Arbor Update

Regional

Commuter rail by March?

Posted by Murph on 4. February 2007

With this summer’s construction season promising to turn US-23 into whatever the next thing slower than a parking lot is, pieces are coming together for parallel commuter rail service that could alleviate congestion. From Wednesday’s Ann Arbor News:

Southbound commuters would start from a parking lot at an old industrial site at Eight Mile Road near Whitmore Lake. They would debark in Ann Arbor along Plymouth Road a short distance north of Barton Drive, where they would be picked up by Ann Arbor Transportation Authority buses. The buses would take passengers to various destinations around Ann Arbor, perhaps the University of Michigan and hospitals, for example . . . The proposal envisions six round trips each morning and evening five days a week. The first train in the morning would leave Eight Mile Road at 5:55 a.m. and would take 20 minutes at top speeds of 40 mph to reach the Ann Arbor debarkation point. The earliest evening train would leave Ann Arbor at 3:55 p.m.

The new owner of Great Lakes Central Railroad and the owner of the 26-acre potential park-and-ride lot are on board with the proposal. The railroad notes that the time frame is tight, with 30 days of good weather needed to make repairs – not to mention cash. MDOT, which would need to provide around $2.4m for capital and operating costs, minus passenger fares, is currently reviewing the proposal.

Comment [5]

Local

State Review Board rejects Glen Ann Place

Posted by Murph on 27. January 2007

The State Historic Preservation Review Board has rejected an appeal that would have allowed Glen Ann Place (pictured) to move forward, upholding the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission’s action against that project.

From the Michigan Business Review:

A state-level appeal by the developers of Glen Ann Place was denied Tuesday in a ruling that affirms the decision of the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission to prevent demolition of two houses necessary to make way for the 10-story mixed-use development.

...

An initial ruling from an administrative judge authorized the demolition in the fall, but this month’s decision overturns that in favor of the original vote not to allow demolition.

Among the points in the opinion, the state says the houses are inhabitable and do not require demolition; the HDC was not biased against Freed; and that the HDC decision supports historic preservation goals, since both houses are over 100 years old, possess a substantial amount of original historic material, and contribute to and complement the historic character of the Old Fourth Ward.

Text of the State Historic Preservation Review Board Decision:

• Part One
• Part Two

Previously on AU:

• September 2006: The Return of Glen Ann Place
• September 2005: Glen Ann stalled by Historic District Commission

Comment [51]

Business

MichBio to provide matchmaking for Pfizer (un)employees

Posted by Murph on 24. January 2007

Life science industry association MichBio put out a call today for Michigan companies to submit information on current or expected job openings, with the intent of serving as a clearinghouse for Pfizer employees seeking to remain in the State. Their release, and news articles on Pfizer’s impact on the region’s life sciences prospects, below the cut.

• Read More »

Arts

Last Year in Local Music

Posted by Brandon on 23. January 2007

Music websites Celestial Biscuit and Just Haircuts and Jackets offer their recaps of music from Washtenaw County and beyond in 2006.

On a related note, the Bluish Barn will be screening a documentary about Madisonfest this Thursday at 9 p.m.:

Of course, if you missed the Madisonfest, this is your chance to get a sense of what happened. But what I like about the format is that it performs a sort of leveling to what can be a confusing and seemingly impenetrable local music scene for people who might not have ever heard of Madisonfest. You don’t have to be part of the scene to know about some obscure house show where one of these artists is playing. You don’t have to stay up late in a smoky bar or sit awkwardly among a bunch of reverent scenesters. And you don’t have to be assaulted with reminders about merch for sale or feel weird about leaving to go to the bathroom – or just leaving. People ignorant of the local “folk” scene – or whatever it’s called – can judge the performers alongside each other onscreen, one song at a time.

It’s incredibly mediated, but incredibly convenient, like many modern pleasures. Come get to know a huge chunk of Ann Arbor’s local music scene in 2 hours in the comfort of the Bluish Barn parlor room.

Local

Pfizer Closing

Posted by Juliew on 22. January 2007

The entire Ann Arbor facility is closing.

From A2News Flash
From CNN
From Pfizer Web Site
In Research and Development, the company is planning to close three research sites in the United States — Ann Arbor, MI, Esperion (also in Ann Arbor) and Kalamazoo, MI (where the company will continue to maintain a large manufacturing and Animal Health presence).

