WATERFORD, Mich. – The massive Oakland Community College campus has long served as a gathering place for its Waterford and West Bloomfield neighbors, but last year the college announced it was closing the campus and looked to sell the 160-acre parcel.
Those neighbors are now very concerned about what will become of the place. There’s a sale in the works that could take over the buildings and make a community center.
Members of the local group Conservation Of Waterford Lands (COWL) took Local Four on a tour Friday, May 24, and expressed deep concern over the possibility of losing the woods to developers.
“I’m very concerned, I’m very emotional. I really wish they would leave this space alone,” said Jacquelynn Brown, COWL Treasurer. “They’ve already have other spaces in mind and things going on to where we really don’t need this developed, we need it to be conserved.”
Waterford Township controls zoning here. Supervisor Gary Wall said the property is zoned residential, which means should the university decide to sell to developers, they could build some homes on the land. But that might not be likely.
“A lot of the topography and the rolling part of the land is not developable anyways,” Wall said. “But a lot of that land will stay natural, but how much? I don’t know.”
Oakland Community College released a statement on the issue that could offer some solace to COWL.
“OCC supports the township’s efforts as they explore the feasibility of a future recreation and community center. The college’s priority is for the Highland Lakes property to continue to provide great community value, enhance quality of life and meet the needs of local residents,” the statement read. “At this time, OCC is not considering other offers in order to stay focused on this priority.”
COWL believes at least five developers have been out to look at the property and that there’s a good chance the green space might be developed. They intend to keep attending meetings and following the situation to fight any attempt to do that.