At the October 10, 2017 Oakland Township Board meeting, the board voted, in a 6 to 1 vote, to send the draft Zoning Ordinance (Ordinance 16) back to the Planning Commission to consider the comments made by citizen’s during several previous meetings. Trustee Mangiapani was the sole dissenting vote.
The Board listed the areas of the draft zoning ordinance they wanted the Planning Commission to revisit. The Board did not provide input whether they thought anything needed to be changed, or how it should change. The Planning Commission is not obligated to restrict their re-review to those areas. However, it was clear that the Board was not looking for wholesale changes to the draft Ordinance.
Here are the areas the Board asked the Planning Commission to revisit:
- 303 B- Location of accessory buildings
- 306 D3- Class 3 animals
- 312 E – Minimum Floor space
- 331 – Outdoor storage
- 111 – Penalties for violation
- 343 – Test Plan
- 505 – Bed and Breakfast
- 323 – Home based business
Here is a link to the draft Zoning Ordinance:
Draft Ordinance 16 – Zoning Ordinance
During the public comment portion of the October 10th discussion, several residents continued to argue that the Ordinance was an infringement of their property rights. One individual was upset when he read the limits of the lot sizes that were permitted. He apparently had purchased the property with the intent to divide it. He argued that the draft ordinance would reduce the value of his property. It turns out that the lot size restriction that is in the Draft Ordinance has been in the EXISTING Ordinance for over 40 years, long before when he purchased his property. This is just one example of how incorrect, or false statements, impact the objective understanding of the Zoning Ordinance.
A letter from Libby Dwyer, one of our residents, does a very good job explaining the benefits of having a good Zoning Ordinance. Here is the letter that was read at the October 10th meeting:
“As long as we have wonderful neighbors” there is no need for ordinances!
She may have ‘wonderful’ neighbors now, and in the future, but there is no guarantee that she, nor any other Oakland Township resident, will always have wonderfull neighbors.
Hence the need for a good zoning ordinance!
The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for WEDNESDAY, November 8, 2017 at 7PM. The location is the Township Hall on Collins Road.
Richard Michalski
Oakland Township Watchers 
Mrs. Dwyer’s comment is spot on! In the southern part of the township with the new construction, there has been an influx of residents that want a more suburban “Rochester Hills” sensibility. Which, I do not welcome and I know a lot of other Oakland Township residents do not either. I love our green spaces, it helps make Oakland Township unique! Our township is attractive because of our zoning ordinances, a melt and re-pour is not the answer .
Richard,
Thank you for continuing to inform us in a factual and respectful manner on the zoning ordinance status. And thanks to Libby Dwyer for her thoughtful perspective also presented in a respectful manner. With civility, I think we can find common ground when we initially think we disagree.
Excellent post, thank you, Richard for your clarification of things and what a wonderful letter by Libby. Oakland Twp. Is very special, I for one want to keep it this way….we are surrounded by the Rochester sprawl and other cities that just seem to zone haphazardly. If you don’t have rules & laws, you have chaos.
Great summary! And great thoughts.