Arbor Update

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ArborUpdate First Birthday Party, Tonight!

Posted by Murph on 2. June 2005

Arbor Update was officially launched on 2 June 2004, meaning that it’s just about time for a birthday party. All are invited:

ArborUpdate First Birthday Party

2 June 2005

7pm, Leopold Bros.

It won’t be anything fancy; we just plan to take over a nice long table and converse face-to-face for a change. You can RSVP over at Upcoming.org, or just show up. Masks and cloaks are welcome, if you enjoy anonymity and want to keep it that way.

For nostalgia’s sake, the original site launch press release is behind the cut.

Update: Fixed rsvp link to the current upcoming posting (as opposed to the historic one).

Update: Changed the posting date to bring this to the top of the site; changed the title because the party is tonight! Look for an ArborUpdate sign, or a huddle of shaggy lookin’ geeks.

Comment [29] • Read More »

Campus

Rising rents push Underworld out of Ann Arbor

Posted by Murph on 1. June 2005

Game and comic shop The Underworld will be closing up shop at the end of June. The store, originally a spin-off of the Dawn Treader bookstore, has been on South University for at least ten years (my personal experience with it), but the owner says he can’t handle the rising rents.

Not only is the Underworld’s current landlord hiking the rents, but the store has looked at several other spaces in town, and can’t find one that’s reasonably priced. Everything in the store is discounted, and, at the end of June, any remaining stock will be moved to the East Lansing store, where rents are apparently still reasonable.

Comment [44]

Politics

State considering housing inspection limits

Posted by Murph on 1. June 2005

Representative Chris Ward (R-Brighton) has introduced a bill to the Michigan House that would limit the ability of cities to conduct housing inspections. Currently, rental housing must be inspected for safety violations every two years; House Bill 4473 (2005) would require inspections at least every five years, and no more frequently than once every three.

Additionally, the bill would,

• Require that any complaints by tenants be presented in writing to landlords before they could be the basis for an inspection.
• Prevent local housing authorities from inspecting any housing already inspected by HUD or the Michigan State Housing Development Agency.
• Reduce the ability of cities to conduct follow-up inspections to ensure that violations had been corrected.
• Reduce the ability of cities to recoup administrative costs of inspections (the bill is predicted to cost Lansing’s Housing Department up to $1 million).
• Reduce the severity of certain types of violations – like non-functioning smoke detectors.

Several Michigan cities and local newspapers have come out against the bill, which is seen as good for landlords and bad for renters. Ann Arbor City Councilmember Leigh Greden says that he has drafted a Council resolution against the bill, and is in the process of lining up co-sponsors.

Comment [8]

Local

Ten Story Building Proposed

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 1. June 2005

The Ann Arbor News’ terse article reports:

Joseph Freed & Associates has submitted plans to the city requesting a rezoning and site plan approval for a 214,000-square-foot building that would include three levels of underground parking.

With 93 units, the project would be larger than the combination of the 68-unit Liberty Lofts project under construction in the former Eaton manufacturing building on First Street and the 21-unit Loft 322 project on Liberty Street also in the works.

About 35 percent of the units would be one-bedroom and 65 percent two-bedroom. One penthouse would have three bedrooms.

> Ann Arbor News: 10-story downtown building proposed Project to have 93 condos

Comment [38]

Local

Greenway hearing unbalanced?

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 31. May 2005

The Friends of the Ann Arbor Greenway are making noise, calling the speaker line-up at the upcoming city greenway hearing bias. The meeting will consist of one hour of pre-selected speakers, followed by up to three hours of public commentary, with a follow-up meeting if there is more demand for public commentary time.

“What we are getting is a biased event in favor of a fake greenway,” Wong said.

Ann Arbor News: Greenway hearing sparking criticism Open-space campaigners say roster is unbalanced

Comment [93] • Read More »

Politics

Suckers: A gateway gateway drug?

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 31. May 2005

Lenawee County State Rep. Dudley Spade is on a mission to save the children of Michigan from the scourge of a dangerous class of suckers. Spade is not concerned about the much fretted-over choking risk of this form of candy, but rather the potential to lure kids to the shady underworld of drug users. Reportedly, suckers flavored like marijuana (without the THC) have become popular with the kids, and Spade thinks this may entice them to try the real thing. He intends to submit legislation to ban this form of candy.

The Pot Sucker label contains a warning, which says the product is “highly addictive” and “tastes like the real ‘deal.’ ” Pot Suckers retail for $2.

Marijuana-flavored candy comes in several forms, Spade said. There is also chronic candy, which is sold by the ounce or in nickel bags. Other companies sell chocolate-covered pretzels and peanut butter cups with marijuana flavoring.

> via: BoingBoing via The Candy Blog
> Lenawee County Daily Telegram: Spade targets drug-flavored candy

Local

Ann Arbor Council primary drama(?) has begun

Posted by Murph on 30. May 2005

Planning Commissioner Eric Lipson has announced his intent to run against City Councilmember Marcia Higgins in the August Democratic primary for Higgins’ Council seat. So far, this is the only known-contested Council race.

The Ann Arbor News quotes Lipson on the attack,

“She is not a very visible member of council,” Lipson said.

Lipson said Higgins wasn’t involved in Rosewood Street’s traffic calming efforts a couple of years ago.

“We never got any assistance from Marcia,” Lipson said. “She never came to any of our meetings. We felt we were left hanging. ... I just feel like the 4th Ward could use more effective representation.”

Lipson called himself a “lifelong Democrat” and said Higgins was a “Democrat of convenience” who switched parties because it was easier to get elected in a strongly Democratic town.

The “Democrat-in-Name-Only” status that Lipson attaches to Higgins is somewhat weakened by her past support for same-sex benefits and, most recently, the Council’s decision to pay a living wage to trash sorters.

Comment [58]

Local

New West Side Association

Posted by Scott Trudeau on 28. May 2005

ArborUpdate frequent commenter Dale has started a new project, the New West Side Association. This project includes a web site (at time of this posting, still pretty rough) and associated blog, where he writes:

the New West Side Association as a way to provide West Siders—particularly renters and students—with a means of staying informed on West Side events, politics, and entertainment. If you rent on the West Side, if you are a student at Michigan, or if you have an interest in promoting student and renter issues within the city, you should consider joining the New West Side Association. Students and renters need a voice within the city; a forum for debating their values; an organization to effect change. Though Ann Arbor was an active city for student politics in the past, no such organization currently exists. Stay tuned for more announcements and information on the New West Side.

Comment [24]

Local

Saturday: The Bang!

Posted by Brandon on 25. May 2005

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AT THE BLIND PIG
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Local

McGovern takes issue with Prop A critics

Posted by Murph on 25. May 2005

The role of the Headlee Amendment and Proposal A in Ann Arbor’s fiscal pressures has been a popular topic on this site. Ann Arbor News columnist Judy McGovern, however, won’t tolerate any criticism of Proposal A.

Comment [10] • Read More »