Pulte development near schools gets the green light

Slowly but surely, it appears that new homes, known as the Villas of Cedar Creek, will be constructed in the area near Lapeer Road and Stadium Drive.
By a 5-2 vote at the March 20 meeting, the Orion Township Board of Trustees agreed with a recommendation made by the Planning Commission last Nov., and granted Planned Unit Development (PUD) eligibility to Pulte Homes.
Pulte’s proposed project consists of 146 detached single-family units on two parcels of land totaling over 63 acres.
Parcel one, the larger of the two, is located northeast of Lapeer and Stadium, and parcel two is east of Lapeer, stretching from Scripps to Stadium.
There are three schools in the area, Lake Orion High School, Scripps Middle School, and Stadium Drive Elementary.
The project originally proposed 260 multi-family homes.
At the March 20 meeting, Township residents, as well as, board members, raised concerns over the public’s benefit from the project, part of the criteria for it being granted PUD status.
Kevin Christiansen of Pulte Homes said the change from multi-family to single-family is just one of the benefits.
He also noted that 17 percent of the land used in the project will be saved as protected wetlands.
According to Christiansen, roughly 60 percent of the land will be developed.
The price point, geared towards younger families, was also acknowledged as a benefit by Christiansen.
He noted that the Villas at Cedar Creek will follow the same standards of quality as Pulte Homes? other developments in the Township, including Canterbury Woods and The Hills of Indianwood.