SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP -- Oakland County's Main Street program,
designed to make its downtowns more user-friendly, got two new members
last week in Highland Township and Keego Harbor.
The municipalities will join 10 other Oakland communities in the
program, which provides expertise and training to help the county's
commercial centers improve themselves and become more attractive to
visitors.
The two were named as about 200 local and regional officials,
developers, architects and others met amid the rolling hills and woods
of Indian Springs Metropark.
The Oakland County government-sponsored conference included segments
on how Ferndale is encouraging environmentally friendly buildings and
how the village of Lake Orion is rebuilding after a restaurant fire took
out a portion of a block and affected the area.
Keego Harbor, between Sylvan and Orchard lakes, has 2,800 residents.
Highland Township, bisected by M-59 in western Oakland County, has
nearly 21,000 residents.
"We're very excited," said Keego Harbor City Manager Carolyn Lehr.
"We feel we're a diamond in the rough. Our goal is to create a program
to set up a mix of business and entertainment potential. To get the word
out that Keego Harbor is a good place to do business."
Tim Shepherd, who runs the TWC sporting goods-surf shop in Keego
Harbor, believes its location, in the middle of a number of lakes,
should be emphasized more.
"A lot of people turn to the lakes for recreation and we should be
doing more in line with that," Shepherd said.
David Milan of Milan Co. is developing a boardwalk project along
Dollar Lake that he envisions as a future draw.
"We're building Keego Harbor Square and redeveloping property and
expanding it along the lake, including patio seating, boat docking, and
maybe two or three restaurants," Milan said, "kind of a waterfront
downtown in Oakland County. This is long overdue."
Highland Township Supervisor Triscia Pilchowski and Downtown
Development Authority Director Jill Bahm hope to recharge a historic
district at Milford and Livingston roads just south of M-59. Some of the
late 1800s circa buildings are already in use for community activities
and nearby Highland Recreation Area is a huge resource.
"It's a mixture of residential and small businesses and what we would
like to do is enhance what is already there," Pilchowski said.
Township residents are invited to a 5:30 p.m. Oct. 5 meeting at
Highland Senior Center at 209 N. John St.
"Our first step will be to get residents involved and on committees,"
she said. "Main Street will provide direction for our whole community.
It's that important."
Attendees at last week's conference heard about the importance of
preserving land, park expansion and how Main Street communities are
helping define the county.
"We're very high on the Oakland County economy and how it remains
stable in a tightening economy, and part of the reason is the balance of
all aspects of life here," said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks
Patterson, in his opening remarks.
"We are also challenged as government stewards to preserve the
environment."
Patterson ticked off Oakland County statistics that any county would
envy: 40,000 businesses; 750,000 jobs; 650 foreign-owned firms; 211
Fortune 500 companies along with 1,400 lakes, pristine natural areas and
interconnecting hiking and biking trails.
You can reach Mike Martindale at (248) 647-7226 or mmartindale@detnews.com.
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