The greenbelt advisory commission is one of the few boards and commissions for which the nominations to serve come from the city council as a body, not from the mayor. The item had been on the council’s agenda at its May 7 meeting – but only inadvertently. It had been intended only as a communication item. The council voted to postpone consideration of the reappointment until the May 21 meeting.

The commission’s membership is defined in terms of qualifications in different categories. Allen fills the slot on the commission designated for a real estate developer. Riseng fills a slot designated for a plant or animal biologist. According to her University of Michigan faculty profile, Riseng is an “aquatic ecologist with specific focus on fluvial ecosystems and benthic invertebrate ecology.”

The complete slate of membership positions include the following: two members to serve as representatives of environmental or conservation groups; one member who is an agricultural landowner or operates an agricultural business; one member who is a real estate development professional; one member who is a plant or animal professional; one member who is a plant or animal biologist; three members from the public-at-large; one member of the Ann Arbor city council.

The city council representative to the greenbelt advisory commission is Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5).

This brief was filed from the city council’s chambers on the second floor of city hall, located at 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow.

The pink arrow marks the location of the Gordon Hall property, where Civil War Days will be held on June 8-10, 2012. Green blocks are properties protected in part through the city of Ann Arbor's greenbelt program. The green line with red dots is the Ann Arbor greenbelt program boundary for eligible properties. As the map shows, several protected properties lie within Webster Township. (Image links to higher resolution file.)

Host for the re-enactor units will be the 4th Michigan Regiment, Company A, led by captain Russ Paul. Also expected at Gordon Hall for Civil War Days this year are the following units: 17th Michigan, Company E; 21st Michigan, Company H; U.S.S. Michigan Marine Guard Battery B; 1st Michigan Light Artillery; and the Confederate Bledsoe’s Battery.

The decision to grant a festival permit came after the board had turned down the permit at its previous meeting on April 17 by a 4-3 vote. The resolutions considered by the board at its two recent meetings differed in a significant way. The resolution rejected at the April 17 meeting stated that the festival would be granted “… with egress and ingress over Webster Township grounds and conservation easement with no parking on Webster Township grounds only Scio Township.”

The resolution ultimately approved by the board stepped back from trying to describe how parking on and crossing of the property would be handled, and instead simply stipulated that the DAHS had to comply with the conservation easement on the property.

Dan Ezekiel, chair of Ann Arbor’s greenbelt advisory commission, attended the April 24 meeting and addressed the township board on the commission’s behalf. Although the Gordon Hall property lies outside the Ann Arbor greenbelt boundaries, the city of Ann Arbor and Webster Township have partnered on a number of other conservation easements in their collaborative effort to preserve open space. He wanted to encourage the board to defend the easement on the Gordon Hall property and not set a precedent that violating a conservation easement is acceptable.

After the meeting, Ezekiel indicated in conversation that he was, in fact, a history buff and was hoping to attend the Civil War Days – he hoped not as a picketer. 

Land Preservation Background

By way of background, a “conservation easement” is a way for a municipality to preserve land without purchasing it and becoming the owner of the land. A conservation easement is a legally enforceable agreement – between a landowner and a government agency or a land trust – for the purpose of conservation.

Voters in several local municipalities – including the city of Ann Arbor, Webster Township and Scio Township – have approved millages to fund the purchase of development rights (PDR). PDR is a common mechanism for protecting undeveloped land by letting owners keep their property for farming or other specified uses but preventing its development. Development is prevented through  a conservation easement.

A conservation easement restricts real estate development, commercial and industrial use, and certain other activities on a property to a level agreed to in the terms of the easement. In the case of the conservation easement on the Gordon Hall property, different parties have different perspectives on what’s allowed under terms of the easement.

Among land preservationists, it’s assumed that there might eventually be violations to terms of the easements. But if those violations happen, they’re more likely to occur when the property changes hands. So, as a part of every land preservation deal, Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program sets aside funds in an endowment, which will be used to cover expenses to monitor and enforce the greenbelt’s conservations easement – by legal action, if necessary. The Ann Arbor greenbelt’s endowment fund stands at roughly $445,500.

The Gordon Hall Civil War Days festival permit is an issue that piqued the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission’s interest last year. From The Chronicle’s coverage of the commission’s Dec. 14, 2011 meeting:

In addition to serving on Ann Arbor’s GAC, Tom Bloomer serves on the Webster Township farmland and open space preservation board. At [the Dec. 14, 2011] GAC meeting, he reported on a situation that’s arisen in Webster Township, which has implications for Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program.

Webster Township’s land preservation program was created in 2005. One of its first actions was to preserve land that includes the historic Gordon Hall, he said. The Dexter Area Historical Society had purchased the land and Gordon Hall from the University of Michigan about 10 years ago, and subsequently sold the development rights to Scio and Webster townships, through conservation easements to those townships.

Last summer, Bloomer said, the society approached Webster Township with a proposal to hold a Civil War re-enactment on the site. The event didn’t conflict with terms of the conservation easement, he said, but the society also wanted permission for spectator parking – and that did conflict with the easement. The township eventually agreed to a one-year exception to allow parking for several hundred vehicles, with the understanding that an exception wouldn’t be granted again, Bloomer said. It was fortunate that there was no rain during the event, so minimum damage was caused to the land.

However, the historic society now wants to amend the conservation easement so that parking for this kind of event would be allowed, Bloomer told GAC. The township’s farmland and open space preservation board has recommended denying that request, he said. The decision will ultimately be made by the Webster Township board of trustees, but the preservation board is looking for support from other land preservation entities – like GAC – before the township trustees vote.

The decision will impact more than just this piece of land, Bloomer said. It will affect Webster Township’s reputation as a conservator of land, and whether it can be trusted by its partners, including Ann Arbor, to adequately protect land in perpetuity.

The following month, at the commission’s Jan. 5, 2012 meeting, the Ann Arbor GAC passed a resolution encouraging the township board to strictly enforce all of its conservation easements. [.pdf of resolution]

Minutes of the Webster Township farmland and open space preservation board also reflect discussion of the issue. There’s an apparent disagreement about the interpretation of the Gordon Hall conservation easement – between the legal counsel for the open space preservation board and the legal counsel for the township. From the minutes of the April 9, 2012 meeting:

Old Business
A. DAHS easement parking.
[John] Westman reported that he still has not received, in writing, any information from the Township Attorney regarding parking on DAHS easement. Discussion took place regarding this issue. [Tom] Bloomer questioned why Township is not going on the advice of the Land Use Attorney, who is specialized in this area, but instead with the advice of the Township Attorney. Westman will let PDR Board Members know when this issue is on the agenda for the Township Board Meeting. Westman encouraged others to attend the Board meeting to express their concerns.

The wording of the resolution that the Webster Township board initially rejected appeared to try to give an interpretation to the conservation easement, or perhaps even implied a one-time amendment to the easement: “… with egress and ingress over Webster Township grounds and conservation easement with no parking on Webster Township grounds only Scio Township.”

The resolution considered and approved by the board at its most recent meeting did not try to characterize the specific logistical arrangements of crossing and parking, but rather required conformance with the easement: “… with the stipulation that they are in full compliance with the conservation easement.”

Initial Public Commentary

As required by the Michigan Open Meetings Act, the Webster Township board provided time for the public to address the body during its April 24 meeting.

Dan Ezekiel introduced himself as the chair of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission. He noted that Gordon Hall lies outside the boundaries of the Ann Arbor greenbelt area. So Ann Arbor does not have any direct interest in the conservation easement on the property, he said. He wanted to speak in general about the importance of maintaining easements, and if necessary enforcing them.

Dan Ezekiel of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission. In the background is Webster Township trustee Gary Koch.

Ezekiel told the board that the Ann Arbor greenbelt commission is very appreciative of the work that Webster Township has done to preserve open space. He said he is proud of the support that the Ann Arbor greenbelt had been able to give to the township. Working together, he said, Ann Arbor and Webster Township have secured conservation easements on several properties since 2005 – for example, the Bloomer and Nixon farms, the Webster Church property, as well as the Cares, Smyth and Merkel farms. All of those easements were funded partly by the city Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program, he said.

Ezekiel said the city and the township were working together to preserve the vibrant agricultural industry and the rural quality of the township, to prevent suburban sprawl, strip malls and manufactured home parks. He said he’s proud of the trust that’s grown up between the city and the township. Working together toward a common goal has built a reservoir of trust and goodwill, he said. Tom Bloomer serves on both Ann Arbor’s greenbelt advisory commission as well as the Webster Township farmland and open space preservation board, so he’s a good communication conduit between the city and the township, Ezekiel said. He noted that Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commissioner Liz Rother was also in attendance, as was Ginny Trocchio, the Conservation Fund staff member who supports the Ann Arbor greenbelt program.

Ezekiel told the board that trust between municipalities isn’t always the norm. Whenever Webster Township has told Ann Arbor it needs help in preserving a property, he said, the Ann Arbor GAC has always acted quickly, because GAC knows that the township has gone through a fair process to select the property and had made clear to a property owner who was selling a conservation easement what rights they were giving up. The process is transparent and everything is above board, he continued. Because of that, the public can trust the process. It would be tragic if anything were to break up the high level of trust between the township and the city, he said. Ann Arbor as well as the federal government have invested millions of dollars in conservation easements in Webster Township. So the city trusted the township to enforce those easements – otherwise those millions of dollars are worthless paper.

The industry standard is that any amendments to easements should enhance, not degrade, the conservation of the land. It’s only with great caution that any amendments at all should be made, Ezekiel said. Typically amendments to conservation easements are only for resolving ambiguity, he said.

Ezekiel noted that the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission had passed a resolution at its Jan. 5, 2012 meeting expressing the basic points he’d just reviewed. He thanked the township board for standing up for the Gordon Hall conservation easement the previous week.

Ray Tell told the board of trustees he hadn’t intended to speak, but hearing Ann Arbor’s concern about the greenbelt program had led him to want to address the trustees. He pointed out that at one time, the previous owner of Gordon Hall – the University of Michigan – had been planning to sell the land to develop condos. In that context, he did not believe that a once-a-year crossing of the land, or even parking on it, is all that big a deal. In the overall scope of things, he said, condos had been prevented from being built there.

The festival helps provide revenue to the nonprofit Dexter Area Historical Society, so that the organization can pay the mortgage on the Gordon Hall property, which it purchased from UM, Tell said. It’s worth reconsidering the issue even if for no other reason than to allow the historical society to pay off its debt. The historical society shouldn’t have to come before the board every year for permission, and he suggested that something along the lines of a 100-year agreement could be worked out.

Township Board Deliberations

Charles Estleman asked if there’d been any changes since the board’s meeting the previous week.

John Kingsley, who presided over the meeting as township supervisor, indicated he was aware of one contact, and he’d had discussions about the possibility of busing being provided [to mitigate the need for visitors to park on the property].

Webster Township supervisor John Kingsley and township clerk Mary Dee Heller.

But nothing has been determined about whether that can happen. He said he’d also heard there’d been a contact made by a land preservation board member that there might be some private resources available for shuttle services. But as for the board’s decision-making that night, they’d have to assume those services are not available. So if the board chooses to grant a festival permit, he said, there may or may not be shuttle service available – he hoped there would be.

Richard Kleinschmidt then made a motion to approve a festival permit for the Dexter Area Historical Society for Civil War Days held on June 8-10, 2012, with the stipulation that they are in full compliance with the conservation easement.

Estleman asked what would happen if DAHS turned out not to be in compliance.

Kingsley recalled that at the board’s meeting the previous week, when the permit had been voted down, they had discussed the possibility of citing and fining the DAHS for any easement violations. But he felt that is not going to be a realistic option. The motion is specific about the time limit – it’s for this year only. So the DAHS would need to come back next year for another permit. He hoped the board can continue the ongoing dialogue they’ve had with DAHS over the past 8-9 months.

