Arbor Update

Politics

Candidate questionnaire, August 09: Grow, shrink, develop?

Posted by Murph on 30. July 2009

Continuing our candidate questionnaire results…

#3 – How do you see Ann Arbor growing, shrinking, and developing over the next 15 years? Where should growth be encouraged or discouraged, and how should the City manage the impacts of these decisions?

Kunselman: I see Ann Arbor being fairly stagnant over the next decade and then possibly picking up. When we review the real estate development cycles in Ann Arbor, it’s pretty clear that every 10 years we peak and crash. My observation is this: during the 60’s, at least 2 very large apartment buildings were built downtown (Tower Plaza and U-Tower). Then the economy tanked in the 70’s and nothing was built. In the 80’s, 3 large buildings were built: One North Main, 301 E. Liberty, and Sloan Plaza. Then the Savings and Loan crash happened and nothing was built during the 90’s (except for the DTE building on Main which was heavily subsidized by DTE). And during the last decade (2000’s) we had Zaragon Place, 411 Lofts, and Ashley Terrace – and subsequently the biggest economic meltdown since the Great Depression leaving no doubt in my mind that there will not be any buildings of significant size being built in Ann Arbor for another 10 years. As for encouraging growth, let’s be real, the only policies Council has promoted to actually encourage building is to subsidize private development with tax abatements, tax credits, partnerships with developers, and direct payments to developers. All of these “tools” have been tried by Council, and none of them have led to any substantial economic growth (i.e. building construction) – in fact, every partnership the City has engaged in with a private developer has failed so far, but those developers that avoided council partnerships have all built their buildings – so, maybe we should take a hint and try something else rather than assigning staff to be “speculative developers.”

Greden: Ann Arbor – along with Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo – is one of three urban centers that will drive Michigan’s economic growth in the coming decade. If Ann Arbor does not prosper and enjoy economic growth, our region and State face serious problems that will have a devastating impact on every aspect of our life, including schools, parks, and human rights. I support the A2D2 plan, which will encourage downtown growth while protecting nearby neighborhoods. I will continue to support initiatives to draw new jobs to Ann Arbor, which – despite the false claims of one of my opponents – cost the City nothing.

(Candidates Bullington, Anglin, and Rosencrans did not provide responses.)

Comment [8]

Politics

Candidate questionnaire, August 09: Transportation

Posted by Murph on 30. July 2009

Continuing our candidate questionnaire results…

#4 – How will you work to ensure a safe, effective, and efficient transportation system in the city, ranging from biking and walking to transit options like AATA or the proposed commuter rails?

Greden: I have long supported the City’s pedestrian transportation program, which adds new bike lanes and sidewalks as part of road re-construction projects. I also support the expansion of regional mass transit in partnership with SEMCOG, U-M, and other local governments.

Kunselman: I can’t answer this question with much specificity as it is too broad of a topic, and much of our transportation planning occurs outside of City Hall. But I’ve always been supportive of pursuing a “safe, effective, and efficient transportation system.” As the candidate that is the most multi-modal of any (I have been known to bike, catch a bus, travel by train, drive a car, ride a motorcycle, and skateboard to my destinations), I know all too well the importance of the need for good roads (potholes are known to have killed motorcyclists), defined bike lanes, and laws that permit skateboarding as a form of transportation. As for the commuter rails – WALLY is dead due to a lack of Livingston County cooperation and cost sharing. And resurrecting commuter rail to Detroit will entail a huge federal subsidy that is not likely to happen during any tenure that I may have on Council; I would rather the Feds at least subsidize the Stadium Bridge reconstruction.

(Candidates Bullington, Anglin, and Rosencrans did not provide responses.)

Comment [2]

Politics

Candidate questionnaire, August 09: Palestine

Posted by Murph on 30. July 2009

Continuing our candidate questionnaire results…

#5 – Would you support Council discussion of a resolution to support sanctioning Israeli actions towards the Palestinian people? What is your opinion on past Council discussion of resolutions on divestment from South Africa (1986), urging the lifting of economic sanctions against Iraq (2000), or opposing war with Iraq (2002)?

