By Susan Carroll

Review Writer

A hearing of necessity – Special Assessment District (SAD) was held during the Lake Orion Village Council meeting Monday for the Lakeview drainage project.

But not without voices of protest from the Lakeview property owners.

The four proposed options were:

1. Construct the drainage system for an in-the-road drainage system, with no outlet to the lake, and that the net improvement costs would be funded by a Special Assessment District.

2. Install a drywell system in the right-of-way along the west side of the road, with a stone drainage base.

3. Install an outlet to the lake with an aqua swale system, subject to an easement being granted by a property owner.

4. Do nothing — repair the road with the existing drainage system.

After the four proposed options were debated, the village motioned to construct an in-the-road drainage system, with no outlet to the lake, and the net improvement costs would be funded by a Special Assessment District.

The special assessment is levied to the property owners in the amount of $23,441.04 because they were against the recommended preferred drainage system, to install an outlet to the lake with an aqua swale system, subject to an easement being granted by a property owner.

The village’s recommended system would have been at a cost of $29,218.96. The alternative expanded storm system’s cost is $52,660. The Special Assessment District (SAD) to the property owners will be the financial difference between the two for a total assessment of $23,441.04.

Village Attorney Mary Kucharek commented that with a Special Assessment District, the village could include fees incurred including, but not limited to, engineering and attorney fees, the village has chosen not to pass those costs to the Lakeview residents.

“The village has worked incredibly hard and diligently with residents of the street to find what everyone finds the best solution to fix this drainage problem sooner than later. It is important to appreciate that village and residents worked hand-in-hand and the councilmembers choose to defray costs to the village,” said Kucharek.

At the meeting, Manager Joe Young presented a brief background on the ongoing problem.

“This is the first item I took up almost a year ago (when I became village manager) and have been meeting since that time to try to resolve the drainage problem that has existed in that street. The road is deteriorating, to say the least,” said Young.

Young thanked both the village council and the residents on Lakeview for their input during this time.

The seven residents who spoke out at the meeting said that the village caused the flooding by constructing a road and system that was not engineered correctly from the beginning; that the village caused the flooding and that the lack of maintenance added to the problem. Plus the flooding has a health and safety risk factor, all caused by the village.

Village Council President Ken VanPortfliet said, “I struggle with contaminates (in the lake), it is normal throughout the state – water run-off. A couple pipes have been removed or capped by (Lakeview) property owners and some property owners (around the lake) have runoffs (currently) into the lake. It is done everywhere else (throughout the state). If we have runoff to the lake, we would add an aqua swale. It is not required by DEQ, but it’s something in our research that would have high benefit, but not required.”

VanPortfliet motioned for support and commented, “Without an outfall to the lake this is the best fix for the drainage.”

The motion was carried to create the Special Assessment District, which effects 18 addresses on Lakeview street with lake front footage, a total of $23,441.04, to be repaid over a five-year period with an interest rate of two percent.

A second public hearing of necessity will be held during the regular Lake Orion Village meeting April 23 at 7:30 p.m.