Meridian Township MMPGS Report #2
July/Aug 2012
Meridian Township staff, Board Members, committees, commissioners, and others have been
involved with MMPGS in several ways during this time…
Project Planning, Info-Sharing, Promotion, and Organizing
 HOMTV/CAMTV aired a report on MMPGS. See clip at
http://meridian.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=33&clip_id=4609
 Attended Monthly Consortium Meetings
 Assisted with Portal Proposal Review and attended webinar on Sea Sketch/Community Viz
 Attended training on Civic Ideas http://www.granicus.com/Solutions/Citizen-ParticipationSuite.aspx – the Granicus version of “Mindmixer” which will be piloted in Meridian and have
crosslinks to MMPGS discussions at http://ideas.midmichigansustainability.org
 Promoted http://ideas.midmichigansustainability.org through the Green Gazette
http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/news/ and the Meridian Monitor.
 Met with Wayne Beyea, Michael Scarcelli, and Meridian Planning Staff to review and
comment on a Sustainable Development Tool that MSU/LPI is working on.
 Promoted MMPGS through the Meridian Monitor. This is available at
http://bit.ly/meridianmonitor or in a video format at
http://meridian.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=33&clip_id=4625
Green Review
 Organized a Green Star meeting. This is the committee which has provided input to the
development of the Green Review and has also promoted recycling in the business
community. Several Green Star businesses are also co-sponsoring a regional recycling event
in October. Discussions centered on recycling in apartments/multi-family developments.
 Put Continued to develop Green Review and a Green Guide for homes. Placed PDF versions
at http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/green/greenreview
Green Shows
 Completed edits on the introductory video for mindmixer (Ideas. Midmich…), uploaded to
YouTube and is now viewable on the site.
 HOMTV/CAMTV aired a report on MMPGS. See clip at
http://meridian.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=33&clip_id=4609
 Continued to develop ideas for Green Shows
http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/green/tv
 See attached notes for Green Show planning session held on Aug 30
Other Sustainability-Related
 Completed an energy educational exhibit at Harris Nature Center with assistance from
Michigan Energy Options and others. More at http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/harris
Green Show Discussion: Aug 30, 2012
The Next HUD Consortium Gathering will be on 10/23 at noon at the Smart Center in Charlotte.
The first Green Show could be aired at this event!

Who/What/Where/When/Why & Elevator Speeches
http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/sustainable/com/communication-elevator.pdf
“Those places around the country that are having successes are not going it alone, or focusing singly on
economic returns. They are, instead, deliberately improving their environment, their economies, and their
communities at once. The new Mid-Michigan Program for Greater Sustainability believes this should be the
direction for Lansing and its surrounding communities. Over the next three years, the program, which is
funded with a $3 million HUD grant, leveraged to $8 million through local matches, will support studies and
projects to move us further toward developing a comprehensive sustainable vision for our region. This work
will focus on energy efficiency, affordable housing, community and environmental health, land use, water
quality, economic and workforce development, transportation, and infrastructure for the region, among
other areas. And this work is highly participatory. This program is being led by dozens of organizations and
communities. Going forward, this coalition will be seeking participation of thousands of residents who wish
to join us to shape our collective future.” - John Kinch

Summary: http://www.tri-co.org/Docs/HUD_ProjectSummary_2012.pdf
“The Mid-Michigan Program for Greater Sustainability” is awarded $3 Million over the next three years for
regional planning efforts that integrate housing, land-use, economic and workforce development,
transportation, and infrastructure development in a comprehensive and inclusive manner.”….

Abstract: http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/sustainable/Applicant%20Abstract.pdf
“An era of cooperation has emerged in mid-Michigan since the mid-2000’s and local leaders, businesses, and the
public realize we must collaborate as a region to rebuild strong core cities and move the entire region towards
economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Actions and plans already
underway….”

