By Jennie Miller
C & G Staff Writer

SOUTHFIELD — Mayor Brenda Lawrence sat down with young adults on July 31 for one of her roundtable discussions.

“In the city of Southfield, we have tremendous programs for seniors … and for our youth,” Lawrence told the group of 20- and 30-somethings who gathered at the Southfield Public Library. “We have so many great things going on. We take care of our seniors and our youth very passionately. But you are important, too.”

Lawrence hosts roundtable discussions four times a year to get a feel for the needs and concerns of the community.

“It’s one thing to sit in a bubble and make decisions,” she said. “It’s another thing for elected officials to provide a venue for people in the community — taxpayers — to talk to us. The purpose of this is to bring people together. (I want to) find out how the city is doing, what we could do better, and just hear your concerns.”

Those in attendance voiced their concerns on matters from mass transportation to nightlife opportunities and from environmental issues to the walkability of the community.

“I think it went well,” said Terry Case, the city’s neighborhood specialist, who was also on hand during the discussion. “It was reasonably well-attended and she got some good feedback.”

Jeremy Moss, 22, who was born and raised in Southfield and recently graduated from Michigan State University, told the mayor that he felt there were certain things holding the city back and keeping it from being as competitive as other communities.

“The things I think are necessary to have young people are a walkable district, like Royal Oak, Ferndale and Birmingham, and a regional concern is that we don’t have rapid transit to take us from point to point,” Moss said, a sentiment echoed by many at the meeting, including the mayor.

“The mass transit piece is just critical,” said Lawrence, who is running for Oakland County executive. “You know how valuable the quality of life (would be) to be able to (hop on mass transit), go to a Tiger game, go to Somerset, go out to the Henry Ford and go to work? It is (an) extremely critical and important (thing) that we as a region need to address. It is ridiculous to be in a region as large as metro Detroit and not have mass transit.”

Denise LeFlore, a Lathrup Village resident, praised the recent additions of Chipotle Mexican Grill and other restaurants that have outdoor seating. But she added that more needs to be done to bring everything together.

“We have a disadvantage because our streets are wider,” LeFlore explained, than streets in Royal Oak and Berkley, for example. “It’s hard to make that walking distance with all that traffic.”

She made reference to Campus Martius in downtown Detroit, with the addition of a median and a social meeting place. Sidewalks are also crucial for the walkability of a community, LeFlore said.

“In some spots, the sidewalks just end,” she said. “We need to make it more sociable.”

Lawrence appreciated the comments and made mention of plans the city is developing to possibly turn Evergreen into a boulevard in front of the Southfield Municipal Complex and create a City Centre Plaza, complete with shopping, restaurants, an amphitheatre and other attractions.

“Something that will bring people to a central point,” Lawrence explained. “That is on the table. Nothing is solidified. It takes investors. But I’m excited about the possibilities.”

Lawrence herself brought up the possibility of a dog park being created in the city.

“We need it,” she said. “A dog park is the ultimate thing. That’s something that resonates with the younger population.”

Joanna White of Southfield asked about the Carpenter Lake Nature Preserve, which is expected to open in early fall.

“We are, I think, very progressive in Southfield when it comes to preserving green space,” Lawrence said. “For every tree we take down, we want to replace it. However, we have very little green space left. We’ve been buying up all the green space we can.”

Melva Allen, 32, a city employee and Southfield resident, asked about whether the city was interested in attracting more restaurants and even clubs to boost the nightlife opportunities.

“Our city fathers wanted to develop a bedroom community,” Lawrence explained. “Which means, after 10 o’clock, it’s quiet. For some people, that’s a good thing. But over time — now, we are an urban-suburban community. The question is, do we want it? I struggle with it. As much as people rave about Royal Oak’s nightlife, their police (are) really, really engaged. We don’t have a lot of drunk driving tickets because we don’t have a lot of bars. I think we only have, like, three bars in the city.”

The issue is a complicated one, which will have to be discussed further, Lawrence said.

“We cannot be all things to all people,” explained Case. “They talked about pockets. You might have one area over here targeted for a younger crowd and this area over here more family-friendly. You have to decide what you want.”

The meeting generated much discussion and was viewed as a success.

“We had some really good dialogue,” Lawrence said, adding that she wasn’t surprised by some of the topics brought up during the discussion. “I knew they’d want entertainment. And diversity. They wanted a walkable area where people can kind of gather, interact, eat dinner, hear some music and gather as a community. And we have dreams (for that). But we don’t have a plan yet.”

The conversation is just beginning.

“They want to continue having their age group come together to provide feedback and input,” Lawrence said. “I wasn’t expecting that, but it was so refreshing that here’s the younger (generation) of the city and they really value their city — they like it. To me, that’s a good statement. … Everyone had something to say. They were very positive and (appreciated) bringing us together. I made a commitment to them that we would get together again.”

You can reach Staff Writer Jennie Miller at jmiller@candgnews.com or at (586) 279-1108.