Space at township hall might be tight, but population-wise, local officials believe Orion still has a lot of room left to grow.
‘We had tremendous growth in the 1990s,? said township supervisor Jerry Dywasuk. ‘We’ve continued to grow, and we have about 34,000 people, including the village.?
The township’s master plan ‘peaks out? at 40,000 people, he said.
When Dywasuk came on board over four years ago, the building department was understaffed.
Since then, zoning/planning administrator Beth McGuire has been hired to assist building official Tom Berger.
However, the department still needs more help, Dywasuk said, especially with the township recently taking over building inspections for the village, after the village decided four years ago to have inspections done by the state.
‘We feel we can do it,? he said.
The building department currently has two full-time building inspectors, but the township may need more as they take over village inspections.
‘We only have one full-time code enforcement officer, and one temporary? said McGuire. ‘We’ll need another.?
The township is also working to comply with federal storm water management regulations, educating the public about good practices for keeping their water safe.
‘We’re having workshops, and we’ve partnered with the Clinton River Watershed,? McGuire said. ‘Phase II is where Orion becomes involved.?
‘We’ve been proactive, and had our own (storm water) ordinance going back to 1989,? said Dywasuk. ‘A lot of communities weren’t doing anything, and thought we were overly protective.?
As the building department gets involved, an additional staff member might need to come on board to help with storm water management.
‘We make sure developers build according to plan,? Dywasuk said. ‘Having a clerical person who could do the paperwork would help with code enforcement.?
That kind of paperwork becomes important when the township needs to show documentation in court.
‘I think the township does a great job,? he said. ‘Any (developers) coming in here, we invite them to sit down with us…but they have to follow the process.
‘We work with people and help them every way we can,? said Dywasuk. ‘When I talk to other communities…We’re pretty proactive in how we handle things.?
‘We’re in another growth spurt again,? McGuire said.
There are currently 14 proposed projects going on in Orion Township.
‘The image of the township is important to all of us,? said Dywasuk. ‘You go to some communities, and they’re plastered with signs and there’s debris.
‘We take (growth) seriously,? he said. ‘When you work with the developers, you’ll get a good product…Developers are serving a need, they want to do a good job.?
In regards to the township hall on Joslyn Road, where the township’s various departments operate, Dywasuk often wonders why the former township boards didn’t think ahead more.
By law, the township must hold on to certain records, which can start piling up after a while.
‘When they built the addition, they really didn’t build for the future,? he said. ‘We’ve had to rent space off site for some of our records…And the parks and recreation department’s area is not a good work environment.?
The current board will need to develop a plan for tackling space issues, Dywasuk said.
‘What are we going to do?? he asked. ‘Water and sewer, the building department, parks and rec…those are not good work spaces.?
However, the township has done a good job of utilizing technology, said Dywasuk.
‘When I came here, it was like going back 20 years,? he added. ‘We’ve made great strides…We’re very fortunate here in Orion.?
Despite an increasing population, Dywasuk doesn’t see the issue of the township constructing a community center coming back for a while.
‘We had close to 1,000 people asking for it,? he said. ‘We hired a firm…then Great Lakes Athletic Club came and they seem to do a great job.?
With revenue sharing cuts, Dywasuk said a lot of area recreation facilities, such as community centers, are ‘coming under scrutiny.?
?(GLAC) seems to fill the need of a good number of people,? he said.
As for constructing a public safety building for the township fire department and Oakland County Sheriff’s Department, Dywasuk said ‘It makes good sense…but we really haven’t spent any time on that.?
‘The Oakland County Sheriff’s Department having a North Oakland sheriff’s department (sharing with another area substation) is also possible…there’s some savings in that,? he said.
The township already has property that could be used for a public safety building.
‘We’re fortunate we have all this state and county land as well, and recreation facilities,? said Dywasuk.
‘We’ve been able to deal with the revenue sharing cuts…Our growth is exceeding the cuts.?
That growth has allowed the township to not have to increase its millage rates while having more taxable value.
‘Areas like Bloomfield are getting maxed out,? Dywasuk said. ‘They’re kind of capped.?
Including all the proposed projects currently before the planning commission, a total of 1,166 new residential units are being sought.
‘People that buy property or a house, it’s an investment,? Dywasuk said. ?
And we want to make sure it’s a good investment.?