Brighton DDA Moves Forward With Site Testing at Possible Parking Garage Location

Now that the Brighton Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has entered into a six month option the 121 North Street property, it is moving forward to determine if the ground will support a parking garage.

Members approved survey and soil testing bids Tuesday morning. Michael O'Leary with Lindhout Associates, the company handling the parking garage design and planning, presented the information to the DDA.

DDA members awarded Boss Engineering, located in Howell, a $2,400 survey bid even though it was roughly $300 more than the lowest bidder, an Ann Arbor company called ChemTech, because of the company's work on past city projects.

"The problem is we haven't built with ChemTech yet - they've given us a survey but we haven't built on top of it yet," Piet Lindhout said. "So we're not as sure about that."

The surveyors will gather important feature information like storm sewers, utility lines and topography to analyze whether a parking garage is possible at that location.

Soil and Materials Engineers, Inc. (SME), located in Plymouth, was awarded the soil testing bid for $8,800.

O'Leary told DDA members that SME has an extensive resume on just parking structures and because the proposed site is so complex, that experience would be come into play.

SME will take approximately five weeks to complete soil testing, while the surveying will take only two weeks. The findings will most likely be presented to the DDA at its December meeting, O'Leary said.