With election day less than a month away, proponents of the proposed Tri-Township Senior Center for Orion, Oxford and Addison townships are making their final push to voters.
Part of that push involved giving a presentation to the Orion Area Chamber of Commerce during its monthly luncheon at Canterbury Village on Oct. 5.
The presentation was similar to the ones the Older Person’s Task Force gave to each Township’s board in the past couple of months.
It involved a video produced by Kathy Wieland, an explanation of the center by Orion resident Jim Milford and Oxford resident Helen Mann, and a presentation of the site plan by John Waldrop of French Associates, Inc.
Waldrop outlined what would be included in Phase I of the project, including a health and wellness center, a gym and a plethora of program rooms. The exterior of the proposed building included a covered drop off area.
Voters must decide whether to approve a bond and millage associated with Phase I.
Waldrop said Phase II is not even a consideration yet, and shouldn’t be one for voters heading to the polls next month, as its funding would come entirely from private donations.
Phase II would consist of a pool, among other things.
‘Phase I and Phase II together would be very comparable to what they have in Rochester,? Waldrop said.
Waldrop is quite familiar with Rochester’s Older Persons? Center, having also done the site plan for that building.
‘They were in an old elementary school in Rochester,? he said of their senior center before the move. ‘By moving, they increased their membership and daily interest tenfold.?
‘There are hundreds of members there from the Orion, Oxford and Addison areas,? Mann noted.
She invited chamber members to arrange a field trip to visit the Rochester OPC.
‘We promise that what you see there will inspire you,? she said.
Waldrop added that it’s hard to compare Orion’s current senior center setup to what would be offered at the new Tri-Township center, since the new building will be so much bigger and have so many more resources.
In the past few weeks, the long-held secret came out that the proposed building will sit on a 10-acre site donated by Crossroads for Youth.
Orion Township Treasurer Alice Young said the delay on that announcement was simply because the Older Persons? Task Force was waiting on 100 percent approval from Crossroads? Board.
She said the road leading to the proposed center on E. Drahner in Oxford will be paved and straightened before the center is opened.
‘The Crossroads campus is in a central location for all three communities,? Milford said.
Crossroads for Youth is a nonprofit organization that provides programs for at-risk youth. Up to 120 youths live on the campus at any given time.
Young said concerns over interaction between the proposed center and the Crossroads facility are misguided, as the proposed 10-acre site is removed from Crossroads? residential facilities.
Young also noted that areas such as the health and wellness center in the proposed center might alleviate some concerns expressed by seniors on the recent Orion Township Parks & Recreation survey administered by Leisure Vision.
On Nov. 7, voters in the three townships will be asked to approve a bond issue totalling $9.85 million to construct Phase I (nearly 50,000 square feet).
If approved, property owners in all three townships would pay approximately 0.2 mill for 20 years to pay off the bond debt.
For the center’s construction, Orion Township would pay $5.95 million, or 60 percent of the total construction cost.
Voters will also be asked to approve a 10-year, 0.25-mill tax to operate and maintain the center.
A home with a taxable value of $100,000 would pay $45 annually, or $0.12 a day, if both tax increases are approved.
Milford and Mann said that amount is extremely reasonable considering how much the center will be used, especially given the great number of aging baby boomers in the three communities.
‘We believe this senior center will make our communities an even more desirable place to live,? Mann said.
For more information on the ballot proposal, residents are encouraged to call the campaign office at (248) 608-0267.