fred Durha Third.

0:17

Councilmember Letitia Johnson.

0:19

Johnson indicates on her way as well, having some traffic issues and vehicle challenges and things like that.

0:26

Which does not stop us from opening for public comment, though.

0:29

We shall do that at this moment.

0:31

We shall now call for public comment.

0:33

If there's anyone who would like to provide public comment to this committee, please raise your hand now.

0:39

See one.

0:40

I didn't ask you to come up.

0:41

Just raise your hand and said one, two, three, four.

0:45

Anybody else?

0:46

I see four hands in the committee of the whole.

0:48

I see four.

0:49

All right.

0:50

How many have do we have online, Miss Caprice?

0:53

Good morning.

0:54

We have 14 hands online.

0:55

Fourteen hands online.

0:56

All right, so we're gonna give today we do have public hearings.

0:59

They are back, everybody.

1:00

So we're gonna give everyone a minute and a half for general public comment.

1:03

And we're gonna start with the folks who are in the committee of the whole.

1:06

For those who raise your hand, I saw four hands.

1:09

That's all I saw.

1:10

One, two, three, and I saw a fourth one over there.

1:12

All right, so you all we've got three seats up front.

1:16

Um, and you'll be guided to where they are, pointing them out.

1:19

One, two, three.

1:20

You're gonna have a microphone in front of you.

1:23

It's currently going to be red.

1:24

You're gonna push a bottom at the button at the bottom of the mic when it turns green.

1:29

Speak.

1:30

The floor is yours.

1:34

Good morning, sir.

1:35

All right.

1:37

And please keep your eyes on the clock because I gotta give everybody a minute to have the same amount of time.

1:42

That is what I must do by open meetings actually rules.

1:47

And I'll start uh to my far left.

1:48

We'll start with Miss Castleberry.

1:50

Floor is yours, ma'am.

1:51

Good morning.

1:52

Good morning, Tina Castleberry, owner of the garden block.

1:56

I just want to say um, with much discussion this week.

1:59

Um, I think we've come to a resolution.

2:02

Um, but my final comments would be I think it's very tragic to both my city and suburb, advocate gardeners, um, if it's not a gardening center.

2:11

And that's all I have to say.

2:12

Okay.

2:13

Thank you so much.

2:14

All right, look forward to uh having further discussion when we get to that item.

2:18

Good morning.

2:19

And you can uh release that seat and we'll allow the final speaker to come and take that location.

2:27

Good morning, ma'am.

2:28

Yes, ma'am.

2:30

No, that's okay.

2:31

Floor's yours.

2:33

If you can turn it, hit that button.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Comment████████████████████████████████32%
NEZ Districts███████████████15%
Affordable Housing████████████12%
Procedural███████7%
Zoning and Land Use█████5%
Land Bank███3%
Recycling███3%
Commercial Rehabilitation███3%
Public Health███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Planning and Economic Development Standing Committee Meeting - September 18, 2025

The committee convened on Thursday, September 18, 2025, at approximately 10:00 AM under Chair James Tate. The meeting included general public comment, three public hearings on tax abatement requests, and consideration of numerous unfinished and new business items. Key decisions included advancing two Neighborhood Enterprise Zone (NEZ) district requests for 60-day gestation, approving a Commercial Rehabilitation Exemption Certificate, and denying a rezoning request while directing the applicant to pursue permitted uses under existing zoning.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • General Public Comments (15 speakers, 1.5 minutes each):

