A Dutton Partners project, which received approval from the Orion Township board in 2005, will go forward, but with a slight twist.
The board approved a request from Dutton Partners LLC on Jan 16 to substitute a Revised Site Plan, which converts Stonegate Villas duplex units to detached single-family lots.
Building on the Stonegate Villas lots, off of Dutton Road could begin as early as this spring.
In a letter to the board requesting the amendment, James Faycurry, of Dutton Partners LLC, said the request is ‘simply a change of housing product.?
He added that moving forward as such would avoid having to re-engineer the entire site, which could take up to a year.
‘In order to keep this project moving, it is necessary that we ask you to do this,? said attorney Joe Galvin. ‘The issue is, will the board permit the conversion of this project??
Most of the current board did not sit on the board when this project got its original go-ahead in October of 2005.
Most of the board expressed their interest in seeing single-family homes replace the duplexes, but were concerned with the lot size that would accompany the switch.
The conversion of the 176 duplexes to 176 single-family homes forced the board to allow 7.5-foot sideyard setback in lieu of the required 10-foot setbacks.
By a 5-1 vote, the board approved the amendment, conditioned upon a few things, including an agreement between Auburn Hills and Orion Township regarding adequate sewer capacity and usage.
‘From a practical standpoint, I’m more in favor of single-family homes, rather than duplexes,? Trustee Matt Gibb said.
In a response to the board’s concerns regarding the reduced setbacks, Faycurry noted all properties back up to open space.
He also mentioned that the subdivision will have plenty of park space, and the board motion requires an escrow amount for park improvement.
‘Somebody told me years ago that township government is the art of compromise,? Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk said.
Dywasuk added that he has concerns, but the positives, such as the park that was put in by Dutton Partners, outweigh the negatives.
‘The market has fallen flat,? he said. ‘If there was additional compromise, I think we would have seen it.?
Building Official Tom Berger expressed some concern about the Dutton Partners request, but the board went ahead anyway.
‘I depend on department heads for the input,? Dywasuk said. ‘Though I prefer larger lots, I think we’ve come to a fork in the road.?