The $1 million streetscaping project to reconfigure Ypsilanti's Cross Street corridor extending from Depot Town close to the Eastern Michigan University campus is now being fast-tracked, rankling some residents and a planning commissioner.

The project is in hurry-up mode because of the chance that grant money conditionally committed for the fiscal year ending next Sept. 30 might not be renewed for 2011. A final design is due in July.

Residents, business owners and others got a chance to see the plans Wednesday night during a public hearing of the Ypsilanti Planning Commission.

Some who addressed the commission—and even one commissioner himself—objected to the idea of rushing after the federal, state and local funds that would finance the project. They cited the likelihood of losing some streetside parking and the possibility of increasing traffic congestion, among other concerns.

“We killed this thing 10 years ago,” said Scott Sobbry, a partner in the City Body auto repair business. “We didn’t want it then. We don’t want it now.”

The idea for the makeover goes back to the 1998 master plan. It includes such features as crosswalks and bicycle lanes. The western portion of the corridor would be bisected by a lane for pedestrians and cyclists.

Sally Richie, who owns buildings on East Cross, objected to basing the changes on a dated plan and said the lack of storm sewers is the more immediate problem.

“We need to get the infrastructure and the basics of Depot Town fixed before we make it look pretty,” she said.

Planning commission member Gary Clark agreed with one resident who objected to having local and state officials decide the matter with little input from the public.

“It just seems to me there hasn’t been enough study,” Clark said. “It’s unfair to merchants, who pay their taxes, to just push this through.” 

But Ypsilanti Planning Director Richard Murphy saw a consensus for the western portion of the project, which is far larger than the Depot Town sector. As for concerns about extending the median around the clock tower within the retail and entertainment district - and about sculpting the streetside parking areas - he thought designers would have time to work things out based on the commissioners' suggestions.

Agreement on this count came from Erik Dotzauer, executive director of the Depot Town Community Development Corporation. He urged the commission to “look at the bigger picture and not just the surface body of what’s been presented.”

Ronald Ahrens is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. Reach the news desk at news@annarbor.com or 734-623-2530.