Rochester Hills accepts green space donation

About 4.7 acres of vacant, wooded land in the 3500 block of S. Livernois Road has been donated to the city of Rochester Hills to be dedicated for use as undeveloped green space.

Councilwoman Susan Bowyer said the city has been hoping to acquire the land behind 3514 S. Livernois for several months because it abuts green space owned by the city at 1380 Ruby. The land is vacant and mostly wooded and includes some wetlands.

The property owner, Mollie Mayer, recently agreed to donate about 4.7 acres of the roughly 6.8 acres she owns. The remainder of the land will be retained by Mayer, who maintains a home on the land.

The city in 2015 obtained about 9.48 acres of land at 1380 Ruby. That land had an estimated value of about $400,000 and included the value of an existing home that had been vacant for about five years at the time. The donation of the land will bring the city's total contiguous green space in the area to about 14.8 acres.

In 2005, voters approved a 10-year millage to acquire and preserve natural green space in Rochester Hills. Land purchased or donated as green space can't be developed, and structures and buildings are demolished as part of green space, which provides natural open areas for access by the public and area wildlife. Green spaces aren't considered parks and aren't used for recreation purposes.