After a lengthy application process, the Orion Historical Society expects to hear any day now formal word that Lake Orion has been approved to be added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lake Orion Village Council recently received and filed the final report for the project, completed by the Mannik & Smith Group, and publicly thanked the OHS, Downtown Development Authority and Orion Township Board of Trustees.
The OHS approached the township for funding for the non-DDA portion of the study, which the township agreed to provide.
The council noted that the project could not have been completed without the support and efforts of both groups, as well as the DDA Board of Directors, who made the project a priority and provided initial funding.
‘We also need to thank Jim Ingram and Mike Sweeney for volunteering to do the research,? said President Pro-Tem Ken Van Portfliet.
He said thanks also go to Erick Phillips of Oakland County Planning and Development Services for providing base maps, and Orion Township employee Kim Boesl for compiling a mailing list of property owners.
Sarah Van Portfliet of the OHS said the group was just waiting now for formal word from the federal level.
‘Then we’ll move on from there,? she said.
President Bill Siver wanted to know how it was determined which houses contribute to the historic district, and which do not.
‘They looked like they’d been worked on in the same way,? Siver said of both groups of homes.
Sarah Van Portfliet said there was a long list of criteria looked at, including how many other homes were similar to any given home considered.
Siver asked if those homes decided not to be contributing could seek recourse to be included in the future. Van Portfliet said she was not sure if that could be done.
‘Is there a document for every house, and what the criteria is for each?? asked council member Doug Dendel.
‘Now that this is to be officially listed we have a lot of things we can do,? responded Van Portfliet. ‘Such as what’s available to the property owner as far as tax credits.?
She said the next steps are to plan some educational sessions and inform the public about the district.
Village Manager JoAnn Van Tassel said anyone who would like to see the full report can stop by the village clerk’s office. A report was also provided to the DDA.