In the Oct. 18 Clarkston News article (“Waldon Village Market project progressing”), it claimed that the criticism against why you can clearly see the mass grading on the Waldon Village project was due to MDOT clearing the road right of way.
The township does not use adjacent properties as a buffer for the one being developed for just the reason that was given to explain why so many trees were cut. The 60-foot buffer on the Waldon Village side that was approved for Silverman Development was allowed by the township board and recommended by the township planning commission, who could have required hundreds of feet of buffer if they wanted to.
At the Oct. 10 meeting, the newly created Residential Open Space Advisory Committee (ROAC) sent a recommendation to the township board to put a 90-day moratorium on mass tree clearing in the township so ordinances and protections could be investigated and possibly implemented to prevent any additional mass clearings. The motion made by me and seconded by Supervisor Aliaga was shot down 5-2 by the rest of the board, concerned about developers’ rights and the risk of lawsuits were used to defend their vote.
The ROAC is actively working to find ways to better protect our tree canopy and open space and will continue to keep making suggestions on how to better protect us and acquire more open space. The character of our community is deteriorating rapidly. This is easily solved with better planning and regulations while still allowing good quality developments that benefit our community along with developers investing here.
Right now, the scale is tipped and needs to be corrected immediately.
Please support this effort by contacting the township supervisor’s office at jaliaga@indtwp.com and letting him know we need to continue to fight to do better.
Sam Moraco
Township Trustee