Barton Hills Village Bans Non-Residents From Their Private Roads, But Took $790,000 in State Money for Private Water System Improvements

by P.D. Lesko

According to Barton Hills Village’s (BHV) Board of Trustees, in a statement issued to the Ann Arbor Observer, BHV “has experienced increasing traffic and mixed road use over time, including vehicles, pedestrians, runners, and cyclists sharing narrow, curving private roads without shoulders. The Village’s roads are governed by ordinances limiting use to residents, guests, and authorized visitors.” In April 2026, the Village introduced a security program and hired private security firm Signal Security. According to the March edition of the Barton Bulletin, the program’s goal is to “assess whether a professional, visible presence can reinforce safety expectations, reduce unauthorized road use, and help residents feel more comfortable using our roads during peak activity times.” While BHV trustees work to keep non-residents off their roads, the Trustees lobbied their State Senators Sue Shink and Jeff Irwin, and their State Rep. Jennifer Conlin, for $988,000 in State money to update the Village’s water infrastructure for service to 145 customers. In the State Senate’s final budget document is a list of Legislatively Directed Spending Items. Item number 22: “$790,000 Village of Barton Hills Water Infrastructure.”

The population of Barton Hills Village is 324, and those residents don’t pay Ann Arbor property taxes or buy their water from the Ann Arbor water utility. Rep. Conlin writes in her Legislatively Directed Spending Item, “Barton Hills Village currently provides drinking water and fire protection flow to the public through infrastructure that is over 90 years old in many areas.” BHV didn’t get the $988,000 Conlin requested on their behalf, but did manage to get $790,000 of public money to update the Village’s private water infrastructure. This is slightly less than the $882,000 in property taxes BHV projects it will collect from residents in its 2026-2027 fiscal year. The same 2026-2027 budget projects that the Village will take in $275,000 from its residents in revenue generated by its water system. The budget shows the Village’s water system is currently running at a loss ($315,946 in projected expenses).

The median income in Barton Hills Village is more than $250,000 and the average property value is between $1.31-$1.41 million. Nonetheless, the 324 residents of that village have gotten Michigan taxpayers to foot the bill for repairs to its private water infrastructure.

By having Michigan taxpayers foot the bill for repairs to its aging, private water system, the Village will retain its $777,226 General Fund balance. In 2026-2027, that fund balance will grow to $782,226. The Village also has a Public Improvements Fund which stands at $360,042.

In 2025, BHV installed Flock cameras at the entrance to the Village off of Barton Drive, across from the M-14 entrance. A sign went up that bans groups of walkers, runners and bicyclists. The Mar. 2026 Barton Bulletin explained, “Over the past year, many residents have shared thoughtful concerns about traffic safety in Barton Hills — including speeding, pedestrian visibility, and unauthorized road use. Whether walking with children, jogging in the early morning, biking in the evening, or simply driving home, residents want to feel comfortable and confident using our roads.”

At the Village Trustees’ July 13 meeting, two Village residents spoke out against the road usage enforcement efforts. One resident said, “she feels safe on the roads as she walks and bikes often.” She said that she does not “understand the current enforcement.” A second resident said that the proposed road ordinance seems “confusing.”

At the same July 13, 2026 meeting of the Trustees, the Village Treasurer reported that, “on July 8th Barton Hills Village received a $790k appropriation, signed by the Governor on July 3rd, and effective September 1.”

Trustees say they anticipate receiving the State funds in early Fall 2026. BHV will have until August 31, 2028 to use the funds on the stated purpose of replacing dysfunctional fire hydrants and system control valves, and upgrading the Village’s water tower.