Archive for October, 2011

Ann Arbor city council meeting (Oct. 3, 2011): In spite of the eight public hearings scheduled for Monday night, the council’s agenda was actually relatively light. Six of the public hearings were very similar requests for annexations of property from Scio Township into the city of Ann Arbor. The annexations were all approved with scant comment from the public or the council.

But two agenda items – both related to the future of the block of South Fifth Avenue just south of William – resulted in over an hour of deliberations by the council.

An item added late Monday afternoon gave a glimmer of hope to the Heritage Row planned unit development (PUD), which the council last had on its agenda on Dec. 6, 2010 – nearly a year ago. On Monday, the council voted to suspend its rules, then voted to reconsider the project, and finally voted to postpone it until its Oct. 17 meeting.

By Oct. 17, a set of changes proposed by the development team are to be incorporated into the site plan and zoning regulations for Heritage Row. The developer says the changes to Heritage Row would be necessary, in order for him to diverge from his current intention to build City Place, an already approved “matter of right” project at the same location. Those changes include eliminating any on-site parking requirement, increasing the number of residents, relaxing the energy standards, and not making a commitment to the historical preservation of the existing seven houses on the site. [.pdf of letter from developer]

If the council were to give the new version of Heritage Row initial approval at its Oct. 17 meeting, it would then take a second and final vote on it at a meeting now scheduled for Oct. 24.

In a related action, the council approved a revision to the development agreement for City Place that eliminated the need for the developer to complete off-site utility work before being issued a building permit for that project. Now, that utility work would need to be completed later in the process, before the certificate of occupancy is issued. The relaxation of the timeline was undertaken to allow the developer additional flexibility to discuss a modified Heritage Row, as an alternative to City Place.

In other business, the council again delayed action on a resolution of intent for the use of revenue generated by a proposed street and sidewalk repair millage that voters will be asked to approve at the Nov. 8 election. Questions concerned the need for such a resolution at all, as well as the plan for use of the millage inside the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority district.

A request for rezoning a medical marijuana business on South State Street was denied by the council, but did achieve three votes on the 11-member body.

The council also approved an easement for DTE to replace a gas main along the north side of Fuller Road. [Full Story]

The Detroit News previews next month’s opening of the $754 million C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital, part of the University of Michigan’s medical complex in Ann Arbor. The report notes that the new 1.1 million-square-foot hospital is the university’s largest-ever construction project and took five years to build. All patient rooms are private, including ones with views of Nichols Arboretum and the Huron River. [Source]

Michigan plays Northwestern in Evanston tomorrow for the first time since 2007. The undefeated, 11th ranked Wolverines are favorites, but beating the Wildcats is no longer the easy game it used to be. Whatever happens this weekend, it can’t match what happened back in 1995.

Before 1995, the idea of Michigan losing to Northwestern was preposterous. In Bo Schembechler’s 21 years leading the Wolverines, he lost to every Big Ten team at least once – except Northwestern, which Bo’s teams beat by scores like 31-0, 35-0 and, yes, 69-0.

But back then, everybody beat up on the lowly Wildcats – often called the Mildcats. From the early ’70s to the mid ’90s, they had 17 really bad years, surrounding a stretch of six really, really bad years – when they won a grand total of three games against 62 defeats. Only the Washington Generals, who play every game against the Harlem Globetrotters, had a worse record.

Northwestern’s stadium seats half as many fans as Michigan’s, but they hadn’t sold it out since 1963. Some years, their attendance for the entire season was less than Michigan attracted for a single game. [Full Story]

The New York Times’ Travel section publishes a guide to spending 36 hours in Ann Arbor on a football weekend. Several local businesses get shout-outs, including Van Boven Clothing, vendors at Mark’s Carts, and (of course) Zingerman’s Deli. Recommended for a post-game Saturday night? “Whether Michigan has won or lost, students hit the bars. Avoid South University and State Street (student hubs) and head to the more civilized Main Street (the place Bob Seger, who grew up in Ann Arbor, is actually singing about in the song “Mainstreet”). With dozens of night spots, it’s easy to find a martini or microbrew; one favorite is Palio … where postgame parties erupt on the rooftop bar.” [Source]

A candidate forum held Monday evening, Oct. 3, 2011 invited six candidates for two seats on the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) board of education to make brief statements and share their answers to five questions.

