The issue of oil and gas drilling keeps bubbling to the surface as the election gets closer. On Tuesday evening, a group of protesters gathered at the southeast corner of Adams and Tienken Roads to bring awareness to their concerns.
Their concerns about oil and gas drilling has sparked again because of a for sale sign that has gone up on that corner, opposite of Adams High School. Don’t Drill The Hills, a local grassroots group raising awareness on the issue, has suggested the commercial real estate sign by Mid-America Real Estate Group, which specializes in retail real estate, is just another warning of their fears coming true.
The group has been active in demanding residents have a voice in this matter and criticize Rochester Hills officials of “commercialization and industrialization of Rochester Hills’ residential areas.” Currently, the area in question is zoned single-family residential. However, the commercial real estate sign suggests it could be the future site of a strip mall.
This adds fuel to the fire from a release put out on October 20: “Don’t Drill the Hills, Inc. (DDH) has discovered ‘surface entry’ contracts that allow oil & gas well rigs at three Rochester Hills properties (950 Adams Road, 974 Adams Road, and 2965 Tienken Road) zoned single-family residential. These sites are located adjacent to Rochester Adams High School and Van Hoosen Middle School at the intersection of Tienken & Adams Roads. A surface entry lease next to Musson Elementary was recorded earlier this year.”
Visit the Don’t Drill The Hills website to read the latest from them.
The City of Rochester Hills put out a release saying “Don’t Drill the Hills is … spreading fears that drilling is set to take place in the City.” Read the Full Release.
The Community Edge has the response to that city release from Don’t Drill The Hills now posted.
It is fair to say most residents do not want oil and gas drilling near their homes, as well as many would dislike retail space going in at the corner of Adams and Tienken Roads.
It has been suggested that some of these recent protests and news about “discovered” information are just indirect efforts to help sway voters in the upcoming election, which includes candidates running for mayor in the city of Rochester Hills. Please read our Letters to the Editor for a large selection of opinions and concerns from our readers.
Personal Note: My nature is to dislike change, of any kind, and traffic is horrible at Adams and Tienken now. Readers know that Tienken Road has had a lot of work done this year and is set to completely open soon. However, with all the work done on Tienken Road at Adams Road, I cannot help to point out that not enough was done to help relieve congestion at that intersection. While the turn lanes were lengthened a bit, it is not enough. And if a strip mall or other commercial property goes in on that corner, it will be a disaster. That being said, if the zoning does change, I keep my fingers crossed for a craft brewery, a Bourbon bar, or both to be built on that corner.
I didn’t know that there were a lot of drilling going on. It is interesting that there are people that are for it and also against it. I feel like this is pretty common whenever there is drilling going on.