Independence Oaks Park North is a 188 acre jewel that first opened in 2011, becoming a part of one of the county’s 13 major parks. It was a magnificent acquisition for Oakland County Parks, full of unique natural resources.
The purchase was financed with help from several sources, with the largest contribution coming in the form of a Michigan Department of Natural Resources Trust Fund grant in excess of $1 million. State grant money is given for public benefit, and not to directly benefit one or a few private individuals.
So, receiving such a grant for Independence Oaks North required Oakland County to enter into an agreement promising the county would not transfer any of the property in the park to a private party, such as developer Sam Moraco. A breach of this agreement carries with it severe financial penalties.
Buildings were situated on the Independence Oaks North property when it was acquired.
These buildings included the so-called Bailey house and an extensive “manor house.” These buildings were in rough condition, and renovating either of them would have required tens of thousands of dollars.
Because these structures were not readily usable for park purposes, such extensive renovations, while desirable, were not within the county’s limited budget in light of the demands for maintenance and improvement of the county’s 13 major parks.
In an column appearing in a recent edition of the Clarkston News (“Bailey house still at risk, preservationists say,” March 13), there were several statements attributable to Sam Moraco, a developer seeking to renovate the Bailey house.
While Moraco has no reason to understand county park finance, he has raised questions about county actions he perceives to be an interference with his business plans. The Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission is an all-volunteer group of responsible citizens and officials.
As chairperson of the commission, I have made a particular effort to ensure that our parks program remains on a solid budgetary path in order to safeguard our system as one of the best in the country. The full commission and park staff join in this mission.
The commission has been working with Mr. Moraco after a “letter of interim understanding” was signed nine months ago to allow him to begin pursuing a plan to preserve the Bailey house. Details to finalize the arrangement have yet to be worked out.
However, the Moraco proposal requires Oakland County to deed the Bailey house to him.
Without taking steps to avoid a violation of the state grant used to purchase Independence Oaks North, giving a deed to Moraco could result in a massive financial penalty, and cause serious harm to our parks and recreation program. The commission and staff have been pursuing a way to deed the property to Moraco in a way that the state would not consider to be a violation. As of this writing, we continue to work toward that satisfactory solution.
We all need to stay the course in order to permanently preserve the historic Bailey house in a way the benefits all interests.
Gerald A. Fisher is the chairperson of the Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission and a local resident