Kingsley felt that the details can get worked out so the same situation doesn’t arise every year. He noted that the board does not grant any other organization permits for multiple years – they’re all annual permits. Basically, he said, DAHS needs to abide by the provisions of the easement, and if not, the board would be able to consider that with the request for next year’s permit. He reiterated that he did not feel that citing and fining ($500 per day) was a realistic option for dealing with the situation.

Outcome: The board unanimously approved the granting of the festival permit to DAHS, with the stipulation that the conservation easement be adhered to.

Concluding Public Commentary

Donna Fisher of the Dexter Area Historical Society addressed the board briefly at the conclusion of the meeting, thanking the trustees. She said she wanted to get started early on the issue for next year so that it could get resolved.

Civil War Re-enactors

In a phone interview with The Chronicle, Russ Paul, who captains the Michigan 4th Regiment, Company A re-enactors, explained that the Gordon Hall event on June 8-10 will not include an attempt to re-enact one of the battles from the Civil War.

He pointed out that to do that, you’d need to have sufficient numbers of soldiers on the Confederate side as well. This year, the second year of Civil War Days at Gordon Hall, a Confederate cannon crew will make up the Confederate participation – Bledsoe’s Battery.

Other Union units expected this year include: 17th Michigan, Company E; 21st Michigan, Company H;  U.S.S. Michigan Marine Guard Battery B; and the 1st Michigan Light Artillery.

Responding to a question from The Chronicle about authenticity, Paul said that Civil War re-enactors have varying standards for authenticity. He characterized his unit as fairly middle of the road in that regard. While they’re not among the most extreme hard-core re-enactors, he said, visitors to their camp during Civil War Days won’t see any modern artifacts like pop cans or plastic coolers.

On the issue of authenticity, Paul summed up by saying that to him, it’s less important for a guy to have a museum-quality blue coat than to know something about soldiering.

Other Civil War Resources

For readers who are looking forward to Civil War Days at Gordon Hall and want to prep by doing some background reading, the University of Michigan libraries offer two possibilities.

From the Buell Family papers held by the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan, Dr. Samuel Mills wrote to the parents of Franklin M. Buell on July 24, 1863 from the headquarters of the 4th Michigan at Camp Thomas at Winchester, Tennessee: "It is my unpleasant duty to inform you that your son Frank M., died at the hospital in this camp, at 3 o’clock a.m. this day;" (Image links to Bentley Library collection.)

The Bentley Historical Library at UM offers an online exhibit on the Civil War. It includes photographs of life in camp.

The Bentley’s collection also includes letters, among them one written by the camp surgeon to the parents of a soldier who died while under his care.

The William L. Clements Library also houses an extensive Civil War collection. Last year, an exhibit called “Opening Guns: The First Year of Civil War” ran from Feb. 28–June 3, 2011.

The exhibit consisted of written narratives by soldiers and civilians who experienced the war.

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From left: Dan Ezekiel, chair of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission, points out other GAC members to Richard Andres, who gave a presentation on the Washtenaw Food Hub. (Photos by the writer.)

Located on 16 acres in Ann Arbor Township, the food hub is envisioned to provide support for farmers to distribute and sell their produce, and for residents to buy food, attend workshops and create meaningful relationships with those who are part of the local food network. The project is still in its formative stages, but has potential to develop a food economy based on a human scale, Andres said, not a Wall Street scale.

GAC chair Dan Ezekiel noted that the hub is an example of the next phase of this region’s local food movement, which he said has “grown like an heirloom tomato” since the greenbelt program launched nearly a decade ago.

Commissioners also got a mid-year financial update on the greenbelt program at this month’s meeting, and heard about potential deep cuts to a federal farmland preservation program that has supported the greenbelt with more than $6 million in grants. The city has recently applied for $1,037,198 in additional grants that would help preserve 519 acres. Ginny Trocchio, support staff for the greenbelt program, also reported that over the next month there will likely be several closings on property within the greenbelt totaling another 300 acres.

Also at the April 5 meeting, Peter Allen – a local developer and GAC commissioner – proposed forming a strategic planning subcommittee to evaluate the greenbelt program so far and to look at what they’d like to accomplish in the future. It’s likely that the commission will formally consider his proposal at their May 3 meeting.

As it typically does, the meeting included a closed session to discuss land acquisitions. When commissioners emerged, they voted on three items – recommending that the city council approve the purchase of development rights on two properties, and to partner with Washtenaw County on a third acquisition. Ezekiel noted that the third item extends an existing county preserve on land that would provide public access and recreational opportunities.

At the end of the meeting, Ezekiel reported that a position on the commission will be opening up this summer. He urged anyone who’s interested to apply and “join the fun.”

Washtenaw Food Hub

Richard Andres, who operates Tantré Farm with Deb Lentz, was on hand to give a presentation about the Washtenaw Food Hub. He began by thanking commissioners for their work on the greenbelt, saying it was important to preserve land for agriculture. The greenbelt will be key in ensuring that local food is provided to the city, in bringing compost out to the farms, in building meaningful participation for Ann Arbor residents, and in providing a stronger local economy for small farmers.

Andres described himself as a farmer who’s lived in Chelsea for the last 18 years. Before that, he farmed for a couple of years with Robert MacKercher at Garden Works, an organic farm that was then located at the corner of Dhu Varren and Pontiac Trail on Ann Arbor’s north side. He said that site used a lot of leaves that were brought out from the city to fertilize the 3-acre parcel. After putting the leaves down, it was amazing the kind of lettuce they could grow, he said. They generated about 3,000 pounds of organic lettuce each week. They also grew strawberries and other produce.

The land was eventually sold for development – he noted that there was some discussion that the property should be part of a greenbelt, but it was sold in the late 1990s, several years before the city’s greenbelt program was created.

Today, a different kind of development is needed, Andres said – a planning or replanning of how we live, work, eat, socialize and create culture, education and connection in our nation. Looking at the big picture, he said it would be great if every city had a greenbelt, surrounded by small farms that provide food for the immediate vicinity. That kind of approach would not only recycle resources and provide good food, but it would also allow for meaningful relationships between people living in town and people in the country, he said.

As a kid, Andres said he lived in a small town where he could walk outside of town to pick pumpkins. But in the 1970s, he watched as the edges of town became suburban sprawl. The town was interested in increasing its tax base, while builders were interested in making money from the growth. Now, he hopes to see development based on agriculture, saying there’s good historic precedent for that. He said he thinks of sprawl as a “short delusionary psychosis we went through as a nation.”

The country is soaking up non-renewable resources, but Andres said he aspires to create an example of a different approach.

Tantré Farm is located about 20 miles west of Ann Arbor – it was the cheapest land he could find to farm in the early 1990s, Andres said. They’ve build up a CSA community and business where they bring in 350 shares to town each week, as well as produce to sell at the Ann Arbor farmers market. [CSA refers to community-supported agriculture, in which residents buy shares in a farm, in exchange for a weekly portion of the farm's seasonal produce.]

Some of the out buildings at the Washtenaw Food Hub. (Links to .pdf of photographs of the site provided by Richard Andres.)

Andres described his goal for the Washtenaw Food Hub, located on about 16 acres in Ann Arbor Township, north of Ann Arbor. He’d like to create an enhanced distribution point for his own CSA as well as for other farmers. The site historically served as a place to support farmers, he said, providing bins for grain and fertilizer, areas for mixing products, and loading docks.

The goal is to repurpose the site as a destination for local food, he said. There will be large coolers and freezers for storage, an area to wash and pack vegetables, and a building that’s warm for people to gather when they come to pick up their shares in the winter. There’s adequate parking. The idea is to create a retail space that’s open more than just one day a week during the winter, which will help with the year-round continuity of distributing leafy greens, root crops, eggs and meat. The hub would be a support network for farmers and a place to build community for residents.

Andres said he and other organizers have laid out some of their dreams, and are now talking with township officials and others who can help make it happen. They’ve had a few gatherings and potlucks so far, which have gone well, he said. They’re not eschewing consumer culture, he said, but they’re trying to supplant it with something that’s much more enhanced by creating community and meaning in people’s lives. People who pick up their shares can get to know others in the CSA. There will be workshops on food preparation, he said, hopefully inspiring people to relearn the traditional ways of healthy cooking and baking.

Andres said he hoped the hub would support the local food movement, especially on the north side of Ann Arbor where several other food-related entities are located, including the nonprofit Food Gatherers and the Tilian Farm Development Center.

Washtenaw Food Hub: Commission Discussion

Tom Bloomer asked for more details about where the food hub is located. It’s about two miles north of the Huron River, Andres replied, near the corner of Warren and Whitmore Lake roads. He said it’s within easy biking distance, though it’s mostly uphill on the way out of town. Currently, about 80 people drive out to Tantré Farm to pick up their CSA shares. The hope is that if they can go to the hub instead, which is significantly closer to Ann Arbor, then they’ll have more time to spend with other CSA members or to attend workshops, Andres explained. He also noted that about 3-4 acres on the site might be developed for U-picking.

Peter Allen, a local developer and member of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission.

Peter Allen said it seemed like the food hub’s recent work party was successful. Will there be others? Yes, Andres said, it will be an ongoing effort to clean up the site and bring it back to a “human scale” rather than a Wall Street scale.

Allen also elicited that other small businesses might be involved. Andres said that Miyoko Honma of Café Japon has expressed interest in baking bread on site and holding workshops, as has David Klingenberger of The Brinery, who would like to make sauerkraut from Tantré cabbages and hold lacto fermentation workshops. Other farmers and food artisans have expressed interest too.

Dan Ezekiel clarified with Andres that the property formerly was the site for Braun Agriservice, and is completely surrounded by property that’s protected by land preservation programs. He asked whether there’s a commercial kitchen on the site. Not yet, Andres said, but there’s interest in building one. It would be good to support existing businesses – for example, a commercial kitchen could be used by Klingenberger to make sauerkraut. That’s a nice harmony, Andres said, and a vertical integration with other food businesses. He’s in the process of working on township zoning for that, he said.

Ezekiel wrapped up the discussion by saying he had started to describe the local food movement as having grown like a weed since the greenbelt started, but “grown like an heirloom tomato” might be more apt, he joked. He thanked Andres for coming, and wished him well with the venture.

Andres thanked the commission and said that the greenbelt was a big factor as to why he was interested in acquiring this property for the food hub. There’s precedence in Europe for similar efforts, preserving farmland and keeping farmers close to town. He said he’d like to see this idea move forward quickly everywhere, not just in the Ann Arbor area.

Mid-Year Financial Report

Reprising a similar presentation made at the March 20 meeting of the Ann Arbor park advisory commission, Ginny Trocchio presented the greenbelt program’s mid-year financial report for the period of July 1, 2011 through Jan. 31, 2012 – the first seven months of the current fiscal year. Trocchio is a staff member of The Conservation Fund who manages Ann Arbor’s greenbelt and parkland acquisition programs under contract with the city. [.pdf file of financial report]

By way of background, Ann Arbor voters passed a 30-year 0.5 mill tax in 2003 for land acquisition – the open space and parkland preservation millage. It appears on the summer tax bill as the line item CITY PARK ACQ. The city’s policy has been to allocate one-third of the millage for parks land acquisition and two-thirds for the city’s greenbelt program. The greenbelt advisory commission handles the portion for land preservation outside of the city limits, while the city’s park advisory commission oversees the funds for parkland acquisition.

To get money upfront for land acquisition, the city took out a $20 million bond in fiscal year 2006. That bond is being being paid back with revenue from the millage. Debt service on that bond so far in FY 2012 year has amounted to $837,088. [Two debt service payments are made during the fiscal year, totaling about $1.2 million.]

