In his July 5, 2017 column, Editor C.J. Carnacchio wrote about his financial loss due to yet another needless vehicle accident on M-24. I sympathize with C.J.
Less than a month ago I was also involved in an accident. My vehicle was struck from behind and I not only suffer financial loss like C.J., I also have the pain of physical damage as a result.
It is easy to get personal and blame the insurance company for wanting to minimize their expenses thus increasing their profit. It is easy to say that they are not being fair; however in doing that we are overlooking the real problem. A problem that unless something is done, somebody wakes up, will only get worse. Since my accident I have heard people, law enforcement, say M-24 was not built for all the traffic put onto it. C.J. himself wrote about his avoiding making left-hand turns onto and off of M-24.
The accident I was involved in happened about 2:30 p.m. Rush hour traffic is worse. The few times I have had to use M-24 at rush hour, I have wondered why any sound thinking government would put so many vehicles (cars and large trucks) on roads not designed for that much traffic. Obviously, the government is not sound thinking and/or somebody is getting a kickback from land developers.
To keep things from getting worse, the answer seems to be simple. There is too much over building in Oxford Twp. & Village, bringing more people and more traffic and congestion into the area putting residents at risk. Each time the planning commission recklessly approves more building including high density projects like apartments and condominiums, they are increasing the traffic on roads that are not built for the heavy traffic; therefore, endangering the lives of the residents. Each time the Zoning Board of Appeals grants a variance for more over-building they are doing the same. Each time the township board or village council rezones for higher density use they are taking away from the quality of life of the citizens.
People move to small towns and pay more for the property here in Oxford for the low crime rate and small town atmosphere, not hoping that one day Oxford will be just like the city they moved to get away from.
It is time for Oxford’s elected officials to show they care about the citizens. They need to stop the reckless rezoning and over-building for personal profit and work to protect our citizens. Both Oxford’s village and Twp. officials are supposed to work to protect the citizens, young and old. Each time they change the masterplans to allow more over development, they help developers make tremendous profits. It appears they hope the developers donate to the re-election funds of those approving their projects. By doing so, they are risking the health and lives of the very people they are supposed to protect.
Ron Meyer, Oxford Township
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The growth of Oxford is an insignificant factor as you relate it to the dangerous traffic and driving situations that exist on Lapeer Rd. The catalyst for the problems we face when we drive Lapeer Rd–especially the stretch from the Village limits on the north end to just south of Drahner Rd–is the fact that there’s no middle turn lane. Tens of thousands of vehicles traverse that section of road each day, thus statistically increasing the likelihood of accidents in general. I would guess that the “locals” are aware–and use–alternative routes at certain times of the day, knowing the dangers and risks associated with driving on that stretch of roadway, so ironically it’s less likely that Oxford residents are the source of the problem. M24/Lapeer Rd. is a major N-S trunk line, connecting two major freeways. It is all too well-known that this area carries more than its share of truck traffic, which only exacerbates the problems. And there’s really no solution–in terms of widening the stretch of highway sufficient to accommodate a center lane, due to the amount of development along that section, on both sides of the street. For us “locals” the best option is to go another way.
To the Editor –
I read Mr. Meyer’s Letter to the Editor in last Wednesday’s Leader with what ultimately became great dismay, but not being a professional politician, and with a natural tendency to remain outside the fray of public discourse, I chose at that time to let his comments alone. I thought at the time that his ignorance and foolishness would speak for itself.
However, after considerable thought I have concluded that my fellow public servants deserve better than this from their constituents, and that their honor and integrity, along with the sacrifice they make for their community, deserve a robust and vigorous defense. As Chairman of the Village of Oxford Planning Commission I take great offense at the tone and approach of Mr. Meyer’s letter and will not let it stand without rebuttal.
Mr. Meyer, I along with our fellow Oxford residents are sorry for your loss due to an accident on M-24 and certainly wish you a speedy recovery. I only wish you had left your comments at the retelling of your travails. For you to carry on and drag our public servants through the mud, even going so far as to impugn their reputations by making slanderous claims of graft and payoff is reckless and irresponsible. For you to assail and smear the motive, intelligence, and integrity of my fellow commissioners is unfounded and unconscionable; comments which I find deeply hurtful and offensive. Frankly, I think you should be ashamed of yourself. You could have achieved a great deal more with considerably less.
I want you to know, Mr. Meyer, that it is my distinct honor to serve with Oxford’s finest citizens. I have found them ALL to be fellow citizens of great honor and integrity. I trust them with every decision we make to put the interests and concerns of our entire community and its citizens first and foremost. No preference of any kind has been extended towards any developer and to the full extent of my knowledge no one has been rewarded with campaign donations. These “hypothetical” allegations are absurd, and to me sound more like paranoid delusions.
Finally, Mr. Meyer, a few final points. Frankly, while I do not have the facts to back this up, it seems to me that based upon my observations the vast majority of traffic on M-24 comes from communities north of the Village and Township. Our village isn’t large enough to contribute the huge amount of traffic I have observed on this major thoroughfare and the minimal development we do approve as a commission actually adds little to the overall flow of traffic. Perhaps instead of complaining and laying blame where it does not exist, you could get involved yourself and help on the committee currently seated which has been tasked with creating a plan for the upcoming MDOT widening of M-24 through the Village.
In closing, I hope you will do the right thing and offer an apology to the citizens of Oxford and in particular to those members, both elected and appointed, who selflessly sacrifice their time and energy to ensure that our growth is fair, orderly, regulated, and most importantly, well planned.
To the people of Oxford and Lake Orion, PLEASE THINK ABOUT THIS, the go to wk traffic “AM” DOES NOT STOP in OXFORD only for MICKEY D’s (north end)and gas and coffee(south end) THEY DO NOT STOP TO SHOP IN THE VILLAGE. Not ONE car in a hundred stops other than for the stop light in the middle of town it is all TRANSIT TRAFFIC then on to L.O. SAME THING but the difference is ORION has NO MICKEY’s S.B. or GAS STATIONS(coffee&fast food s. b.)this is for AM traffic, the there is GO HOME TRAFFIC, (1) L.O. south end N.B. (GAS, MD’s,KROGER’s then on to OXFORD, GAS, MEIJERS and on NORTH to LAPEER to M69 E&W split then NORTH to M46 and again E&W only a VERY FEW (cars) stop to SHOP in these two towns. The ONLY PEOPLE the SUPPORT these towns are the LOCALS and FRIDAY NIGHTER’s (shoppers and dinners. TRY S.B. in Lake Orion using flint st to Orion rd (we will soon? have a SINGLE LANE ROUND-A-BOUT at E Flint, Miller, and Orion rd. ONLY to PROVIDE a FAST LANE for AM and PM TRANSIT TRAFFIC.as I have said be fore NOT 1 (AM PM) CAR IN A HUNDRED STOPS FOR ANY THING IN LAKE ORION or OXFORD and most the time not even the stop light in the middle of town OR the light at M24 and flint PLEASE TELL ME, what is there to shop for in the DOWN TOWN of these 2 towns that would intice you to stop and shop here and there???on your GTW or GHD??? I tend to P & M a lot about a lot of things i can.t change,(that’s comes with 83 yrs of looking at the B. S. going on around me today) and I was informed by a LOCAL business person “well if you don’t like it here , WHY DON’T YOU MOVE?(shes been here in l.o.for 23yrs= NEW BE i have that much time sitting at the stop light in town.