One more public safety tower is coming to the area.
Orion Township trustees on June 20 OK’d a site plan and a lease agreement with Oakland County to construct a 256 foot tower on property in the township’s Civic Center Park. A tower in the Village of Lake Orion was put up earlier this spring.
Approval is conditional pending National Park Services agreeing to a land conversion of a portion of the park where the tower will be constructed.
Because of some land restrictions at Civic Park the township was required to find some replacement land equal to that which would be used for the tower site.
Four acres which are being made into a park at Dutton/Squirrel Roads is the replacement property.
The tower is intended to accommodate county emergency service radio transmission.
An equipment shelter 10-feet by 12-feet will also be built on the property.
The tower will be accessed from Greenshield Road through the township hall parking lot and extending east via an internal access drive which runs parallel to the northern parcel perimeter. The nearest residence is 1,350 feet from the tower.
Oakland County is ‘selling? the tower to the township for $1 and will lease space on the tower to operate the countywide radio system.
As owner of the tower, the township will be able to earn additional revenue by leasing additional space on the tower to other public or private entities.
Orion is responsible for the tower? maintenance which has been estimated to cost anywhere from $1,500 to $3,000 a year.