GIBC's Response to the Grosse Ile Township's July 19, 2007 Denial of the GIBC Engineer's Site Plan for the Proposed Fire Hydrant at the Grosse Ile Toll Bridge
Updated as of September 20, 2007
To date, Grosse Ile Department of Public Services (DPS) Director Barry Sedlock and Grosse Ile Supervisor Kurt Kobiljak have publicly offered essentially seven reasons for denying the GIBC engineer's site plan for the proposed fire hydrant near the west end of the Toll Bridge. We received official notification of Grosse Ile Township's denial in a letter mailed by Director Sedlock on July 19, 2007 to the GIBC (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/files/gi_township_letter_barry_sedlock_2007_july_19.pdf).
The following is a list of Grosse Ile Township's seven reasons for denial that have been publicly stated at various times plus the response of the GIBC:
Grosse Ile Township Reason for Denial # 1:
Director Sedlock states that the GIBC's fire hydrant would be too close to the 16" water main and could cause damage to it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOMKDBLG6f0) and (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/files/gi_township_letter_barry_sedlock_2007_july_19.pdf).
The 16" water main is owned by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) although it is maintained by the Grosse Ile DPS through a written agreement with DWSD. Grosse Ile obtains approximately half of its water supply through the 16" water main and cannot risk the possibility that this transmission line could be damaged.
GIBC Response:
The GIBC's proposal is to connect the fire hydrant to a 12" water line that has been connected to the 16" water main since at least the 1960s. For approximately the last 40 years, the GIBC has been purchasing metered water from Grosse Ile Township through a tap on this 12" water line (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/2007/08/gibc-on-youtube.html).
The GIBC's fire hydrant would not directly touch the 16" water main. Because there is a valve on the 12" water line where it connects to the 16" water main, in the extremely unlikely event the fire hydrant broke it would be possible to quickly and easily shut off water flowing through the 12" water line from the 16" water main.
The GIBC's plan for the fire hydrant, however, includes placing steel posts around the fire hydrant to protect it even through it would be several feet off of Bridge Road and protected by a crash barrier from oncoming traffic. The probability of this fire hydrant being damaged in such a well-protected area is highly remote.
The GIBC's engineers and contractors believe that the risk posed to the 16" water main by having a fire hydrant attached to the 12" water line is highly theoretical and nominal at best. There are currently four fire hydrants directly connected to the 16" water main on Grosse Ile (the 16" water main runs along the bottom of the river north of the Toll Bridge and Bridge Road and then runs along Meridian to the south end of the Island).
In fact, the fire hydrant in front of the Grosse Ile Public Safety Building is directly connected to the 16" water main (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/files/gi_township_fire_hydrant.pdf). If Director Sedlock truly believed that fire hydrants pose a risk to the 16" water main, it seems that these four existing fire hydrants should be decommissioned.
In addition, it is worth noting that there are two fire hydrants on Grosse Ile connected to the DWSD's 24" water main that runs from Trenton to the Island along the south side of the Wayne County Bridge and Grosse Ile Parkway. Again, if Director Sedlock honestly felt that fire hydrants pose an unacceptable risk to water mains, it seems that these two existing fire hydrants on the 24" water main should be decommissioned.
Furthermore, it is important to understand that the DWSD's 24" water main could provide all the water necessary for Grosse Ile residents and businesses in the event that the 16" water main was shut down for some highly unlikely reason. The DWSD installed this 24" water main to provide the Island with redundant water service and greater capacity at the urging of the Township Boards during the late 1970s and 1980s.
It is a fact that the DWSD's 16" water main provided Grosse Ile with all the water it needed until the 24" water main was installed in the 1980s. The total population of the Island only increased by about 1,600 individuals between the 1980 Census and the 2000 Census (http://www.grosseile.com/government/reports/2002_master_plan/03_demo.pdf).
In an emergency situation, it is believed that the 24" water main could provide adequate water flow to meet Grosse Ile's requirements until the 16" water main could be restored.
Finally, the GIBC's engineer, SME, Inc. (http://www.sme-usa.com/about/history.htm), and contractor, CPI, Inc. (http://www.cpicontracting.com/), have excellent reputations for professional ability and have accomplished a significant amount of complex work in Downriver communities.
