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OAK GROVE General Overview Oak Grove Township has been historically a rural farming-oriented community with some minimal resort activity around Lake George. During the decade of the 1960's, Oak Grove was just beginning to experience an influx of suburban fringe residential development. As reported in the Township Comprehensive Plan, housing units increased by 50% (from 340 to 510) between 1960 and 1970. Most of the housing at that time consisted of scattered strip development along the various existing county highways and township roads. Only a few subdivisions had been platted and were in very early development phases. During the 1970's, growth accelerated considerably as Iow density (2 1/2 acre minimum lot) subdivision housing gained in popularity. The number of housing units increased by 121% between 1970 and 1980 to a total ot' 1129. A 1980 Township inventory revealed a sizeable growth potential, with 587 platted lots remaining yet undeveloped. Since 1980, increases in housing units continued at a moderate pace, averaging approximately 5% annually. As evident on the plat map, the pattern of residential development is somewhat irregularly dispersed throughout the Township. This pattern has largely been determined by the natural configuration of extensive wetlands and areas of high water table that impose severe development limitations for on-site septic systems. Such areas of quasi non-developable land cover well over a third of the total area. There has been little commercial or industrial development in Oak Grove and such development is not expected to have a significant role in · future growth. Comprehensive Plan policies propose that zoning issues regarding commercial or industrial development be handled on an individual case basis. A few small neighborhood-oriented businesses have been established in close proximity to certain residential areas. Landfill Vicinity The Oak Grove Landfill was established in 1967 on the Egan family farm property in the SE 1/4 of Section 28 along Viking Boulevard. Operations were discontinued in 1984, though closure procedures have not yet been finalized. As evident from the land use tabulations, there would have been less than 20 residences within 1/2 mile (Zones 1 and 2) of the site at the time. Two of these residences were immediately across Viking Boulevard. A considerable proportion of the surrounding area is non- developable - including the boggy areas along Cedar Creek to the south and an extensive wetland north of Viking Boulevard. Land' use tabulations indicate that a relatively small proportion of total