As long as everything goes as planned, the Sashabaw corridor will again become a very busy construction area.
At the May 16 regular meeting, the Independence Township Board of Trustees approved two motions that open the door for Sashabaw roadway and infrastructure improvements.

Corridor Improvement Authority
Trustees voted unanimously (Clerk Shelagh VanderVeen and Trustee Charles Dunn were absent) to create a Corridor Improvement Authority.
CIA’s function similarly to Downtown Development Authorities, allowing communities to capture tax revenues generated from the increased value of properties within the district to be used for improvements in the area. Public Act 280 was signed into law by Governor Jennifer Granholm on Dec. 19, 2005.
The Sashabaw CIA begins at the Waterford Township boundary and ends just north of Clarkston Road. The area included has a taxable value of at least $70 million and covers proposed projects such as a new ‘health care village? by McLaren Health Care Corp.
According to Township Planner Dick Carlisle, the CIA is led by a committee composed of 5-9 members broken down as follows: a majority holding a business interest within the district, the township supervisor and one individual living near or within the district. The committee’s primary role is to recommend and oversee improvement projects.
Funds captured by the CIA can be used to contribute towards road and infrastructure improvements, such as widening the Sashabaw bridge over I-75 and adding a southbound ramp.

Sashabaw Road Improvements
Township Supervisor Dave Wagner first began discussing the widening and expansion of Sashabaw Road, particularly by the I-75 overpass, in February. Now with the CIA, township officials may have a funding option to help make improving the roadway a reality.
According to Tom Biehl, of Hubbell, Roth and Clark, taxes acquired through the CIA can be used for road and bridge improvements, safety paths, lighting and installing storm drains.
Some of the road improvements for Sashabaw include: widening the Sashabaw bridge from four to six lanes over I-75, widening the roadway itself to six lanes from the bridge to Clarkston Road, and adding or expanding the interchange ramps.
‘Ultimately, something is going to be developed there and the congestion is going to get worse,? said Biehl.
The township board voted to spend $5,000 with engineering consultants HRC for a traffic count of the area during DTE Energy Music Theater’s summer concert series.
The data collected can be used in forming an application to apply for Category A funding, yet another financial source the township can use to complete the project.
According to Wagner, the Michigan Department of Transportation, Governor Granholm’s office and County Executive L. Brooks Patterson are all ‘on board? with the project.

The next step
A public hearing on the Corridor Improvement Authority is set for the June 20 regular board meeting.
After the public hearing is held, the township board can select to move forward and create a committee to oversee the CIA. Members of the committee are recommended by the township supervisor, and ultimately approved by the board.
Independence Township board meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 7:30 p.m. in the Independence Township Library meeting room. Please check with the township for any possible time or location changes.