WATERFORD, Mich. (WXYZ) — Oakland Community College plans to put the northern portion of its former Highland Lakes campus in Waterford up for sale in 2027, raising questions about the future of an area that includes green space and a nature reserve.
For years, members of the community have pushed to permanently preserve the land, which residents use for walking, trails and time outdoors.
See the full story from Waterford Township reporter Jolie Sherman in the video below
“Winter, spring, summer, fall, we’re here every day,” White Lake resident Dan Boes said.
The Highland Lakes campus has closed, and OCC has been selling off sections of the property. Now, attention is turning to the northern portion of the site.
Waterford resident Pete Ogg is among those advocating to preserve the green space. He worries about what could happen to the property depending on who eventually buys it.
“We're worried that they may sell it to an entity that will sell it to a developer who will bulldoze this whole area,” Ogg said. “And they could do it right now. They could do anything from put in a waste transfer station to real estate development to a data center. We don't know.”
Ogg said some community members have developed their own vision for the property, but he said getting that proposal directly before OCC’s Board of Trustees has been a challenge.
“For the last four years our groups have brought 28 different times and ways to try to get to the board of OCC to give them our public presentation, and we've been blocked in so many ways,” Ogg said.
OCC Chancellor Peter Provenzano said the group has had opportunities to make its position known to the board.
“They've been at virtually every board meeting in the public comment section,” Provenzano said. “They've given the board materials for their vision.”
Ogg said the group has only been able to address the board during its three-minute public comment period.
Beyond preserving a place for trails and recreation, Ogg envisions the property becoming an outdoor education center that could host school field trips.
He also supports the possibility of OCC partnering with Oakland County Parks. The parks system made a $4.4 million offer for the property in 2025, but OCC told 7 News Detroit it was not ready to accept the offer at the time.
Oakland County Parks told 7 News Detroit that while it understands the community’s close connection to the property, it does not plan to make an offer right now.
Provenzano said OCC’s Board of Trustees has been deliberate in determining what happens to the property.
“A number of years ago, the board set out to be very thoughtful about this, to do this right,” Provenzano said. “And that takes time. There are no hidden agendas.”
OCC expects to begin accepting proposals once the roughly 90-acre property is put up for sale, which is expected sometime in 2027. The property includes both green space and developed areas, including parking lots and buildings.
Provenzano said the board’s vision is aligned with the community’s desire to protect the green space.
“The board continues to listen to our community, and the board, from the very beginning, has said that it's a very high priority to preserve all of the green space, regardless of who buys the property,” Provenzano said.
