Brown Recommended for N. Main Group
At its May 23, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor public art commission (AAPAC) unanimously recommended that Connie Rizzolo Brown be nominated for a position on a task force to study the corridor along North Main Street and the Huron River. That recommendation will be forwarded to mayor John Hieftje.
The task force was established by the city council at its May 7, 2012 meeting, with membership to include the following: one member of the park advisory commission, one member of the planning commission, one resident representing the Water Hill neighborhood, one resident representing the North Central neighborhood, one resident from the Old Fourth Ward, one resident representing the Broadway/Pontiac neighborhood, two business and property owners from the affected area, and one member of the Huron River Watershed Council.
At its May 21 meeting, the two sponsors of the resolution that created the task force – Ward 1 councilmembers Sabra Briere and Sandi Smith – proposed adding three additional representatives: a member of the city council, someone from the boating/fishing community of river users, a representative from the Huron River Citizens Association. Tony Derezinski (Ward 2), who also serves on AAPAC, then proposed an amendment to add an AAPAC member to the task force. The AAPAC addition was passed by council on a 6-5 vote. [See Chronicle coverage: "Positions Added to North Main Task Force"] Appointments are expected to be made at the council’s June 4 meeting.
At AAPAC’s May 23 meeting, Derezinski told commissioners that “basically, we need someone at the table.”
The task force is charged with delivering a report to the city council more than a year from now – by July 31, 2013 – that describes “a vision to create/complete/enhance pedestrian and bike connection from downtown to Bandemer and Huron River Drive, increase public access to the river-side amenities of existing parks in the North Main-Huron River corridor, ease traffic congestion at Main and Depot at certain times of a day and recommend use of MichCon property at Broadway; …”
Earlier than that – by the end of 2012 – the task force is to make recommendations on the use of the city-owned 721 N. Main parcel.
Brown has served on AAPAC since early 2009, and has chaired the commission’s projects committee. She is a principal of Rizzolo Brown Studio, an Ann Arbor architecture firm.
This brief was filed from the basement conference room of city hall at 301 E. Huron, where AAPAC held its meeting. A more detailed report will follow.
I just called and they said the Y will be open tomorrow.
Called the Media Relations number for DTE and am looking forward to their comments on this. (and let’s just see how they handle it…)
This is the link for Media Relations info, and this is the current outage map.
Len Singer from DTE Energy, via voice mail:
hi this message is for edward this is Len Singer from D T E energy returning your phone call regarding the power outage at the Ann Arbor YMCA The outage was caused by a blown underground transformer happened about one forty five this afternoon and we do have crews that are working on that we’re in the process of replacing the transformer power is still out that we should get that completed sometime plans either later tonight or early in the you know overnight hours and i would expect that things would be better than normal tomorrow so the Y and it looks like there may be a few other businesses down in the area that that were affected by this as well but everyone should be back as i say either late tonight or through the early morning hours on monday.
(transcription by Google Voice, with most errors fixed but no attempt at punctuation)
The Y pool(s) water will be cold today (Monday), according to a Y official who communicated with one of the Y members last night.
After an early morning swim at the Y, I am happy to report that the water temperature was absolutely fine, and the Y is pretty much back to normal.