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Bloomfield Blossoms: p. 34-35

Smith, Kay, 1925-

Bloomfield Township Public Library

Bloomfield Township (Mich.) -- History

Zoning -- Michigan -- Bloomfield Township -- History

GB01a019

part of 'Bloomfield Blossoms' by Kay Smith

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THE PHILOSOPHY WHICH HAS KEPT BLOOMFIELD RESIDENTIAL "The people who moved to Bloomfield in the last 25 years wanted to move to a bedroom community. To avoid other locations where zoning might permit a smokestack on one side of them and some type of commercial business on the other, they were willing to come here and pay a higher tax rate to build and maintain new school systems. In the Township, 94% of the tax revenue comes from residential home owners, and only 6% from commercial and other types of zoning. "I see no other future here except to continue as a residential community. As land values become greater and greater, we may increase our density, but I don't believe the citizens of this Township will ever be willing to allow other kinds of zoning to be introduced here. Most people come here with their life savings, ready to make the biggest investment they will ever make--building or buying their home. To add zoning other than residential would do nothing but depreciate their property. "Holding the line has been difficult in a legal and financial sense, however. There have been years in the past when we've had to spend as much as $40,000 in litigation costs. Requests are tapering off and we haven't had to spend those large amounts for several years now."