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ANN ARBOR–A public road in Washtenaw County near Ann Arbor will remain open to the public, after an effort failed in March to convince county road commissioners to privatize it.
Glencoe Hills Drive in Pittsfield Township has been a handy shortcut through an apartment complex for commuters heading to work at a nearby hospital and community college. But township and apartment management officials saw it as an easy route to the freeways for thieves. They proposed turning it over to the apartment management company, which would then install gates, a video camera to record traffic, and a nighttime security guard. The half-mile road was originally built by a developer and then dedicated to the county in the early 1970s, according to the Ypsilanti Press. Washtenaw County is responsible for its maintenance and snow removal now.
On March 15, county road commissioners decided they would keep the road public, arguing that it was a "vital connector" that the public had been using for many years. Apartment officials cited their success in reducing crime by gating streets at other area complexes as a reason for privatizing Glencoe Hills Drive as well.