Kunselman: From the examples that are provided, it’s pretty clear that previous Councils have avoided deliberating the “hot topic” international issues that are obviously under the purview of the federal government. While I have my own views on these issues, bringing them to the Council table is not what I believe a Council member is elected to do and thus, no, I do not support discussing issues pertaining to the Mideast, Tibet, Somalia, North Korea, China, or any other country where human lives are being trampled by repressive authorities.

Greden: No. I do not believe the City Council should involve itself in foreign policy matters.

(Candidates Bullington, Anglin, and Rosencrans did not provide responses.)

Comment [57]

Politics

Candidate questionnaire, August 09: Online discussions

Posted by Murph on 30. July 2009

We only received responses to our questionnaire from two candidates, Leigh Greden and Stephen Kunselman, both in the 3rd Ward, but we don’t want to push back posting the answers too long. (The first question we asked, though, involved participating in online discussions, so maybe we do have everyone’s answers for this one…) We’ll provide separate posts for each question so that comments can be kept straight between the posts.

#1 – Do you expect to take part in online discussions on municipal issues? How do these discussions, whether on news sites or less formal outlets, factor into your consideration of issues?

Kunselman: I occasionally read on-line discussions offered by the various media and blog outlets but I tend not to participate in them and don’t expect to if elected to public office. While I enjoy reading the opinions posted, I will not engage in “opinion swapping” with people who post anonymously, and for the most part, that is what I see predominately on the on-line discussions. Will citizen opinions factor into my decision making – most certainly, that’s what politics is all about.

Greden: I have participated in on-line discussions about municipal issues on AU in the past. I will continue to do so as appropriate. On-line discussions are one of many factors I consider when making decisions. Other factors include correspondence from 3rd Ward residents, policy statements from City staff, legal opinions from the City Attorney, and my own personal conviction.

Local Media

Ann Arbor Cable Service

Posted by Bruce Fields on 25. July 2009

In response to MattH’s request, cable commissioner Jeff Meyers writes:

I’ve been pushing CTN to provide Google or YouTube videos of all council and commission meetings. Their response has been that there have been no requests for such an offering and so they are reluctant to allocate resources to do so. If you would like the option of accessing the city’s meetings via those video services I highly recommend sending letters and emails letting CTN know your desires.

and to Alan Goldsmith’s question: “any word on CTN working with AT&T Uverse to broadcast its programing? I still get to pay my local tax each month on my bill but CTN isn’t available”:

We have unsuccessfully tried to convince AT&T to assign the city its own channels and they refuse to do so.

What more could we be getting out of CTN and the local cable franchises?

Comment [17]

Local Media

The News is dead, long live the News.

Posted by Murph on 25. July 2009

As of yesterday, AnnArbor.com is live.

Several comment threads on the site allow for watching the site refine itself on the fly.

Comment [22]

(Urban) Planning

Development in Ann Arbor: Finding Common Ground

Posted by Nancy Shore on 20. July 2009

Recent discussions of proposed developments, such as New North, City Place and the Moravian highlight a real division in our town.

On the one had there are those who say they are supportive of development and density, but argue that all of the proposed developments are “bad”. These folks seem to suggest that if the right type of development came along, they would certainly support it. But that hasn’t happened yet.

On the other hand are those who want density and development no matter the scale in order to attract the people who will keep Ann Arbor vital. These folks argue that all density is good density, regardless of some of the consequences.

So where’s the middle ground? If Ann Arbor is going to grow (which some would argue is inevitable while others would argue isn’t going to happen) how should it grow? What does good development look like?

Comment [50]

City Council

City Council: More Zoning

Posted by Juliew on 20. July 2009

City Council: Monday, July 20 at 7:00 pm.
Agenda

Appetizer:
Herbert Dreiseitl will present his proposed public art designs at a reception at City Hall Monday, July 20 from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. at City Hall.

