Planners Vote Delay On Beakes Bypass

tg I A majority of City Planning Commission members believe the Packard-to-Beakes bypass project should be delayed until its impact on the Model Cities Neighborhood can be determined. Five of six commission members attending yesterday afternoon's special meeting voted in favor of the delay. City Council will have the final say on the subject, with action at that level expected within the next two weeks. The Model Cities Policy Board has requested that the project be halted until a plan for the model neighborhood area had been completed. Ezra Rowry, temporary chairman of the Policy Board, told commission members yesterday the city has until March of next year to complete the plan. He added, however, it would be possible to get a one or two-month extensión of this deadline. Robert G. Faber, the council's representative on the Planning Commission, had requested a review of the PackardBeakes and Forest Ave. extensión projects. He said yesterday he is not opposed to the concept of either route. But he did express concern about the northern approach to the Packard-Beakes bypass, stating a large section of residential land will be surrounded on three sides by major road arteries. "My main concern is trying to prevent a bad alignment," Faber said. Ronald R. Edmonds, in moving that the project be delayed, isaid the concept of the route must be investigated "at the level of human costs." The city has purchased most of the right-of-way for the Packard-Beakes project, and plans for the the bypass have been completed and approved. Construction is scheduled to begin next July. Parking and Traffic Engineering Director John E. Robbins said the Packard-Beakes project is needed to alleviate traffic congestión from the north and northeast. "We have to start relating the movement of cars to the neighborhood and the people themselves," said Faber. "We have to start thinking about what is really important. If we find the present route is harmful to the concept of pleasant living in this area, we'll have to find another route for the cars." On the question of Forest extended to Observatory, the commission split 3-to-3 on a motion to delay until the city's thoroughfare plan could be completely reviewed. Faber said he was concerned with this project because it e x t e n d s beyond Washtenaw Ave. He said the extensión of Observatory should end at Washtenaw Ave. rather than continue to Hill St. Planning Department Director Raymond Martin said the Forest Ave. project had been recommended by three consulting firms in past years. "Do you want to hire a fourth consultant?" he asked. "Do you want the University to reconsider its Central Campus plan?" He said actions by the Plan-I ning Commission could "throw the entire thoroughfare plan into limbo." Martin said all of the projects tie in to the overall thoroughfare plan and can not be considered separately. Commission Chairman John R. Laird commented that a new eommission "can always ask to review past actions, but we have to put some faith in the actions of our predecessors. Otherwise, we would never move ahead."