Net revenues from the millage were $2.244 million as of Jan. 31, Trocchio reported, with expenses of $1.768 million. In addition to debt service, expenses include $813,000 in greenbelt projects and about $82,000 for parkland acquisition. The main greenbelt acquisitions were for:

• the purchase of development rights on the Thomas/Lobato property ($103,472 plus $23,867 for an endowment) for 30 acres owned by Duane Thomas and his wife Judith Lobato in Scio Township. The property is located near the northwest corner Scio Church and Wagner roads.
• the purchase of development rights on the Lindemann/Weidmayer property ($657,112 plus $23,867 for an endowment) for 111 acres in Lodi Township, owned by Bill Lindemann and his sister Karen Weidmayer. The property is located along Pleasant Lake Road, about a half-mile from the former Girbach farm, which is also protected through the greenbelt program.

About $10.5 million remains in the fund balance, but some of that will be spent on deals that have already been approved but haven’t yet closed, Trocchio said. Of that fund balance, $4.5 million is designated for parks, while about $6 million is set aside for the greenbelt program.

In addition, there’s $445,000 in an endowment set up to cover legal costs related to monitoring and enforcing the conservation easements held by the city.

Trocchio also reported that administrative costs of $35,594 so far in fiscal 2012 equate to 2% of total revenues. Administrative costs over the life of the millage are limited by ordinance to be no greater than 6% of revenues.

Mid-Year Financial Report: Commission Discussion

Carsten Hohnke asked whether the administrative costs would track at the same rate for the remainder of the year – that is, would there be about $70,000 in total annual administrative costs this year? It will likely be more than $70,000, Trocchio said, because The Conservation Fund bills quarterly, and there may be additional payments that haven’t yet shown up for the first half of the year. However, the total will likely be less than last year, she said. [Total FY 2011 administrative costs were $160,442 – 1.5% of revenues.]

From left: Greenbelt advisory commissioners Catherine Riseng, Liz Rother, Laura Rubin.

Laura Rubin noted that so far this year, no transaction expenses have been recorded. Those costs haven’t hit the books yet, Trocchio said. [In FY 2011, transaction expenses – which are part of total administrative costs – were $48,891.]

Dan Ezekiel noted that administrative costs have been on a downward trajectory since FY 2008 – when those costs totaled $197,621, or 3.4% or revenues – and he would expect that decrease to continue. In FY 2011, administrative costs were 1.5% of revenues. The staff and commission continue to exercise great frugality with regard to overhead, he said.

Ezekiel also commented on the endowment, explaining that each time the city buys development rights through the greenbelt program, money is set aside in an endowment to be used in monitoring or enforcing that landowners comply with terms of the deal. That’s key, he said. Without those funds, the conservation easements don’t have teeth, he said, and he’s glad the city had the foresight to set aside funds for this purpose. He asked whether the city invests these endowment funds along with its other investments. Trocchio didn’t know, but said she’d find out and report back.

Investment income so far in FY 2012 is $74,967 compared to $27,973 for the entire year of FY 2011. That’s a sharp drop from the $492,576 in FY 2010 investment income and from $815,261 in FY2009. The issue of investment income has arisen at previous GAC meetings, and prompted city treasurer Matt Horning to attend the commission’s November 2010 meeting and provide a detailed explanation of how the funds are invested and accounted for.

At GAC’s April 5 meeting, Peter Allen observed that grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) have been significant over the years. Trocchio reported that the city has received about $6.5 million in FRPP funds since the greenbelt program began.

In response to a query from Ezekiel, Trocchio said that funding from partners – including FRPP and local government units – accounts for an average of 50% of all land preservation deals.

Greenbelt Staff Update

Ginny Trocchio said she’d start her staff update with the good news. The city has applied for grants through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) for four properties located in the greenbelt’s boundaries. The properties total 519 acres for a total grant request of $1,037,198. She said she hoped to receive word about those grants in the next couple of months. There was $2.3 million available for FRPP grants in Michigan, and Trocchio said she knew of several other groups – including some local entities – that have also submitted FRPP applications. So there’s a lot more competition, she said, but with lower land values, the FRPP program can fund more projects than in previous years.

Responding to a query from Dan Ezekiel, Trocchio said that three of those four properties seeking FRPP grants are located within the recently expanded greenbelt boundary.

Over the next month there will likely be several closings on property within the greenbelt totaling about 300 acres, Trocchio said. One deal is in Superior Township, partnering with Washtenaw County and the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy. [Trocchio did not identify the specific properties, but at their Jan. 9, 2012 meeting, Ann Arbor city council authorized $172,858 for about 99 acres owned by Frank Pellerito in Superior Township. Other recent council-authorized greenbelt purchases include $85,726 for the Newton farm in Ann Arbor Township, $126,867 for the Van Natter farm in Webster Township, and $502,307 for the Boike farm in Northfield Township.]

Trocchio highlighted several events coming up later in the year: the annual HomeGrown Festival on Sept. 8; a bus tour of greenbelt-protected property on Saturday, Sept. 22; and a panel discussion with landowners participating in the greenbelt program on Nov. 7 at the Ann Arbor District Library. Trocchio also mentioned that she had participated in the recent Local Food Summit, and was a panelist at a city forum on sustainability.

Later in the meeting Ezekiel mentioned two other events: the Ann Arbor Green Fair on June 8 on Main Street, and an April 24 talk by local food advocate Joel Salatin at the Michigan Theater.

Trocchio concluded her report with some bad news – Congress is considering a farm bill that includes up to 30% in cuts to the Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP). Other conservation programs are being considered for smaller cuts of 12%, she noted, so FRPP could be hit harder. As the bill now stands, the FRPP would also be consolidated with other grant programs, like the grassland reserve and other easement programs, she said, so there’s potential for even greater impact. She said she’d keep the commissioners updated on this issue.

Strategic Planning

During the meeting Peter Allen proposed forming a strategic planning subcommittee, to look at the greenbelt program’s progress so far, and what they hope to do in the future. Potential federal funding cuts could be a part of that discussion, he said. In response to a query from GAC chair Dan Ezekiel, Allen said he’d be happy to lead such a group.

Ezekiel asked if any other commissioners were “salivating like a wild dog” to participate. Shannon Brines ventured that he wasn’t exactly salivating, but he’d be interested in joining the subcommittee.

Ezekiel indicated that it could be an agenda item for GAC’s next meeting.

Closed Session: Land Acquisition

Commissioners spent about 30 minutes of their meeting in closed session to discuss possible land acquisitions. When they emerged from closed session, they took votes on three separate resolutions that recommended action by city council.

Before appearing on the city council’s agenda, details of proposed greenbelt acquisitions are not made public – parcels are identified only by their application number. The first two votes at GAC’s April 5 meeting related to parcels 2011-15 and 2011-14. Commissioners recommended that the city council purchase development rights to these properties if at least 50% of matching funds are secured. The purchase price was not mentioned in these resolutions.

The third resolution recommended that the city council approve partnering with Washtenaw County on application 2012-02, in the amount of $61,312.

GAC chair Dan Ezekiel commented on this final resolution before the vote. He noted that it related to a joint project on land that would provide public access and recreational opportunities, extending an existing county preserve. The commission sometimes has drawn heat for preserving land that the public can’t access, he said, but this is an example of a property that does provide access. The greenbelt program will also be closing on another property later this month that will have a recreational and public access component too, he said. That property, located in Superior Township, is another example of extending an existing preserve that’s open to the public, Ezekiel said.

Outcome: On separate unanimous votes, commissioners recommended approval of the three greenbelt deals.

Misc. Communications: Seeking New Members

At the end of the meeting, Dan Ezekiel pointed out there will be an opening on the commission this summer. He encouraged anyone who might be interested to apply “and join the fun.”

For most city commissions, members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the council. However, the nine greenbelt commissioners are both nominated and confirmed by the city council. The breakdown of GAC membership, as stipulated in Chapter 42 of the city code, is as follows: city council representative (1), agricultural landowner or someone who operates an agricultural business (1), real estate developer (1), representative of environmental/conservation groups (2), plant or animal biologist (1), and at-large community members (3).

According to a listing of GAC members and their term end-dates, posted on the city’s Legistar system, the terms for three members end on June 30, 2012: Peter Allen, Mike Garfield and Catherine Riseng. Responding to a follow-up query from The Chronicle, Ezekiel said that Mike Garfield will be term-limited. Allen and Riseng are expected to be reappointed to another three-year term. Garfield has been on the commission since its inception, serving as one of two positions to be filled by environment/conservation groups. He is director of the Ecology Center, a nonprofit based in Ann Arbor.f

Public Commentary

One person – Thomas Partridge – spoke during public commentary. He urged commissioners to integrate GAC’s work with efforts to develop affordable housing and affordable, accessible public transportation countywide. He said he understood the importance of land preservation, but there needs to be balance with other priorities. Partridge mentioned that he’d grown up in Genesee County and had raised a grand champion steer that helped pay for his college education, so he understands the needs of rural, suburban and urban areas. He asked commissioners to lead the way in passing resolutions to achieve these goals.

Present: Peter Allen, Tom Bloomer, Shannon Brines, Dan Ezekiel, Carsten Hohnke, Catherine Riseng, Liz Rother, Laura Rubin. Also: Ginny Trocchio.

Absent: Mike Garfield.

Next regular meeting: Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

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From left: Greenbelt advisory commission members Tom Bloomer and Mike Garfield. (Photos by the writer.)

The properties include 32 acres in Northfield Township along US-23, 30 acres in Scio Township near Wagner and Scio Church roads, and 111 acres in Lodi Township along Pleasant Lake Road. By year’s end, the new additions brought the total of property protected by the city’s greenbelt program to 3,430 acres since its inception in 2007.

Most of Wednesday’s meeting was spent in closed session to discuss possible future land acquisitions, but the main action item involved land that’s not part of the city’s greenbelt program. Commissioners unanimously passed a resolution urging Webster Township to strictly enforce all of its conservation easements – the resolution will be forwarded to township officials as they weigh a request from the Dexter Area Historical Society to amend an easement that would loosen restrictions on parking.

The society wants permission to allow spectator parking for Civil War re-enactments on a site where the historic Gordon Hall is located. Land preservation activists are concerned that parking would damage the land, and that amending the easement would set a bad precedent, calling into question the trustworthiness of regional land preservation efforts. The resolution was brought forward by Tom Bloomer, a GAC member who also serves on Webster Township’s land preservation board.

Staff Update: December Closings

During Wednesday’s meeting, Ginny Trocchio – who serves as support staff for the greenbelt program – reported on three closings for land preservation deals in the greenbelt that occurred in December.

The city provided due diligence and stewardship costs for a conservation easement now held by the Legacy Land Conservancy, for a 32-acre property in Northfield Township. The landowner, Charles Botero, had donated the easement, she said. At its Nov. 10, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council had approved funding for up to $15,000 on the project. The land is located along the east side of US-23, north of East Northfield Church Road.

The city had also closed on a purchase of development rights (PDR) for 30 acres owned by Duane Thomas and his wife Judith Lobato in Scio Township. The city paid $140,367 for the deal, which city council approved at their Oct. 17, 2011 meeting. The owner contributed 50% of the cost for the PDR, Trocchio reported. The property is located near the northwest corner Scio Church and Wagner roads.

The final closing was for the purchase of development rights on 111 acres in Lodi Township, owned by Bill Lindemann and his sister Karen Weidmayer. The property is located along Pleasant Lake Road, about a half-mile from the former Girbach farm, which is also protected through the greenbelt program. At its July 18, 2011 meeting, the city council had authorized $699,992 for the deal, with $1,000 contributed by Lodi Township and 49% of the cost reimbursed by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, or FRPP.

Trocchio also reported that just before the holidays, she’d received word that the deadline for applying to the next cycle of FRPP grants is on March 9. She’s been working with landowners who might be interested in applying.

Webster Township Land Preservation

On the agenda was a resolution brought forward by GAC member Tom Bloomer regarding conservation easements in Webster Township. He had initially raised the issue at GAC’s December 2011 meeting, when he reported on a situation involving the Dexter Area Historical Society.

