Saline Township Approves 425 Agreement for Annexation of Andelina Farms

The Saline Township Board approved a 425 Agreement with the City of Saline and M/I Homes of Michigan, LLC, the developer of the proposed 280-home Andelina Farms project, Wednesday night. 

The agreement provides for Andelina Farms being annexed into the City of Saline, ending a controversial stand-off and city challenge to the proposed onsite water and sewer systems proposed by the developer with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. With the 425 Agreement, the City of Saline will provide the 117-acre development with all public utilities, including city water and sewer services.

A 425 agreement is based upon Michigan Public Act 425 of 1985, Intergovernmental Conditional Transfer of Property By Contract Act, as amended in 1998, which allows for the conditional transfer of properties between governmental units where there is an economic benefit identified.

The 425 Agreement between Saline Township, the City of Saline and M/I Homes of Michigan, LLC, includes language regarding public water and sewer services:

Water and Sewer Services. In connection with the proposed Project, the City and Developer have entered into the Development Agreement, which provides, among other things, the terms and conditions of the City extending sewer and water lines to serve the Project. The effectiveness of the Development Agreement is conditional on the Parties’ approval and execution of this Agreement.

And the Agreement includes compensation for Saline Township:

The City shall pay to the Township an amount equal to the taxes generated by ¼ mills levied against the taxable value of all real and personal property comprising or located on the Property, for a period of 5 years, beginning on August 1, 2025, and continuing thereafter for 5 years.

The 425 Agreement will expire on August 1, 2031 and Andelina Farms will remain a part of the City of Saline.

Oak Park Estates Roads

The Township Board held the first of two public hearings on the proposed Special Assessment District (S.A.D.) for the Oak Park Estates subdivision to support the replacement of all roads within the neighborhood.  More than twenty neighborhood residents attended to show support for the proposed S.A.D. 

Mark McCulloch from the Washtenaw County Road Commission attended the meeting to answer questions from the residents and township board members. McCulloch distributed cost estimates for the road repair project to the board. The projected costs for the total road replacement in the neighborhood was $430,480.60. 

Township consulting attorney Fred Lucas estimated additional costs to the township for securing the bonds to fund the project to be around $30,000, for a total cost to residents around $460,000. That cost spread over all properties in Oak Park Estates was expected to be around $8,000 per property. Those costs could be spread over a ten-year repayment period at the resident’s discretion.

Huntington Woods Sidewalk

The board held a brief discussion about the Huntington Woods sidewalk project to connect the Huntington Woods neighborhood to sidewalks within the City of Saline. A local resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, pleaded with the township board for their assistance.  She stated that her property had 402 feet of frontage on Macon road and the sidewalk would be constructed across the entire length of her property. 

She objected to being saddled with the maintenance costs and potential liability from a sidewalk that she didn’t ask for or want. Attorney Lucas explained that the township had no legal basis to intervene in the dispute and he would advise the township to not sue as it “would be a waste of township resources,” Lucas said. 

He advised the resident to talk with the County Road Commission as they “held all the authority in the matter as the sidewalk would be constructed on the road commission’s easement right of way.”

Spring Cleanup

Township Supervisor Jim Marion reported that the annual Spring Clean-Up will be held on Saturday, May 8, 2020 from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m.  Treasurer Renee Luckhardt stressed that all trucks will leave the clean-up location promptly at 2 p.m. and urged residents to be sure to have everything unloaded prior to the closing time to ensure you are able to unload your refuse.

Township trustee Tom Hammond reported the next township Planning Commission meeting would be on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 at 7 p.m.

The next Saline Township Board meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 8th, 2020.  The second Oak Park Estates Public Hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the regular township meeting starting immediately following the public hearing.

The meeting was adjourned at 8 p.m.

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