By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A design proposal has been approved to extend utilities to properties along a portion of Lucy Road in the City of Howell, in part to accommodate a pending large development.

The Howell City Council approved an engineering proposal for the work at Monday night’s meeting for a cost not to exceed $112,529. Following a jurisdictional transfer of a portion of Lucy Road from the Livingston County Road Commission to the City, engineers have been working on a full topographical survey for the first phase of a two-phase project.

It would bring water and sewer services up Lucy Road all the way up to a southern development that officials said they hopefully see relatively soon from JD Racing for a new motorsports complex.

City Manager Erv Suida stated during the meeting that the corridor has been master-planned since 2012. He noted there’s already a 12-inch loop on D-19 just south of Speedway and the idea was always to bring it through, connect it on Lucy Road and then down. The project will also include a small amount of sanitary sewer work for two different districts. One will flow north to Grand River. The other portion will go south toward the Lucy Road development for JD Racing and then head west to the City’s station.

Suida said the work will aid in extending utilities to various properties. He told WHMI that Lucy Road has a lot of opportunities along it such as the southern development between Lucy Road and D-19 from JD Racing as well as several other undeveloped parcels that will require water and sewer including Padnos Iron & Metal – which will be constructing an industrial shredder.

Suida said this first phase gets them to just beyond the railroad tracks, then phase two will be from the railroad tracks down to the southern end of Lucy Road, which will then hopefully get that connection to D-19 and complete the 12-inch loop.

Some questions were raised during the meeting by Councilman Nikolas Hertrich about the schedule and availability of contractors and materials given the current climate and shortages. An engineer was present and stated that it is an aggressive schedule but believes they’ll be able to get it done. When it comes to the availability of materials, it was noted that things are ramping up and they’re seeing a better supply available. The engineer also stated he felt it was a good estimate done to the best of their ability based on recent projects and bids.