Township Master Plan update gets the green light

Changes could be coming to the are of Scripps Road and M-24, as well as vacant parcels in the southern part of Orion Township, now that a Master Plan update has been approved.
The Orion Township Board of Trustees accepted the proposed amendments to the Lapeer Road Master Plan update, a portion of the township’s Master Plan, at their May 1 meeting.
The plan was adopted by the Planning Commission on April 19.
The Oakland County Coordinating Zoning Committee reviewed the proposed draft on Jan. 24, and a public hearing was held by the Planning Commission on March 1.
The update includes a Future Land Use Map, with recommended changes for five of the 12 parcels that were examined.
In the northern end of the study area, changes were recommended near the intersection of Scripps Road and M-24.
A combined 62 acres were moved from multiple family with low density (as listed in the 2003 Land Use Designation), to single family with medium/high density, with three to five dwelling units per acre.
At the southwest corner of the intersection, a parcel was moved from recreation, to single family with medium density, with 1.2 dwelling units per acre.
That 85-acre parcel was previously part of Bald Mountain State Park, but is now in private ownership.
In the southern part of the study area, changes were recommended for two parcels that are currently vacant, but were planned for general office use.
One parcel was recommended for senior housing, at 5.8 to seven dwelling units per acre (which is multiple family, low density).
Another was recommended to be planned for neighborhood commercial.
Both parcels are about 30 acres. It was recommended that all three be developed collectively as a PUD.