In a 4-0 vote, the Oxford Area Cable Communications Commission last week decided to obtain architectural drawings for a new station to house Oxford Community Television (OCTV) in Seymour Lake Township Park.

Included in the motion is a $300,000 limit on the project, which includes everything from plans and construction to moving and furnishings.

If needed, “we can always scale this back,” said Commissioner Bill Dunn.

It was Dunn’s suggestion to place a “cap” on the project cost, but still try to “put as much as you can in” the new station.

“This project could grow or shrink,” according to Dunn, depending on what can be accomplished within that budget.

“We’ll customize the building to fit that,” he said.

OCTV has money saved for a new home. The $300,000 would come from the cable commission’s fund balance (or reserves) of approximately $450,000.

OCTV is not supported by local property tax dollars. The station is primarily funded via the franchise fees paid by residents who subscribe to cable TV services provided by Charter Communications and AT&T U-verse.

Dunn, who’s the supervisor for Oxford Township, favors building a facility that’s “more than (what) we need” now.

“There’s no use designing something that’s going to be good for a year or two, then have it become obsolete,” he explained.

Also, the building “will be worth more down the line if something ever happens” to OCTV, Dunn noted.

Since 2005, OCTV has been housed at 1775 N. Lapeer Rd. in Oxford Township. It rents the commercial space for $2,000 per month and the lease is set to expire in February 2019.

Back in March, Ron Davis, director of the Oxford Township Parks and Recreation Department, approached the cable commission and offered to provide, at no cost, land on which to build a new OCTV station.

Davis envisions the station being an addition to the new parks/rec. administrative offices and multi-purpose community room that was built this year and the senior activities room, which the department is planning to construct once a funding source has been determined and secured.