With promises to work for maximum tree conservation, the Independence Township Board last week voted to approve a cost sharing agreement for the paving of Holcomb Road.
A July 15 tie vote had stalled plans by the Road Commission for Oakland County to pave the current gravel section of the road between Reese and Davisburg roads, even though Independence Township is expected to pay only about $137,000 of the estimated $3 million project.
About $2.5 million of the remainder will come from federal grants. The road commission is expected to pay about $403,000, with Springfield Township contributing $266,000.
At the Tuesday, Aug. 5 meeting, there was a full board in attendance and more research to help trustees make their decision.
While many still lamented the loss of trees from the road right-of-way, the board voted to pay contracted planner Richard Carlisle $8,200 for a landscaping plan to lessen the impact after paving is done. Officials said a similar project helped when the paving of Waldon Road was complete.
“There’s going to be a lot of trees removed,” according to Randy Ford of the Hubbell, Roth and Clark planning firm. “It’s typical of gravel roads in the township. The trees grow right at the edge of the road.”
Plans call for 236 trees (measuring at least 6 inches in diameter) to be removed. Of those 109 are in Independence Township, and officials said many more smaller trees would be removed as well.
Ford said he has walked the route with road commission engineers, and has received assurances from Tom Blust, director of engineering, to take out only those trees necessary.
“He has voiced his willingness to save as many trees as possible,” Ford said, within the requirements for safe engineering. “But they don’t want to go back to the drawing board.”
With bids scheduled to be let in early September, road commission officials were eager to get the cost-sharing agreement passed, but some trustees maintained their skepticism.
“I still feel the same way,” Clerk Joan McCrary said, arguing that more trees could be saved if plans were scaled back. She noted plans for three right-turn lanes in a half-mile stretch of road. “This is overengineered.”
McCrary also suggested that a lower speed limit might lead to the need for shorter sight distances and, therefore, fewer trees being removed.
Treasurer James Wenger echoed previous concerns about tracking the reality after the planning.
“Sometimes extra trees just seem to be removed,” he said. “How do we monitor that?”
Supervisor Dale Stuart said he has requested meetings with road commission engineers to discuss tree conservation.
“There can be design changes in the field,” Stuart said. “Even to the point of time when they’re taken down, we can argue about individual trees.”
Also voicing dissatisfaction were Holcomb Road residents Vernon and Martha Post. Although they protested to the road commission at a November 2002 public meeting, they believe their concerns were not taken into consideration.
“We bought that property 15 years ago because of the privacy,” Martha Post said. “Most of the trees that are going to come down are on our property. You’re going to see more accidents and more deer killed. Please help us save our trees.”
Sharon Shelton, the Post’s niece, said she has visited during times when drivers were speeding on the now-gravel road.
“It’s a very dangerous place. We were literally jumping into the weeds and yelling at those kids to slow down,” Shelton said. “It will be really, really, awful, at their age, to see that torn down just to build a superhighway.”
Another previous concern apparently is a concern no longer. Township officials tempered their criticism of Clarkston Community Schools, blamed by some as causing maintenance problems because of school bus traffic to and from Springfield Plains Elementary School.
Since the school district has donated property to smooth the curve at Bridge Lake Road and access to a drainage catch basin on school property, trustees backed off from demands that the schools help pay for the paving.
“In my mind the schools have participated in this project,” Wenger said.
Officials have cited a 20-year discussion of having Holcomb Road paved to Bridge Lake Road, and Springfield Township officials had previously participated in the paving of Bridge Lake Road as part of the long-range plan. The road commission sees it as a good parallel route to I-75 and a link to Davisburg Road and Dixie Highway.