Arbor Update

Ann Arbor Area Community News

Can we get good design by committee?

Posted by Chuck Warpehoski on 29. August 2007

In fundraising and PR, it’s well established that one of the best ways to get dreadful design is to design by committee (brilliantly demonstrated here)

But can it work to have a committee design craft guidelines for design? We’ll find out with the A2 public forum on urban design guidelines.

It will be from 7 to 9 p.m. on Sept. 5 in the Michigan League Michigan Room (911 N. University Ave.)

And after this public committee forum, the great and powerful The Design Guidelines Advisory Committee will take the input, make a proposal, and then turn it over to another committee—the City Council—for review.

Comment [2]

City fighting with clubs to stop fighting at clubs

Posted by Chuck Warpehoski on 28. August 2007

Two stabbings in two months outside of nightclubs is enough for Ann Arbor, according to the Ann Arbor News.

What could the city do? They are looking into declaring some bars and clubs “public nuisances,” which would pave the way for the city to ask judges to close them.

Comment [33]

Mid-range housing "City Place" proposed for South Fifth Ave.

Posted by Murph on 24. August 2007

At a Planning Commission working session last week, builder Alex de Parry discussed conceptual plans for a four-story, 84-unit redevelopment of six properties he owns on South Fifth Avenue. The properties (some pictured at right) are 407-433 S. Fifth, just south of William St., which are currently houses broken up into 22 rental apartments. (de Parry also owns 403 S. Fifth, on the corner of William, but that property is not included in the plans.) From the Ann Arbor News:

If built, City Place would likely be one of the first large-scale new construction rental developments targeted at the middle-income market – dubbed workforce housing – near downtown Ann Arbor in years.

“Right now everything happening in Ann Arbor is either upper end or lower end – no one is doing anything for the middle guys,’‘ said de Parry, who owns Ann Arbor Builders. De Parry plans to rent City Place units – ranging from one-bedroom to three-bedroom suites – at between 80 percent and 120 percent of the city’s average median income.
. . .
Parking at City Place is proposed to be provided in an underground garage. The building is planned to have a facade that looks like a series of Boston brownstones. De Parry said the project would cost between $20 million and $22 million.

The project would not be done as a PUD; de Parry instead suggests that a “conditional rezoning” could be used. This mechanism, a new addition to the State enabling legislation, allows a rezoning to be done while also placing limitations on the use and form of the property beyond those in the new zoning district.

de Parry intends to submit formal plans within 2 months.

Comment [38]

City Council: Greenbelt Expansion

Posted by Juliew on 20. August 2007

Monday, August 20 at 7:00 pm.
Ann Arbor City HallCity Council Agenda

Highlights:

  • Greenbelt expansion resolution
  • Approval of A2D2 Zoning recommendations
  • Resolution to Order Election and to Determine Ballot Question for Charter Amendment on the Sale of City-Owned Land Acquired for or Used as Parkland
  • Resolution to Annually Update Formula Calculation Contribution Affordable Housing for PUDs
  • Resolution to temporarily allow public parking at 415 West Washington
  • Resolution to approve CTN’s move to Eisenhower Corporate Park

Comment [17]

Growing Pains at the Farmer's Market

Posted by Juliew on 18. August 2007

For most people, a trip to the Ann Arbor Farmer’s Market is a Saturday (or Wednesday) morning ritual. A place to pick up local produce, crafts, or baked goods and meet up with neighbors, friends, and relatives. It inspires food writing, poetry, and cooking classes. It even has a MySpace page. If all goes well, the Market will soon be the site of a large solar project. More and more vendors want to participate and on summer Saturdays the Market spills out along the sidewalk extensions. It seems that everyone loves the Farmer’s Market.

But is success spoiling the Market?

A few years ago, plans to expand the site were met with a storm of criticism from many of the vendors and eventually the plans were tabled. The Market Manager left and a new Manager was hired. Rumors began flying about unhappy vendors, preferential treatment, and “resold” produce from big box stores and baked goods from grocery stores resold as homemade. City Council meetings and Market Commission meetings are often contentious. Now there are competing blogs discussing the good and bad aspects; videos extolling the virtues and vices ; and an interesting discussion on localharvest.com.

Unfortunately, it is hard to find out if there is truth to the rumors or if it is all just sour grapes from vendors who aren’t on the preferred list (probably some of both). The City Market Commission is in flux and the Farmer’s Market web site has disappointingly little information.

Fortunately, many of the vendors themselves have good informational web sites so everyone can do their own research. Even though there are many changes that could and probably should be made, it is still the place to be on Saturday mornings, especially this time of year.

Comment [176]

City Council: Election Eve (and Dog Parks!)