Highlights:

• City Place Site Plan and Development Agreement Public Hearing (request for postponement has been entered by the developer).
• A2D2 Zoning Changes
• Resolution for a temporary stop on development within the R4C and R2A Zoning Districts
• Public hearing and action on AATA Park and Ride Lot Site Plan (southwest of the intersection of Plymouth Road and US-23).

Comment [8]

Events

Michigan Beer Month/Ann Arbor Beer Week

Posted by Patti Smith on 14. July 2009

Thanks to our very own State Representative Rebekah Warren (D-Ann Arbor), July is officially Michigan Beer month! A little closer to home we have our first Ann Arbor Beer Week! There are many events happening, including:

July 13-24: Michigan Beer Cup Challenge—a competition between Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti to see who totals the highest average per pints of Michigan beer). This challenge is put on by Rave Associates

July 20: Beer Trivia at Ashley’s

July 21: Beer Class at 7pm with Rene Greff (of ABC and Corner Brewery), held at Ashley’s. (Must get tickets in advance, see Arbor’s website)

July 21: Cantillon St. Lamvinus Draft Release at Ashley’s at 6pm. The only keg of Cantillion that is coming to Michigan this year!

July 22: Michigan Beer T-shirt discount (at various pubs around town). Wear your Michigan beer t-shirt and get discounts.

July 22: Rolling Beer Dinner, 5-11, at Arbor B.C.

July 22: Michigan Firkin multi-tap at Ashley’s. Starts at 6pm.

July 22-23: Meet the Brewers, starting at 7pm, at Aubree’s

July 23: Pub Crawl through ABC, The Arena, Bar Louie and Ashleys. Starts at 7pm.

July 24-25: Michigan Brewers’ Summer Beer Festival Held in the beautiful Riverside Park in Ypsilanti on Friday from 5-9 and Saturday from 1-6. Afterglow party at Aubree’s on Friday starting at 9:30. See a list of the beers here!

Bottoms up!

Comment [17]

Local Media

All the News That's Fit to ...

Posted by Juliew on 13. July 2009

When the Ann Arbor News ceases publication on July 23, Ann Arbor is going to find itself without a local daily printed newspaper for the first time in at least a century. Love it or hate it (and there were plenty of people in both camps), the Ann Arbor News was the go-to local news and information source for most people in town. When you asked someone “did you see it in the paper last night?” everyone knew what you meant.

While AnnArbor.com would like to take over the mantle of default news provider, changing the name, firing almost all the employees, and moving to a primarily online vehicle has caused enough shakeup that they are going to have to earn this title. With the home delivery last week of the weekly Ann Arbor Journal, it is clear that news sources are scrambling to fill the void (and advertising dollars) that will be left by the demise of the Ann Arbor News. AnnArbor.com is focusing on their “24/7” web presence with the addition of Thursday and Sunday printed papers. The Ann Arbor Journal has a web site, as well as a fairly active Twitter account and a Facebook page, but will focus primarily on their weekly printed paper. The Ann Arbor Observer is a long-time, well-respected printed monthly known for their full-length articles that has recently revamped their website to provide more articles online. Interestingly, the Michigan Daily will be the only local daily paper come September, although they don’t publish on the weekends (and they are a weekly during the summer). The Ann Arbor Chronicle has garnered a lot of enthusiasm with their online daily news site. And of course, there are many other news and specialty blogs like ArborUpdate and MGoBlog and e-mail groups such as ArborParents.

In addition to the media scrum, we are left with several fundamental questions. What is a newspaper if there is no paper? If it is online, is it really more of a blog? How about if it accepts comments? What is news? The Ann Arbor Journal wrote about local events and people, which had some people saying “where’s the news?” Should a newspaper reflect a community (political endorsements?). What is a journalist? Someone with a degree in journalism? Someone with experience writing? Someone who is paid to write? What is a citizen journalist?

Maybe in the next few months, we will learn some of the answers. What do you think?

Comment [90]