These Michigan-based companies have more than 50 years of combined professional experience on the installation of fire hydrants. The GIBC uses highly-qualified engineers and contractors in order to ensure that we will continue our nearly 94 year heritage of providing first-rate service to Island residents, businesses and visitors.
Grosse Ile Township Reason for Denial # 2:
Director Sedlock states that the GIBC's fire hydrant could damage the 16" water main or the 12" water line owned by the Township and he does not want to have any responsibility for doing maintenance on these lines in Riverview (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N56ogz_rO0).
GIBC Response:
The Grosse Ile DPS presently has a maintenance responsibility for the 16" water main and the 12" water line in Riverview pursuant to a written agreement with the DWSD. The Grosse Ile DPS maintains all the fire hydrants that utilize Grosse Ile's water system. The additional maintenance burden that would be caused by the installation of a fire hydrant by the Toll Bridge would be nominal. The Grosse Ile DPS' agreement with the DWSD could easily be modified with a few pieces of paper to include the additional responsibilities for the fire hydrant.
Grosse Ile Township Reason for Denial # 3:
Director Sedlock states that using a fire hydrant connected to the 16" water main could cause the phenomenon of "water hammer" that could burst the pipe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKvoocmE95Q).
GIBC Response:
Presently there are four fire hydrants connected to the 16" water main on Grosse Ile. The phenomenon of "water hammer" in a water pipe could be in theory caused by a fire hydrant being improperly shut off. The GIBC will never open or close the fire hydrant as that task would be the sole responsibility of the Riverview Fire Department and Grosse Ile Fire Department.
The GIBC has complete confidence that the Riverview and Grosse Ile fire departments have the knowledge and experience to properly use the fire hydrant in an emergency situation.
The GIBC's engineer and contractor have included in the plan for the fire hydrant the installation of a "thrust block" on the 12" water line that would mitigate the possibility of "water hammer" occurring. The "thrust block" would be made of a combination of concrete and metal reinforcing materials that would anchor the 12" water line in the ground and reinforce the existing strength of the pipe.
If, however, Director Sedlock truly believed that fire hydrants pose a risk to the 16" water main, it seems that the four existing fire hydrants on the 16" water main should be decommissioned. In addition, it is worth noting that there are two fire hydrants on Grosse Ile connected to the DWSD's 24" water main that runs from Trenton to the Island along the south side of the Wayne County Bridge and Grosse Ile Parkway. Again, if Director Sedlock honestly felt that fire hydrants pose an unacceptable risk to water mains, it seems that these two existing fire hydrants should be decommissioned.
Grosse Ile Township Reason for Denial # 4:
The 16" water main was installed in 1942 and Director Sedlock implies that he believes the pipe is too old to be tapped for a fire hydrant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOMKDBLG6f0).
GIBC Response:
The DWSD's water system includes many water mains and pipes across Metro Detroit that are as old as, or far older than, the 16" water main serving Grosse Ile. The GIBC's engineer and contractor are aware of many fire hydrants that been safely and successfully connected to water pipes in the Detroit area that are as old as the 16" water main.
The GIBC's engineer and contractor are not aware of any professional standard or practice of the DWSD that would prohibit the installation of a fire hydrant to a water main the age of the one serving Grosse Ile.
In fact, during the early 1990s, Grosse Ile Township installed a fire hydrant on this same 16" water main for the Township Public Safety Building (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/files/gi_township_fire_hydrant.pdf).
Grosse Ile Township Reason for Denial # 5:
Supervisor Kobiljak speculates that allowing the GIBC to install a fire hydrant might establish a precedent that would enable the owners of the old Firestone plant in Riverview and possibly other off-Island property owners to request a connection to the 16" water main for a fire hydrant (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJJdJJwUOtY).
GIBC Response:
Supervisor Kobiljak's concern is entirely theoretical, if not impossible, given that the old Firestone plant already has all the fire hydrants that it needs and is located more than 1,000 feet away from the location where the GIBC is proposing to install the fire hydrant on the 12" water line connected to the 16" water main.
The GIBC is the only private property owner that has direct access to Grosse Ile's water lines off-Island. The GIBC is also the only entity off-Island that has been purchasing metered water from Grosse Ile since the 1960s. In addition, the GIBC is the only entity that owns contiguous property that is both in Grosse Ile and an off-Island community.
