A representative of Independence Township’s contracted engineering firm said agreements could be reached later this week to eliminate the need for a special assessment district for improvements to Sashabaw Road.
One of those agreements was reached Monday with Clarkston Community Schools, although it is uncertain whether the district will actually donate to the project.
The proposal to widen Sashabaw Road between Maybee and Waldon roads has been subject to debate for several months. Some property owners had voiced concern about the fairness of the assessment related to use of the roadway, especially since Sashabaw Road is used by patrons of the DTE Energy Music Theater and other destinations.
Township officials have been working behind the scenes for months to secure the donation of right-of-way property to help cover the projected local costs of a project to be paid primarily through federal and other grants.
One of the properties in question is Pine Knob Elementary School, which has frontage on Sashabaw Road. The township government and the Road Commission For Oakland County had asked the district to waive the appraisal value of $39,600 and the temporary grading permit of $1,545 as a donation to the project.
School officials, however, have been concerned because of the need to move fiber optic wiring on approximately 33 utility poles between Maybee and Waldon.
Bruce Beamer, executive director of business and financial services, said attempts have been made to secure grants to cover the as-yet-unknown expense.
“We tried to get some funding through some federal funds, but those are only to be used if it is a public utility chain, which this is not,” Beamer said.
Beamer’s recommendation, approved by the board, was for the district to keep the money from sale of the property, then donate to the road project if any funds are left.
“We will help out, if we can,” Beamer said.
Robert Tressel of Hubbell, Roth and Clark, said the school district’s donation may not be needed.
“We’ve had donations in the amount of $989,000 so far,” Tressel said Monday. “We anticipate two more sizable donations to pick up the township’s share of the road project, which would release anybody from a special assessment.”
Tressel said confirmation of the other donations should come by Friday.
School trustees asked about the nature and category of assessments of other properties along Sashabaw Road. Tressel said the assessment was done by a third party, not the township assessor’s office, and most have been assessed at the commercial zoning classification.
Trustee Mary Ellen McLean has been vocal about the lack of perceived benefit of the road project to the school district.
“They tend to benefit from the widening of Sashabaw Road from a commercial perspective as a for-profit,” she said. “We’re not a for-profit.”
In addition to the right-of-way for the expanded road, Tressel said Mt. Zion’s Clarkston Christian Association has donated right-of-way to DTE Energy and SBC for construction of a new substation to help limit the extent of local power outages.
“Their donation is quite sizable,” Tressel said.
The school district, however, appears to be the only entity faced with the fiber optic problem.
“We own the fiber,” according to Matt McCarty, executive director of technology. “We’re not sharing it with anybody at this point.”