We, the undersigned Rochester Hills residents, strongly urge the Rochester Hills Zoning Board of Appeals to reject Walton Oaks LLC's request to allow a variance from Section 138-5.201 Subdivision Open Space Plan Option of the Code of Ordinances, which requires a minimum of four (4) acres of common area to be dedicated for park and/or recreation purposes.
The requested variance is for only 1.57 acres dedicated for park and/or recreation purposes, thereby destroying an additional 2.43 acres of protected green space for development.
We urge rejection of this variance request for the following reasons:
The developer knew the ordinance. When Walton Oaks LLC purchased this property, the current ordinance (e.g., rule) was in place and was publicly available. Proper due diligence would have revealed the ordinance.
The ordinance/rule follows the Rochester Hills Master Plan. The above-mentioned ordinance was put into place for specific reasons:
The Rochester Hills Master Plan (page 6) states that its guiding and influencing themes include, first, to "Preserve. Through the planning process, the community was consistent in the desire to preserve existing neighborhoods, parks and natural open spaces. Housing and development strategies are included to preserve, strengthen, and protect these important elements."
Additionally it states:, visioning sessions with various Rochester Hills leaders concluded that the city must, "Promote sustainable development. Support changing modes of transportation, protect natural resources, promote low-impact building techniques and preserve open spaces and natural features."
We as a community need to follow, uphold and adhere to our own ordinances/rules for the good planning we need as a community. By allowing for variances in the rules that we, as a community, have put into place, we water down our own rules for governing developers that require them to balance development with preservation of open spaces and natural features.
Finally, we strongly believe that the soul and appeal (as a place to live and work) of Rochester Hills belongs in its beautiful, rolling hills, covered by plentiful, mature trees and greenery. By allowing this developer (and future developers) variances to break the rules that have been established with sound reasoning, we're bulldozing the beauty and balance of our community both now and for future generations to come.
