By Megan Kelley
Review Writer
LAKE ORION — During their meeting on Sept. 12, the Lake Orion village council voted to set the second public hearing at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 for the Application for Exemption Certificate of 55 West Village.
The council held their first public hearing on July 25 where they established a Commercial Rehabilitation District on the property.
Council member Michael Lamb cast the lone nay vote stating that he wished to deny any tax abatement altogether.
“I’m not in favor of any tax exemptions for any projects or businesses in the village,” Lamb said. “We’re a fully-developed community with a high urban density, rivaling that of Detroit…the only way we’re going to get money back in this village is to redevelop distressed properties. How do you redevelop distressed properties? You give them to people for nothing like they do in Pontiac and then the developers will come.”
Lamb also pointed out that despite all of the resident concern for the proposed Moceri development, they are not asking for any abatement.
“All the properties on M-24 that are currently being developed by Moceri, which everyone is interested in, this guy (Moceri) isn’t asking for tax abatements whatsoever and he’s got old, difficult, contaminated properties that he’s purchasing.”
Council president Ken Van Portfliet expressed his support for the hearing stating that residents have been wanting the village to find a way to preserve the property for years and that holding a hearing does not guarantee them any kind of abatement.