St. Clair Shores · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in St. Clair Shores public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
Bon Bray traffic speeds and Shortcrest construction traffic
A resident told the council that construction detours are pushing speeding traffic onto Newberry Street, endangering children and pedestrians — and that his emails to council members and the police chief went unanswered. He asked for traffic enforcement, signs, and a meeting with the chief.
Shady Lane business approach pitch problem
A gas station owner on Harper at Shady Lane got such a steep driveway approach out of the road project that cars nearly stall entering — near-miss territory. The city is working with the contractor Florence on a design change and cost to fix it.
Park Court vacation near Ardmore Elementary
Park Court will be formally vacated and decertified to fix MDOT's maps, but nothing changes on the ground — the school district agreed to deed its half back to the city, so the park stays as neighbors know it.
Harper Avenue traffic between 10 and 11 Mile
A 30-year Sunnydale resident asked for a traffic light somewhere between Ten and Eleven Mile on Harper, where there's currently none — accidents happen as drivers fight to get out of side streets. The council will raise it with Macomb County, which controls the signals.
11 Mile Road patching overrun
The worst stretch of 11 Mile — including in front of Lakeview High School — gets a $498,256 patching contract with Florence Cement this summer, timed between the end and start of the school year with liquidated damages if they run late.
Jefferson Avenue concrete repair (11 Mile to Masonic)
Construction backups on Jefferson are hurting businesses along Greater Mack; the city is waiving permit fees for A-frame signs and still hashing out the 2027 streetscape project with Fishbeck at 60% design.
Civic Arena Main Parking Lot Reconstruction
The crumbling Civic Center lot will be rebuilt in concrete with new storm sewer, water main work, and better traffic flow. The low bid came in about $800,000 under estimate, but a county-required detention pond drove the 20% contingency.
Local Bridge Program Grant for Milk River Bridges
The city's four bridges — Rosedale, Jefferson over the Milk River, and the Lang and Beach canal bridges — get $263,886 in repairs this year. Expect lane closures, no full closures, from mid-April to mid-June.
Local street reconstruction award delayed
Playview, Shady Lane, and a section of Statler — all rated in poor condition — will be rebuilt for $3.2 million. Council discussed future work on Brookdale and Alexander Boulevards and floated AI-based street rating to replace the subjective PASER system.
Alley Reconstruction — Concrete Over Asphalt
Five failing city-owned alleys get rebuilt, with four done this year. Council chose concrete ($700,811) over asphalt ($572,748) for the longer lifespan — a 25-30 year life vs 15-20 for asphalt. The Lakeland-to-Madison alley is next on the list.