My letter in the Jan. 11 Lake Orion Review was about how bad the Jan. 9 Lake Orion Village Council meeting was with no one knowing what they were doing and how to do it.
Apparently, the Lake Orion DDA said, “Hold my beer” and took up the challenge.
The Jan. 17 DDA meeting started with a 45-minute presentation on parking. This was not on the agenda and there was nothing in the meeting information even though parking has been a DDA issue for years. The public had no way of knowing this presentation was going to happen.
Was this not announced because the study showed that even at peak times, only 68 percent of the available parking is used and that those peak times are only for a few hours on Friday and Saturday? It seems there is plenty of unused parking that does nothing to benefit the Village of Lake Orion.
Almost an hour into the meeting, the DDA Executive Director (Molly LaLone) requested that the Lake Orion Lumber Yard be added to the agenda. Don’t ask why the agenda for the meeting is not approved until an hour into the meeting and why the public has no idea what will be discussed or added. That’s just how it is done in Lake Orion.
The DDA executive director says the approval of a $5 million taxpayer funded bond for the purchase of the Lake Orion Lumber Yard will come before the village council at their Feb. 13 meeting. We know that at least four of the seven council members will probably vote for anything the DDA requests and will continue to ignore public opinion and petitions.
There is one thing we can all be sure of; the Village of Lake Orion will provide plenty of things to write letters about, which the council will ignore.
Cory Johnston
Village of Lake Orion
Village, DDA need to do a better job of sharing information and listening to residents’ concerns added by mmkelley on
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Good luck on your effect on (FOIA) C, by then I should be able to find some SWAMP LAND for the FLYING PIGS to land and wailer in (surplus land from the DNR)
I filed a Freedom of Information (FOIA) request for the environmental report and parking study two days after the meeting. I was told I would have to pay to have copies made of the environmental report. I offered to come to the Village office and read it to save them the trouble of making copies. They have not scheduled that yet.
The parking study was denied due to the DDA not having it, it being the architect’s document, and that the architect is making changes. I have requested an explanation given that the previous parking study was a public document available on the DDA website and that DDA requested a copy that the presenter said would be provided. No response to that.
After I wrote this letter and sent it to the Lake Orion Review, I found this column from August of 2021. Seems like little has changed. https://lakeorionreview.com/what-is-the-village-of-lake-orion-hiding/