Green Space, Blue Zones, and Red Barn All Part of Greater Rochester Discussion
(Crystal A. Proxmire, March 5, 2025)
Rochester Hills, MI – Blue is the color on the mind of Rochester Mayor Nancy Salvia, whose city started the year in the national spotlight thanks to Home Bakery and their life-sized cake made in homage to Lion’s wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown doing a headstand to celebrate a touchdown.
Salvia was on a panel of local officials who spoke at the Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce Community Outlook breakfast on Feb. 28 at Oakland University.
In addition to praising the bakery, Mayor Salvia credited the quick thinking of Downtown Rochester Director Kristi Trevarrow who got the lights on the building switched quickly from red to blue when the story of the cake began to go viral. The Big Bright Lights Show is a holiday favorite destination with attendance peaking at Christmastime. But the tribute to the football star gave the Downtown a 44% spike in traffic for January.
“The important thing to the community is when one of us wins, we all win,” she said. “Sales were up. Saunders said their sales doubled from what they normally do in January. Our windows in Downtown are something special.”
But Honolulu isn’t the only blue Salvia is thinking of.
“Have you heard of Blue Zones?” she asked the audience. “Blue Zones are places around the world where people live a long time.” She said that the OPC, which is the area’s community center for older adults, has been doing work to promote Blue Zone principles, and she’d like to see a city-wide effort to become a Blue Zone. She touted reasons for longevity, including strong relationships, mobility within communities, and access to healthy, local food.
Part of that Blue Zone dream is a new project in Downtown Rochester called The Grove – a year round farmers market expected to open in the spring.
“You go get your food. You talk to your neighbor. You get to know the farmer. The farmer knows where the food grows,” Mayor Salvia said. “This is very exciting for our Downtown.”
GREEN IN ROCHESTER HILLS
Complimenting their neighbor’s bright blue mood, Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett’s speech gleamed with hues of green.
With an emphasis on conservative spending habits, the Mayor shared that the city is now debt-free. “We are the only debt-free city close to our size in Michigan,” he said. “We own everything free and clear – all our buildings, all our trucks [etc].”
Rochester Hills has the third lowest tax rate in Oakland County and has benefited from rising property values as well as investment in development and property improvements. They also have never had pension obligations.
“100 percent of every dollar now goes to serve our residents,” Mayor Barnett said. “We truly feel it is a blessing and an honor to manage your money.”
And while the dollar bills are exciting, it’s the community’s green space that really get city officials excited. “In six of the last eight years we’ve acquired green space,” he said. He shared that in Rochester Hills one is never more than a seven minute walk from a park or trail, or more than 70 feet from the shade of a tree. While 870 trees have come down in the past year, over 2,000 have been planted.
In the past few years, Innovation Hills has been the focus of investment, growing in features and in size. Forty acres, connected by a suspension bridge, were opened in 2024, and thanks to a grant through Oakland County a new restroom facility is under construction.
Next up are improvements to Bloomer and Spencer Parks, plus the creation of a dog park at Nowicki Park.
RED IN OAKLAND TOWNSHIP
While Oakland Township also boasts 1,500 acres of green space and a community of peaceful living in nature, they also have something red to be proud of – a barn.
The big news for the year is that the 150 year old Garling Barn stopped traffic as it was carefully moved from 2200 E. Clarkston Road to a new site on Stoney Creek Road. The barn was moved when a private developer was clearing their land for potential development, and donated the barn to the Township for preservation. The move cost less than $150,000 and kept the barn in the community for passers by to enjoy.
Expenses also seem to have Oakland Township Supervisor Robin Buxar seeing red. Oakland is one of several communities navigating the increased costs of policing services. The community contracts through Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, and the contract has gone up.
She also urged residents to look carefully at a potential future millage proposal for the Rochester Hills Public Library, which Oakland Township residents use. She said that Oakland Township residents pay a portion of the revenue for the library through taxes, though there are not any residents on the board. While there are no residents voting on the board, there is an Oakland Township Library Board Liaison who attends meetings and participates on committees.
“When you go to vote for a special election, that one item isn’t everything,” Supervisor Buxar said, noting that residents also pay for parks and transit in addition to the taxes that go to the Township.
SCHOOLS
Also at the Community Outlook breakfast was Rochester Community Schools Superintendent Nicholas Russo. He shared that the district is going through a facilities evaluation, with a committee of 75 community members who are looking at the district’s building needs moving into the future. As the birth rate continues to decline, all districts must prepare for lower student populations.
The event also included a short stretching-session led by executives from Corewell Health who were one of the sponsors of the event.
Learn more:
Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce
NOTE: This story has been updated to clarify statements regarding the Rochester Hills Library.
