Sherwood Forest

JULY 2002

Jun 24, 2002

SHERWOOD FOREST HONORED WITH TRIUMPH AWARD

In a ceremony on May 23, 2002, the Historic Designation Advisory Board and the Historic District Commission gave one of its four Tri-UMPH Awards for 2002 to Sherwood Forest for its support of local historic designation for the neighborhood. The award came just weeks after the Detroit City Council voted to approve historic designation for Sherwood Forest. The UMPH in Tri-UMPH stands for "upholding, maintaining and preserving history." Other recipients of the award were the Avalon Bakery, for its contributions to the quality of life in the city of Detroit through historic preservation; the Water Board Building, for foresight in seeking local historic designation for one of the city's art deco treasures; and the College for Creative Studies, for successfully rehabilitating and joining two underutilized buildings in the East Ferry Historic District.

Sherwood Forest Association President Lois Primas and Historic Committee Chairperson Linda Jones accepted our award. Speaking on behalf of our neighborhood, Linda Jones said, "People say Detroit is coming alive again. Detroit has always been alive - and that is in large part because of its neighborhoods."

Congratulations to all who helped make historic designation for Sherwood Forest a reality!

SEE PICTURE ON HOME PAGE

Linda Jones and Lois Primas Accept Sherwood Forest's Tri-UMPH Award

OUR THANKS TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED TO SUCCESS OF MAY 14 MEETING

Our lively and well-attended general membership meeting and potluck supper on May 14 didn't just happen. Many people contributed to its success, including Florence Gantz, Catherine Mayberry, Carrie Simmons, Irma and Roosevelt Wise and Sue McMillan. Special thanks go to the many residents whose devotion to Sherwood Forest prompted them to spend the evening discussing issues critical to our community. Several residents submitted written questions or comments. At least one such question or comment will be featured in the Tattler, beginning with this edition.

RESIDENT'S QUESTION: I am interested in helping organize social events. I am also interested in working on our parks. How do I volunteer?

ANSWER: The Sherwood Forest Association is very much in need of volunteers to help with the work of our numerous committees. We are grateful that you are willing to help. Carl Hardin is the chairperson of our Social and Cultural Committee, and you can reach him at (313) 341-8196. Florence Gantz is the chairperson of our Reforestation Committee, and she is responsible for maintaining our pocket parks. Call Florence at (313) 861-1315.

YARD SIGNS

This is a reminder that paragraph three of the Sherwood Forest and Sherwood Forest Manor Subdivision Property Restrictions, entitled "Use of Property," includes the following:

The property and buildings in the Subdivision . . . shall not be used for any trade, business or occupation or employment (or uses incident thereto), or for apartment, multiple residential or boarding house use. No advertising sign, billboard, or other advertising device shall be permitted, erected, placed or maintained at any time upon said premises other than the normal and usual 'For Sale' sign incident to the sale of property.



This restriction does not prohibit the placement of political, as opposed to commercial, signs on residential property.


WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW NOW THAT
WE ARE AN HISTORIC DISTRICT

The Detroit Historic District Commission is made up of seven Detroit residents who are appointed by Mayor Kilpatrick. These volunteers are generally residents of historic districts and represent such professions as architects and realtors. They meet on the second Wednesday of the month to review applications for building permits in historic districts. A call to the commission office can confirm meeting times and application deadlines.

Post these telephone numbers of members of the commission staff for future reference:

Danielle Hall - (313) 224-8907
Sheila Bashiri - (313) 628-0194
Kristine Kidorf - (313) 224-6536

Here is a non-exclusive list of home projects that now require commission approval before they are begun. Approval sometimes can be obtained by a phone call:
?· Constructing a new building or addition
?· Demolishing all or part of a building, including garages
?· Installing or replacing shutters or awnings
?· Installing new windows, including storm windows, and new doors, including garage and security doors
?· Reconstructing all or part of a porch
?· Reconstructing areas of masonry walls, chimneys, floors and porches
?· Replacing roofing, flashing, gutters
?· Installing new or replacement fencing
?· Removing large trees, shrubbery, plantings
?· Changing exterior paint colors
The commission is required to use "The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings" when deciding whether work is appropriate in an historic district. For a copy of those standards, log on to: http://www2.cr.nps.gov/tps/care/index.htm.

YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR
A STATE TAX CREDIT

As most residents know, Sherwood Forest was officially designated by the City of Detroit as a historic district. In addition to helping us preserve the neighborhood and its history, and maintain the historic character of the houses, this designation qualifies us to apply for a 25% state income tax credit on both interior and exterior rehabilitation costs.

Here are some highlights on the State Historic Tax Credit Workshop held on May 23 and sponsored by the Detroit Historic Coalition:
?· 25% of total rehabilitation expenses are eligible for a credit
?· 25% credit is applied to the state income taxes
?· Property must be 50 years of age or older and owner occupied
?· Rehabilitation expenditures must be equal or greater to 10% of the State Equalized Value (SEV) and made after January 1, 1999
?· Rehabilitation must be in conformance with the Secretary of Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation
?· Work must be completed within 5 years of application
?· Before and after photographs are required
?· Eligible projects include mechanical and electrical work, plumbing, roofing, painting, Architect/Engineer fees, building permits, kitchens, bathrooms
?· Tax credit will be recaptured up to a period of 5 years. (You can keep 20% of the credit for each year you remain the owner)

The application is separated into three parts. Part 1 is the evaluation of eligibility. Part 2 is the description of the planned work.. Part 3 is the certification of the completed work. Parts 1 and 2 require signed forms from the Detroit Historic District Commission.

Keep in mind, all work must be approved by the Detroit Historic District Commission and the State Historic Preservation Office prior to beginning rehabilitation. However, if the work has already been completed, you may still apply for the tax credit at the risk of the application being denied. This may happen if the work does not meet the Secretary of Interior's Standards.

This sounds complicated, but there are resources available to help, including reference materials such as sample tax credit applications, detailed instructions and brochures. For more information, contact:
?· Detroit Historic Commission, Kristine Kidorf 313-224-6536
?· State Historic Preservation Office 517-373-1630 or
www.sos.state.mi.us/history/preserve/preserve.html

Sandra Ham

NEW RULES FOR BULK PICKUP

In May, the Department of Public Works left on the porch of every Sherwood home fliers explaining the new rules for bulk pickup. Some residents may have overlooked these new rules, which are summarized here:

Our bulk collection day will continue to be the third Tuesday of each month unless any of the following holidays fall on or before our regular collection day, in which case bulk will be collected one day later: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Normal household refuse will NOT be collected on bulk day. Normal waste must be placed in your Courville container for collect on Thursday of each week.

No trash will be collected in cardboard boxes. Cardboard boxes must be flattened to be collected.

Yard waste must be placed in clear plastic bags. Bagged yard waste must be placed at least six feet from other bulk items. Maximum bag capacity is 30 gallons.

Brush may be placed at curbside on bulk collection day, but it must be placed at least six feet away from other bulk items and cannot exceed six feet in length and eight inches in diameter per branch. Brush that is mingled with other bulk items will not be collected.

Place items at the curb no later than 7 a.m. on bulk collection day but not earlier than the evening before bulk collection day. Items placed at the curb more than 24 hours before the scheduled collection day will be considered litter, and you will be subject to a ticket and fine for this infraction.

There is a collection charge for any item exceeding one cubic yard in size; six feet in length, width or height; or 500 pounds in weight. Call (313) 870-5100 to arrange for a cost estimate. For general questions to the DPW, call (313) 870-5136.

If you were surprised to find that some of the items you placed at the curb on June 18 were not picked up, it may be because you did not comply with these new rules which the city administration has stated it is committed to enforcing.


NEW TREES FOR THE FOREST

As an historically designated neighborhood, we want to maintain one of our greatest assets - our beautiful trees. This is the time to consider enhancing your property with a new tree.

Parkway trees will be planted throughout the neighborhood this fall. First a forester will come to examine the strip in front of your home to determine if planting is possible. The forester will decide on the variety and location of the tree(s) to be planted. The city charges $50.00 for a parkway tree. For each tree you plant, the Sherwood Forest Association will pay $25.00 of the $50.00 cost.

Send your request and check to Florence Gantz at 19621 Canterbury no later than August 1. Provide Florence with your name, address and the number of trees you wish to order. Make your check payable to the Sherwood Forest Association. If you have questions, call Florence at 861-1315.


BLOCK CAPTAINS

I am looking for volunteers for Block Captains. Block captains are the quickest way to contact residents in Sherwood Forest. I am currently looking for volunteers for almost every block. If you are interested in becoming a block captain, please contact me. Get involved!

