Since the state approved a land swap of 91 acres of Bald Mountain property on M-24 for 82.7 acres owned by developer Mike Weger on Indian Lake, Orion Township officials have been anticipating the day when they would be asked to rezone the Lapeer Road property.
It appears now that the day could be close at hand, as township supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said he has heard from two different sources that a private developer has offered $15.5 million to Weger for the undeveloped property on M-24, currently zoned for recreational use.
Weger could not be reached for comment.
Dywasuk said he was told Weger had been to the township to pick up a rezoning application.
‘We currently have a moratorium on M-24 development,? he said. ‘The primary reason for that are the roads and the traffic…(developing that property) was never planned for, it was supposed to be strictly recreational.?
Weger said in a 2003 interview with The Lake Orion Review that he was approached by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources about swapping his property on Indian Lake, which is adjacent to existing Bald Mountain property.
‘I was really starting to feel like ‘Did I really want to put homes on this thing?,?? Weger said in the interview of his then Indian Lake property.
At that time, Weger called the M-24 property he was being asked to swap for ‘unusable.?
?(The Indian Lake property) is the most ideal piece of crown jewel land,? he said. ‘There is wildlife, open fields and wetlands…This is absolutely, 100 percent, a win for the DNR.?
Dywasuk believes, however, that the only person now ‘winning? will be Weger.
‘After the state approved the boundary adjustment, all the sudden, this guy’s got a windfall,? he said. ‘The township has extended the moratorium on M-24 for six more months, so we won’t be accepting applications for new rezoning during that time.?
Dywasuk said the township is concerned with more commercial development causing increased congestion on M-24.
Township building and planning administrator Beth McGuire said the township is proposing a possible update to the Master Plan, and proposed amendments to the plan do indicate that single-family zoning might be the preferred land use for Weger’s M-24 property.
‘At this time, the township has not taken action to rezone the Weger parcel,? she said. ‘If the township decides later to rezone the Weger parcel, it most likely would not happen until the Master Plan has been amended.?
For now, Dywasuk said the township is looking at all the options.
‘If for some reason we didn’t agree (with Weger or another private developer), and had to go to court, we’d have to justify the zoning,? he said.
‘The township is prepared,? Dywasuk said. ‘But we can’t give away our game plan yet.?