    • Tina Castleberry (owner, The Garden Block) expressed concern about losing a gardening center and thanked the committee for discussion.
    • A speaker (name not given) supported a zoning change from R3 to B2 at Davison and Potaski, calling for community education on zoning and criticizing the Land Bank for not informing buyers of restrictions.
    • A speaker criticized Ms. Castleberry for failing to complete required paperwork for Motor City Match funding, and urged the city to enforce the law.
    • Scottie (public commenter) accused officials of fraud and misconduct, referencing a death and alleged trap houses.
    • Eb (caller) described her situation: 11 years in a rental, landlord died, property in foreclosure, auction bid at $27,000; she asked for tenant rights to prevent displacement.
    • Betty A. Barner (President, D.E.S.O.D.A. Elsewhere Black Association) promoted donations and senior assistance programs.
    • Miko Williams criticized Chair Tate for not holding a district tour on the Land Bank MOU, alleging conflict of interest and lack of resident input.
    • Stephen Haring defended himself against Miko Williams' comments, calling him mentally ill and citing his own business success.
    • William M. Davis criticized Mayor Mike Duggan for using surplus funds to cover tax revenue declines due to abatements, and predicted he would not be elected governor if he does not help city retirees.
    • Not That Karen agreed with Mr. Davis, calling for an end to retiree clawbacks and repurposing the Renaissance Center for housing.
    • Owner Papa criticized the city for giving tax breaks to developers while ignoring retirees and residents facing foreclosure, and called for a moratorium on planning department approvals.
    • Belicia distinguished between speaking about white people and white policies, and asked about police union endorsements.
    • Mike Shane spoke on behalf of Ebony Boyd (foreclosure case), urging council to call Eric Sabree to pull the house from auction.
    • Tracy Peters (District 4 resident) commented on the Land Bank MOU, citing Section 756 on preservation of property value, and asked for transparency.
    • Christine Holmes (Woodbridge Neighborhood Development) spoke in support of agenda item 6 (NEZ request in Woodbridge).
    • Marguerite Scarlet Mattox thanked members for a walk-through and urged keeping families together and addressing homelessness.
    • Joanne Warwick criticized the city for not holding demo contractors accountable, and noted that the council could have prevented foreclosures by taking occupied properties out of tax auction, as was done in 2017.

  • Public Comments on Line Item 5 (NEZ for 663 Prentice):

    • A speaker raised concerns about management at the Dr. Maya Angelou building and lack of recycling.
    • Not That Karen criticized the selection of older buildings that exclude accessible housing, and opposed using historic buildings as an excuse to avoid ADA compliance.
    • Betty A. Barner asked about parking in midtown, noting meters and wondering if residents pay.
    • William M. Davis asked about handicap/senior accessibility and parking problems.
    • Marguerite Maddox spoke briefly (unclear).
    • Owner Papa asked what projects the developer has previously worked on, noted that NEZs hurt the general fund, and called for a moratorium until a look-back is done.
    • Cindy Dara spoke about rising rents and the need to evaluate past NEZ projects.

  • Public Comments on Line Item 6 (NEZ for 12th and Forest):

    • Cindy Dara questioned the policy of tax breaks for improvements and suggested state law changes.
    • Owner Papa asked about 80% AMI dollar amounts, who gets the abatement, the meaning of "naturally occurring affordability," and argued that all projects should be held until a fiscal impact review is done.
    • William M. Davis asked about parking and whether nearby residents were given priority for Land Bank lots.
    • Not That Karen argued that NEZs are selectively issued, and that developers can make buildings accessible with stair lifts, so they should not use accessibility as an excuse.
    • Garrett Burton (President, Woodbridge Citizens Council) spoke in support of the development and Mr. Lockwood's application.
    • Marguerite Maddox spoke briefly about accessibility and design.

  • Public Comments on Line Item 7 (Commercial rehab for Epic Health):

    • Owner Papa questioned why the city subsidizes every business, and asked if Epic Health (the EMR company) is the same entity and if they receive subsidies elsewhere.
    • Marguerite Maddox spoke briefly about mobility and accessibility.

Discussion Items

  • Line Item 5 – NEZ District Request for 663 Prentice Street (Midtown Detroit PropCo LLC):

    • Presented by David Howell (DEGC) and developer Michael O'Connor. The project is a $4.1M renovation of a 29-unit building (15 studios, 14 one-bedrooms, currently 90% occupied). Improvements include new roof, windows, masonry, HVAC. Existing rents $750-$1,150; current residents capped at 2% annual increase. At turnover, 10% of units at 60% AMI and 10% at 80% AMI. Projected 15-year net benefit to city: $374,614. Developer noted challenges with ADA in pre-war building (no elevator). Chair Tate asked about recycling; member Johnson requested developer consider recycling. Public comments raised concerns about accessibility, parking, and the precedent of NEZs. Committee voted to bring back as a line item on November 20, 2025 (60-day gestation).

  • Line Item 6 – NEZ District Request for 12th and Forest (XYZ Development):

    • Presented by David Howell and developer Phil Lockwood. Multi-phase project: 4 for-sale condos, 46 rental units, plus event space. Total investment $18.7M. 20% of rental units at 80% AMI, plus additional naturally occurring affordable units. Parking: 62 spaces behind buildings. Public comments questioned AMI levels, abatement benefits, parking, and accessibility. Committee voted to bring back as a line item on November 20, 2025.

