The community where Oakland University sits feels slighted by the common belief, abetted by campus administrators, that it's in Rochester.
Oakland University's campus is in . . . well, it depends who's asked.
Though this may not seem as critical as whether Harvard is in Boston or Cambridge, or whether Yale in in West Haven or New Haven, it's a big deal to Auburn Hills' mayor and a council member.
Ryan Felton of The Oakland Press sketches the battle lines in a suburban skirmish:
Although the university’s infrastructure lies in the boundaries of both Rochester Hills and Auburn Hills, its address is listed at 2200 N. Squirrel Road, Rochester.
And that bothers Auburn Hills City Councilwoman Anne Doyle. . . . "That’s their spin, but I expect the truth from the news media. . . . Really all it has is a post office box with a Rochester address.”
As part of its push to straighten the record, Mayor James McDonald tells Felton, signs at city boundaries soon will say “Welcome to Auburn Hills, home of Oakland University.”
Doyle, a former sportscaster at WJBK (Channel 2) from 1978-84, applies an inflexible standard from that profession.
“I think like a news person and just expect the truth, and expect the truth from the university, too,” she said.
She notes that fire department response, police protection and snow plowing on public roads alongside the campus are "all paid for by the residents of Auburn Hills.”
“That’s why I feel it’s really important. At this point, it’s gotten to be a matter of disrespect.”
