WLCSD has submitted a proposal to accept bids for the sale of 83 acres of wooded land and wetlands between Commerce Road and Wise Road, West of Union Lake to developers. According to the proposal, the land could be bulldozed and developed into 154 single-family lots, with one main boulevard access from Commerce Road and emergency access from Woods Edge Drive. 

These 83 acres not only serve the Commerce and Walled Lake School District communities by showcasing the beauty that Michigan is capable of but, also, by providing an area for people, including families and pets, to enjoy time outdoors in a natural setting. The number of natural areas in the vicinity such as this one is dwindling. They are what draw people to the community, and the development of these areas is what pushes them away. This land should be celebrated by the community and WLCSD, not destroyed. 

Not only will the members of these communities lose the natural beauty of these 83 acres, but they will also suffer from the increase in population. Traffic and congestion on Union Lake Road are already at an all-time high, inconveniencing the members of the community and taking time away that could be spent at home or enjoying these 83 acres. Adding 154 new homes to the community will make this worse, pushing people to move away from the area.

Furthermore, many development sites in surrounding areas, including Walled Lake and Wixom, are at price points that many local families cannot afford. At a time when the market is so volatile for buyers and families are already struggling with affordable housing, it would be in very poor taste to make room for more overpriced homes that the average family cannot afford. 

Allowing these 83 acres of land to be developed into overpriced housing would be an enormous disservice to the Commerce community as well as the Walled Lake School District community as a whole. In signing this petition, you join us in condemning the sale of this land to developers. We ask that WLCSD reconsider its proposal to accept bids for the sale to a developer and urge the district to sell the land to Commerce Township or another buyer who is willing to preserve this site as is. 

You can read WLCSD's Request For Proposals To Purchase Real Property here.