Empire Village residents and summer visitors can expect that around the first week of next August, work will begin on a $642,797 "streetcape" improvement project on M-22.

At its meeting Tuesday night, the Village Council heard a report from streets commissioner Karen Baja about the street beautification and sidewalk project that was first approved for state transportation grant funding in 2002.

In late September, Baja said officials with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) had informed her that original plans for sidewalks, green spaces and benches on both sides of M-22 from Michigan Street to 200 feet north of Phillip Street would have to be scaled back due to a possible shortage of funds on the part of the state agency. The changes included having new sidewalk on the west side of M-22 from Front Street to just north of Phillip street.

Many village residents who had been involved with street beautification since its beginning voiced concerns about the changes. To address the problems, village official held a meeting with MDOT engineers and grant coordinators to make a final determination as to what the project would look like.

Council president Sue Carpenter said that after a 51⁄2-hour meeting, state officials had to reinstate much of the original project’s plan. Because both the village and MDOT applied to the federal government for transportation enhancement grant funding to cover 80 percent of the cost, MDOT officials had to keep as much of the beautification aspects of the project in place to receive the federal grant funding.

Carpenter said in addition to putting in new sidewalks, trees, a “greenbelt” and benches, the project includes a new stormwater control system that will alleviate existing drainage problems at M-22 and Front Street.

Of the $642,797 estimated total cost, $514,237.60 will be covered by the federal grant and $75,053 will come from the MDOT. The village will pay $53,506 for its part of the local match grant. Construction is expected to start during the first week of next August. That could be problematic since the first weekend in August is generally when the Sleeping Bear Dunegrass and Blues Festival is held.

In other business, the council:

• Adopted an updated building and maintaining sidewalk ordinance. The biggest item of contention is property owners will be responsible for maintaining any sidewalk that goes through their property. While the village will be responsible for any repairs to the walkway, property owners are on the hook for keeping sidewalks reasonably clear of snow and ice in the winter.

Village residents said the council should have let the matter rest. One resident asked where the village was in funding a special sidewalk snow removal device. Baja said village has $30,000 set aside for the $50,000 machine, so it would not be purchasing one in the coming year. Other concerns aired by residents included selective enforcement and placing seasonal residents in the position of possibly being ticketed by an enforcement officer while they are living elsewhere.

• Unanimously appointed former council member Edwin “Tim” Simpson as an alternate on the village Zoning Board of Appeals. Simpson was the only applicant for the position, which had been open for three months.