Size does matter.
Just ask all the residents who turned out to voice their vehement opposition to White Pine Estates, a proposed 32-unit residential development consisting of small lots, during an Aug. 28 public hearing held by the Oxford Township Planning Commission.
‘We believe this (would have) a negative impact on our community,? said Jim Cavellier, president of the homeowners association for the adjacent Twin Lakes subdivision. ‘It doesn’t fit the surrounding area. It does nothing to help the property value of our homes in there.?
The second floor of the Oxford Veterans Memorial Civic Center was packed with residents who don’t want to see a 42.5-acre vacant property on the north side of Stanton Rd., just east of Baldwin Rd., rezoned to allow for denser development.
Property owner Hamlin LLC, a partnership based in Rochester Hills, wants to build 32 single family homes on lots ranging from 21,000 to 35,826 square feet.
The property is currently zoned Suburban Farms (SF-2), which calls for lots with a minimum size of 5 acres.
In order to increase the density, Hamlin LLC is requesting the property be rezoned as a planned unit development (PUD).
But residents favor large lots in order to keep the area more open and more natural-looking.
‘These (proposed) lots are too small,? said James Woodward, who lives on S. Baldwin Rd.
Woodward said he knows the property is ‘going to be built on someday,? but he would prefer the minimum lot size be no smaller than 2.5 acres.
Sandy Sutton, who moved to the Twin Lakes subdivision in January, said both she and her husband grew up on farms and they chose their current home ‘specifically? because they wanted to live in an area with larger lots.
‘We could have gone to Warren if we wanted a half-acre lot,? she said. ‘We could have gone to any other large city with very small lots where people live right on top of each other.?
But they didn’t want to do that.
‘We wanted what we were comfortable with,? Sutton said. ‘We enjoy the nature, the wildlife and the preservation of that is very important to us. To lose that would be an absolute tragedy. Please do not approve this rezoning.?
‘I’m totally against this,? said Bernard Freiburger, who lives in the Twin Lakes subdivision. He believes there are currently enough available lots to build on without creating more through rezoning.
‘We don’t need anymore,? he said. ‘We got plenty.?
If the property were to be rezoned, Freiburger, like Woodward, would also be comfortable with allowing 2.5-acre lots.
‘But not half-acre lots,? he said. ‘That’s ridiculous.?
Doug Maddox, a resident of the Twin Lakes subdivision, believes allowing a dense development like White Pine Estates could ‘erode? the perception of Oxford as place with open spaces and lead prospective home buyers to look further north for larger lots.
Cavellier told the commission he believes the small lots would have a ‘negative impact? on home values.
Township Planner Brian Oppmann, of the Ann Arbor-based Carlisle/Wortman Associates, explained a development with 32 homes on smaller lots is not out of line with the surrounding land uses.
‘To the east and to the north, it’s all master planned (as) 1-acre parcels,? he said. ‘In fact, to the north, it’s actually zoned (for) 1-acre parcels.?
Based on the surrounding land uses, Oppmann said Hamlin LLC could have ‘easily? requested a ‘simple rezoning? and proposed 30 single family homes under R-3 zoning, for which the minimum lot size is 1 acre.
Oppmann noted ‘this area of the township? has some unresolved planning and zoning issues because it ‘was never really looked at carefully? when the master plan underwent a major rewrite in 2006 and minor update in 2011.
For example, although the minimum lot size in the Twin Lakes subdivision is 1-acre, it’s actually zoned for 5-acre parcels and the master plan shows it remaining as such in the future. ‘So, all of those lots are non-conforming,? Oppmann said.
Lot size wasn’t the only concern expressed by residents. There was concern over the amount of additional traffic White Pine Estates could generate and the effect that could have on Stanton Rd.
‘Stanton Rd., today, is already overtaxed by the number of vehicles that travel up and down (it),? Cavellier said.
The average number of vehicles per household in Oakland County is 2.7, according to Cavellier. Given that, he told commissioners the proposed development could translate into another 86 vehicles using Stanton Rd. on a regular basis.
