Year-End Street Projects and more
Year-End Street Projects: The dedicated street millage funds have been put to good use again this construction season. City contractors will be paving the streets listed below as we button up the 2015 city street re-construction and paving projects. The remaining streets for paving work are as follows: the east and west 100 blocks of Lincoln Street, the 100 block of South Prospect, the 100 through 300 blocks of North Ottawa and the 300 through 700 blocks of South Ottawa Street. 11 total blocks will be paved during this phase, with the expectation that all work will be completed by October 1, weather permitting. The street millage tax revenues have resulted in the City being able to re-pave approximately six miles of city streets during the past two years. Lansing Street is scheduled to be done in the spring of 2016 as the City acquired a Small Urban MDOT grant to assist with upgrades.
Consumers Energy continues to upgrade their underground facilities in the areas where paving work is being done. Their upgrades on South Ottawa Street should be completed by mid to late September.
Kroger Store To Add Fuel Station In St. Johns: The Kroger Company will begin construction of a gas station in close proximity to its current supermarket on BR-US 27. Kroger is in the process of acquiring the Randolph car wash site for this purpose. The Planning Commission will review Kroger’s proposed site plan at its September 3 meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Commission Chambers on the 2nd floor of the Courthouse. All Planning Commission meetings are open to the public.
McDonald’s Building New Restaurant: In the not too distant future you will be able to order your double cheeseburger and fries at a brand new McDonald’s restaurant, which is being built at the same site as the original shop. The old building has already been demolished. A site plan has been approved for the new restaurant which is tentatively slated to re-open in November of this year.
City Spray Park: The City was pleased to open its spray park for Mint Festival this year. By all reports both kids and adults enjoyed the various spray park features.
The “official” Grand Opening will be set for the spring of 2016 with details to follow. We are proud of the new facility and hope to thank all the donors for their generous contributions at the official ribbon-cutting next year.
High Speed Fiber For Industrial Park: Through collaboration with Frontier Communications, the City of St. Johns has arranged for the extension of state-of-the-art high speed fiber to the St. Johns Industrial Park on the north end of town. The commercial demand for enhanced telecommunication conductivity and bandwidth will only increase in the coming years. This improvement will make industrial park parcels more marketable for high-tech operations and facilities.
New Tenant For Industrial Park: The City is in the process of selling two acres and a “spec” building in its industrial park to DRB Transport, Inc., a milk hauling company serving local and regional dairy farms. It is anticipated the property sale will close this fall. The city is proud to maintain its strong connections to agriculture and related commercial activities in the area through partnerships with companies like DRB.
City Bond Rating Upgraded: The City’s bond rating was increased from A+ to AA- by virtue of a recent Standard and Poor’s evaluation of the City’s General Obligation Bonds. This reflects favorably on the prudent management of the city’s finances and budget by city staff and the St. Johns City Commission.
Off-Street Parking Regulations For Residential Property: Just a reminder that vehicles parked off-street on residential property are subject to the regulations of St. Johns City Code Section 155.341. Vehicles must be parked in the driveway area, which is defined as “the maneuvering lane needed to allow vehicles to move from the street to a garage or to a parking area”. Driveways are required to be hard surfaces. Vehicles cannot be parked on grassy areas and/or in the front yard. All sections of the city code can be viewed on the City’s homepage at http://www.cityofsaintjohnsmi.com/
Back To School: With the new school year about to begin, please remember to drive safely and slowly in school zones. During the fall season, more students walk and ride bikes to their schools; so be especially careful at intersections.
We wish all the students, teachers and support staff a successful and rewarding educational experience. Go Redwings!