Posted by Juliew on 4. August 2007

Monday, August 6 at 7:00 pm.Ann Arbor City Hall

City Council Agenda

Highlights:

  • Edwards Brothers Industrial District
  • Greenbelt Expansion
  • Dog Parks (again)
  • Barton Green Planned Project Site Plan (Pontiac Trail)
  • Huron River Drive Improvement Project

Also, don’t forget the City Council Primary Elections are this Tuesday, August 7 for the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wards.

The League of Women Voter’s City Council Election Debate of July 23, 2007 is now posted on Google Video. Click here to view.

  • 1st Ward Debate among John Roberts, Sabra Briere, and Richard Wickboldt begins the program.
  • 3rd Ward Debate between LuAnne Bullington and Leigh Greden is at 30:24.
  • 5th Ward Debate between Wendy Woods and Mike Anglin is at 59:56.

Comment [35]

Hieftje in running for State appointment

Posted by Murph on 2. August 2007

Mayor Hieftje has confirmed to the News a report by the Michigan Information and Research Service Inc. that he’s being considered for a post with the Michigan Public Service Commission, the three-member board that sets rates for public utilities and regulates private utilities.

Hieftje is one of three candidates being considered for the post. MIRS said the others are Curtis Blessing, a Detroit attorney who was active in the Detroit mayoral campaigns of Freman Hendrix and Dennis Archer, and Orjiakor Isiogu, the director of the Michigan Public Service Commission’s telecommunications operation.

MIRS reported that Hieftje is being considered because of his advocacy of renewable energy. . .

Mike Shriberg, executive director of Environment Michigan, said Hieftje has shown great vision in promoting clean energy in Ann Arbor. Environment Michigan is a statewide environmental advocacy group with more than 10,000 members.

“It would be a benefit to the entire state to have that vision at the Michigan Public Service Commission,’‘ Shriberg said. “John’s vision for Ann Arbor is exactly what we need at the state.’‘

Shriberg said the commission will be spending much time debating the sources for electricity in the state. Michigan still gets more 50 percent of its electricity from coal, said Shriberg, who noted that Hieftje understands the need for more reliance on clean sources like wind and solar power.

In the event of Hieftje’s selection by Governor Granholm, Mayor Pro-tem Easthope would assume mayoral duties.

Comment [13]

Three chances to talk to Rep. Dingell about climate change

Posted by Murph on 28. July 2007

Early August presents a number of opportunities to discuss the hot topic of climate change with Representative John Dingell; two of the three are “official” Dingell events.

Monday, August 6, 12pm, Ypsilanti: Project Hot Seat’s Welcome Home Party:

Join community members at Rep. Dingell’s office and tell him to stop global warming. Who: Greenpeace, your community and you. What: It’s summer recess for Congress. We’re welcoming home the Congressman, and letting him know we’ve been feeling the heat here in Michigan. We’ll have a “Welcome Home” cake, along with a big gift of handwritten letters, postcards, and photos to show him how much we care about global warming. When he goes back to Washington, D.C., he’ll know we want him to act on global warming NOW! Where: Rep. Dingell’s Ypsilanti offie – 301 W. Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti MI 48197 When: 12:00 – 1:00 PM Monday, Aug. 6.

Tuesday, August 7, and Wednesday, August 8, Town Hall Meetings:

Rep. Dingell will be holding two town hall meetings “specifically about global warming. This is the first time since the Congress began debating the Iraq War that I am having an open forum exclusively devoted to only one subject. I need and want to hear from you, and you need to hear what I am doing, why I am doing it, and how we can work together to solve what I believe will be the moral issue of the 21st Century.”

Tuesday, August 7, 2007
3:30pm
Pioneer High School
Schreiber Auditorium
601 W Stadium Blvd
Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
5:30pm
University of Michigan – Dearborn
Social Sciences Building
4901 Evergreen Rd
Dearborn, MI 48124
(Park in visitor’s parking structure across from building)

Comment [23]

WWW = Waiting for Wireless Washtenaw

Posted by Chuck Warpehoski on 26. July 2007

So 20/20 Communications has its “pony keg” wireless antennas up around downtown Ann Arbor, Saline, and Manchester, but according to the Ann Arbor News , the rest of the program is on hold. It seems some of the funds they had hoped to get their hands on have dried up.

Want to help get the project moving? The project is applying for a USDA loan, and for that they need a survey of potential users.

Comment [5]

Upcoming City Events

Posted by Juliew on 24. July 2007

Unfortunately, although these events do appear on the City web site, they are not currently showing the details of any of these events.

  • Municipal Center Public Meeting July 24, 7:00pm: Master Plan Introduced for Site Downtown Library Multi-purpose room (lower level) – This meeting is intended to provide the public with an early opportunity to comment on the building layouts being considered for the west side of the Municipal Center. (Thanks to Ron Suarez for this information).

Comment [6]

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