Sandra Ham
19219 Warrington Drive
345-5954
email: SJH909@aol.com
PROPERTY MAINTENANCE

We purchased our homes in Sherwood Forest because of the beauty and serenity of the surrounding area. We have an obligation to ourselves and our neighbors to assure the continuing this beauty and serenity of the neighborhood. When we purchased our property, we also bought into deeded property restrictions. We should all be familiar with these restrictions. They have been published on the Sherwood Forest web site, they have been made available at the annual meetings and they have been distributed to all residents in the brochure called "About Sherwood Forest."

This is the season when we should be cutting our grass and trimming hedges on a regular schedule. Residents unable to do this maintenance themselves should be aware of the many lawn services that can be of assistance.

Article 12 of the Property Restrictions pertains to "Lot Maintenance" and states:

No lot, nor any part thereof, shall be used or maintained as a dumping area for rubbish, trash, garbage or other waste material, or as a storage area for abandoned or disabled vehicles. Waste materials shall be kept in sanitary containers properly concealed from public view. No outside incinerator shall be maintained or used. All lots shall be maintained in clean and orderly manner free of rubbish, debris and trash, weeds and excessive growth.

In addition, Article 17 gives the Sherwood Forest Association the right to administer and enforce these restrictions, at the expense of the home owners and, if need be, to place a lien against the property for the total cost of this enforcement.

Sincerely,
Bill Vance
Sherwood Forest Board of Director


THIS OLD HOUSE

With this Tattler you will find a new and better This Old House list. If you find any outdated information on this list, or have a new name to add, please notify Gail Rodwan at 342-5827 or at Rodwan @attglobal.net. Remember that the list is also accessible on our Sherwood Forest web page, where it is updated regularly. To get this list and so much more, just click on to www.neighborhoodlink.com/detroit/swoodforest.


PATROL UPDATE

As this Tattler goes to print, our Pinkerton patrol car is on our streets, and we are very hopeful that we will be able to continue security service for another year. We are heartened by the number of new residents and other first-time subscribers who have paid their patrol dues this year, but we are discouraged that approximately 60 families have allowed their patrol membership to lapse. We hope this is just an oversight, and we have neighborhood volunteers contacting those 60 families right now. If you have been slow to renew your membership, please send your $360 check today to: Sherwood Forest Patrol, P.O. Box 21031, Detroit, MI 48221.


"CONNECTIONS" OPENS ON AUGUST 24
AT DETROIT HISTORICAL MUSEUM

"Connections" tells the story of 23 Detroit neighborhoods and suburbs and how they are connected by history and geography. This exhibit is a collaboration of historical societies, schools libraries and dedicated citizens. The exhibit is based on Gene Scott's book, Detroit Beginnings. Participating Detroit neighborhoods include: Conant Gardens, Delray, Grayhaven, Greenacres, Indian Village, Michigan-Martin, North Detroit, Old Redford-Sandhill, Rosedale Park, Russell Woods, Sherwood Forest, University District, Vernor-Springwells.

Saturday, October 5, will be Community Block Party Day, and admission and events will be free on that day.

The Detroit Historical Museum is located at 5401 Woodward at Kirby. For more information about the "Connections" exhibit, call (313) 833-1805 or visit www.detroithistorical.org.


RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES

We have two opportunities to dispose of throw-away objects in an environmentally friendly way on the third Saturday of each month. There is a convenient city-sponsored drop-off site at the State Fairgrounds between Eight Mile and Alameda. A community-run recycling center is sponsored by Rosedale Recycles and is located in the parking lot of Christ the King Church on Pierson at Six Mile and Grand River. Both sites are open on the third Saturday of the month between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

Items accepted are:

?· Newspapers
?· Office and computer paper
?· Flattened cardboard
?· Plastic
?· Glass bottles and jars, sorted by color
?· Tin cans, flattened and without labels
?· Household batteries
?· Copper, brass, aluminum foil


ELECTION DATES

The statewide primary election will be held on Tuesday, August 6. The general election will be held on Tuesday, November 5.

If you wish to receive an absentee-voter ballot by mail for the August 6 primary, your written application must be received by the City Clerk's Office no later than 2:00 p.m. on August 3. If you qualify for an absentee-ballot for the primary, you have the option of voting in the Clerk's Office any time up to August 5 at 4:00 p.m.