I am new to Lake Orion and still learning how the local governments work. I moved here because of the perceived walkability and people-oriented areas. It seemed like a progressive government that promoted these things versus being dedicated to automobiles and parking.
I could have moved anywhere, but here I am.
Our three local governments are the Village of Lake Orion council and planning commission, the Village of Lake Orion DDA, and Orion Township.
The village council and township board are elected. There is some competition on the village ballot this year and write-in candidate Riva Beatty.
The DDA and planning commission are not elected but do include some of the elected government members. It has become evident that these non-elected bodies have almost complete control over much of what happens in the village.
The planning commission approves new construction that will make dramatic changes to the appearance and life within the village. The elected council is not involved, other than approving the governing ordinances, fees and special uses.
The DDA has made a purchase (agreement) offer of $2.4 million for Lake Orion Lumber Yard, hired an architect for $16,000 and is having an environmental study done. All of this was decided in a closed meeting and without approval by the village council.
The preliminary plans show most of the existing trees removed and almost all of it paved for parking.
The non-elected DDA has an annual taxpayer funded budget of around $1 million with control of almost everything in the downtown development area. They also want the village to endorse their currently undefined $5 million plan for the lumber yard.
The people-oriented aspects of the village, the reasons I moved here, appear to be secondary considerations.
In the approval of the Moceri developments, they plan to remove a pedestrian crosswalk on M-24 so that more cars can move faster. The pedestrian crosswalk signal button on Atwater was taken out by a vehicle over a month ago and remains that way. There is more.
Planner Fred Kent states, “If you plan cities for cars and traffic, you get cars and traffic. If you plan for people and places, you get people and places.” I’m hoping the Village of Lake Orion can be a place for people.
The election is Nov. 8. Find out about the issues, the candidates and then vote. It is important.
Cory Johnston
Lake Orion
Hoping the Village of Lake Orion can be a place where boards listen to people added by mmkelley on
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Cory, The Quint Village of ORION is no longer, in the next five + or – ten years what you see today will be HISTORY and soon gone as in I don’t care about yesterday, or tomarrow it’s the next SECOND from now that the people look forward to, five even ten years is the is the life span of downtown Village, WHY, high rise (3-4 story condo’s, office space, taxes, traffic, as far as county of Oakland looking the VILLAGE is SPEED BUMP for traffic movement, as with our great one lane round – about, it was built TO MOVE MOTOR TRAFFIC THRU the VILLAGE and all it has done is move the PROBLEM from the round – about to down town and Flint and M-24. Lot of thought went into that project. Think about WHAT service is located in down town Orion on your way home your daily grind??? and on Friday and Saturday, try to find a parking space like 15min, H.C. within a block that is just big enough for two motorcycles, most are paralle park at the end of each block, nice planning on the one. Just remember, the FOX are just waiting to get into CHICKEN COUP.