By Jim Newell
Managing Editor
jnewell@mihomepaper.com
ORION TWP. — The Orion Township Board of Trustees denied a rezoning request from a developer that would have allowed apartment buildings and townhouses on vacant land near St. Joseph Catholic School and church.
The unanimous decision to deny the Villages of Orion apartments rezoning request and amendment to a consent judgement from Office Professional 1 to Planned Unit Development came during the board’s meeting on Monday, where 25 people spoke out against the project and dozens more sent in emails and letters asking the board to deny the request.
Cavaliere Companies from Warren had requested that the board amend a MARSA Consent Judgement from Nov. 6, 2000 and rezone the property so that it could build two apartment buildings with 108 units and three townhouses with a total of 14 units on 13.18 acres, according to township documents.
The proposed development is on the west side of Lapeer Road (M-24) north of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Waterford Bank in Troy owns the property after acquiring it in 2009 on default.
More than 20 residents addressed the board at its April 15 meeting, all asking that the township deny the request. Clerk Penny Shults read into the record more than 40 letters from residents asking that the proposed development be denied.
Trustee Brian Birney was adamantly opposed to the development and pointed out that not a single person who spoke to the board or wrote letters supported the project.
“This is by far the easiest decision I’ve had to make in the seven plus years that I’ve been on the board. Typically, when these types of things come up you hear both sides of the argument. You hear from people that are for (it) and from people who are against (it). These are people that live here in our community, the people that put us up here. In this case, not one person that lives in this community thinks this is a good idea. So, there’s no other question in my mind but to say no to this. It’s very simple,” Birney said.
Treasurer Kim Urbanowski, who sits on the planning commission, said she is against the development for several reasons.
“Mostly because of the dozen-plus variances and all of those things. It just doesn’t fit,” Urbanowski said. “One thing I do want to thank everyone for is the creative ways that you’re looking at how to address your concerns with us.”
Alan Green, an attorney for the developer, argued that the current developer was not part of the MARSA Consent Judgement, and that in 24 years there has been no planned development for the land. He also argued that the proposed development is consistent with the township’s Master Plan.
“One thing I do understand – and we take it very seriously – is our resident input, but also personal property rights,” said Supervisor Chris Barnett. “This parcel will be developed at some point.”
Barnett added that “under the current consent (judgement) zoning this are all things that it could be”: professional medical offices, emergency medical clinics, hospitals, veterinary clinics, mortuaries, research design centers, medical and dental laboratories, data processing and computer centers, light assembly, mini storage and warehousing, daycare centers and preschools, private clubs/fraternal organizations, places of worship, public/government facilities.
During the board’s April 15 meeting, several residents and members of St. Joseph School and St. Joseph Catholic Church spoke out against the proposed development, with some saying that the development would attract “transients”, “criminals” and “child molesters” who could watch the students from their apartment windows.

Homeowners in the area also said they were concerned about the apartment tenants trespassing on their property, adding that they feared for their safety.

On Monday, the developer said the apartments would start in the $1,800 range.

“People that put us here have all said no. Every single one of them. Every single person that’s come to that podium, every single person that’s written the 50-plus emails, the whole St. Joe’s community, the neighbors that live back there have all said no. I’ve never seen this in seven-plus years. Not one person has come up and said, ‘You know what, I kind of think this is a good idea,’” Birney said.