The recent site approval of Long Lake Village should come as no surprise to the residents of Brandon Township, considering the players in the building game.
Boasting a ‘focus on maximizing return on investments,? the Silverman Companies, of Bingham Farms, Mich. advertised mantra includes ‘develop and acquire premium properties from master-planned communities and luxury rental apartments to commercial shopping centers and land for development for every proposal, they organize intense market research, conduct extensive focus groups and test customer preferences to determine product, design, feasibility and targeted marketing.?
The impressive laundry list of objectives demonstrates both a professional and comprehensive image of a major area developer of both businesses and homes.
Once the 60 or so acres of land just north of Silver Lake Road adjacent to M-15 is completed, another blip will appear on Silverman’s ‘radar screen of development.? Thus far, more than 25,000 homes and apartments have sprung up from Silverman’s Developments. At an average of four people per home, the development will approximate the population of Ann Arbor at 100,000 residents.
Put into another perspective once Long Lake Village is completed a village about one-sixth the size of Ortonville will emerge from the wetlands toward the southern end of Brandon Township. Currently about 607 homes exist in Ortonville and about 90 new homes will be built’creating the suburbs of Ortonville.
Moreover, once a suitable infrastructure system is established, accounting for M-15 access, sewers and water, the project should clear both planning and township scrutiny given the master plan provides for dwellings on that property.
Yet, while residents, environmentalists and concerned citizens clamor to say their piece regarding the project’the real battle can be found in the master plan. Years ago when the plan was established, property was established for such homes’so once it happens few should be surprised.
While it may be too late to halt Long Lake Village, it’s not too late to scrutinize and review the master plan. Dropping a major housing development in or around a wetland area, construction of a sewer complex within a few hundred feet of a lake or adding directly to an overcrowded unsafe road do not appear to be great ideas. The project looks great on paper, yet the real test will be in five years or so, when the shock to the environment has long passed and the actual impact to the community will be realized.
Nature is unpredictable, fragile and brutal — once it’s disrupted it’s nearly impossible to replace within a lifetime. No master plan, nor developer, nor government agency can guarantee the extent or degree of environmental impact on an area.
They can only attempt.