About 10 years ago, the society had purchased land from the University of Michigan that included the historic Gordon Hall. The society later sold the development rights to Scio and Webster townships, through conservation easements to those townships. A conservation easement restricts certain types of activity from taking place on the land, and is often used to protect land from development.

Last summer, the society asked Webster Township officials for permission to hold a Civil War re-enactment on the site. The event didn’t conflict with terms of the conservation easement, but the society also wanted permission for spectator parking – and that did conflict with the easement. The township eventually agreed to a one-year exception to allow parking for several hundred vehicles, with the understanding that an exception wouldn’t be granted again.

Now, the historic society wants to amend the conservation easement so that parking for this kind of event would be allowed. The township’s farmland and open space preservation board has recommended denying that request, but the decision will ultimately be made by the Webster Township board of trustees. The preservation board has asked for support from other land preservation entities (like Ann Arbor’s GAC) before the township trustees vote.

Catherine Riseng, vice chair of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission, chaired the Jan. 5, 2012 meeting. GAC chair Dan Ezekiel was absent.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Bloomer told other commissioners that based on their discussion at the December meeting, he had crafted a resolution that he hoped expressed GAC’s concerns without encroaching on the township’s decision-making. He had aimed to make township officials aware of where the greenbelt commission stood regarding easements in general. [.pdf of resolution]

The resolution notes that Ann Arbor has contributed over $4.7 million in partnership with Webster Township to preserve over 810 acres of farmland and open space in the township. The city, through its greenbelt program, has also spent more than $4.5 million for additional land preservation in Webster Township on its own.

The resolution also referenced the national Land Trust Alliance, noting that the alliance has established generally accepted practices and rules of conduct for land preservation, and that it discourages amendments to conservation easements that compromise the agreed-upon conservation values. The resolution does not specifically reference the situation regarding the historical society’s easement.

The resolution’s only resolved clause states:

Now, Therefore Be It resolved that the Ann Arbor Greenbelt Advisory Commission urges the Township of Webster to strictly enforce all of its conservation easements, and all of the conservation values protected therein.

There was only brief discussion about the resolution. Shannon Brines said it seemed to be a reasonable statement, in that it supported Land Trust Alliance practices and discouraged amendments to conservation easements.

Bloomer noted that it would be good to let all townships within the greenbelt boundaries know about the stance expressed in this resolution. It was directed at Webster Township because there’s a controversy there, he said, but he had tried to make it generic so that it could apply to other areas as well.

Catherine Riseng responded to Bloomer by saying she thought the resolution served that purpose well, and could be adopted to other situations.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously passed the resolution regarding Webster Township’s land preservation program.

Closed Session

Commissioners spent almost an hour of their meeting in closed session to discuss possible land acquisitions. When they emerged from closed session, they voted unanimously to recommend that the city council apply for grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program (FRPP) for four properties located in the greenbelt’s boundaries.

Before appearing on the city council’s agenda, details of these greenbelt acquisitions are not made public – parcels are identified only by their application number. The parcels recommended for FRPP grants are 2005-01, 2011-12, 2011-13 and 2012-01.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously approved a recommendation to apply for FRPP grants for four parcels in the greenbelt.

Present: Tom Bloomer, Mike Garfield, Catherine Riseng, Liz Rother, Laura Rubin. Also: Ginny Trocchio.

Absent: Peter Allen, Dan Ezekiel, Carsten Hohnke.

Next regular meeting: Thursday, Feb. 2 at 4:30 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

The Chronicle survives in part through regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of publicly-funded entities like the city’s greenbelt program. If you’re already supporting The Chronicle, please encourage your friends, neighbors and coworkers to do the same. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

From left: Dan Ezekiel, chair of the Ann Arbor greenbelt advisory commission, talks with commissioner Tom Bloomer. (Photos by the writer.)

The land in question, outside the greenbelt boundaries, is owned by The Dexter Area Historical Society. The society is seeking a change to the conservation easement for a parcel that includes the historic Gordon Hall – a change that would allow parking for several hundred vehicles on the land for spectators of Civil War re-enactments that the society intends to hold. Webster Township trustees will ultimately vote on the request, but the township’s land preservation board – which includes Tom Bloomer, who also serves on GAC – has recommended denying it.

Bloomer told GAC commissioners that altering the agreement in this way would set a bad precedent, and call into question the trustworthiness of regional land preservation efforts. Bloomer asked for GAC to weigh in with support for the land preservation board’s position, prior to the trustees’ vote. GAC will likely take up the issue again at its Jan. 5 meeting.

Other action at GAC’s Dec. 14 meeting included passing a resolution of appreciation for Tom Freeman, deputy director of Washtenaw County parks & recreation, who is retiring at the end of the year. GAC chair Dan Ezekiel said Freeman has been “absolutely indispensable” to land preservation efforts in the county, including deals in which Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program has participated.

Ezekiel also presented a letter to the editor that he drafted, in response to misinformation expressed by commenters on AnnArbor.com articles regarding the greenbelt boundary expansion. He plans to send the letter sometime next week, pending feedback from other commissioners. [.pdf of draft letter to the editor]

During Wednesday’s meeting, commissioners also welcomed the newest commissioner, Shannon Brines, to his first meeting of GAC. Brines, who’s active in the local food movement, was appointed by the city council at its Nov. 21 meeting.

Gordon Hall Conservation Easement Request

In addition to serving on Ann Arbor’s GAC, Tom Bloomer serves on the Webster Township farmland and open space preservation board. At Wednesday’s GAC meeting, he reported on a situation that’s arisen in Webster Township, which has implications for Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program.

Webster Township’s land preservation program was created in 2005. One of its first actions was to preserve land that includes the historic Gordon Hall, he said. The Dexter Area Historical Society had purchased the land and Gordon Hall from the University of Michigan about 10 years ago, and subsequently sold the development rights to Scio and Webster townships, through conservation easements to those townships.

Last summer, Bloomer said, the society approached Webster Township with a proposal to hold a Civil War re-enactment on the site. The event didn’t conflict with terms of the conservation easement, he said, but the society also wanted permission for spectator parking – and that did conflict with the easement. The township eventually agreed to a one-year exception to allow parking for several hundred vehicles, with the understanding that an exception wouldn’t be granted again, Bloomer said. It was fortunate that there was no rain during the event, so minimum damage was caused to the land.

However, the historic society now wants to amend the conservation easement so that parking for this kind of event would be allowed, Bloomer told GAC. The township’s farmland and open space preservation board has recommended denying that request, he said. The decision will ultimately be made by the Webster Township board of trustees, but the preservation board is looking for support from other land preservation entities – like GAC – before the township trustees vote.

The decision will impact more than just this piece of land, Bloomer said. It will affect Webster Township’s reputation as a conservator of land, and whether it can be trusted by its partners, including Ann Arbor, to adequately protect land in perpetuity.

Ginny Trocchio said she did some research on the situation, looking at the standards and practices set by the national Land Trust Alliance. The alliance states that conservation easements should be amended only to strengthen the agreements, or if the net effect of the change is neutral. To allow additional activities to take place on the land that would impact conservation values is definitely not a standard practice, she said.

The other concern relates to enforcing conservation easements, Trocchio said. The public tends to view all land preservation programs as a group, she said, so this kind of change would impact the public perception of all regional land preservation efforts, not just Webster Township’s.

Bloomer noted that parking 400 cars on the land doesn’t contribute to conservation values in any way. It sets a bad precedent to make an adjustment for this kind of thing, he said – that’s the position of the township’s land preservation board. He said he didn’t have a specific resolution to propose for GAC to vote on, but he hoped commissioners could reflect on it and perhaps take action at their January meeting.

Dan Ezekiel felt GAC should act quickly, but Laura Rubin indicated that she’d like more information. What do Ann Arbor’s current conservation easements say about parking in general? Her concern was that the greenbelt was intended to support agricultural activities and farms, and that some ventures – like a farm stand – might require parking. She didn’t want to take action that would prevent this kind of activity.

Trocchio said she could review the greenbelt easements and report back to GAC. Ezekiel noted that most easements allow for 2% of land to have impervious surfaces, which would be enough for a small amount of parking – sufficient for the kind of activity that Rubin mentioned.

Every easement is unique to each property, Bloomer said. If the historical society had wanted to write into the easement the use of parking for this kind of event, it could have proposed that when the easement was being negotiated, he said. As it is, the easement only allows for agricultural machinery on the property.

Ezekiel noted that this controversy has been percolating for some time. Barry Lonik, a land preservation consultant who works with Webster Township, has been quite concerned, he said. Lonik took the conservation easement to the attorney who does work with the Legacy Land Conservancy for review. The attorney confirmed that the current easement does not allow for parking of this kind.

Rubin said she completely supported enforcing the conservation easement. She just wanted to understand the ramifications, and to ensure that local farms in general would be viable within the constraints of the easements.

Ezekiel reported that he and fellow GAC commissioner Liz Rother had attended last month’s Webster Township board of trustees meeting, where this issue was discussed. It appears there are other options, he said, including the possibility of parking at another site with shuttles to the Gordon Hall land.

Ezekiel noted that Gordon Hall is located outside of the Ann Arbor greenbelt boundaries, so there is no direct stake in this decision. However, Ann Arbor greenbelt program has partnered with Webster Township on several other properties that are within the boundaries, and he’s proud that together they have protected a huge block of contiguous farmland in that township.

Millions of taxpayer dollars have been invested in conservation easements throughout the greenbelt, Ezekiel said, and enforcement of those easements is key. The easements are just pieces of paper – the city doesn’t own the land. Landowners took money in exchange for abiding by terms of the easements, he said, and amending the easement in this way would set a terrible precedent. It’s fine if the amendment would strengthen the easement, or simply clarify the terms, he allowed. But to amend it for another use opens the door to all sorts of requests. “I think we should look very askance at this proposed deviation from this easement,” he said. He suggested that GAC pass a resolution of support for the Webster Township land preservation board’s position, supporting the township in standing firm on all of its conservation easements.

Bloomer said he’d be happy to bring the specific language of the easement to GAC next month, for their review. When Ezekiel asked whether that timeline would work, Bloomer said it would – GAC’s January meeting occurs prior to the township board’s next meeting.

Some people look at a conservation easement as just a contract, Bloomer said, and contracts are often amended if both parties agree. But the issue here relates to setting a precedent, he said, and the risk of “opening a bottomless pit of conflict in the future.”

Bloomer said he would craft a resolution of support for GAC to discuss and vote on at their January meeting.

Letter to the Editor

Dan Ezekiel introduced this agenda item by noting that recent efforts to tweak the greenbelt’s boundaries have raised the program’s profile with the public.

By way of background, at its Sept. 14, 2011 meeting, GAC had recommended that the council approve changes to Chapter 42 of the Ann Arbor city code, expanding the greenbelt boundaries to add a mile to the southwest in Lodi Township, and one mile to the northeast in Salem Township. [.jpg of map by The Chronicle showing original boundaries, a 2007 expansion, and the current expansion.] The changes also allow a parcel of land adjacent to the greenbelt boundary to be eligible for protection, if it is also adjacent to a parcel under the same ownership within the greenbelt boundary. The council gave final approval to the changes at its Dec. 5, 2011 meeting.

Shannon Brines, the newest member of Ann Arbor's greenbelt advisory commission.

During the council’s deliberations, Ezekiel said, it seemed that some councilmembers misunderstood elements of the greenbelt program. And many of the comments on articles posted on AnnArbor.com contained misinformation, he said. So as he was sitting through other business at the council meeting, Ezekiel said he decided to draft a letter to the editor setting things straight. [.pdf of draft letter to the editor]

He indicated that he was conflicted about it. Sometimes, it’s best to ignore what people say because if you respond, he said, it dignifies the criticism. On the other hand, if you don’t respond to criticism, some people will think it’s true. Ezekiel said he discussed it with GAC’s executive committee, where the consensus was that he should send the letter as chair of GAC, but first bring it to commissioners for review before sending it. He plans to send it to AnnArbor.com sometime next week, pending feedback from other commissioners.

