By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
ORION TWP. — The Orion Township Parks and Paths Committee will get $100,000 to develop safety paths in areas of the township, just not on West Silverbell Road.
The Orion Township Board of Trustees voted 6-0 on Monday to accept the contribution from West Silverbell LLC to the safety path fund in lieu of the developer constructing a 230-foot path along the north side of Silverbell Road.
West Silverbell LLC is working to build the GFX Orion Facility on the north side of West Silverbell Road. The proposed facility is at 1050 W. Silverbell Rd. and on vacant land at the northwest corner of Silverbell and Giddings roads. The facility would be a 108,000 square foot building, which would be a modification center to install various accessories for the GM-Orion plant.
According to Orion Township Ordinance No. 78, any construction or addition to a parcel required that the developer install a safety path along the roadway of their property. The township board can accept a monetary contribution to the safety path fund if it deems that the area is not suited for a safety path.
The township engineering firm, OHM, had done a preliminary review of the project and estimated the safety path to come in around $335,000.
“The reason the cost is so high is because the majority of the path is boardwalk. It’s very costly,” said Orion Township Supervisor Chris Barnett.
On Sept. 6, the township planning commission recommended the contribution in lieu of 230 feet of the safety path construction. On Sept. 21, the parks and path committee made the same recommendation.
Clerk Penny Shults initially made a motion to accept $150,000 but amended her motion to the recommended $100,000 after hearing from Conrad Schewe, representing West Silverbell LLC.
“In practical measures it can never be built,” Schewe said. “It’s not on the master plan for safety paths to be built here.”
Schewe added that the property is under the due diligence phase contingent on getting the necessary approvals from the township, including the acceptance of the $100,000 to the township safety path fund.
“In our view it’s basically a payment,” Schewe said.
Board members agreed that the area where a safety path would go is a wetland area and areas where a path is not planned in the township’s master plan.
Trustee Julia Dalrymple sits on the parks and path committee and said there is walking capability in the area across Silverbell.
“The committee took into consideration that there is already a crosswalk there,” Dalrymple said. “So, let’s use the money for somewhere else.”
“I agree with the amended motion because I think we’re never going to build that section of safety path unless those houses get torn down and another developer comes in and tries to do something there,” Barnett said.