The Timber Ridge subdivision is moving its way through the Special Assessment District process in hope of getting their roads improved.

They took a big step forward at the December York Township Board meeting. The Sun Times News followed up with York Township Supervisor Chuck Tellas to ask about Timber Ridge. For SAD to happen the subdivision must have the support of the project by a certain percentage of property owners to go through the township.

Tellas said at “our December 10th Board Meeting the petition from Timber Ridge requesting establishment of a Special Assessment District under PA 188 of 1954 was found to be complete.” 

He said the Washtenaw County Road Commission “has been asked to prepare a description of the road improvement and an estimated cost to be discussed by the Board prior to setting a date for a Public Hearing.”

The township board is requesting the WCRC to prepare plans and cost estimates for the repaving project at the Timber Ridge subdivision.

Tellas said the project is now on step five in the SAD process.

A SAD, according to PA 188, is defined in part as the ability to give a township board the power “to make an improvement named in this act, to provide for the payment of an improvement by the issuance of bonds as provided in section 15, and to determine that the whole or any part of the cost of an improvement shall be defrayed by special assessments against the property especially benefited by the improvement. The cost of engineering services and all expenses incident to the proceedings for the making and financing of the improvement shall be deemed to be a part of the cost of the improvement.”  

In the Citizens Guide to Special Assessment Districts (SAD), Step 5 is defined as “Resolution #1. After the petition has been verified and the sufficiency requirement has been met, the request will be brought before the Township Board of Trustees for consideration of a resolution directing the Township Engineer to prepare the plans and cost estimates for the project to be presented at the first of two public hearings.

Step 6 says “Resolution #2. Once the plans and cost estimates have been completed, the Township Board of Trustees will consider a resolution tentatively approving its intention to make the improvement, tentatively designating the special assessment district, and setting a date and time for the first public hearing.  The resolution will also direct that the completed plans and cost estimates are to be given to the Township Clerk and made available for public inspection prior to the first public hearing.”

Photo: A look at a freshly paved road. photo courtesy of Pixabay