Residential Road Improvement Program

Who contributes to the cost of the program?

Macomb County, Macomb Township, and property owners all contribute toward the cost of the road reconstruction project, through the County’s Subdivision Road Reconstruction Program. 

What roads can be considered for this program?

For a road to be considered under this program, the pavement must be beyond repair. Repair work, such as replacing only sections of bad pavement does not qualify.  The Township commissioned an independent PASER Study to evaluate road pavement conditions to help guide the decisions as to which roads qualify for this assistance.

What’s in the application process?

Property owner(s)/Petitioner(s) request in writing to the Engineering Department, an informal cost estimate of the proposed Project. The Engineering Department will review the proposed Project to determine if the road at issue is a “failed road” under the Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating (hereinafter “PASER”) system. (Due by February 1)

As part of the application process, the residents of that road would need to approve a Special Assessment District (SAD) to pay for their portion of the project. 

What is a Special Assessment District (SAD)?

An SAD is a group of properties within a defined area that will benefit from a specific improvement.   In this instance, this improvement is the reconstruction of a segment of roadway.  The area benefiting from this improvement are the properties along the frontage of the roadway.  These are the properties that are assessed for the road reconstruction costs.

How does the SAD process work?

• Property owners representing 51% of the road frontage within the SAD would need to sign a petition, prepared by the Township, in order to start the formal process of establishing the SAD. 
• The petition would include an estimate of the cost per front foot for property owners portion of the project. 
• If the project is approved by the County and Township and the SAD is put in place, the County would pick up 50% of the cost (up to $500,000), the Township would pick up 25% of the cost (up to $250,000) and the property owners within the SAD would pay for the remainder over a period of time established by the Township Board. 
• The final cost per front foot would be based on the actual cost for the project after bids are received for the construction. 
• The term is typically 10 years, however, the Township Board makes the final decision on the term at the second SAD public hearing. 

For more information on this program and KEY DATES, click on the Residential Road Improvement Project Participation Policy or contact the Engineering Department at 586-992-0710 Ext. 7125.