As a result of these completely unique facts, the Grosse Ile DPS would not create a precedent by allowing the GIBC to expand its use of Grosse Ile water which it has been purchasing for more than 40 years.
Grosse Ile Township Reason for Denial # 6:
Director Sedlock states that there is "no advantage at all for Grosse Ile Township" if the GIBC installed the fire hydrant in Riverview connected to Grosse Ile's water system because it poses too much of a risk of damaging the 16" water main that provides nearly half the water to the Island (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkmW76Qn-kI).
GIBC Response:
The GIBC's fire hydrant proposal has two main advantages for all Grosse Ile residents, businesses and visitors as well as even the fire departments of Grosse Ile and Riverview.
First, the GIBC's fire hydrant would enhance fire protection for the Toll Bridge and toll plaza which obviously benefits everyone given the importance of the span for providing access to and from the Island.
The GIBC wanted to install this fire hydrant to enhance fire protection on the Toll Bridge prior to the beginning of the Wayne County Bridge closure period because we knew that gasoline tankers and other heavy trucks would be using the span while the county bridge is closed for major repairs (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/2007/08/grosse-ile-supe.html).
Presently, the closest fire hydrant to the Toll Bridge is more than 1,000 feet away over on Jefferson Avenue (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/files/jefferson_hydrant_near_bridge_rd.pdf).
The hydrant would be exclusively used by the fire departments of Riverview and possibly even Grosse Ile in certain scenarios. On April 24, 2007 the Riverview Fire Chief recommended the exact location near the west end of the Toll Bridge in the toll plaza where the GIBC planned to install the fire hydrant (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/files/riverview_agreement_email_2007_april_25.pdf).
The Riverview Fire Chief recommended this location so that the city's fire department could use the fire hydrant to protect the Toll Bridge and toll plaza as well as the Riverview Boat Ramp area which does not have a fire hydrant.
Even though this fire hydrant would be used by the fire departments to protect the general public in addition to the GIBC's property, we are paying 100% of the cost of the equipment and installation. To date, the GIBC has spent approximately $10,000 on the fire hydrant equipment, site engineering, installation preparation and legal review for this project.
Second, the fire hydrant would enable the GIBC to meet Riverview ordinance requirements to provide fire protection that will enable the construction of our long-planned new operations building in the toll plaza (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/2006/11/gibc_operations.html).
Until the fire hydrant is installed, the GIBC cannot meet the terms of the Riverview Planning Commission's conditional approval of our site plan for the new facility. As result, the GIBC must continue to use a small, temporary trailer at the toll plaza as the facility for management of the Toll Bridge and toll plaza as well as an office for customers to conduct transactions for their Bridge Passes and other purposes.
The GIBC's new operations building will help to improve the smooth and safe flow of traffic across the Toll Bridge while providing customers with a better location to carry out transactions in the toll plaza. The new facility will also provide expanded room and state-of-the art technology for potential emergency management activities while enhancing the safety of the GIBC's employees and enabling them to do their jobs more effectively.
Grosse Ile Township Reason for Denial # 7:
Director Sedlock states there are no Grosse Ile Township technical standards and policies for installing a fire hydrant off-Island. Supervisor Kobiljak implies that Grosse Ile Township's standards and policies for fire hydrants cannot be used to install a fire hydrant off-Island (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qDDlzR67Nc).
GIBC Response:
The GIBC's fire hydrant proposal meets the standards and policies of both Grosse Ile Township and Riverview. At the Township Board meeting on August 13, 2007, the Grosse Ile Fire Chief stated that the GIBC is proposing to install the same type of fire hydrant used by the Grosse Ile DPS on the Island (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IWVBSbPnTk&mode=related&search=).
For More Information
If you would like more information about the GIBC's fire hydrant proposal, view "Ten Essential Facts about the GIBC's Proposal to Install a Fire Hydrant" (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/2007/08/ten-essential-f.html) and "Grosse Ile Supervisor's 'Island Update' on GITV Misleads Islanders and Intentionally Avoids Discussing How the GIBC's Fire Hydrant Proposal Would Enhance Safety" (http://gibc.typepad.com/toll_bridge_facts/2007/08/grosse-ile-supe.html).
