Comments on: More Zoning? Nope. Street Repaving!!

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:56:20 +0000

“Wasn’t anybody paying attention to the ordinance?!”

Obviously not but it’s ok because “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

By: Alan Goldsmith

Alan Goldsmith — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:51:44 +0000

I’m still waiting for the city to release the contract and terms with Ann Arbor Public Art Commission Administrator Katherine Talcott as requested by the Ann Arbor News several weeks ago.

Has this happened yet?

By: Miller Resident

Miller Resident — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:48:23 +0000

I must agree with Rob about Miller Ave from Newport/7th to Main. The street is in shockingly dismal shape, especially considering (or due to) the amount of traffic it gets.

Furthermore, while not directly related to this article, the need for a traffic light on Huron at Chapin is equally pressing. The number of people crossing Huron on foot to get to the YMCA is huge, and I’ve personally witnessed several near-accidents.

By: An Bui DocuSign Social Media

An Bui DocuSign Social Media — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:20:45 +0000

Thanks for mentioning DocuSign. We’re really pleased and excited to have Ann Arbor using our technology. If you want more information about DocuSign, check out our blog (http://blog.docusign.com) or our Web site (http://www.docusign.com/)

Best,
An

By: Dave Cahill

Dave Cahill — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:19:12 +0000

Thanks to the Chronicle for printing the part of the public art ordinance that was not followed. Section 1:837 requires City Council to approve guidelines to implement the ordinance (which is chapter 24 of the City Code).

No proposed guidelines were ever presented to City Council, and of course none were adopted. Therefore, the resolution approving the design work did not have any legal effect, since no guidelines were adopted.

Wasn’t anybody paying attention to the ordinance?!

By: Ostrich-in-a-Pothole

Ostrich-in-a-Pothole — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:30:22 +0000

Roughly $4.8 million is not an insignificant amount for road repaving. Unfortunately, it does not begin to address the total of — a fraction of — the needs within the city limits. Is there any comprehensive plan for addressing the state of our roads? It isn’t just the thaw-induced potholes (though they are omnipresent), but rather the sections of road which are so raw as to become perilous. Citizens are being forced to pay to have sidewalks “repaired” to a mirror-smooth standard, while the roads are ignored. Choose north-south corridors or east-west; the examples are plentiful.

The water and sewer systems are a related problem, of course, and another to which the city seems to prefer to ignore. What investments were made in the boom years of increasing tax revenues? What vision for infrastructure does the Council have at this point? Or is it the Council’s master plan that we all abandon cars and running water altogether and just walk with water buckets to the community well in the town center?

By: Steve Bean

Steve Bean — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 03:27:45 +0000

“Last year, the public art commission recommended allocation of around $70,000 to Herbert Dreiseitl – a German artist-architect who specializes in storm-water based installations – for initial design work on the project, which city council approved earlier this year.”

Clarification of the above wording: Council approved the $70,000 allocation for the design work, not the ($700,000+) project.

That’s important because approval of the project must conform to 1:836 with regard to an estimate of maintenance costs. Kirsten Jensen’s objection relative to that section is off base since no project proposal exists yet.

By: ROB

ROB — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 02:17:21 +0000

RE: MILLER AVE PROJECT
What about the rest of Miller – from Newport to Main?!? The section from Seventh to Main is in even worse condition than the section west of Newport – absolutely third world – Kabul’s streets are probably in better shape. It won’t even be drivable, soon, let alone safe for bikes. Most major streets in A2 are either too narrow or too busy for bike traffic anyway. When I had a bike, the only place I ever felt safe was on the sidewalks, or the bike paths along the river. I’ll take my chances with the pedestrians rather than the cement mixers and gravel trains, thank you.