Summary

Highlights of the pending DRAFT Sherman Park Brownfield Area-wide Plan were presented to the Public Input attendees for review and comment.  The primary focus was on the implementation of the development plan that had been presented at the previous Public Input meeting.  Key implementation components included; environmental, infrastructure, and development processes.  The only known major environmental issue is the on-going remediation which is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2021.  Because most of the site is “clean”, it was recommended that the City consider requesting a modification of the Environmental Restrictive Covenant to allow commercial and residential development near the intersection of Sherman Drive and Michigan Street.  New streets are proposed to accommodate semi-truck traffic to serve the anticipated growth in industrial/flex space within the bulk of the site near the existing CSX railroad.  The other street improvements will focus on reintroducing the street grid near the Sherman Drive and Michigan Street intersection to create a more walkable neighborhood.  It will also reconnect Sherman Park to the Tuxedo neighborhood to the east and the Hollywood/Englewood neighborhood to the south.  Finally, the last major infrastructure issue is to resolve storm water issues, and the plan proposes to create two common storm water detention areas one for the east side and one for the west sides of Sherman Park.  This will be viewed as an incentive for new businesses, and it will promote a more efficient use of the real estate for development purposes.