There was also concern over how allowing a dense development could impact the natural beauty of the area and the local wildlife population.
Vicki Kaan, a resident of the Twin Lakes subdivision, is a ‘nature person? who enjoys seeing all the deer, sandhill cranes and hawks on the site.
She believes the proposed development would ‘destroy? the site’s natural features and she’s ‘traumatized at the thought? of having them replaced with ‘all those houses.?
Kaan believes one of the oak trees on the property is 200 years old and she doesn’t wish to see it chopped down.
She vowed to stop any attempt to remove it. ‘I will be at the top of it, hanging on, when they are up there with chainsaws,? Kaan told commissioners.
Wayne Mullins, who lives in the Twin Lakes subdivision, loves the beauty of his area and he would ‘hate to see that changed? by a rezoning that allows for dense development.
‘I implore you to keep it as is,? he told commissioners.
Ann Hines, a resident of the Twin Lakes subdivision, expressed her concern that building so many homes in the area could lead to an increase in crime.
One resident felt the 8-foot-wide asphalt pedestrian path shown running along the perimeter of the proposed development would make it easier for criminals to ‘case? the houses.
Jim Scharl, president of the Clarkston-based Kieft Engineering, spoke on behalf of Hamlin LLC. He explained ‘the goal? of the proposed development’s design, which clusters the houses together, is to preserve as much open space and save as many trees as possible.
Forty-seven percent of the plan consists of open space.
‘Basically, what this cluster plan allows us to do is save, I’d have to assume, over 90 percent of the vegetation which is on this site,? Scharl said.
Scharl told commissioners the property has ‘some of the most fantastic white pines I’ve ever seen in my life.?
‘We’ve got hundreds of mature white pines,? he said. ‘We would be foolish to lose any that we didn’t have to.?
In addition to the white pines, a 5-acre wooded lot located in the site’s northwest corner ‘will be maintained in its entirety,? according to Scharl.
The alleged 200-year-old oak tree, mentioned earlier by Kaan, would also remain untouched. It’s currently 48 inches in diameter.
‘I doubt if it’s as old as you claim it is, but it doesn’t really matter because it is going to be saved,? Scharl said.
Ben Denno, a partner in Hamlin LLC, defended his proposed development against residents? criticisms.
With regard to the concern that his proposed development could have a negative impact on property values, Denno explained homes in White Pine Estates will sell for between $300,000 and $375,000.
‘Tell me that’s going to take away from the valuation of your property in Twin Lakes,? he said. ‘That will be higher-priced than (homes in) your Twin Lakes, which means yours should appreciate slightly.?
As for residents? desire to preserve the site’s natural features, beauty and open space, Denno said he took the time and effort to design a plan that does just that, ‘at my cost.?
‘I dare anybody to sit there and say, ‘Wow, you desecrated this property,?? he said.
Denno noted he could have added two more residential lots to the plan or ‘clear-cut? the site, but he didn’t.
Instead, the plan includes features such as a 20-acre open recreation area.
‘It’s going to be an area where the children can play safely,? Denno said.
This open area will be named after the property’s previous owner, the one who planted all the white pines.
Commissioner Kallie Roesner perceived Denno’s comment about how he could have clear-cut the site as a threat and she didn’t like it.
‘I’m here for sound planning, not to listen to threats,? she said. ‘If a developer wants to come and tear down all the trees and hurt his property value, that’s his right. Do I believe they would? No.?
Roesner doesn’t believe a developer would, ‘out of spite,? make his property ‘look terrible?
Ultimately, the planning commission voted 4-1 to postpone making a decision regarding the proposed PUD until Hamlin LLC meets all the requirements outlined in letters from the township’s engineer, planner and attorney.
‘I’m not opposed to the development. I want people to know that,? said Commissioner Tom Berger. ‘I think we can develop the property properly and still create a balance. Maybe not everybody will be satisfied. I’ll admit that. But I believe we can develop the property and still make it nice.?