A picture’s worth a 1000 words… more at
http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/sustainable/Sense%20of%20the%20whole.2.pdf

Small town success stories, possibly Charlotte or the Alive Center -possibly featuring some of the ways that they are doing to foster
sustainability (generic summary of article, but hints at a diversity of approaches… More at
http://recycle.meridian.mi.us/sustainable/1.htm

Feature project areas (see list and contacts below)
Project Areas:
Fair and Affordable Housing Plan
Contact Katherine Draper, Greater Lansing Housing Coalition 372-5980 or katherine@glhc.org or
Suk-Kyung Kim, Michigan State University at 353-9367 or kimsk@msu.edu
Affordable Housing Study
Contact Katherine Draper, Greater Lansing Housing Coalition 372-5980 or katherine@glhc.org or
Suk-Kyung Kim, Michigan State University at 353-9367 or kimsk@msu.edu
Community Reinvestment Fund
Contact Julie Powers, Mid-MI Environmental Council 292-3078 or jpowers155@gmail.com
Energy Audit Study of Built Structures
Contact John Kinch, Michigan Energy Options 337-0422 or jkinch@michiganenergyoptions.org
Regional Urban Services Management Area
Contact Harmony Gmazel, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission 393-0342 hgmazel@mitcrpc.org
Green Infrastructure System
Contact Harmony Gmazel, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission 393-0342 hgmazel@mitcrpc.org
Sustainable corridor Design Portfolio
Contact Paul Hamilton, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission 393-0342 phamilton@mitcrpc.org or
Mark Wyckoff, MSU Planning & Zoning Center 432-2222 or wyckoff@msu.edu
Complete Streets Planning and Implementation
Contact Paul Hamilton, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission 393-0342 phamilton@mitcrpc.org or
Nancy Krupiarz, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance 485-6022 or nancy@michigantrails.org
Online Portal for Sharing Information, Evaluating, and Promoting Sustainability Efforts
Contact Hank Love, Michigan Energy Options 337-0422 hlove@michiganenergyoptions.org
Other:
Sustainable Development Planning Tool: Wayne Beyea
Green Show: LeRoy Harvey & Brian Dumont/CAMTV/HOMTV
Green Review: LeRoy Harvey/Energy Star Team
Maps of Area… (reduced for this publication)
Ideas…
Alive Center (where Consortium will meet)
http://www.hconews.com/articles/2011/10/20/alve-facility-takes-cue-experience-retail
The first phase of the project features multi-purpose gyms, indoor/outdoor walking paths, social spaces,
private treatment rooms, exercise equipment, childcare, social spaces and a café. The next phase starts
next spring and includes wellness expansion, a conference center and a youth component. “It continues
to come more alive, so to speak,” said Johnson.
“This place is based on the premise of experience design,” said Johnson. “Everything is incorporated to
create an experience, rather than just provide a service.” The team studied retailers like Chicago’s
American Girl, Bass Pro Shop, Whole Foods and Nike before embarking on the AL!VE project, and the
community was involved throughout the planning process.
‘Creationaires’ will develop profiles on members to identify goals and barriers and then create
individualize healthy lifestyle plans. Each feature of the facility bears an inspiring name: The
‘Empower’ and ‘Bridge’ components of the facility address outpatient rehab and transitional workout
needs, ‘Journey’ provides women’s health services, ‘Relish’ is the name of the demonstration kitchen,
etc. ‘Grow’ is part of the next phase and addresses the physical and emotional health of children. It is a
three-story space with features ranging from an experiential jungle gym to homework areas.
Although the team will not pursue LEED certification because of the additional cost, it did follow LEED
practices, said Johnson. In addition to reclaiming and reusing the abandoned store building, the
site had no stormwater management because of its age so stormwater bioswales were installed. A
grant with a state agency and a not-for-profit group provided funds to turn about five acres of the
site into a wildlife habitat with native vegetation and a native plant mix. AL!VE also upgraded all
the insulation in the envelope and used repurposed materials, such as old barn siding from
demolished barns, and some of interior finishes feature recycled content, such as the cork flooring.