Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Transportation Authority

AATA Goes Hybrid

Posted by Juliew on 25. October 2007

From a news release sent by the AATA today:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. –– The Ann Arbor Transportation Authority (AATA) today began placing into service its first 15 clean, efficient hybrid electric buses with plans to add another five in March 2008 and seven more within the next 18 months.

Over the long term all of its 69 buses will be replaced with hybrid electric buses. AATA is the first public transit operator in the Midwest to state its intention to convert to all hybrid electric buses.

According to AATA board chairman David Nacht, the introduction of these environmentally-friendly buses continues AATA’s tradition of leadership in adopting new technology to improve transit service for its 5.6 million annual riders and the community . . .

The buses are expected to reduce fuel consumption by an average of 30 percent and lower maintenance costs by 30 to 50 percent. For more information, see the AATA hybrid bus web page. Oh, and if you win the contest to name the blue hybrid bug mascot, you win an iPhone.

Comment [15]

Special City Council Meeting on Monday, with a bit of controversy

Posted by Chuck Warpehoski on 22. October 2007

On Monday, October 20, the Ann Arbor City Council will host a special meeting to discuss and approve resolutions relating to the proposed new city council meeting. (agenda )

Some folks are quite concerned about this meeting. Was the announcement of it properly made? Is this decision fully prepared (I’m told the resolutions mentioned in the agenda aren’t available yet)? Has there been proper discussion about the issue? Is this process transparent and accountable? Is this an effort to rush the issue through before people critical of the proposal join city council?

Whether you think this is a good idea or not, you can share your thoughts at the council meeting, 7:00 p.m. at City Hall on Monday, October 20.

Comment [74]

City Council

City Council: Georgetown Commons

Posted by Juliew on 14. October 2007

Monday, October 15 at 7:00 pm.
City Council Agenda

Highlights:

• Georgetown Commons Site Plan and Development Agreement
• Lower Burns Park Downzoning
• Resolution to Approve Implementation of Recommendations for Downtown Design Standards, Design Guidelines and Design Review Process

Comment [1]

Local

"Ride Around Town", tommorow

Posted by Bruce Fields on 11. October 2007

From Frank Schwende, via the wbwc mailing list:

Date: Friday, October 12. Rain or shine!!

Time: 5:30 PM

Location: Liberty Plaza Park, on the corner of Division and Liberty (starting point)

Required Equipment: bicycle (duh!), front headlight, rear light or reflector, bicycle helmet, light color clothing.

...

The idea seems to be to hold a ride that (like critical mass) is urban rather than rural, but that emphasizes the "cause of promoting cooperation between bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists".

Full announcement here.

Comment [8]

Regional

County rolls out Affordable Housing Needs Assessment

Posted by Murph on 9. October 2007

The Ann Arbor/Washtenaw County Office of Community Development has completed the two-year process of completing a comprehensive (and, at 220 pages, they’re not kidding) County-wide Affordable Housing Needs Assessment (15-page Executive Summary in Word format). As the invitation to their public presentation series suggests, the project is ambitious:

The goal is to provide a tool for decision makers to:

1. Facilitate community discussions on long-term planning objectives
   
2. Implement regional planning
   
3. Allocate resources
   
4. Leverage funds
   
5. Encourage public-private partnerships
   
6. Develop and preserve affordable housing
   
7. Revitalize neighborhoods
   
8. Support economic development

The Assessment, which provides recommendations for all portions of the County, will be presented at a number of upcoming meetings, all of which are open to the public, and many of which include public comment time:

• Monday, October 15, 2007, 6-8pm, Library Learning Resource Center, 4135 Washtenaw Avenue, Ann Arbor (Open Public Meeting with public comment time)
• Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 5-6pm, Ypsilanti Township Hall, 7200 S. Huron River Dr, Ypsilanti (Joint meeting between Ypsilanti City & Ypsilanti Township officials)
• Thursday, October 18, 2007, 6:30 pm Washtenaw County Administration Bldg, 220 N. Main, (Washtenaw Board of Commissioners working session)
• Monday, October 22, 2007, 6-8pm, Scio Township Hall, 827 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, (Washtenaw County Planning Board meeting)
• Monday, October 29, 2007, 7-9pm, Catholic Social Services Bldg, 4925 Packard, Ann Arbor (Open Public Meeting sponsored by Religious Action for Affordable Housing, with public comment time)

The report is accompanied by an online mapping system intended to “enable users to analyze potential sites using financial, demographic, natural feature, and regulatory data and maps.” That system does not appear to be entirely operational as of this writing.

