Residents Voice Concern over Proposed Blossom Ridge Senior Living Community

Nearly 40 Oakland Township residents filled Township Hall on Tuesday evening for a on the proposed rezoning of the northwest corner of Adams and Dutton roads.

Moceri Development, which has built several upscale subdivisions in Oakland Township, has asked to rezone almost 42 acres on the corner in order to construct — a continuing care senior residential community that would provide more than 284 independent and assisting-living residences for senior citizens.

The area is zoned for medium residential density, which would allow for only 61 residences to be built in the development; Moceri has proposed rezoning the area to multiple family residential density with planned residential rezoning overlay, which would allow for more homes to be built in the area while also tying the rezoning to the specific planned unit development presented by Moceri.

"We’ve identified the need for senior housing in the township," Dominic Moceri said during his presentation to the township Tuesday evening. “We are as concerned as you are about your property value, and we are as concerned as you are about safety.”

Residents who live in nearby subdivisions were quick to voice their concerns about the proposed development.

“Why this corner?” Oakland Township resident Bob Sirna asked. “This type of a development changes the whole temper of this area.”

Sirna, a resident of the adjacent Hills of Oakland subdivision, is especially concerned about the traffic that would be generated by the new development.

"It’s totally inadequate," he said. "Adams should be four lanes all the way to Silverbell, or at least halfway to Silverbell."

Township resident Alice Murphy, a teacher at Delta Kelly Elementary School, agrees with Sirna and also expressed concern over the increased amount of traffic.

"We thought that's how it would remain," she said, referring to the amount of traffic on Dutton and Adams roads, which has increased over the years as more homes are built in the area.

Oakland Township Planner Larry Nix recognized the need for the township to take increased traffic into account as plans for the development progress.

"The township doesn't control the roads," Nix said, though "the township can petition (the road commission) for road improvements."

Resident Mary Kay Dinverno reiterated other residents' concerns about increased traffic, adding that the burden of constructing a new development in an area where there are already unfinished developments doesn't make sense.

"In Rochester Hills alone, there are already eight assisted-living facilities in operation," Dinverno said. “It is not safe, it is not necessary, and it will compromise the integrity of our community that we struggle to maintain."

The Oakland Township Planning Commission did not vote on the proposed rezoning during the public hearing, which was held solely to gather public comment on the matter. The commission will vote to recommend or not recommend the zoning change to the Oakland Township Board of Trustees at a future Planning Commission meeting.