Preliminary site plan approval was granted by the Oxford Township Planning Commission last week for a 50-unit residential development named The Woods at Tullamore.

But, the developers won’t be able to move forward until they either change the plan to provide two connections to E. Drahner Rd. or seek a variance from the zoning board of appeals (ZBA) to allow a single access point.

That was one of the conditions that commissioners placed on their approval.

Trident-Crest III, in partnership with Silverado Custom Homes, is planning to build a site condominium development consisting of 50 single-family detached units on 32.29 acres on the south side of E. Drahner Rd. The size of the lots would range from 12,000 to 26,546 square feet.

The site is bordered by the Crossroads for Youth campus to the east and the Oxford Hills golf course to the west and south.

The development would be served by a new 2,700-foot paved roadway that would form a loop through it. It would be connected to E. Drahner Rd. via one ingress/egress near the northwest corner of the site.

However, the township zoning ordinance requires two connections to an adjacent public or private roadway if the road running through the development serves more than 20 lots or units.

It was noted that The Woods at Tullamore proposes to have a second connection to E. Drahner Rd. via an emergency vehicle access (EVA) to the east. It would be 12 feet wide, paved and blocked by knockdown bollards to prevent non-emergency vehicles from entering.

Township Planner Lauren Carlson, of the Ann Arbor-based Carlisle/Wortman Associates, indicated an EVA doesn’t count as a second connection under the ordinance.

“It specifically says (connections must be) roads,” she said.

Fire Chief Pete Scholz said he’s “not in favor” of having an EVA because of the “problems” his department has experienced with them in the past.

“They’re never maintained,” he said.

According to Scholz, EVAs don’t get plowed in the winter and the rest of the year, the trees and brush around them don’t get trimmed, so “eventually,” they become paths “that nobody can even find.”

“It’s a nice idea,” the chief said, but “they don’t work because nobody maintains them.”

Scholz said he’s “not a fan” of installing breakaway posts to prevent non-authorized vehicles from using an EVA because when the weather is freezing, they don’t “snap off as easy” and can cause vehicle damage.

“I would really hate to scratch a bumper on a $600,000 (fire) truck coming through there,” he said.

If there is going to be an EVA at the proposed development, Scholz would prefer it be secured by a gate with a Knox Padlock that only emergency personnel can open.

Scholz believes it’s important that residential developments have at least two ways for everyone to get in and out. To support his point, he cited an incident that occurred in the Squaw Lake Pines subdivision off Sanders Rd., just north of W. Drahner Rd.

In February 2016, live power lines fell across Malena Lane, the only street that connects the subdivision to Sanders Rd. As a result, neither firefighters nor residents could get in or out of the development.

“There was absolutely no way to get past those wires,” Scholz said.

Commissioner Tom Berger favored adding a second entrance/exit to the plan.

“I’d rather not have a variance granted to do this development,” he said. “I’d rather have it work where it meets the (ordinance) criteria.”

Berger noted he doesn’t want to “set a precedent” by allowing only one connection.

“That’s just me, though,” he said.

During the discussion, it was mentioned that creating a second connection could require the elimination of one or two lots from the proposed site plan.

In the end, Commissioner Mike Spisz pointed out that whether the developers choose to reduce the number of lots to allow for a second connection or seek a variance from the ZBA “is totally their decision.”

“It’s not for us to say,” he said.

The Woods at Tullamore will be supplied with water by the township system. Plans are in the works to run a 16-inch-diameter pipe from Oxford Middle School southward, across the Crossroads for Youth property, to E. Drahner Rd.

“We’re close to having our design (for the new main) complete and submitting it for our permits,” said township engineer Jim Sharpe. “The intent is to have it there at the time that they’re ready to tie into it.”

The water main is scheduled to be completed by the fall.

Commissioner Jack Curtis noted the developers previously “verbally agreed” to work with the township to make improvements to E. Drahner Rd. that would make it smoother and safer for motorists.

Potential improvements could include adding a fresh coat of gravel to the surface and constructing proper ditching to prevent stormwater from collecting on the road and eroding it.

Officials believe something needs to be done, especially if a new development is going to add more traffic to the gravel road.

“The current condition of Drahner Rd. is not great,” Sharpe said. “Obviously, we’d love to see it paved. The cost (of paving it) is probably prohibitive, but to see some sort of improvements on Drahner Rd. would be beneficial.”