Tom Bloomer noted that some people seem philosophically opposed to the greenbelt program, while others are merely misinformed. For example, some people seemed to think that the protection of land only lasts 30 years – the duration of the open space and land preservation millage. Noting that land preserved under the greenbelt program is protected in perpetuity, he asked Ginny Trocchio to make sure that information about the program was front-and-center on the greenbelt program’s website.

Trocchio noted that a goal for 2012 is to improve communication with the community about the greenbelt program, which could address these issues.

Ezekiel also commented that recent discussions at city council meetings about the city’s public art program had included the issue of administrative support. [Public art commissioners have contended that the city's Percent for Art program has lacked adequate staff support to carry out the program's goals.] He said it made him appreciative of the work of The Conservation Fund staff.

Recognition for Tom Freeman

Dan Ezekiel noted that commissioners had recently learned that Tom Freeman, deputy director of Washtenaw County parks & recreation, is retiring at the end of the year. Freeman has been “absolutely indispensable” to land preservation efforts in the county, Ezekiel said, adding that when the history of local land preservation is written, Freeman will be one of the names that will shine.

Freeman had last attended a GAC meeting in March, when he gave an update on the county’s natural areas preservation program (NAPP) and its efforts related to farmland protection. In 2010, the county board of commissioners had approved changes to the county’s Natural Areas Ordinance No. 128, which governs NAPP. Those changes enabled the county to buy development rights for farmland – a land preservation strategy also pursued by Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program.

At Wednesday’s GAC meeting, Liz Rother read a resolution of appreciation for Freeman. It stated that NAPP has partnered with Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program on three land preservation projects since 2005: the Fox Science Preserve, Meyer Nature Preserve and Scio Woods Preserve. Freeman has been a champion for county land preservation, and went “above and beyond to make difficult transactions come to fruition.” The resolution recognized Freeman “for his outstanding commitment to land preservation, service to Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation and partnership with the City’s Greenbelt Program.”

Outcome: The resolution of appreciation for Tom Freeman passed unanimously.

After the vote, Ezekiel recalled that Freeman had been instrumental in pulling together the complicated land deal for the Fox Science Preserve. Freeman had always been upbeat and encouraging throughout the process, he said, assuring everyone that they’d be able to overcome all hurdles. Freeman’s championing of that project had been hugely significant, Ezekiel said.

Land Acquisition Projects

During her staff report, Ginny Trocchio of The Conservation Fund – which the city contracts to manage the greenbelt program – said she’s been working with local landowners in anticipation of applying for grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, or FRPP. The deadline will likely be in February 2012.

Dan Ezekiel asked whether any of the applications will be for land located within the recently-expanded greenbelt boundaries. Several were, Trocchio replied.

Ezekiel noted that the city council had acted positively on GAC’s recommendation to expand the greenbelt’s boundaries in Lodi and Salem townships, and that he really appreciated the council’s support. Directing his comments to Carsten Hohnke, a GAC commissioner who also serves on city council, Ezekiel noted that the changes were a bit of a “heavy lift” to get approved, but “it’s a little change that I think is going to make a huge difference,” he said.

Land Acquisition Projects: Closed Session

At the end of their meeting, commissioners voted to enter into a closed session to discuss possible land acquisition. When they emerged 45 minutes later, commissioners voted on a resolution recommending that the city apply for an FRPP grant for parcel number 2011-11. [Before appearing on the city council’s agenda, details of these greenbelt acquisitions are not made public – parcels are identified only by their application number.]

Outcome: Commissioner unanimously approved a recommendation to apply for an FRPP grant for parcel 2011-11.

Meeting Date Changes

The topic of monthly meeting times has emerged at several previous GAC meetings. The current date and time – on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. – are difficult for some commissioners to make. By Wednesday’s meeting, schedules had been coordinated and a new regular monthly meeting date was proposed: The first Thursday of the month, at 4:30 p.m.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to change GAC’s monthly meetings to the first Thursday of each month, starting at 4:30 p.m.

Present: Tom Bloomer, Shannon Brines, Dan Ezekiel, Carsten Hohnke, Liz Rother, Laura Rubin. Also: Ginny Trocchio.

Absent: Peter Allen, Mike Garfield, Catherine Riseng.

Next regular meeting: Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012 at 4:30 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

The Chronicle survives in part through regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of publicly-funded initiatives like the city’s greenbelt program. If you’re already supporting The Chronicle, please encourage your friends, neighbors and coworkers to do the same. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

The property was identified only by application number – #2005-27. The location of the properties and their owners aren’t revealed until resolutions are voted on by the Ann Arbor city council. However, the property discussed by GAC at its Nov. 30 meeting was likely part of an initiative mentioned briefly at GAC’s Nov. 9 meeting, which was attended by Jack Smiley, former executive director of the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy. He had indicated that the conservancy hoped to partner with Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program and Washtenaw County’s natural areas preservation program on preserving property in the Superior Greenway – land between Ann Arbor and Detroit that’s protected from development.

The resolution passed on Wednesday recommended that the city contribute up to $168,300 for acquisition costs on a conservation easement. In addition, the recommendation calls for the city to be named as secondary grantee on the easement, and to recover 50% of the sale price – or at least the amount contributed by the city – if the land is ever sold to a private individual. No other details were made public.

During the open session, commissioner Laura Rubin asked Ginny Trocchio – a Conservation Fund staff member who’s under contract with the city to provide support for the greenbelt program – to let commissioners know if the property owner agrees to the “extra terms.” Trocchio indicated that if there’s a counter-offer, GAC would have time to discuss it at their next regular meeting, on Dec. 14.

Trocchio also told commissioners that the city council will likely discuss the deal during a closed session at the council’s Dec. 5 meeting, then vote on the proposal on Dec. 19.

Responding to a follow-up query from The Chronicle, Trocchio said that Wednesday’s special meeting was necessary in order to complete the deal before the end of the year.

There was no discussion during this special meeting about another greenbelt issue that’s being considered by the city council. At its Nov. 21 meeting, councilmembers initially approved expanding the greenbelt’s boundaries – a move that had been previously recommended by GAC. The council is expected to take a final vote on that measure on Dec. 5.

Six commissioners attended the Nov. 30 meeting: Peter Allen, Tom Bloomer, Mike Garfield, Catherine Riseng, Liz Rother, and Laura Rubin. Absent were Dan Ezekiel and Carsten Hohnke.

Skyline High students get their attendance sheets signed by Dan Ezekiel, chair of the greenbelt advisory commission. Some students recognized Ezekiel from his other job – a science teacher at Forsythe Middle School.

Those who did stay witnessed a brief meeting that included a recess to wait until a sixth commissioner arrived – GAC requires six members to hold a closed session, which they needed in order to discuss possible land acquisition.

Briefly participating in that closed session was Jack Smiley, former executive director of the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy. The conservancy hopes to partner with Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program on property in the Superior Greenway – land between Ann Arbor and Detroit that’s protected from development.

In other business, commissioners briefly discussed ways to communicate better about the greenbelt program with the public, building on what they viewed as a successful bus tour of protected greenbelt land in October. One possibility is a forum this winter at the Ann Arbor District Library, where the public could meet with landowners whose property is part of the greenbelt.

The one action item at Wednesday’s meeting was a vote to pre-authorize staff of The Conservation Fund, which manages the greenbelt program under contract with the city, to conduct appraisals for potential land acquisitions through Dec. 31.

Typically, GAC votes to authorize appraisals on specific parcels, as part of the application process that landowners make for being part of the greenbelt. But the city council is expected to vote on a possible expansion of greenbelt boundaries in December, after GAC’s meeting that month. GAC voted to recommend the expansion at its September 2011 meeting. It’s expected that some landowners within the expanded boundaries might want to apply for the greenbelt, and a February deadline to seek matching federal dollars makes the timeline for getting appraisals shorter than usual. Pre-authorization gives staff flexibility to move forward with the process.

Commissioners are also awaiting finalization of Shannon Brines’ appointment to GAC. The city council was expected to vote on his appointment at its Nov. 10 meeting. But the council postponed the vote to Nov. 21 – due to a procedural issue, not any substantive concern about his appointment.

Partnership with Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy

Jack Smiley, founder and former executive director of the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, attended Wednesday’s meeting and spoke to commissioners informally. He also addressed the group during public commentary, saying that he’s now a volunteer with the conservancy’s land protection committee. SMLC is excited about partnering with Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program and Washtenaw County’s natural areas preservation program, he said, to build what’s known as the Superior Greenway.

Already, more than 1,800 acres have been protected between Ann Arbor and Detroit, Smiley said. There are some unique opportunities in the Ann Arbor greenbelt areas, he added, and he hopes the partnership will protect additional land in the future.

Greenbelt advisory commission chair Dan Ezekiel, left, talks with Jack Smiley, former executive director of the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, before GAC's Nov. 10 meeting. They are looking at a map showing the location of land that might be preserved in partnership with the city and SMLC.

Before the meeting, Smiley had shown a map to GAC chair Dan Ezekiel and Ginny Trocchio, a Conservation Fund staff member who helps administer the greenbelt program. The map indicated a potential location for land preservation. Toward the end of its meeting, the commission entered into closed session to discuss possible land acquisition, and Smiley was invited in for part of the session. When queried by The Chronicle about the location of the land, Smiley indicated that it was not information he wanted to make public at this point.

In response to Smiley’s public commentary, Ezekiel noted that Ann Arbor had previously partnered with SMLC and Washtenaw County on the Meyer Preserve – two parcels on the southwest and northeast corners of Vreeland and Prospect Roads in Superior Township, near SMLC’s LeFurge Woods Nature Preserve. Ezekiel said the parcel that might be preserved in the future through a partnership with SMLC would be located in an area within the greenbelt’s expanded 2007 boundaries.

Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program is funded by the Open Space and Parkland Preservation millage, which voters approved in 2003. Since then, the council has expanded the boundaries once, in August 2007, by bumping out the original boundary by a mile. [.pdf map of existing greenbelt district]

At its September 2011 meeting, GAC recommended expanding the boundaries again. The expansion would include “bump outs” in Lodi and Salem townships. It would also allow the city to acquire development rights on property adjacent to (but outside of) the greenbelt boundary, if it’s under the same ownership as an inside-the-boundary property that’s being considered for the program. These recommendations have not yet been approved by the city council – the council is now expected to vote on the issue in December. Previously, that vote had been expected at the second meeting in November.

Update: New Commissioner Appointment

Laura Rubin, a commissioner who’s also executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, asked about the status of appointing Shannon Brines as a new GAC member. Ginny Trocchio reported that his nomination was on the agenda for city council’s Nov. 10 meeting. The council resolution is sponsored by Carsten Hohnke, a city councilmember who also serves on GAC. Hohnke did not attend Wednesday’s GAC meeting. [The council voted to postpone the appointment until Nov. 21. The resolution on the agenda would have made the effective date Nov. 21, and the council wanted to time their vote to the effective date.]

At its October 2011 meeting, GAC voted unanimously to recommend Brines for the appointment to fill the one open position, an at-large seat. For most city commissions, members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the council. However, greenbelt commissioners are both nominated and confirmed by the city council.

Brines is an Ann Arbor resident and owner of Brines Farm in Dexter, which is located outside of the city’s greenbelt boundary. He is active in the local food movement, as a board member for Slow Food Huron Valley, and a steering committee member for the annual HomeGrown Festival, Local Food Summit, and the Tilian Farm Development Center, a farming business incubator project in Ann Arbor Township. He is a lecturer at the University of Michigan and manager of the environmental spatial analysis (ESA) lab at UM’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. Since 2007 he has served on the city’s public market advisory commission, which handles issues related to the farmers market. His current term on that commission ends in 2014.

