Everything seems to be going well as plans move forward for Oxford’s first residential development divided by the township-village boundary line.
‘I do see a vast improvement over what was presented to us originally,? said township Planning Commissioner Pat Fitchena.
Township and village planning commissioners held a special joint workshop April 18 to review and discuss the preliminary Planned Unit Development (PUD) site plan for an 85-unit condominium development known as ‘Lakeshore Village.?
The attached condominiums would be located along the eastern side of Oxford Road/N. Glaspie Street, bordered by the Polly Ann Trail to the south and Willow Lake to the north and east.
What’s unique is 48 of the proposed units sit on 15.18 acres in the township, while the other 37 units are located on 6.99 acres of adjacent land inside the village. The boundary line runs both east-west and north-south through the proposed development.
Both the village and township planning commissions had previously reviewed the preliminary site plan at their respective meetings in March and made comments.
‘The village’s comments actually correlated with the township’s and vice versa,? Fitchena said. ‘It’s amazing for people who didn’t go to each other’s meetings to see how we really think alike.?
Originally, the site plan Lakeshore Village showed 90 condos, but Eppink said this was changed in deference to planning commissioners? comments.
‘A number of commissioners said maybe you’re trying to pack a little too much in there,? said James Eppink, president of the Clarkston-based J. Eppink Partners, Inc., the land planner working with Lakeshore Village’s developer Mark Hubbard. ‘We reduced it by five home sites to get a little bit more of that elbow room that you want.?
Hubbard owns the Bloomfield-Hills-based 143 Development Company.
To avoid any complications, confusion or delays over which municipality would provide services to Lakeshore Village, Eppink said snow removal and trash collection would be contracted for by the homeowners association for the entire development.
‘For the people living here there will be, as far as we can see, absolutely no indication that this is the township line, this is the village line,? Eppink said. ‘There will be no need for a snow plow operator from the village to drive through and lift up his plow as he gets to a certain location.?
As far as water and sewer services, Eppink said, ‘Currently, we are proposing two completely separate utility systems.? The township system will service the township side and the village system will supply the village side.
Whether or not a sidewalk should be installed on the east side of Oxford Road/N. Glaspie Street along the length of the proposed development was a point of debate. ‘It doesn’t necessarily make sense to me to extend our sidewalk system up to the next property where it’s going to end anyway,? Eppink said.
Eppink said a village commissioner suggested continuing the sidewalk from the development’s southern exit to the Polly Ann Trail where there’s a three-way stop and crosswalk that allows people access to the village sidewalk on the west side. This sidewalk connects to the township safety path which head north to the high school.
Instead of spending money for a sidewalk on the east side or putting it into a safety path fund. Eppink said Hubbard suggested using it to fund improvements to the Polly Ann Trail, ‘a benefit to the overall community.?
Township Commissioner Kallie Roesner told Eppink she wants to see a sidewalk along the east side for the high school kids, especially those on bikes, who aren’t going to wait to cross the road further south. Roesner said she wants to see a sidewalk on the east side taken all the way up to development’s northern property line.
‘At least it has to be shown that way,? noted township Commissioner Todd Bell. ‘Whether the commission decides to do it or not, it has to be shown that way.?
‘What I’m cautious of (is) taking the sidewalk to the crest of the hill, then stopping it and forcing people to cross mid-block at the crest of the hill where it could be dangerous,? Eppink said. ‘But if that’s what we’re required to do, we’ll certainly do it.?
As for open space in the development, the site plan calls for 2.9 acres of it. The center of the plan calls for a 48,000-square-foot park. ‘It’s about three or four times the size of Centennial Park,? Eppink said.
Another 11,200-square-foot park is shown in the southeastern portion of the site. ‘That’s larger than your parking lot out here in (back) of the township and village offices,? Eppink said.
A ‘lake overlook? is planned for southeastern most edge of the site as a way of ‘inviting the public? in.
A trail system will link the Polly Ann Trail to ‘some type of a deck overlook right out by the water (Willow Lake). Eppink said there will be ‘significant landscaping there? along with possibly some hitching posts and bike racks.
‘That’s envisioned to be a real community benefit as well as a large park for the neighbors themselves,? he said.
Eppink noted the proposed development will also benefit the community by removing the ‘unwanted factory? located on the village property ? Automatic Press Products (402 N. Glaspie Street).
‘Until recently, it’s always generated a tremendous amount of noise, truck traffic and so forth,? he explained. ‘It really is no longer a welcome neighbor.?
In the end, both village and township planning commissioners agreed to continue having joint meetings on Lakeshore Village.
‘I think it’s great that we do it all together all the way to the end,? Fitchena said.