Community Corner

Letter: Residents Ask for Support for Referendum Opposing Blossom Ridge

These Oakland Township residents outline their case for opposing the Blossom Ridge development and say why they feel residents should sign the referendum petition.

Signing the Referendum Petition opposing Blossom Ridge, the proposed senior housing development, is in the best interest of the registered voters of Oakland Township. We know who the developer and applicant is, but we do not know who the owner or operator of Blossom Ridge is going to be.

Public Housing?

There are approximately 150 companies that operate/own/control senior housing developments in the U.S. The top 50 companies own/operate/control almost 500,000 living units.  Some of them have good reputations, some don’t . There is nothing to prevent these companies from turning such facilities  into quasi-public multiple housing units subject to a multitude of Government regulations, many of which defy common sense.

Find out what's happening in Oakland Township-Lake Orionwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Traffic Nightmares?

The single family homes that could and should be built on the 42 acre parcel would result in 183 motor vehicles (3 per home). By comparison, there would be 400+ motor vehicles generated by the 154 living units in the three story building, the 84 cluster/duplex units located on the site and the 100-120 employees/independent contractors working there on a daily basis. Also, parking lots would have to provide for at least 400-500 vehicles including those belonging to visiting friends and relatives of the residents. Do we want a five lane Adams Road and another traffic light ?

Find out what's happening in Oakland Township-Lake Orionwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Does the Open Space Include the Parking Lots and the Streets?

The claimed 53% of open space includes wetlands which cannot be built on any way and it likely includes lawns and landscaped areas and maybe even paved areas. In a comparison to the 61 home subdivision allowed on the parcel, one must include rather than exclude the front and back yards of each home.

Tax Revenue?

More tax revenue really should not even be considered in any comparison. If otherwise, we should have more Commercial and Industrial zoning. One hundred twenty two more children from the 61 home subdivision is not going to burden the Rochester Schools.

Greater Fire Safety Costs, Etc.

Either use would likely still result in a 3rd fire station which is already under consideration . The other two are in Goodison and on North Rochester Road. The proposed 3 story building which would be 1 ½ football fields in horizontal length (450 feet), would likely cause a much greater increase in fire safety costs and the development itself  would produce an  estimated additional 180 emergency calls per year. And yes, bigger buildings often mean bigger fires.

Shortage of Senior Housing?

There is no shortage of senior housing in the Rochester area. There are in fact 8 such developments in Rochester Hills and 2 in the City of Rochester. Many seniors living in big houses down size to single story ranch style homes or ground floor condos. There are hundreds of such homes/condos available in Oakland Township, Rochester Hills, Rochester and Shelby Township.

Multiple changes in the zoning ordiance and master plan!

Two stories high would change to three stories high, minimum square footage in living units would change from 800 to 650 square feet, living unit density would increase from 3-5 to 6.2 per acre, maximum horizontal length of a building would increase from 135 feet to 450 feet, etc.

Negative Impact on the single family homes in the area

We, as senior residents of Oakland Township, sincerely believe that Blossom Ridge would destroy the single family home character of the area around this 42 acre parcel. Our Township is about large residential lots, several parks, not many subdivisions, wildlife, clean water, good, deep, cold water wells, lots of unpaved roads, some golf courses, good schools, no gas stations, and not so much traffic. It is not about cramming seniors into 154 undersized rental apartments, nor is it about turning Adams Road into a 5 lane highway. We are a unique and friendly community in many ways and most of us want to keep it that way.

Please sign the Referendum Petition which opposes the Blossom Ridge Development and vote against The Blossom Ridge Development when the referendum is on the ballot .

Sincerely yours,

Francis and Marlene Hugues, Peter and Carolyn Fontana, Richard and Gretechen Dietz, Alvin and Phyllis Andrus, and Eugene Beres
Oakland Township residents

Have something to say? Send letters to the editor to clare.ramsey@patch.com. Or contribute to our Local Voices section.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Oakland Township-Lake Orion