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.
Juliew,
Any idea why the U.S. Forest Service is involved, as opposed to our regular city foresters?
I really doubt that the U.S. Forest service is involve in any way. LOL Probably a private Forest ( tree cutting) company. Perhaps Urban Foresters?
Dave, it is private property, so not under city auspices.
Sorry Zollar, pretty sure it is the US Forest Service since they left a card (part of the State and Private Forestry division: [link]). They/or their partner organization are working with the owner to remove the tree for free (it would be thousands if a commercial company did it) and then presumably the Forest Service will sell the wood or wood products. Another neighbor took down some big walnuts a few years ago and the company who did it brought their own sawmill and milled the wood as they cut the tree. Walnuts are worth quite a lot, especially big straight ones.
I stand corrected. Thanks for the link.
This may be sad for the passerby, but I gotta agree that the walnut trees are messy. Seems like they’re always dropping something on the roof that needs to be cleaned up, from the green, mushy nut/casings to leaf-twigs ’bout a foot long. I’ve thought many times about cutting down the tree next to my house, or at least the big branches over my roof.
Removing this tree isn’t bad for passerby as it was in someone’s back yard, but it is a bit hard for those of us who used to look at a lovely big tree and now look at a not-so-lovely apartment building. But it is really hard for the people in the apartment building, who used to have shade, and won’t this summer.
We have walnuts and maples and the maples seem messier to me. I think most trees are messy really. Probably would be easier to cut them down in general, but I’ve lived in Colorado without trees and I’d rather put up with a bit of mess to have them.