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 was surprised by that, but the school didn’t feel that full (as usual). Was there some other event going on at the same time?
I’ve seen the parking lot full for other events – The Science Olympiad, for example.
Re[2]–ok, that’s true, BUT that’s an elementary school event held at a high school, it’s not a high school event…
Re[1] It just goes to show what happens when most people get to school by 1 or 2 people in a car–the parking lot can’t hold them. A lot of kids get to Skyline by bus or being dropped off.
In fact–interesting sidenote–Sulura Jackson spent some time talking about how some kids who had chosen Skyline as a school of choice/magnet had to drop out and go to their home school because of the AAPS transportation cuts. I am not sure how many kids they lost that way but the freshman class has just over 380 kids and the sophomore class has well over 400.
There was also a box in the lobby for people with transportation problems to write notes. I don’t know how many people saw them.
There seemed to be some event going on in the football stadium that night. Possibly a soccer game.
I’m encouraged that so many parents came.