Authorizing Appraisals

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, or FRPP, has set a February 2012 deadline to apply for the next round of grants, Trocchio told commissioners. The greenbelt program frequently seeks FRPP matching funds to offset costs of its land preservation efforts. In fiscal 2011, the greenbelt program received nearly $2.8 million in FRPP funding.

Trocchio noted that there are some landowners in the potentially expanded greenbelt boundaries who are interested in applying to the greenbelt program. But since the city council won’t be voting on the boundaries until December, that leaves a tight timeframe to get all the necessary work done to apply for the FRPP grants, she said. Typically, GAC votes to authorize property appraisals of specific potential greenbelt acquisitions. But a council vote on the expanded boundaries won’t occur until after GAC’s December meeting, Trocchio noted.

Trocchio said she talked with GAC’s executive committee – chair Dan Ezekiel and vice chair Catherine Riseng – about how to handle this situation. One approach would be for GAC to direct staff to make appraisals needed for FRPP grants, if the properties fit the greenbelt program’s strategic goals. “The sooner we can get those started, the better off we are,” she said.

Ezekiel clarified that it would essentially pre-authorize staff to start the appraisals. Trocchio noted that GAC could put an end date on the authorization, after which it would revert to the regular approval process. Liz Rother made a motion to grant the authorization, with an end date of Dec. 31.

In response to a query from Laura Rubin, Trocchio said that if an appraisal was started that GAC members later disagreed with, they could stop the process immediately at that point. Rubin asked how many applications Trocchio expected would need appraisals. ”If we get three or four, that would be really exciting,” Trocchio said. She estimated that appraisals cost between $2,300 to $2,500 each.

Outcome: The commission unanimously authorized staff to move forward with appraisals as needed without GAC approval, through Dec. 31.

Staff Report: Communications

During her staff report, Ginny Trocchio of The Conservation Fund said that the Oct. 22 greenbelt bus tour had been a success, with about 30 people attending. She said there was great feedback from people who took the tour, which visited several farms that are protected by the greenbelt program and provided an opportunity to talk with landowners who are participating in the program.

Trocchio said the commission has talked in the past about possible ways to communicate more with the public about the program. One idea is to hold an event at the downtown Ann Arbor District Library building this winter, where landowners could discuss the greenbelt.

Saying that the bus tour sounded encouraging, Mike Garfield urged other commissions to think about additional ways they could publicize the greenbelt program. He noted that over the past several years, the program hasn’t received much notice. With students in the audience, Wednesday’s meeting was probably the largest crowd they’ve had in years, he said.

Garfield remembered how much attention the greenbelt program received when it was originally proposed and right after it was started, and he wondered how the city could reach out to the community again. Garfield suggested putting the topic on a future agenda, as an item for discussion.

Trocchio suggested that another possibility is to have a booth at the city’s annual Green Fair, typically held in June. Dan Ezekiel voiced support for a session at the library, noting that they could bring in maps and photographs, essentially creating a virtual tour of the greenbelt.

New Meeting Date

GAC’s current meeting time has posed a problem for some commissioners, and for the past few months they’ve discussed possible new dates for their monthly meetings, which now fall on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. For Dan Ezekiel and Catherine Rising – the commission’s chair and vice chair – the current time requires them to leave faculty meetings related to their jobs.

After further discussion, the consensus among those who were present was that the first Thursday in the month, also at 4:30 p.m., was a preferable time. Two commissioners – Peter Allen and Carsten Hohnke – weren’t present at Wednesday’s meeting, and no formal vote on the change was taken. The new dates, if approved at GAC’s December meeting, would take effect in 2012.

Ezekiel noted that because the volume of GAC’s work is decreasing, it’s likely that meetings in future years will be relatively shorter.

Closed Session

Commissioners spent the last 45 minutes of their meeting in closed session to discuss possible land acquisitions. Jack Smiley of the Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy was invited into the session briefly, staying about five minutes. The commission did not take any additional action when they emerged from closed session.

Present: Tom Bloomer, Dan Ezekiel, Mike Garfield, Catherine Riseng, Liz Rother, Laura Rubin. Also: Ginny Trocchio.

Absent: Peter Allen, Carsten Hohnke.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, Dec. 14 at 4:30 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

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From left: Greenbelt advisory commissioners Catherine Riseng and Liz Rother. (Photo by the writer.)

The greenbelt advisory commission (GAC) voted unanimously to recommend Brines for the appointment, which would fill the one open position, an at-large seat. Brines owns Brines Farm in Dexter but lives in Ann Arbor’s Fifth Ward – which GAC member Carsten Hohnke represents on city council. Hohnke, who did not attend Wednesday’s meeting, will likely be the councilmember to put forward Brines’ nomination to council.

Brines also works for the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE), as does GAC vice chair Catherine Riseng. At Wednesday’s meeting, Riseng told commissioners that she’s been appointed to an advisory committee for the county’s natural areas preservation program, and hopes to serve as a liaison between the two groups.

In other action, the commission voted to write a letter of support for continued funding of a federal program for farmland preservation. As Congress hammers out the 2012 farm bill, funds for the program could be at risk. The city received nearly $2.8 million in federal dollars for greenbelt properties during the last fiscal year.

At Wednesday’s meeting the commission also discussed forming a committee to develop a communications plan for the greenbelt program. The intent is to get the word out about the program’s achievements in a consistent, coordinated way.

One of the program’s ongoing efforts at communication is coming up later this month. On Saturday, Oct. 22, a two-hour bus tour will highlight some of the farmland and other properties that are being preserved by the greenbelt program. The tour runs from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. and starts from the Ann Arbor farmers market. Boxed lunches are included in the $15 fee.

Recommendation to Appoint Brines

Two former commissioners – Jennifer Santi Hall and Gil Omenn – were term-limited earlier this year and left the advisory group at the end of June. Liz Rother was appointed by the city council in June to replace Hall, but Omenn’s at-large position remains unfilled.

Shannon Brines has previously expressed interest in the appointment, and had attended GAC’s August meeting. On Wednesday, the commission discussed recommending him formally for appointment by the city council. For most city commissions, members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the council. However, greenbelt commissioners are both nominated and confirmed by the city council.

Brines is an Ann Arbor resident and owner of Brines Farm in Dexter – located outside of the city’s greenbelt boundary. He is active in the local food movement, as a board member for Slow Food Huron Valley, and a steering committee member for the annual HomeGrown Festival and Local Food Summit. In a cover letter applying for the GAC appointment, Brines said he’s also assisting with a farming business incubator project in Ann Arbor Township called the Tilian Farm Development Center. Brines serves on its steering committee.

Brines is also a lecturer at the University of Michigan and manager of the environmental spatial analysis (ESA) lab at UM’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. Since 2007 he has served on the city’s public market advisory commission, which handles issues related to the farmers market. His current term on that commission ends in 2014.

During a brief discussion of Brines’ appointment, Peter Allen praised UM’s recent efforts to use more locally-produced food at its campus dining halls, and noted that Brines is part of the local food network. Dan Ezekiel added that there were several promising announcements recently about UM’s sustainability efforts. [UM president Mary Sue Coleman announced a range of new sustainability goals for the Ann Arbor campus last month.] It puts the university more in step with the city, he said, noting that’s not always the case.

Mike Garfield asked if the commission typically makes recommendations for appointments. No, Ezekiel said, but in this case, Carsten Hohnke specifically asked for it.

Hohnke – a city councilmember representing Ward 5, where Brines lives – also serves on GAC. It’s likely that Hohnke will put forward the nomination for Brines at an upcoming council meeting. Hohnke did not attend Wednesday’s GAC meeting.

Ginny Trocchio, support staff for the greenbelt program, noted that more seats will be opening next year on the commission, so it’s good to continue to look for possible candidates.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to recommend that city council appoint Shannon Brines to the greenbelt advisory commission.

Greenbelt Communications Committee

At the commission’s Sept. 14 meeting, Ginny Trocchio had presented an annual report on the greenbelt program for fiscal 2011, which ended June 30. In discussing the report, Carsten Hohnke had asked about the program’s communications strategy, and indicated that he’d like to identify goals for communicating to the public about the greenbelt program and its successes.

On Wednesday, Trocchio reported that she discussed with GAC’s executive committee – chair Dan Ezekiel and vice chair Catherine Rising – the idea of creating a communications committee to develop a plan for those goals. Committee members could work with the city’s communications staff to design branding for the greenbelt, and a logo. Another possibility is to create an impact report about the greenbelt, to distribute to residents. She passed out some examples of brochures and reports that other land preservation groups have developed.

Ezekiel said that this first effort would be important, because it could serve as a template that would just be tweaked in future years. The program is moving from an acquisition mode to a maintenance and publicity mode, he said, so communications will be increasingly important.

Liz Rother, GAC’s newest commissioner, volunteered to on the committee. Other commissioners indicated that they’d think about it.

Support for Federal Funding

The greenbelt program has been successful in tapping matching funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, or FRPP. In fiscal 2011, the greenbelt program, which is funded through a 30-year millage, also received nearly $2.8 million in FRPP funding. Those funds are used to offset costs of the purchase of development rights (PDR) – the primary mechanism that the greenbelt program uses to preserve farmland and open space. To date, the greenbelt has protected more than 3,200 acres.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Ginny Trocchio reported that as part of negotiations in Congress over the 2012 federal farm bill, FRPP funding might be at risk. The Michigan Dept. of Agriculture is asking land preservation programs in the state to submit statements of support for the FRPP. Trocchio said she’s working with local landowners to get letters from individuals who are part of the greenbelt, but she hoped that GAC could also submit a letter.

FRPP funds have helped the greenbelt program achieve its goals, Trocchio said, by leveraging local dollars for federal funds. Without that federal support, Ann Arbor wouldn’t have been able to preserve as much land as it has, she said.

If commissioners agreed, Trocchio said she’d draft a letter for review by GAC’s chair or vice chair before submitting it.

Mike Garfield asked if there seemed to be an immediate threat to FRPP funding. Trocchio replied that everything is on the table. Dan Ezekiel felt the threat was imminent. The so-called “super committee” of Congress that’s working on a proposal to address the budget deficit hasn’t released much information about potential cuts, he noted. “I think when they strike, they’re going to strike fast,” he said.

Outcome: Commissioners unanimously voted to approve writing a letter of support for the FRPP program.

Misc. Communications

There were several updates from commissioners and staff during Wednesday’s meeting.

Misc. Communications: Greenbelt Boundary Changes

Dan Ezekiel reported that he and Ginny Trocchio had attended a recent Lodi Township board meeting, where township trustees approved a resolution encouraging Ann Arbor city council to expand the greenbelt boundaries. The city council is expected to vote on those changes at its second meeting in November.

GAC had voted to recommend the changes at its Sept. 14 meeting. If approved by the council, the greenbelt boundaries would expand in Lodi and Salem townships. The recommendation also calls for allowing the city to acquire development rights on property adjacent to (but outside of) the greenbelt boundary, if it’s under the same ownership as an inside-the-boundary property that’s being considered for the program.

Ezekiel indicated that Salem Township’s board will also be weighing in with a recommendation to approve the boundary changes.

Trocchio noted that the the changes would require votes by council at two consecutive meetings, but there would still be time to solicit applications from landowners in the newly added areas before February 2012. That’s the deadline to apply for matching funds from the federal Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, which helps offset the cost of the city’s greenbelt acquisitions.

Misc. Communications: Riseng on NATAC

Catherine Rising informed her colleagues that she’s been appointed to Washtenaw County’s natural areas technical advisory committee (NATAC). The county board of commissioners approved her appointment at their Oct. 5 meeting.

