Dear Editor,

My wife and I moved to Clarkston six years ago to get away from the commotion of Metro Detroit.
Now it seems there are developments everywhere you look in this township. If we wanted all the amenities and traffic and commerce we would have moved to Troy or Rochester Hills. I look to Clarkston as a respite. We love our small downtown and we frequent the stores often.
We also understand that by living in Clarkston we have to drive a little bit for some things. And that’s OK. It’s worth the tradeoff for peace and quiet.
Now for every complaint, there should be a possible solution.
With interest in outdoor activities on the rise, why not make the Waldon Village proposal into an outdoor adventure park or botanical garden?
Sell yearly passes like the Oakland County/Metro Parks system. Fill it with a tree walk, public pool, curated gardens, walking/biking path, whatever.
Midland has the impressive Dow Gardens on 110 acres.
I’m sure we could build something spectacular and family oriented on that 67 acres besides filling it with another strip mall and condo development.

Sincerely,
Sean O’Morrow
Independence Township

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Dear Editor,

Definitely a nay – been a resident since 1973!
How can this be any worse for the residents in this sector? As if the traffic from DTE and the high school isn’t enough. Let’s just ruin anything left of a quaint community.

Sincerely,
Kara Hinze
Clarkston

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Dear Editor,

I am very grateful the Waldon Road parcel is not going to have a big box store, but do not want it replaced by a poorly developed residential community.
I think our wonderful community should have a variety of equitable housing opportunities with this new construction. I agree with Mr. Moraco that high-density dwellings and poor planning are not acceptable.
Our planning commission should go back to work with the developer, to consider the surrounding neighborhoods and be aligned with the population density. I understand the developer needs to have a fair profit, but it should not be at an expense to our community. Our township leadership should NOT value a higher tax base over a real enhancement, which matches the surrounding community.
The new neighborhood should be a winning proposition for the local residents, the Clarkston community as a whole, and the developer.

Sincerely,
Kathy Stawara
Independence Township