An Independence Township board recommendation on the proposed closing of Campfire Circle was put on hold after new information surfaced at the June 1 board meeting.
Campfire Circle connects Lake Waldon Village and Spring Lake subdivisions. Residents of Lake Waldon Village petitioned the township to close the street which they say is used as a cut-through. Residents say traffic, vandalism and speeding are all concerns and their safety is at risk.
Chuck Haman and John Mulvihill, residents of Lake Waldon Village, brought to the board’s attention June 1 that Campfire Circle might be a private road. They submitted to the board a Private Road Acknowledgment, which individuals purchasing houses on the road recently had to sign at closing.
‘We had three closings last week and it was neighbors moving within the neighborhood. They were kind of playing musical houses,? Haman said. ‘The title company did some thorough work. It was probably more thorough than anyone had before. All the neighbors had to sign this Public Road Acknowledgment.?
The document stated, ‘The undersigned purchasers hereby acknowledge that the street or road abutting captioned land is private and is not required to be maintained by the Board of County Road Commissioners.?
Haman went to the Oakland County officers attempting to find a document of dedication which would make the road public. He said he was unable to find such a document.
‘We are real glad because if it is a private road we can do whatever we want with it,? Haman said.
After hearing the new information, the board tabled the issue.
‘In light of the information I think the board should further investigate before taking a position. It will have a considerable effect on our decision. I think we should table this issue so we can further investigate,? Supervisor Dale Stuart said.
The board had hoped to make a recommendation to the Road Commission at the June 1 meeting. The board held a public hearing May 11 to hear opinions from residents of both neighborhoods as well as township officials.