Below is a brief update on the current status of our favorite oak tree. It remains alive and well, and this season’s acorns are visible on a lot of branches. The photo here, with the sun illuminating through its canopy represents how full of life it is. It has been a bit over a year since the Sterling Heights City Council approved the developer’s concept plans that would result in its execution.
What We Know
Development permits are still pending. As of the time of this posting, no permits or permit requests have been filed with Michigan EGLE. Only preliminary meetings have taken place, outlining the many concerns EGLE has with wetland destruction, alternative site consideration, and floodplain cuts.
This development also requires significant financing from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), which also requires an environmental review. In particular, the Michigan Environmental Review Requirements state:
The Authority will not approve developments requiring construction in Wetlands or within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) unless all necessary governmental permits are obtained and all buildings, parking areas, and pedestrian and vehicular ingress and egress areas are elevated at least one foot above the base flood elevation (also referred to as “BFE” or the 100-year flood plain) when the development is completed. SFHA is defined as an area with a 1 percent annual chance of flooding at or above BFE; this is equivalent to a 26 percent chance of flooding over the life of a 30-year mortgage.
There are unconfirmed reports that the Sterling Heights Office of Planning has granted the developer some extensions on the timelines for securing site plan approvals. It seems clear that it is not due to delays from regulatory agencies, as they indicate nothing has been filed.
Petition
The Sterling Oak petition currently has 3260 signatures (THANK YOU! 🙏 ) with many comments and pleas, with a steady 60% of the supporters coming from the zip codes 48312, 48313, and 48310. Why 48314 (the 4th Sterling Heights Zip Code) isn’t listed isn’t clear. We are aware of no responses from the city acknowledging the voices of the petition. Thank you again to the many who have spoken at Sterling Heights City Council meetings regarding the tree and issues related to the development project.
Although a petition cannot alter legal agreements made by the City and approved by the City Council, it still represents a significant number of residents who care about this very special tree, unfortunately surrounded by a multitude of misleading statements, a flip-flopped vote, hypocrisy, obfuscation, and a general lack of transparency.
Even over a year later, the majority clear-cutting of the parcel gets characterized as “some of the greenspace will be disturbed,” seemingly aligned with some of the initial dismissive rhetoric about “handfuls of NIMBYs” or pushing the illusion of “preserving nature.“
Given the cloud of questions and concerns surrounding this project, one can only hope that the regulatory authorities conduct their own due diligence by requesting ample evidence, rather than relying solely on statements.
“Harmony with land is like harmony with a friend; you cannot cherish his right hand and chop off his left.“
– Aldo Leopold
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