City, DLZ Gather Ideas for Bus Station Design
By Ryan Schlehuber

The firm hired to design a new bus station in St. Ignace met with several city representatives and community members Tuesday, March 13, to gather ideas for the new $1.5 million facility to be built on the corner of Church Street and US-2. A one-story building, possibly with covered canopy for bus loading and unloading, made of a durable building material such as brick or split-faced block, is favored by city officials and planners. Buses may access the site from Church Street, and exit onto US-2.

In its first step in the design plan, DLZ met with city department heads in the morning, city committee representatives in the afternoon, and discussed ideas with a few community members who attended a public meeting Tuesday evening.

By late Wednesday, March 14, DLZ planners had created a basic floor plan and a site plan that includes the functions of each area of the building and property. Tony Bair, DLZ project manager, anticipates final designs to be finished by July, when the bidding process for construction of the building will begin.

"We may not be able to give you everything on the wish list, but we want to be sure we do address everything," said Mr. Bair. "We need your input up front because it keeps us on track and, in the end, it will create a better product for you."

The community, he said, will have plenty of opportunities to address any concerns or offer any suggestions about the design of the building because drafts will be reviewed and discussed by the city's Planning Commission and City Council.

Construction of the bus station, which is expected to begin in August, will be fully funded by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), which will maintain and operate the facility for the next 20 years. The city will then take ownership of the facility. MDOT purchased the land for $300,000 last year.

Indian Trails will be the main provider for bus service and will be responsible for staffing and for building and landscape maintenance.

Included in the facility design are an office area, a main lobby that seats 20 people, a ticket booth, which is planned to be open from 10 a.m. to midnight, a vestibule that will be accessible 24 hours a day, public bathrooms, three small sleeping rooms for bus drivers, parking space for four buses and a few personal vehicles, an area to store small freight, such as boxes of flowers, and a utility storage area.

All public areas, said Mr. Bair, will be handicap-accessible.

DLZ hopes to add a canopy to the building to cover buses from wind and inclement weather while they are loading and unloading. Other features will be security alarms and surveillance cameras inside and outside the building, one family bathroom that will be available at all times, a pay phone, and a laundry facility for bus drivers.

Mr. Bair said plans were to focus on designing a one-story building. One resident attending the public meeting asked if making the facility two stories is a viable option. Mr. Bair said it is, however, that means adding an elevator to make the second floor handicap-accessible, which would add another $100,000 to the cost.

One of the biggest challenges in designing the bus station near a busy highway is figuring out how buses can pull into the station, turn around if necessary, and pull out.

After talking with several people, Mr. Bair believes having buses pull off of US-2 and onto Church Street to enter the property may be a better idea than establishing an access point directly onto US-2. Buses will only need to take a right turn to exit the lot to reach exits going north and south, so they will never have to cross two lanes of traffic.

St. Ignace City Manager Eric Dodson said MDOT may study the possibility of installing a stop light at that intersection, which perhaps could be used on a seasonal basis.

"You have the speed limit which goes from 35 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour, and many people speed there anyway," Explained Mr. Dodson. "You have Glen's Market and Straits State Park across the street, and you have people trying to cross the highway from Church Street. It's a busy area and can be dangerous."

Both men said there are many other possibilities to be looked at.

The property, zoned Tourism Business, sits in front of a residential area and between two commercial properties, the Flame Restaurant on the east side and St. Ignace Barber Shop on the west side. The facility will need to have a backyard setback of 25 feet, according to city zoning. The trees between the residential lot and the bus station lot will be left there as a natural buffer. Mr. Bair believes the asphalt driveway is in workable condition and may not need to be repaved, which will save money.

A 26-foot driveway to the residence behind the bus station property infringes on city property, which will need to be addressed by the city, explained Mr. Bair. The St. Ignace Barber Shop sign is being removed, as it lies right on the city's property line.

There are also two small cabins, remnants of the motel that used to be there, that will have to be removed from the city's property, as well, said Mr. Dodson.

Some residents at the Tuesday evening meeting were concerned with the noise and diesel fuel pollution that the facility may create. Mr. Bair said he is aware of that concern and told residents that the building can be designed and placed on the lot in such a way that it acts as a barrier for both noise and odor. He said lighting will also be installed in such a way that it does not bother neighbors and floods only the bus station property.

As far as noise pollution, Mr. Bair pointed out that it is Indian Trails' policy to turn buses off whenever they are idle. The facility will include electrical plug-in connections for the buses to keep the engines warm. He said it is protocol for bus drivers to turn on buses 15 minutes before departure to allow them to warm up inside.

Indian Trails' schedule will include three morning departures, as early as 6:30 a.m., and three evening departures, as late as 12:30 a.m.

The actual aesthetic design of the building has yet to be determined. So far, city officials like the idea of a metal roof instead of a shingled roof, since a metal roof would last longer, although DLZ will have to design it in such a way that snow removal from the roof is viable and ice formation is away from windows.

City officials also are favorable to finding a building material that is durable, such as brick or split-faced block. Mr. Bair said he would like to create a design that reflects the character of the community.

DLZ will design the interior so that future additions to the building, such as a second story, if the city ever chooses to do so, will be affordable.

City officials, such as Councilman Willie LaLonde, stressed that they would like to see local businesses involved in the construction and operation of the building as much as possible. Mr. Bair agreed.

"We need to be privy to at least allow local businesses a chance to bid on certain projects with this construction," said Mr. LaLonde.

"The contractor will definitely be seeking subcontractors, and keeping local service businesses involved makes sense. We'd rather have someone who can come in and fix something that day [for example], rather than having to wait three to four weeks for a part," said Mr. Bair.