By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
Skalnek Ford is looking to expand their dealership but it’s how they’re going about it that has neighboring residents furious.
The dealership has purchased two homes along Markdale St, at the corner of Parkview, and their plan is to tear down both houses to allow for new car storage.
Currently the area is zoned residential and Skalnek Ford is hoping the Orion Township Planning Commission will approve their conditional rezoning on Wednesday at the meeting.
It’ll allow for the storage of 200 new cars and give enough room so owner Richard Skalnek can upgrade his dealership.
‘We’re selling more cars is the big concern and the customer to date demands a modern facility,? Skalnek said. ‘In order to meet Ford’s standards and the customer demands we need to expand the business.?
In the years following the recession, Skalnek Ford’s business has doubled in both selling and servicing twice as many vehicles. According Skalnek, Ford Motor Company has sent them parameters of what they think we should meet in regards to lot size, showroom, and various characteristics based on customer data.
His move to purchase two homes and have them rezoned for a parking lot is contractually required to be exactly that ? a parking lot. According to Skalnek, because of the conditional rezoning he’s legally not allowed to put a building on the area being rezoned.
‘We’re strictly storing cars, there won’t be any buildings stuck back there, there won’t be customer flow through there, a minimum amount of lighting and cars don’t make noise when they’re just sitting there? he said. ‘There will be no entrances onto Markdale and Parkview, there will be no increase in traffic so the impact will be minor to say the least.?
Despite Skalnek’s reassurances, several neighbors aren’t convinced it’ll be that smooth of a process given their previous issues they’ve noted with the dealership.
Cabra’Ann Potts and her husband bought a house on Markdale 10 months ago for the appeal the area presented. According to Potts, that appeal she fell in love with is being threatened with the rezoning.
‘A majority of us moved to that neighborhood for the privacy and the wooded lots and with the proposal that they have requested, it is taking away of the properties in our neighborhood,? she said. ‘Instead of enhancing the neighborhood, their plan is essentially going to be taking a big chunk of our neighborhood away.?
Potts and other residents also have made complaints about the lack of general grounds maintenance around the dealership. She said that on several occasions there’s garbage littering the area and many times that garbage has the Skalnek name on it.
Another resident concerned and frustrated with the potential rezoning is 14-year resident John Konopsaki.
Konopsaki, who also lives on Markdale and works in the automotive industry, and is concerned of the increase of waste if the dealership gets larger.
‘In the past they don’t keep up with the property they have now in regards to garbage. But besides that, from a business side of it, I feel they shouldn’t be encroaching on residential housing,? Konopsaki said. ‘If you drive by Golling at night it looks like an airport so how’s that going to affect our neighborhood??
Skalnek has addressed the concerns about the not-so visual appeal of a parking lot and says from the road way it’ll be masked by landscaping and decorative fencing. In regards to green-scaping, he’s aware that Michigan’s climate has lead to a decline in blue spruce pine trees, one of the most commonly used tree in green-scaping.
Skalnek has worked with his engineer and an architect came up with arborvitaes. But Skalnek says it does have to be arborvitaes.
‘We’re open to what ever, if they say ‘we’d rather have Norway spruces? or something of that nature I’m open to that,? he said. ‘They said to have our arborvitaes on five-foot centers and they want three-foot centers, I’m open to that, I’m not against that.?
Skalnek continued:
‘You won’t see anything. We’re going to have more than what the township requires for greenscape. We’re going to do decorative fencing that you wouldn’t be able to see through.?
Both Potts and Konopsaki believe the current dealership is landlocked in the area that they’re currently in with the only solution for expansion being residential encroachment. They’re in agreement that they don’t want to see the dealership go under but believe they’d have more success and fewer complaints if they relocate on M-24.
‘It’s frustrating because you move to a neighborhood thinking you moved here for the peace and the privacy and the friendly neighborhood. Then to move and you feel like they could be other resolutions,? Potts said. ‘Milosh Dodge and Wally Edgar have moved down the street, they could’ve created a motor-mall area at M-24 and Silver Bell.?
Konopsaki agrees with the ‘motor mall? theory and says it might also benefit the customer and drive competition with the close proximity of dealerships.
‘I understand that purchasing property on M-24 is much more expensive as opposed to buying a couple residential lots but I would think a car dealership would have it in their best interest to be with the other dealerships.?
Skalnek understands the concerns the neighbors have about the rezoning and about the potential fluctuation concern residents have with home values. But Skalnek says that despite the worry and concern, business growth helps improve tax base for the entire community while home values still see a rise.
‘It used to be that if you build it, they will come. I think nowadays that if you don’t build it, they quit coming. It’s the survival of businesses today. If you’re not growing, you’re dying and the community’s the same way,? Skalnek said.
‘Everyone was concerned and everybody complained when anything came into town. I think it’s human nature. The amount of businesses has increased 10-fold and through all the complaining and the worrying that people had, and still have, property values went up and there’s more and more people looking to come into our town.?
The meeting to decide whether or not this will get approved to go to the Orion Township board will be Wednesday, December 16.