  • Line Item 7 – Commercial Rehabilitation Exemption Certificate for 4306-4340 E. Davison (Epic Health):

    • Presented by Nicole Scott (DEGC) and Brooke Booth. $3.4M project to build a 7,000 sq ft primary care clinic. 10-year abatement, net benefit to city $225,239. Developer noted 25 permanent jobs, ADA compliance, and community engagement. Public comments questioned subsidies. Committee voted to send to formal session with recommendation to approve.

  • Line Item 8.5 – Rezoning Request (4213 & 4225 W. Davison, Tina Castleberry):

    • Ms. Castleberry's request to rezone from R3 to B2 for a garden center. After discussions with Planning Director Alexa Bush, she agreed to pursue uses permitted under R3 (nonprofit, childcare, domestic violence shelter). CPC recommended denial of rezoning. Committee voted to approve CPC's denial and send to formal session, with members noting systemic issues and thanking the ombudsman.

  • Other Business Items:

    • Items 8.1, 9.11 (NEZ boundary extension) referred to Budget, Finance and Audit Committee.
    • Item 8.2 (resolution supporting diverse athletic offerings at Pistons multiplex) sent to formal with recommendation to approve (one objection from member Johnson).
    • Item 8.4 (tax preparation services contract) sent to formal.
    • Item 8.6 (request for list of tax abatements in District 1) brought back in two weeks.
    • Items 8.7, 9.9 (ADA/bird safety for bridge) received and filed.
    • Item 8.8 (properties owned by real token LLC) brought back in two weeks.
    • Items 9.1-9.5, 9.6-9.8 (various contract extensions and amendments) sent to formal with recommendations to approve.
    • Item 9.10 (secondary street sign applications) brought back October 23.
    • Item 9.12 (temporary construction easement) sent to formal.
    • Item 9.13 (BZA questions) referred to LPD and brought back in two weeks.

Key Outcomes

  • Line Item 5 (NEZ for 663 Prentice): Motion to bring back as a line item on November 20, 2025, approved without objection.
  • Line Item 6 (NEZ for 12th and Forest): Motion to bring back as a line item on November 20, 2025, approved without objection.
  • Line Item 7 (Commercial rehab for Epic Health): Motion to send to formal session with recommendation to approve, approved without objection.
  • Line Item 8.5 (Rezoning denial): Motion to approve CPC's recommendation of denial and send to formal session, approved without objection.
  • Line Item 8.2 (Pistons multiplex resolution): Motion to send to formal with recommendation to approve, approved with one objection (member Johnson).
  • All other items (8.1, 8.3, 8.4, 8.6, 8.7, 8.8, 9.1-9.5, 9.6-9.8, 9.10, 9.12, 9.13): Approved as moved (receive and file, bring back, refer, or send to formal) without objection, unless noted.
  • Minutes: Approved.
  • Adjournment: Motion carried.

Meeting Transcript

Welcome to the planning and economic development standing committee for today, Thursday, September 18th, 2025. Madam Clerk, good morning. Please call the role. Council President Pro Tim James Tate. Councilmember Fred Durha Third. Councilmember Letitia Johnson. Johnson indicates on her way as well, having some traffic issues and vehicle challenges and things like that. Which does not stop us from opening for public comment, though. We shall do that at this moment. We shall now call for public comment. If there's anyone who would like to provide public comment to this committee, please raise your hand now. See one. I didn't ask you to come up. Just raise your hand and said one, two, three, four. Anybody else? I see four hands in the committee of the whole. I see four. All right. How many have do we have online, Miss Caprice? Good morning. We have 14 hands online. Fourteen hands online. All right, so we're gonna give today we do have public hearings. They are back, everybody. So we're gonna give everyone a minute and a half for general public comment. And we're gonna start with the folks who are in the committee of the whole. For those who raise your hand, I saw four hands. That's all I saw. One, two, three, and I saw a fourth one over there. All right, so you all we've got three seats up front. Um, and you'll be guided to where they are, pointing them out. One, two, three. You're gonna have a microphone in front of you. It's currently going to be red. You're gonna push a bottom at the button at the bottom of the mic when it turns green. Speak. The floor is yours. Good morning, sir. All right. And please keep your eyes on the clock because I gotta give everybody a minute to have the same amount of time. That is what I must do by open meetings actually rules. And I'll start uh to my far left. We'll start with Miss Castleberry. Floor is yours, ma'am. Good morning. Good morning, Tina Castleberry, owner of the garden block. I just want to say um, with much discussion this week. Um, I think we've come to a resolution. Um, but my final comments would be I think it's very tragic to both my city and suburb, advocate gardeners, um, if it's not a gardening center. And that's all I have to say.

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