NATAC advises the county parks & recreation commission regarding its natural areas preservation program. Like the city’s greenbelt program, NAPP is funded by a millage and works to preserve natural areas and farmland throughout the county.

Riseng – an aquatic ecologist researcher at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment – said she hopes to serve as a liaison between the two advisory groups.

Misc. Communications: Meeting Times

As they had at last month’s meeting, commissioners again discussed possible new dates for their monthly meetings, which now fall on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. For Dan Ezekiel and Catherine Rising – the commission’s chair and vice chair – the current time requires them to leave faculty meetings related to their jobs.

After additional discussion of possible alternative dates, Ezekiel suggested deferring the decision. He noted that two current commissioners – Carsten Hohnke and Laura Rubin – weren’t there to weigh in. Nor was the potential new commissioner, Shannon Brines.

Closed Session

Commissioners spent the last 40 minutes of their meeting in closed session to discuss possible land acquisitions. They did not take any additional action when they emerged from closed session.

Present: Peter Allen, Tom Bloomer, Dan Ezekiel, Mike Garfield, Catherine Riseng, Liz Rother. Also: Ginny Trocchio.

Absent: Carsten Hohnke, Laura Rubin.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 4:30 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

The Chronicle survives in part through regular voluntary subscriptions to support our coverage of publicly-funded entities like the city’s greenbelt program. If you’re already supporting The Chronicle, please encourage your friends, neighbors and coworkers to do the same. Click this link for details: Subscribe to The Chronicle.

Brines is an Ann Arbor resident and owner of Brines Farm in Dexter. He is a lecturer and manager of the environmental spatial analysis (ESA) lab at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment. Since 2007 Brines also has served on the city’s public market advisory commission, which handles issues related to the farmers market. His current term on that commission ends in 2014.

Two vacancies opened on GAC earlier this year. Liz Rother was appointed by the city council in June to replace term-limited Jennifer Santi Hall. The remaining vacancy is an at-large slot, held by former GAC member Gil Omenn. For most city commissions, members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the council. However, greenbelt commissioners are both nominated and confirmed by the city council.

It’s likely that his nomination will be put forward by city councilmember Carsten Hohnke (Ward 5), who also serves on GAC. Hohnke did not attend Wednesday’s meeting.

This brief was filed from the council chambers at city hall, where the greenbelt advisory commission meets. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

Ginny Trocchio of The Conservation Fund, which has a contract with the city to manage the greenbelt program. She's showing the greenbelt advisory commission a map of proposed boundary changes. (Photos by the writer.)

The recommendation also calls for allowing the city to acquire development rights on property adjacent to (but outside of) the greenbelt boundary, if it’s under the same ownership as an inside-the-boundary property that’s being considered for the program.

The recommended “bump-outs” in Lodi and Salem townships – in the southwest and northeast corners of the greenbelt, respectively – reflect increased support for the program from those townships. The Salem Township board, for example, recently voted to earmark $200,000 annually for land preservation.

A separate resolution was voted down, with support only from the commission’s chair, Dan Ezekiel. It would have recommended that the council consider properties adjacent to the greenbelt for acquisition, and create a one-mile buffer surrounding the current boundary. Properties within that buffer would have been considered for acquisition with greenbelt funds, but with stricter selection criteria.

Several commissioners were reluctant to increase the boundaries with a mile-wide buffer zone, citing concerns that land in that area is too far from Ann Arbor, and noting that opportunities for land preservation are still available within the existing greenbelt boundaries.

In other business, the commission got a review of the greenbelt program’s finances and activities for the 2011 fiscal year. A 30-year open space and parkland preservation millage, which voters approved in 2003, funds both the greenbelt program as well as land acquisition for parks. During the year, the greenbelt program spent $8.3 million on 12 deals – by far the most transactions since the greenbelt’s inception.

Those 12 deals protect 1,472 acres of farmland from future development. In total, more than 3,200 acres are now part of the greenbelt. To put that into perspective, Ezekiel noted that those 3,200 acres are roughly equivalent to 80 parks the size of Veterans Memorial Park in Ann Arbor.

Three more greenbelt acquisitions were recommended by commissioners at the end of their meeting. The properties were identified only by application number  – the location of the properties and their owners aren’t revealed until the resolutions are voted on by the city council.

Greenbelt Boundary Changes

The greenbelt advisory commission has been looking at possible expansion of boundaries for about a year. At their Nov. 10, 2010 meeting, commissioners voted to form a subcommittee – chaired by Dan Ezekiel – to explore the issue. At the time, a main reason to consider expansion was a opportunity to protect important parcels of land that fall just outside of the existing greenbelt boundary. [.pdf map of existing greenbelt district]

By way of background, in August 2007 the Ann Arbor city council expanded the greenbelt’s boundaries for the first time since the open space and parkland preservation millage was approved by voters in 2003. A summary of the ordinance for that expansion reads as follows:

Ordinance No. 26-07 amends Section 3:62(13) of Chapter 42, Open Space and Parkland Preservation of the City Code enlarging the boundaries of the Greenbelt District one mile to the west in both Webster and Scio Townships, one mile to the south in Pittsfield Township and one mile to the east in Superior Township and incorporates a new map of the boundaries, as revised, as part of Chapter 42.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Ezekiel – who now chairs the commission – introduced the topic by saying it had been kicked around for a while, and he hoped they could reach some closure. He reviewed some history of the program, including the 2007 boundary change. He noted that two people instrumental in drawing the original greenbelt boundaries – Mike Garfield, who still serves on the commission, and former city councilmember Bob Johnson – had also been part of that 2007 boundary committee.

In considering these new boundary changes, Ezekiel said, the focus should be on what would make the best possible greenbelt, and how the city can give taxpayers the kind of program they thought they were voting for back in 2003.

Map of the Ann Arbor greenbelt. The solid green line indicates the current boundary. The dotted green lines in the lower left (Lodi Township) and upper right (Salem Township) indicate proposed "bump outs." The black line indicates a one-mile buffer zone, which was rejected by the greenbelt advisory commission. (Links to larger image.)

Ginny Trocchio, a Conservation Fund staff member who helps administer the greenbelt program, brought out a large map that showed the existing boundary and proposed changes. The committee suggested that the advisory commission consider two separate resolutions.

The first resolution would expand the boundaries in Salem Township and Lodi Township to “square” off the greenbelt boundaries. The Salem Township boundary would be extended 1 mile to the east so the eastern greenbelt boundary would align with Superior Township to the south. The Lodi Township boundary would be extended 1 mile to the west and 1 mile to the south so the boundaries would align with the borders of Scio Township to the north and Pittsfield Township to the east.

That same resolution recommended allowing the program to acquire property that’s outside the greenbelt but adjacent to the boundary, if it is under the same ownership as an inside-the-boundary property that’s being considered for the program. This change addresses the situation of a property owner holding land on both sides of a road – one parcel within the greenbelt boundary, the other outside of it.

The formal resolution, read aloud by Catherine Riseng, states:

To recommend to City Council to expand the Greenbelt boundaries in Lodi Township and Salem Township to be consistent with the adjacent townships’ Greenbelt boundaries. In addition, to recommend to City Council to amend the Chapter 42 Ordinance to allow properties adjacent to the Greenbelt boundary, that are under the same ownership as property located immediately adjacent within the Greenbelt boundary to be considered for acquisition.

Riseng noted that now, unlike in the past, officials in Lodi and Salem townships are supportive of the greenbelt. Salem Township has committed $200,000 annually from the township’s landfill revenue for the next five years for land preservation. There are some wonderful properties in those townships, she noted, and the land is still reasonably close to the city.

Ezekiel described the second part of the resolution, which addresses the issue of adjacency, as “a technical patch on a problem that we found.” A situation had arisen in which a landowner wanted his entire farm protected, but two parcels were separated by a road – one side was within the greenbelt, the other wasn’t. So the city was constrained from acquiring development rights on the entire farm, even though the landowner was willing.

Peter Allen asked why there were two resolutions. Ezekiel said the resolutions were presented in a hierarchy of “no-brainerness” – the first one proposed changes that the committee felt were easier to swallow.

Carsten Hohnke said the logic behind the initial resolution was strong. While some people might say there’s still plenty of land to be preserved within the existing boundary, he could see the point about a hierarchy – the logic of this first resolution is easy to understand.

Ezekiel noted that because of boundary changes in 2007, the greenbelt was able to acquire development rights to the Nixon farm in Webster Township, which had been targeted for development as a mobile home park. It’s one of the most significant acquisitions the program has made, he said. Another example is the Meyer Preserve in Superior Township, which before 2007 had fallen outside of the greenbelt boundary.

Hohnke countered that it will always be true that opportunities will exist outside the boundary, regardless of where they draw the line. That said, he acknowledged that the Nixon farm anchored one of the greenbelt’s largest successes – establishing a 1,000-acre block of protected land in Webster Township.

Riseng said that Hohnke was right, but she noted that the current proposed changes are also being driven by the opportunity for additional financial support from partnering with the townships. That’s in addition to the fact that there are some beautiful properties in Lodi and Salem townships that fall outside of the existing boundary, she added.

Ezekiel reported that earlier this month, several commissioners – himself, Riseng, Liz Rother and Tom Bloomer – had taken a drive with Trocchio to the bump-out in Lodi Township, and walked through some of the properties there that might be considered for the greenbelt. They were only about five miles from the Meijer store on Ann Arbor-Saline Road, he noted – it’s still close to the city, even though it felt like they were far out in the country. He said his rule of thumb is that the property should be within an easy hour bike ride of the city. Voters wanted to preserve land that was relatively close to Ann Arbor, he said.

Outcome: Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the first resolution, bumping out the greenbelt boundaries in Lodi and Salem townships, and addressing the issue of adjacent properties. It will be forwarded to the city council for consideration.

Riseng then read the second resolution, noting that there would likely be some concerns about it:

To recommend to City Council to amend the Chapter 42 Ordinance to allow properties adjacent to the Greenbelt boundary to be considered for acquisition, and to recommend to City Council to amend Chapter 42 Ordinance to create a 1 mile buffer surrounding the Greenbelt boundary to allow properties that meet stricter criteria located within the buffer to be considered for acquisition.

Riseng said that there were properties within the proposed buffer that the Huron River Watershed Council had identified as high-priority bioreserves for the Huron River.

Peter Allen asked what might qualify as “stricter criteria.” Riseng replied that the committee didn’t believe they should be the ones to set the criteria, but that examples might include a requirement for higher financial contributions from the landowner, or a stipulation that buffer properties that have a higher value in some way, like a bioreserve.

Allen noted that on the plus side, this kind of expansion could allow the program to acquire land that was less expensive, because it was located farther from Ann Arbor. On the other hand, it could dilute attention to the core greenbelt area.

Bloomer said he didn’t think the distance they were talking about would make much difference in land value. ”We’re still well within the development pressure area,” he said. When asked by Allen if the farmland was better quality in the proposed buffer zone, Bloomer replied that he didn’t know if it was better – there was just more of it.

Dan Ezekiel, chair of the greenbelt advisory commission. He is also a science teacher at Forsythe Middle School.

Trocchio said she hadn’t observed a substantial price difference in the proposed buffer area. A bigger factor is whether the land is located within the Ann Arbor Public Schools district – that tends to increase value.

Hohnke said that for the changes proposed in this second resolution, he didn’t think the benefits outweighed the costs. There was a lot of clarity in the first proposal, he said. There are partners in Lodi and Salem townships who are willing to participate, and it fixes the parcel-cut-in-half problem.

But this second set of changes would set up a second tier of scoring criteria, Hohnke said, and that becomes harder to communicate. It starts diluting the program’s efforts, he added, especially now that there are additional areas in Lodi and Salem that have rich opportunities. He said he was not inclined to support this resolution.

Bloomer said he agreed with Hohnke’s assessment.

