By Matt Mackinder
Clarkston News Editor

INDEPENDENCE TWP. — Late last year, the Waldon Village II development took the next step in getting a Meijer-owned market as part of the project when it was approved at the Nov. 15, 2022 Township Board of Trustees meeting.
Nearly a year later, the project is still moving along.
“The market has submitted its construction plans and they are currently being reviewed by the township staff,” said Township Planning and Zoning Director Brian Oppmann. “They want to break ground just before winter or early spring. Construction will take approximately 18 months. The site has been cleared. The criticism about the view into the site from I-75 was due to the clearing of the I-75 right-of-way by MDOT, not the developer (Pulte). Eighty feet of buffer was removed by MDOT. Pulte has an additional 60-foot buffer on top of that. The tall trees were preserved by Pulte (on their site) and will be supplemented with shorter trees when the site develops. Pulte starts construction of their condominiums in Phase 4 any day now (78 condominiums similar to Pine Vista on Clintonville Road).”
The market will be on the eastern portion of the development, which is on the north side of Waldon Road between Sashabaw and Walters roads, and will be approximately 50,000 square feet with parking, outdoor patio, and plaza space on three sides of the building.
“This is a market prototype, not what is in Auburn Hills or Lake Orion,” explained Oppmann. “There are similar locations in Lansing, Grand Rapids, Royal Oak, and Detroit. However, this store is unique in that it is from the ground up, not infill in an existing vacant building. To get a flavor of what the store will be like, head down to the one at 13 Mile Woodward. However, ours is unique due to the large outdoor patio.”