Chelsea Planning Commission unanimously approves new police station design
A view of the plan for the new Chelsea Police Department building that will include new City Council chambers.
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
A revised site plan for a new 6,600-square-foot Chelsea Police station and new City Council chambers was unanimously approved by the City Planning Commission Tuesday night.
“I thank the Planning Commission for their input to make it better,” said Chelsea City Manager John Hanifan. “I’m excited for the Police Department and I look forward to the project getting started.”
The project, expected to cost $2 million to $2.5 million, was considered by the city’s Planning Commission in January and was unanimously tabled Jan. 18 for site design revisions.
This design “tries to be a blend between contemporary and blending what’s already in Chelsea,” said architect Bob Overheiser of Architects Design Group of Ann Arbor. The new police station is planned for three city lots at the corner of South Main Street and East Summit, a few blocks from the current police headquarters and next to the Chelsea State Bank building.
Chelsea planning commissioners Sarah Haselschwardt and Ann Valle, from left.
Lisa Allmendinger | AnnArbor.com
"We need something special," she said. "I don't want to tell you how to design this, but it would be nice to have pavers or some kind of concrete."
Planning Commissioner Ann Valle was concerned about the homeowner across the street from one of the building's planned driveways.
"Put yourself in the position of that homeowner," she said, suggesting landscaping to help block the headlights of cars leaving the site.
Hanifan said he thought the project would break ground in April, and would take about a year to complete.
The new design is about 20 percent smaller than the original and was approved following about an hour and a half of discussion. The one-story building will have a finished lower level, with the entrance off the current parking lot. The driveway will remain in its existing location.
Currently, the Police Department is housed in a small storefront at 104 East Middle Street, and the City Council meets at the Washington Street Education Center.
Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter with AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Chelsea stories, visit our Chelsea page.
Comments
Tom Parr
Tue, Feb 22, 2011 : 9:27 p.m.
Property value way too low - tax revenue down - governor makes it clear that he wants to give Michigan cities less money than in the past - Chelsea just lost a $2M law suit - sounds like a perfect time for a bunch of politicians to decide to build a new police department AND a place for the city council to meet. After all, we already have a police department (just not a nice, new one), and the city council can't possibly continue to meet in the old high school (plenty of room and parking, but they really should have their own place).
kris
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 : 9:30 p.m.
It would be great if the city would use the buildings bought, sitting vacant before building more.
indigonation
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 : 6:46 a.m.
Wow, how origional, looks so much like so many other, "modern" buildings in the South East Michigan area. Almost an exact copy of the non descript and boring Tecumseh High School, and the Ann Arbor court house, and the planned conference center near the library. When are people going to get creative.
Jeff F
Thu, Feb 17, 2011 : 4:31 p.m.
Original isn't, usually, an efficient use of tax funds. The design looks nice enough and that's sufficient... especially for a town on the hook for a $3 million judgment.