Allen asked whether it would be possible to return to this proposal in the future, if they didn’t recommend it now. It’s possible, Ezekiel said, but he wasn’t sure how enthusiastic the city council would be if the commission “came back to the well” for a third time.

Riseng asked Trocchio whether there’s a lot of opportunity for land preservation within the existing greenbelt boundaries. “Absolutely,” Trocchio replied, especially with the inclusion of Lodi and Salem townships.

Outcome: On a 1-5 vote, the resolution – recommending a buffer zone and allowing the program to consider properties adjacent to the greenbelt for acquisition – failed, with support only from Dan Ezekiel. Mike Garfield and Laura Rubin were absent.

At the end of the meeting during his communications to commissioners, Ezekiel reported that a message had been received from Lodi Township’s treasurer, indicating that the township board had talked about the boundary change at their meeting earlier this month. The consensus was that township officials are not opposed the the change, he said. The township had “jumped the gun” a bit, Ezekiel said, noting the changes still need to be approved by the city council. But he reported that he had responded to the message by saying he hoped the township would actually support the greenbelt program, not simply “not oppose” it.

Ezekiel said he planned to contact officials in Lodi and Salem, to report on the commission’s recommendation. He hopes to secure letters of support from the townships by the time the resolution is on the council’s agenda.

Greenbelt Program Finances

A member of the city’s finance staff typically comes to the commission’s meeting once a year to give an annual financial report on the greenbelt program. On Wednesday, Kelli Martin, financial manager for the city’s community services unit, reviewed the program’s unaudited financials for FY 2011, from July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011. The 30-year open space and parkland preservation millage, which voters approved in 2003, funds both the greenbelt program as well as land acquisition for parks. Martin’s presentation covered the overall millage-funded budget, while highlighting parts that related to the greenbelt. [.pdf file of complete finance report]

Revenues from the millage were $2.164 million in fiscal 2011, down slightly from $2.262 million the previous year. [Two-thirds of the millage proceeds fund the greenbelt program, with the remaining third allotted to parks. The parks funding is overseen by the city's park advisory commission.]

In addition, the greenbelt program brought in nearly $2.8 million in federal grants during the year – the highest amount it has ever received. Those grants are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Ranchland Protection Program, or FRPP. Investment income was $233,614 for the year, down from $492,576 in FY 2010.

In total, $5.185 million in revenues came in for the combined greenbelt and parks acquisitions programs in FY 2011.

On the expense side, items included $1.2 million in debt service on the $20 million bond that the city issued in FY 2006. Those bond proceeds have now been spent, Martin noted.

The major expenses for the greenbelt program – $8.3 million during the year – related to land preservation projects. Martin noted that over the life of the greenbelt program to date, $24.288 million has been spent directly on land preservation projects.

In FY 2011, $120,338 was paid to The Conservation Fund, which manages the greenbelt and park acquisition programs. Total administrative costs – including items like information technology (IT) and bond insurance – were $161,195. Administrative expenses accounted for 1.5% of the $10.672 million in total expenditures.

The fund balance stands at $10.3 million, down from $15.79 million a year ago. Of that, the greenbelt program’s share is $6.06 million, Martin said. An endowment to fund future maintenance and enforcement of greenbelt deals stands at $442,274.

Greenbelt Program Finances: Commissioner Comments, Questions

Peter Allen asked for more detail about the investment income. Martin reported that the lower amount in FY 2011 reflects a lower fund balance – there was less money to invest, she said. She offered to ask Matt Horning, the city’s treasurer, to attend a future meeting with more detail about the city’s investment strategy, if commissioners were interested.

Allen also asked for background on the FRPP grants. Ginny Trocchio, a Conservation Fund staff member who oversees the greenbelt program, reported that the grants helped fund the purchase of development rights for several properties. Those include the Braun, Gould, Whitney, Honke and Maulbetsch properties. It was by far the greenbelt program’s busiest year, she said.

Commissioner Tom Bloomer, who also owns Bur Oaks Farm in Webster Township.

Commenting on the visual presentation, Allen suggested showing the data in chart format, so that it would be easier for people to see the trend lines. Specifically, he suggested charting the major revenue and expense trends, which he noted would show clearly how much activity is handled with relatively low administrative costs.

Carsten Hohnke, who also represents Ward 5 on city council, said one operations metric that might be useful to the public would be to identify the cost per protected acre. That information would reflect that the greenbelt program is taking advantage of the relatively lower property values to buy development rights, he noted.

Tom Bloomer asked for an explanation of how the endowment amount is calculated for each property. Trocchio said there’s a formula that’s used to project future expenses that might be incurred. Those might include legal expenses and costs for monitoring compliance with the land deals.

Hohnke noted that the city hasn’t had to incur any legal expenses so far, but there has been several years of monitoring. He wondered if there’d been any useful data that could be used to refine or validate the estimated monitoring costs. Trocchio indicated that the staff could revisit those calculations.

Dan Ezekiel observed that literature about land conservancies stresses the importance of setting aside funds for monitoring compliance and protecting conservation easements. Setting up an endowment for that purpose is one of the most important things a land preservation program can do, he said, and it’s a point of pride that Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program has done that since its inception.

Greenbelt Annual Report

Ginny Trocchio presented an activity report for fiscal year 2011, which ended June 30. [.pdf of draft activity report for FY 2011]

The greenbelt program completed 12 transactions during the year, protecting 1,472 acres of farmland, Trocchio reported. Deals included nearly 680 acres of farmland along Whitmore Lake Road, which serves as a gateway into Ann Arbor.

Examples of FY 2011 greenbelt deals include:

• $1 million for the 146-acre Whitney farm in Webster Township, plus a $23,867 endowment.
• $2.5 million for the 286-acre Braun farm in Ann Arbor Township, plus a $25,000 endowment.
• $438,936 for the 51-acre Gould property, also in Ann Arbor Township, plus a $24,000 endowment.
• $683,459 for the 96-acre Honke property in Northfield Township, plus a $23,867 endowment.
• $734,067 for the 128-acre Maulbetsch property in Northfield Township, plus a $23,867 endowment.

Since the greenbelt program began, 3,214 acres have been preserved, Trocchio said.

Trocchio also reviewed the program’s goals for the past year, noting that most were exceeded:

• Goal: Apply for grant funds on two properties. Result: One grant was applied for, but a second application was withdrawn by the property owner.
• Goal: Close on four properties. Result: The city closed on 12 properties.
• Goal: Complete a 1,000-acre block of preserved land in Webster Township. Result: 1,200 acres are now protected there by the greenbelt program.
• Goal: Complete the first greenbelt bus tour. Result: A bus tour was held in July 2010. Additional tours will be organized for the current fiscal year.
• Goal: Obtain at least 20% matching funds on all transactions. Result: This was achieved. The overall average was 52% matching funds for completed transactions.

Three goals are identified for the current fiscal year: (1) Apply for grant funds on two properties; (2) close on three properties; and (3) obtain at least 20% matching funds on all transactions.

In noting the lower goal of closing on three properties, Trocchio said she didn’t think they could keep up with the pace of this year’s acquisitions.

Greenbelt Annual Report: Commissioner Discussion

Carsten Hohnke asked Trocchio to review the program’s communications strategy. He said he didn’t see any goals about this for the current year, and wondered what the staff planned to do, other than the bus tour and general media coverage.

Trocchio said she could certainly add communications goals to the list. She noted that she and Dan Ezekiel, the commission’s chair, had an information booth in the Homegrown Festival earlier this month. She also had a display about Ann Arbor’s greenbelt program at a conference hosted by the Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy earlier this year. More of that kind of outreach is planned, she said.

Commissioner Catherine Riseng, an aquatic ecologist and researcher at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.

In reviewing the year’s overall activities, Ezekiel said it was a banner year for the program, and the excellence of the staff has really shined through. Ann Arbor taxpayers have protected 3,200 acres, he noted. To put it in perspective, he said, it’s the equivalent of 80 parks the size of Veterans Memorial Park in Ann Arbor, or about 5 square miles. “And we’re nowhere near finished,” he said.

It’s a credit to Ann Arbor voters and taxpayers that they’re willing to tax themselves in order to preserve land near the periphery of the city, he said. No one anticipated the crash in land values and the lull in development because of the economy, and the program has been able to take advantage of that.

Ezekiel observed that the greenbelt program is under the radar – if the program does its job, nothing changes, because the land is preserved as it is. The program’s charge is to protect some of the best land in the area forever. If and when development pressure returns, that’s when people will notice what’s been done, he said. Many years from now, he added, people will be happy with what the city has been able to do during this time.

Peter Allen observed that they haven’t created a greenbelt as much as they’ve protected the foodshed. He wondered how many farms were represented in the 3,200 protected acres. Ezekiel said that of the 27 total properties, 24 of them are farms and three are open space. Allen then queried Tom Bloomer – who also owns Bur Oaks Farm in Webster Township, which is part of the greenbelt program – to comment on the economic value of goods produced on these farms.

Bloomer was hesitant to speculate, saying the answer would be complicated. He did venture that in general, the economic value of farming is consistently underestimated.

Outcome: The commission voted unanimously to accept the activity report for fiscal 2011.

Greenbelt Acquisitions

At the end of their meeting, commissioners entered into a closed session to discuss potential land acquisitions.

Land acquisition is one of the few exceptions under the Open Meetings Act that allow for discussion out of public view. When they emerged after about 40 minutes in closed session, commissioners voted on three resolutions.

Properties are identified only by application number at this stage. The location of the properties and their owners aren’t revealed until the resolutions are voted on by the city council.

• Recommending approval of the purchase of development rights for the parcel in application 2011-04, if at least 20% matching funds are received.
• Recommending approval of the purchase of development rights for the parcel in application 2011-01, if at least 20% matching funds are received.
• Recommending that the city partner with the nonprofit Legacy Land Conservancy on the purchase of development rights for the parcel in application 2005-24, and contribute up to $15,000 dollars toward that purchase.

Outcome: In separate votes, commissioners unanimously approved resolutions for all three greenbelt acquisitions. The recommendations will be considered by the city council for approval.

Misc. Communications

There were several opportunities for updates from commissioners and staff.

Misc. Communications: New Meeting Time?

Dan Ezekiel told commissioners that he hoped they could alter their meeting time in order to accommodate a potential new commissioner. [Shannon Brines, who attended last month's greenbelt advisory commission, is expected to be nominated for the position vacated this summer by Gil Omenn, who was term limited. For most city commissions, members are nominated by the mayor and confirmed by the council. However, greenbelt commissioners are both nominated and confirmed by the city council.]

Commissioners will complete a survey about possible meeting times. Any changes wouldn’t take effect until 2012. Currently, the commission meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 4:30 p.m. Other commissioners indicated that the current meeting time is difficult for them, too.

Misc. Communications: Executive Committee

Ezekiel expressed interest in expanding the commission’s executive committee. Now, it consists of the chair (Ezekiel), vice chair (Catherine Riseng), city council representative (Carsten Hohnke) and staff (Ginny Trocchio). Ezekiel noted that in the coming years there will be considerable turnover on the commission, as members are term limited.

Bringing another member into the executive committee would help future leadership get up to speed, Ezekiel said, and help keep the group’s institutional memory strong. He said it was an open invitation to commissioners, and that they should contact Trocchio if they’re interested.

Misc. Communications: Bus Tour

Trocchio reported that she’d like to schedule another greenbelt bus tour sometime this fall. She’s looking at Saturdays when there’s not a University of Michigan home football game: Oct. 8, 15 or Nov. 5. The tour would last about two hours and include stops to see land that’s been protected by the greenbelt program.

Present: Peter Allen, Tom Bloomer, Dan Ezekiel, Carsten Hohnke, Catherine Riseng, Liz Rother. Also: Ginny Trocchio.

Absent: Mike Garfield, Laura Rubin.

Next regular meeting: Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 4:30 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [confirm date]

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