Rezoning Request Denied for 3325 Packard
Ann Arbor planning commissioners have recommended denial of a request to rezone 3325 Packard from R1C (single-family dwelling) to R2A (two-family dwelling). The vote was unanimous among the six commissioners present on the nine-member body.
Aerial view of 3325 Packard, at the intersection of Fernwood.
The owner had requested the rezoning in order to build a duplex on the property, which is currently vacant.
The site is located at the northwest corner of Packard and Fernwood, in the Darlington subdivision.
A fire destroyed the single-family house there in April of 2012.
According to city assessor records, the property is owned by Philip Weaver of Bradenton, Florida.
Planning staff had recommended that the zoning request be denied, because the city’s master plan calls for single-family detached housing in that area.
During their deliberations, commissioners expressed a reluctance to deviate from the master plan and indicated they did not want to engage in “spot zoning.”
However, it was suggested that the owner of 3325 Packard work with the owners of other nearby properties to request, for example, that an entire blockface of properties be similarly rezoned. That’s an approach that has been taken in recent years on Golden Avenue in the Burns Park area.
This brief was filed from the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link]