It’s a unique situation to have a single development divided by the boundary line that separates two municipalities, but that’s exactly what’s being proposed in Oxford.
Lakeshore Village is a proposed 90-unit condominium development located along the eastern side of N. Oxford Road/N. Glaspie Street, bordered by the Polly Ann Trail to the south and Willow Lake to the north and east.
What’s unique is 50 of the proposed units sit on 15.18 acres in the township, while the other 40 units are located on 6.99 acres of adjacent land inside the village. The boundary line runs both east-west and north-south through the proposed development.
The Bloomfield Hills-based 143 Development Company, owned by Mark Hubbard, has submitted applications for Planned Unit Developments (PUD) to both the township and village.
‘It is our intention that both submissions will run concurrently and final approval is granted by both municipalities, thereby creating one neighborhood which is technically two individual, but related site plans,? wrote James T. Eppink, president of the Clarkston-based J. Eppink Partners, Inc., who drew the preliminary site plan. ‘For all intents and purposes, Lakeshore Village will be one neighborhood.?
‘It’s going to be interesting how it works out,? said village Manger Joe Young. ‘We’re hoping to move it along, see it take place because it will be a nice addition to the community ? enhance the use of the (Polly Ann) trail.?
According to the preliminary site plan, the township land, of which only 9.79 acres is buildable, would house nine buildings containing four condos each (4-plexes) and seven buildings with two units a piece (2-plexes).
Eppink’s Jan. 26 letter noted that the proposed 50 units (or 3.29 units per acre) in the township is three times less than what could be allowed if the existing zoning was used rather than the proposed PUD.
‘Assuming that the land is developed using the Village Multiple Family Character Sub-Group with the CAD zoning, the parcel is allotted a maximum density of 10 units per gross acre or 150 dwelling units within the township,? he wrote.
Lakeshore Village’s preliminary site plan shows the village land, of which 6.41 acres is buildable, containing nine buildings with four units a piece and two buildings with two condos each.
Although the village property is currently zoned for light industrial and contains a small manufacturing facility called Automatic Press Products (402 N. Glaspie St.), Young said the village Master Plan shows the future land use for that area to be multiple family residential with low density and Lakesore Village fits that use.
The village planning commission will discuss the Lakeshore Village plan at its Tuesday, March 21 meeting, while the township planning commission will hold a public hearing on it Thursday, March 23.
Both planning commissions will review and discuss the preliminary site plan together during a special joint workshop set for Tuesday, April 18.
Manager Young said issues such as water, sewer and streets will have to be worked out between the two governments.
The village and township each have their own separate water and sewer systems. As for streets, the village’s are maintained by the Department of Public Works and improvements funded through the village budget, while the township’s roads are handled by the Road Commission for Oakland County.
‘Just so you know where we’re coming from, obviously, the village would want it to be ours,? said Young, regarding all three services in Lakeshore Village.
Young said it makes more sense to keep everything in one jurisdiction because it ‘avoids confusion? about who’s responsible for what and who gets what services.
‘Why did my street get plowed and theirs didn’t?? said Young, citing an example of possible confusion.
Under one government’s jurisdiction, everyone in the development pays the same costs and receives the same services in return. ‘We’re open to anything that makes good sense,? the manager said.
Township Supervisor Bill Dunn said he’s reserving comment on Lakeshore Village until the planning commission’s ‘had a chance to do their job.?
‘That’s why we have a planning commission,? he said. ‘I don’t want my opinions to influence their work. I want to hear what they have to say first.?