Huron Valley News - June/July 2003 - From the Ground Up

From the Ground Up

Huron Valley News

Northfield Neighbors on Front Line Against Sprawl

By Ted Sylvester

June/July Issue, 2003

With thirty-six square miles of mostly undeveloped farmland, the attractive but aging lakeside hamlet of Whitmore Lake, a low-density population, and a location just a few miles away from the thriving city of Ann Arbor, it was only a matter of time before developers started flocking to Northfield Township.

“We see Northfield Township as a new growth area,” a spokesperson for the Cleveland-based Carnegie Management and Development recently told Business Direct Weekly. “Land is more affordable there.”

Grand Sakwa Properties, Inc. of Farmington Hills certainly seems to think so. In a Northfield Township planning commission meeting last August, Grand Sakwa unveiled a proposal to build what published reports call “the largest housing development in Michigan’s history.” The project calls for 3,630 homes, condos, and duplexes spread among five residential villages on Whitmore Lake Road along a 1,100-acre strip of land west of U.S. 23, from Joy Rd. to Six Mile Rd. Grand Sakwa also wants to build retail, office, and industrial space on 900 acres east of U.S. 23.

Some residents immediately recognized the threat to their community and its way of life and began to research the issues, share information, and meet in small groups. They eventually came together formally as Northfield Neighbors in early Oct., 2002. Over 1,000 fliers distributed on Election Day brought over 200 people to their first meeting on Nov. 15, organized specifically to address the Grand Sakwa project. In February, the Neighbors succeeded in getting a member and co-founder of their group, David Gordon, appointed to the Planning Commission. This occurred despite strong opposition from pro-development factions in the local government.

Northfield Neighbors emphasizes in its fliers that it is not against all development, they just want to promote more “thoughtful, long-term, regional planning.” They want the township to follow its 1998 Growth Management Plan, which calls for the land in question to remain agricultural or limited to five-acre minimum lots. This is in sharp contrast to the Grand Sakwa plan, which calls for 5-10 units per acre in the “core areas,” and 2-3 homes per acre in less dense areas. The group points to the thousands of new houses and residents as a potentially overwhelming burden on an already overworked infrastructure. Traffic congestion, overcrowding of schools, the need for more fire and police personnel, and additional loads on water and sewer systems are all concerns for Northfield Neighbors.

In addition to their fight against the Grand Sakwa project, Northfield Neighbors is opposing a planned $28 million reconstruction of the U.S. 23 and North Territorial Rd. interchange. The expansion of the interchange, which now handles 26,000 vehicles a day, is a pre-condition set by developers and retailers who have projects planned for the surrounding area. Kirko Development L.L.C. of Troy wants to build 450,000 square feet of retail and office space on 55 acres in the northeast quadrant of the interchange. The Grand Rapids-based Meijer Inc. has plans for a store on 44 acres in the southeast quadrant. Golden Mile L.L.C. of Plymouth owns 64 acres next to the Meijer property, with plans for research and high-tech facilities. Cleveland-based Carnegie Management and Development has 75 acres in the northwest quadrant of the interchange with plans for a 600,000 square-foot open-air shopping center.

Northfield Neighbors emphasizes in their recent literature that none of the development projects slated for the area is a “done deal.” Grand Sakwa, as well as most of the potential developers of the U.S. 23 and North Territorial Rd. interchange, have yet to formally file site plans for approval, a process that will entail complicated changes to the township’s master plan and the rezoning of property from one use to another. Though the township’s Board of Trustees on April 8 approved a DDA Tax Increment Financing Plan to finance the interchange expansion, the Neighbors remind their supporters “there are numerous checkpoints along the way, which will be decided in public meetings with opportunities to be heard.”

The Ecology Center encourages its members to support Northfield Neighbors in their campaign to combat sprawl in our communities. Make it a point to attend their June 21 ‘Midsummer Night’s Eve Garden Party’ fundraiser at Saguaro Nursery & Gardens, featuring a speaker and entertainment, a buffet and wine, silent and live auctions, garden tours, a bonfire, and pony rides for kids. Or, contact them to volunteer your time, donate auction items, or make a donation. Many opportunities exist to make a difference before it’s too late. Learn more about Northfield Neighbors by visiting their web site: www.north fieldneighbors.org; send e-mail to northfieldneighborsmi@yahoo.com; or leave a voice message at (734) 476-7958.

Ted Sylvester is editor of From the Ground Up