He set an excellent example for all who wish to engage in public service.

(2) Avalon Housing is supposed to rehab 1500 Pauline, but they’d rather demolish the current 47 units, and invest $8 million to rebuild 32 new units. That means we lose 15 units. The reasons are “Getting tax credits” “Drainage problem” “Not updated outlook” “Issue of accessibility”.

I received mails from local community stating that the “Developer Fee” available to benefit…….I’m not so sure, let’s investigate…..We need to keep an eye on our housing, as many people sleep along the river, in the wood, under the bridge, even junk yards. Do you know that those live in junk-yards, you can’t even discover them, they pack and leave in the early morning. People light the candles in their tents, miserable! Visit those under the bridge, cold & dark there!

Every quaint small town and city in the nation has a strip like this near the highway, on the outskirts of town, where chain stores, fast food restaurants and auto dealerships can all be peacefully located without interfering with the the more unique, homegrown character of downtown.

For sure, there is room for improvement when it comes to traffic flow, alternative transportation, and perhaps making the strip more attractive, but I think it is disingenuous to categorically state that this corridor “does not work.” What next? WMD found at Arborland? This strip, like Stadium Blvd. has a purpose that is separate and distinct from other areas of town and we need to allow for these uses on these strips if we want to maintain the character of Main and State Streets.

I would oppose yet another TIF that will take money from the City’s general fund, the County, the public schools and libraries. I think the improvements to congestion and attractiveness issues can be resolved through cooperative planning, using existing public and private resources, existing public agencies, and existing private business associations.

Corridor Improvement Authority Resolution of Intent As Amended

I’d like to congratulate the Council for their care in amending the statement of intent for the Corridor Improvement Authority. It would be very helpful if the Chronicle could make a copy of the amended resolution available.

I have many concerns about the potential for this initiative, but here is one as a question: Can we be sure that any TIF revenues are directed towards public improvements (transit, walkability) rather than toward subsidies for development, as the Ann Arbor DDA has often done? The recent discussion of further DDA responsibility for pushing downtown development only highlights this potential for another TIF-collecting entity. There is money to be made here.