The future doesn’t look bright for a new community center in Orion Township. Trustees decided not to take any action on any proposed construction.
The board voted nearly two years ago to have a feasibility study done on possibly building a township community center, after a group of 950 citizens signed a petition asking the township to investigate the possibility.
At the conclusion of the study a few weeks ago, board members and residents were presented with several options for a center, and residents were able to voice their opinions on the center at public hearing in April.
‘It just seemed like there needed to be a step taken by this township board,? said clerk Jill Bastian at the May 17 board meeting, asking board members to take some type of action on the request, even if just to officially receive and file it.
‘A lot has happened in that time (since the board requested a feasibility study),? said supervisor Jerry Dywasuk. ‘The economy has gone up and down, mostly down.?
Dywasuk thought the best thing for the board to do would be to receive and file, and put the request away ‘for another day.?
‘I was disappointed by the split that’s gone (on) in the community,? he said. ‘I don’t think it’s a good time to even come forward with it.?
Trustee Richard Tomczak said he believed the township would be putting forward a project duplicating services offered at the Great Lakes Athletic Club on Baldwin Road, if the township moved ahead with the community center.
‘I think the information received at the hearing was what we wanted to hear from the public at large,? he said. ‘At this point, I don’t think there’s anyway I could support putting this on the ballot.?
Bastian said even if the board didn’t move forward with the community center, there was still a need to be filled in the township for teens.
‘I don’t want to just let all of that go…there is still a need,? she said. ‘Maybe (the center options) presented at the hearing (weren’t) what the community was ready to buy into. I would like to send this back to the parks and recreation advisory committee…maybe there needs to be an officially appointed task force.?
Bastian had heard that other communities were able to build centers for less money than what Orion was considering.
‘I think this board needs those kind of facts, not just opinions,? she said. ‘But I don’t want to spend money to have those additional studies done.?
Dywasuk said the board couldn’t act for or against a specific ballot proposal if the citizens brought it forward.
‘They need 50 citizens to get it on the ballot,? he added. ‘It goes back to them to come forward and make that decision.?
Trustee Michael Fetzer agreed, saying ‘I think we owe it to the citizens…we should put the option out there for the citizens to vote on.?