Here are a few breakdowns of the Pfizer facility in Ann Arbor:

• 177 acres dedicated to Pfizer Global Research & Development (PGRD) functions
• 2,700 employees
• More than 2 million square feet of facility space broken down as follows: 33% laboratory, 28% office, 17 percent lab support, 14% production, and 8% amenities.

Comment [172]

City Council

City Council: Barton Green Edition

Posted by Juliew on 22. January 2007

Monday, January 22 at 7:00 pm.
City Council Agenda

Highlights:

• Four of the agenda times are related to the Barton Green development. This is a development of over 200 units on 32 acres on the west side of Pontiac Trail (north of Skydale Drive).
• Revisiting the resolution to create the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board, eliminate the Existing Community Development Executive Committee and Housing Policy Board, and retain the Existing Waiver and Review Board. This was postponed from the January 8 meeting.

Comment [18]

Local

Planning Commission: Capital Improvements Redux

Posted by Juliew on 17. January 2007

Thursday, January 18 at 7:00 pm.

Planning Commission Agenda

Highlights:

• Capital Improvements Plan
• Ashley Mews PUD revision
• Burton Commons Rezoning and Planned Project Site Plan, 8.06 acres, 2559-2805 Burton Road. A request to rezone this site from R1C (Single-Family Dwelling District) to R4C (Multiple-Family Dwelling District) and construct 120 units in five three-story buildings with 185 parking spaces.
• Liberty Place Condominiums Rezoning and Planned Project Site Plan, 4.65 acres, northeast corner of Liberty Road and I-94. A request to rezone this site from UNZ (Unzoned District) to R4B (Multiple-Family Dwelling District) and a proposal to construct 63 residential units in seven two-story buildings with 98 parking spaces (83 in garages).

Note: the schedule for City Council and Planning Commission Meetings should be back to normal soon. All these pesky holidays in December and January have made for some unusual meeting times.

Comment [15]

Local

Ann Arbor Democratic Party General Meeting

Posted by Juliew on 12. January 2007

January 13, 2007 10:00 am to 12 Noon
(New member orientation 9:30 am)
Michigan League, Koessler Room, 3rd floor (corner of Fletcher St. and North University)

Agenda:

1. Approval of December minutes
2. Resolution regarding escalation of Iraq war (see below)
3. Appointment of liaison to city/county clerk
4. Bylaws change in Article 2 (proposed changes to be distributed at the meeting)
5. Discussion: a) Priorities of city party for 2007, b) Update on Court/police building, c) Open discussion

Full information is on the Ann Arbor Democratic Party web site.

Thanks David Cahill for submitting the agenda.

Comment [4]

Campus

New construction proposed on East University

Posted by Murph on 10. January 2007

The City has apparently received site plans for “Zaragon Place”, a 10-story building on East University, which would include 66 rental apartments, ground floor retail space, and two levels of that elusive grail, underground parking. The News states that apartments would be furnished, 2- to 6- bedrooms, and priced at around $1,000 per bedroom. (Compare to recent discussion of area rental rates on AAiO.)

These plans have already begun to ring alarms, as the site is currently the home of the Anberay Apartments, pictured. (Photo from City of A2 online assessing database.) As quoted in the News,

Until Sept. 11, 2001, the three-story Anberay was protected as part of Ann Arbor’s Individual Historic Properties Historic District. That historic district was dissolved as the result of a multi-year court battle over whether the city could group individual, scattered properties together for preservation.

The 23-unit Anberay was built in 1923 and designed by Albert Rousseau and George McConkey, who were architecture professors at the U-M. The duo also designed other landmarks, including St. Mary’s Student Chapel and the Trotter House.
. . .
“There are so few (buildings) in that style in Ann Arbor,’‘ said [Susan] Wineberg, who is a board member of the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission. “I think everybody cares a lot about that building; of all the apartment buildings that are from that era … the Anberay is the best of those that still exist.’‘

Maggie Ladd, of the South University Area Association, is quoted as saying that her organization is “happy with the plans”, and that the developer met with the association several times during the design of the project.

Zaragon Place is scheduled to go before the City’s “Advisory Development Committee” this Friday at 2pm; the project is not yet scheduled for an appearance before the Planning Commission.

Comment [39]

City Council

City Council: Google Parking

Posted by Juliew on 7. January 2007

Monday, January 8 at 7:00 pm.
City Council Agenda

Highlights:

• Resolution to request the DDA “work with” City Council to find free parking for Google.
• Approval of non-motorized transportation plan.
• Resolution to create the Housing and Human Services Advisory Board while eliminating the existing CDBG Executive Committee and Housing Policy Board.

Comment [118]