MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - The Silverstone Estates, a 25.5-acre neighborhood by Mayberry Homes, has been approved by the Meridian Township Planning Commission and is now moving to the Township Board.

Mayberry Homes will locate Silverstone Estates on the east side of Powell Road, north of Grand River Avenue.

“As a local home builder, we have found that the market place warrants the need for more new home communities,” said Vice President of Mayberry Homes Karen Schoreder. “Therefore we have gone through and purchased this property and are in the process of getting all of the process so we can start developing.”

The Planning Commission has made the recommendation and now the Township Board will have the say on the final decision.

The neighborhood is in its tentative preliminary plat stage and they will finalize that stage at the Township Board meeting on Tuesday, April 26.

“It’s an area that really hasn’t been developed before, so it’s a new development area in the township,” said Meridian Township Associate Planner Peter Mesner. “It will be more people living here, definitely just generic stuff, more residents, bigger tax base, more services that we can provide for the residents.”

It still has to go through one more round of approvals once this and more boards have approved it.

“There is an entire platting process and it’s through the state of Michigan,” Menser said. “It’s pretty in depth in terms of review. All of the different bodies, Road Department, Public Health Department, Drain Commission, the State Plat Board, they all have to sign on – there’s a whole process that the state requires to build this type of neighborhood.”

Mayberry Homes plans to divide the space into 25 lots that will become single family houses.

“They are pretty substantial lot sizes, which is somewhat difficult to find within the township, within the (Okemos) school district,” said Schroeder. “It’ll warrant pretty good size homes, and yet we will be in a price point that seems to be appealing to the market place.”

Schroeder said that the price will probably start at high three, low four thousand dollars.

“That seems to be an acceptable price point in the community at this point in time, so we are excited about it. I think it’s going
to have some great views, close to everything. It’s going to have a little bit of everything,” said Schroeder.

No more than one residence will be placed in a one-acre space.

The Planning Commission worked with representative for
Mayberry Homes Scott Fairmont to adjust where roadways, lots and public road right-of way would be located, as well as whether the trees would be cut down or saved.

“They’re laying out how the lots are going to be laid out, how public utilities are going to service the project, and then they will come back again late, and it could be months from now, for final plat approval,” Menser said.

All of the different bodies, in Meridian Township and statewide are reviewing the plat concurrently.

“It’s pretty long, the plat process is fairly lengthy,” Menser said.

The final preliminary plat will be a similar process.

Mayberry Homes vice president said that they plan to begin construction still this year.

“It looks like this has all of the ability to become a very prominent neighborhood,” said Schroeder. “We’ve built a reputation building lifestyle communities and building quality homes and it seems to be successful and I’m looking forward to this new community coming on board yet this year. We’ve already had quite a bit of interest in it so I’m kind of excited about it.”

Menser said that because it is on the verge of where the service lines end, it is more difficult and more expensive to extend services out there.

“As you move further east in the community, we don’t have public service, so public water lands, public sanitary lines, and it’s just typically the way it works. In an urban area, you’ve got all public services, but when you get further out, people have water wells and septic systems,” Menser said.

Mayberry Homes will be able to tap on the services available.

“As these other that are easier to develop properties got developed, now they’re pushing out further,” Menser said.

Having already taken part in building for the Meridian Township community, with the Okemos Preserve and College Fields, Schroeder said the place will benefit from having more homes.

“I think that the Township and Okemos schools warrant more neighborhood for families and kids for the school system,” she said. “I think it’s a positive for the community, but of course I would say that, but I’m also looking forward to it.”