top of page
Watch these videos for more information.

Put "Single Family"
Back in the Master Plan
2023 Royal Oak mayoral candidate Trish Oliver explains why the city needs to put the “Single Family Home” designation back into the Master Plan and jettison their vague replacement title, “Neighborhood Residential,” which is a catch-all term that allows an array of multiple family dwellings to be built in current single family neighborhoods including duplexes, small apartment buildings with parking lots, even a secondary residence shoe-horned into an existing home’s backyard. "Single Family" needs to be put back, not just in the general text, but legally put back in the “Future Land Use Categories” and “Future Land Use Map”, rather than leaving it for Zoning Board decisions, which often can be at the arbitrary discretion of the city.

Architect's Perspective
Compare your home's current residential zoning to the proposed new zoning:
Using a three-dimensional scale model of a typical residential neighborhood, local architect Michael Thompson describes the Royal Oak's current Single-Family Zoning with its built-in homeowner's protections, community benefits and quality of life. He then describes the new Master Plan draft's proposed "Neighborhood Residential" zoning and the concerning effects it will have on homeowners' property in the existing Single-Family zoned neighborhoods.
Using a three-dimensional scale model of a typical residential neighborhood, local architect Michael Thompson describes the Royal Oak's current Single-Family Zoning with its built-in homeowner's protections, community benefits and quality of life. He then describes the new Master Plan draft's proposed "Neighborhood Residential" zoning and the concerning effects it will have on homeowners' property in the existing Single-Family zoned neighborhoods.

Historical Perspective
Long-time former Royal Oak Planning Commission Chairman Tom Hallock reveals the history of previous success that the ill-advised proposed 2024 Master Plan rewrite will undo.

Greenwashing in
the Master Plan
Former Royal Oak city attorney Chuck Semchena states that the Master Plan draft will remove the legal protections for Single Family neighborhoods of the current Master Plan and zoning ordinance. While the mayor and city commissioners falsely claim that it will provide affordable housing or help combat climate change, Chuck explains how "greenwashing" attempts to emphasize sustainable aspects of a building project to overshadow environmentally damaging practices, such as removing many mature trees, replacing green spaces with heat-absorbing cement and increasing noise pollution.

Cautionary Tale:
4704 S. Rochester Rd.
Brian Herman tells what happened in his neighborhood near the old bank building at 4704 S. Rochester Road, which had been previously zoned for 16 units, but approved for a population dense, 42-unit, 4-story apartment building next to a single family neighborhood. Despite the fact that the neighborhood turned in a protest petition with over 300 signatures, the mayor and city commission approved the project anyway. Brian explains how Royal Oak city leaders have already shown that they cannot be trusted to represent the residents, only the developers, and cautions against adopting the Master Plan draft as is as it would eliminate Single Family zoning and its protections.

Committed to Neighborhoods
Retired UAW Local 1264 President for the Sterling plant Bob Stuglin and his three brothers grew up in northeast Royal Oak in the neighborhood near the old bank building at 4704 S. Rochester Road, which was previously zoned for 16 units, but was recently approved for a population dense, 42-unit, 4-story apartment building next to a single family neighborhood. Despite the fact that the neighborhood turned in a protest petition with over 300 signatures, the city approved that project without change. Because our neighborhood character will be dismantled by this arbitrary decision, Bob and his brothers are committed to helping other Royal Oak neighborhoods avoid these sorts of overly dense projects adjacent to Single Family Homes. Bob is particularly concerned about the plans outlined in the Master Plan draft for the 13 Mile and Rochester Road area which includes Oakridge Elementary School.

Addressing Injustice:
100% Parking Waived
Preschool administrator and lifelong Royal Oaker Dominique Van Dyke speaks up about injustice to the city because the commissioners who made the decision to waive all 81 parking spaces at 505 S. Lafayette put the developer's interests above the city's.

Stephen
Pays the Price
Retired investment broker and resident of the Fifth on Washington Avenue in downtown Royal Oak Stephen Lograsso who has disabilities that require ADA consideration was negatively impacted by the Royal Oak Zoning Board of Appeals decision to waive 100% of the required 81 parking spaces for the 54 dwellings in the proposed 10-story building at 505 S. Lafayette and instead have tenants rely on the 5th and Lafayette parking garage instead - which his caregivers rely on for parking. He would also like to know how a disabled individual living at the new 10-story high rise will cross Lafayette in the wintertime to get to the parking. Hear his story here.
bottom of page