Sylvania council hears idea on altered downtown

Downtown Sylvania could be a more pedestrian friendly place interspersed with outdoor cafes and murals, a consultant told city council last week.

The consultant, Tad Krear, had no specific recommendations, but showed a PowerPoint presentation that superimposed such amenities on photos of the downtown streetscape.

The idea was to give a concept of what the area could look like.

Mr. Krear's firm, Land Design Studio, is in Southfield, Mich. Hiring him to study downtown possibilities was part of a procedural requirement the city must satisfy to apply for a $400,000 community development block grant that would be used for facade improvements and downtown beautification.

Mr. Krear did urge that the city's historic guidelines, which date to 1995, be updated.

Council members noted that the city was grappling with declining revenues and tight budgets. Councilman Doug Haynam said Sylvania would need a "public-private partnership" for downtown improvements.

Council also authorized the hiring of another consultant, Land Use USA LLC of Lake Victoria, Mich., to perform a study of what businesses are most appropriate for downtown. The firm will be paid $12,000. Sharon Woods, a principal, said she planned to complete the marketing study in two months.