Comment [3]

Local

Wayfinding Design Charrettes

Posted by Dale Winling on 5. October 2007

A local designer passes along news of a series of meetings for development of a wayfinding system downtown. Wayfinding is the process of navigating through a city or space and cities are increasingly employing signage and visual cues to make that process easier.

Last December the DDA determined a need for a wayfinding program to assist visitors to find their way to and around downtown and hired Corbin Design out of Traverse City to provide wayfinding analysis and sign design for the project. The scope included main entry and directional signage from highway exits. Corbin’s wayfinding analysis was excellent, but their recommended sign design left much to be desired as it came about after several public meetings and was a compromise developed from many citizen comments. A number of creative professionals in town thought that Ann Arbor deserved a better effort and the DDA agreed to hold off making a decision for one month to allow a community wide blog/charrette mashup to present new designs.

There are 4 events planned…

Tuesday October 9th 7pm at the Art and Architecture School Auditorium on North Campus. A review of notable design award winners with commentary by faculty and then conversations about branding, identity and design in the public streetscape.

UPDATE: Report on Wayfinding Charrette here. Deadline for public submissions changed to October 30.

UPDATE2: First entry available here

Comment [13] • Read More »

City Council

City Council: Chapter Amendments

Posted by Juliew on 1. October 2007

Monday, October 1 at 7:00 pm.
City Council Agenda

Highlights:

• Packard Marketplace Planned Project Site Plan (postponed from September 24)

• An Ordinance to Amend Sections 1:271 through 1:275 and Sections 1:277 through 1:278 of Chapter 12, to Add a New Section 1:279 to Chapter 12 of Title I, to Amend Sections 1:281, 1:284, 1:286, 1:292 and 1:295 and to Delete Section 1:283 of Chapter 13 of Title I, and to Amend Section 5:148 of Chapter 58 of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (Financing Local Public Improvements, Special Assessments and Territorial Annexations)

Comment [4]

Local

Weekend Fests and Celebrations

Posted by Juliew on 29. September 2007

Oktoberfest in the Streets
Friday and Saturday from 5:00pm–11pm in front of Arbor Brewing
Traditional Munich-style Oktoberfest with German bands, bratwurst, polkas, drinking songs. Family-friendly. This is an outdoor street party complete with beer tents and festival seating.

Ann Arbor Kiwanis Fun Fest
Saturday 9:00am-2:00pm at the Kiwanis Building (200 First Street)
Pancake breakfast, door prizes, balloon animals, hot dog lunch.

Centennial Celebration at the Arb
Saturday 8:00am-3:00pm at the Arb
Celebrate the Arb’s 100th anniversary with a day of events including hikes, bubble blowing, worm feeding, and leaf rubbing.

Big House, Big Heart 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run
Early Sunday (registration is Saturday) at Michigan Stadium.
Run through campus and finish by running through the Michigan Stadium tunnel to the 50-yard line. Hear the crowd roar as you appear on the Jumbotron.

Dragon Boat Festival at Gallup
Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm at Gallup park
Dragon boat races, percussionists, kite-making, yo-yo spinning, lion dancing, and food.

Comment [3]

City Council

City Council: Projects, Parking, and PUDs

Posted by Juliew on 24. September 2007

Monday, September 24 at 7:00 pm.
City Council Agenda

Highlights:

• Packard Marketplace Planned Project Site Plan
• Parking Agreement with Village Green (First and Washington)
• Resolution to Approve Agreement for the Purchase of Land at 350 S. Fifth Avenue (Old Y) from the City
• Resolution to Annually Update Formula for a Per-Unit Contribution Amount for Affordable Housing Contributions for PUD Districts
• Resolution to Approve Ann Arbor Discovering Downtown (A2D2) Implementation Schedules for Streamlining the Development Process, Downtown Parking Strategies, Urban Design Guidelines, and Historic District Guidelines

Comment [2]

Business

Does McKinley hate local businesses?

Posted by Chuck Warpehoski on 21. September 2007

Okay, I’m sure it’s not a hate thing, but their McKinley Town Centre project has brought more corporate chain blandness to Liberty Street. Somehow Salsarita’s and an AT&T store just don’t say keep Ann Arbor Funky to me.

And I can live with that, there wasn’t much else on the property they developed.

But now they’re proposing to expand the Town Centre by buying, demolishing, and building over the building that houses Encore Records and Orchid Lane.

Comment [20]