Ann Arbor Delays Design Fee, Appoints Board

At its June 20, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council delayed a vote on a fee for its new design review process, which is now a part of the city’s code. The application fee was to have been set at $1,000 – to cover estimated mailing costs of $500 and about five hours of city staff time. The vote on the fee was postponed until July 5. Projects in Ann Arbor’s downtown area, zoned D-1 and D-2, are now subject to a mandatory process of design review, but compliance with the board’s recommendations is voluntary.

At its June 20 meeting, the council also confirmed the nominations for the initial membership of the design review board: Tamara Burns, Paul Fontaine, Chester B. Hill, Mary Jukari, Bill Kinley, Richard Mitchell, and Geoffrey M. Perkins.

That board will meet to review its first project on June 22, 2011, at 3 p.m. in the sixth floor conference room of city hall. The project to be reviewed is The Varsity at Ann Arbor, a residential project planned for 425 E. Washington St., next to the 411 Lofts building. The site is currently the site of an office building which formerly housed the Prescription Shop. The Varsity is planned to be a 13-story apartment building with 173 units that would house 418 people. It would include 77 parking spaces. [.pdf of The Varsity at Ann Arbor project presentation]

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: [link]