County panel forwards updated Brownfield bylaws and Orchard Shoppes plan to finance

The Oakland County economic development committee voted to recommend amended bylaws and a revised fee schedule for the Oakland County Brownfield Redevelopment Authority and to forward a Brownfield redevelopment plan for the Orchard Shoppes project to the county finance committee.

The committee recommended forwarding the OCBRA bylaws and fee schedule after staff said amendments were needed to reflect changes in state law and to fund an expanded workload. "We have been getting overwhelmed with the amount of projects coming in, especially with the legislation change two years ago with the inclusion of housing projects," Brad Hanson, staff to the Authority, told commissioners. The motion was moved by Commissioner Smiley and supported by Commissioner Markham and carried by the committee (6–0).

County staff said the new fee structure creates separate schedules for traditional Brownfield plans, housing TIF plans and transformational Brownfield projects to generate additional funding for staff and project support. Economic development staff and counsel revised the bylaws to align with recent amendments to state law, and staff said the budget process should provide additional planner positions to manage the caseload.

The committee also recommended forwarding to finance a Brownfield plan for Orchard Shoppes, a proposed mixed‑use project at 4210 Orchard Lake Road in the city of Orchard Lake Village. Staff described the site as a former dry cleaner with some on‑site contamination and said the site received an approximately $1 million cleanup grant from the state. The Brownfield plan before the committee capped county Brownfield reimbursement at $500,000 over five years for local costs tied to cleanup and redevelopment. "It's a true contaminated site that the city is excited to get cleaned up," Kristen Welting, economic development department, said. The motion to forward the Orchard Shoppes plan was moved by Commissioner Weidberg and supported by Commissioner Taylor; the committee carried the motion 6–0.

Following the vote, the committee announced a public hearing required under state law: pursuant to Public Act 381 of 1996, a hearing on adoption of the Orchard Shoppes Brownfield redevelopment plan will be held Oct. 30, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the Oakland County Board of Commissioners Auditorium, 1200 North Telegraph Road, Pontiac.

Commissioners asked about project details and local improvements. Committee members noted developer commitments described by staff, including intersection improvements at Orchard Lake Road, and emphasized pedestrian and bicycle access given the nearby West Bloomfield Trail.

Next steps are review by the finance committee and the public hearing on Oct. 30. If adopted following required hearings and approvals, the plan would allow limited local Brownfield tax increment capture for cleanup and redevelopment within the published cap and time frame.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved forwarding the OCBRA bylaws and fee schedule (6–0) and forwarded the Orchard Shoppes Brownfield plan to finance and scheduled the required public hearing (6–0).