Candidates were asked about bullying, their candidacies, technology, transportation, and partnerships between AAPS and other entities. The forum was sponsored by the local League of Women Voters, and broadcast live from the studio at Community Television Network (CTN).

The video can be re-played online through CTN’s video-on-demand service.

League member Susan Greenberg opened the forum, introducing the six school board candidates – Albert Howard, Ahmar Iqbal, Patrick Leonard, Larry Murphy, and incumbents Simone Lightfoot, and Andy Thomas.

Election Day is Nov. 8. Voters will be asked to choose up to two candidates to serve four-year terms on the seven-member board. Board members not standing for election this time around are: Deb Mexicotte, Glenn Nelson, Irene Patalan, Christine Stead and Susan Baskett.

Greenberg explained that the League of Women Voters is open to all citizens over the age of 18, male and female, and referred the public to the League website for membership information. She added that one purpose of the League is to assist voters in making informed choices at the polls, and as such, it holds forums such as this one.

Finally, Greenberg noted that the questions for Monday’s forum were selected by a committee of League members from suggestions sent in by the community, and introduced forum moderator Judy Mich.

Mich welcomed “viewers, voters, and candidates” and provided some information on how the forum would be conducted. She explained that  the League’s policy is to alternate the person who first responds to a new question, and then allow each of the other candidates to respond to the same question. For the opening and closing statements, candidates drew numbers to determine their speaking order.

Candidate responses are presented in the order in which they were given. For previous Chronicle coverage of the candidates, including more about their backgrounds, see: “Forum for Six AAPS Candidates” [Full Story]

The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan has posted a time-lapse video of events in and around the Sept. 10 Michigan v. Notre Dame night football game at Michigan Stadium. The video includes shots taken throughout the day and into the night, showing tailgaters, fans, the marching band, cheerleaders and players. See anyone you know? [Source]

Editor’s note: Laura Bien’s column this week features two aspects of modern culture that a hundred years from now may have completely disappeared from the landscape: newspapers and the regular mail delivery. The battle she describes – between the press and the postmaster – is ultimately won by the postmaster.

Overnight, he’d become the most hated man in Ypsilanti. A series of editorials in the Ypsilanti Daily Press condemned his actions and character. The paper even published a jeering cartoon, among large headlines detailing his disgrace.

William Lister wasn’t a murderer, rapist, or adulterer. With his wire-rimmed glasses and prim expression he resembled a rural schoolmaster or Sunday School teacher, both of which he had been. But his steady gaze hinted at a steely character with greater ambitions, which was also true. In the fall of 1907, William tangled with one of the most powerful groups in town, risking his reputation and his lucrative government job on a matter of principle.

William Noble Lister was born in a log cabin in Iosco township in Livingston County on the last day of 1868. His cabinetmaker father drowned when William was two. William’s mother Frances remarried and the family moved to Ypsilanti in the spring of 1882.

In 1887 William graduated from Ypsilanti High School. For a year, he taught in a rural school in Livingston County’s Unadilla. He returned to Ypsilanti to obtain his teaching degree from the Normal teacher training college. After another stint as a teacher in the western Upper Peninsula, William became Saline school superintendent from 1891 to 1895 – a first step to greater things. [Full Story]

At their Oct. 5, 2011 meeting, Washtenaw County commissioners held an extensive discussion about a proposed tax for road repairs, but ultimately postponed action until their Dec. 7 meeting. It’s also been added as a topic for their Oct. 6 working session, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Representatives from the county road commission, which made the proposal, are expected to attend.

At issue is whether the county board should levy an 0.6 mill tax, which is now estimated to raise $8.7 million for a raft of road improvement projects countywide. Road commissioners believe the millage could be levied under Public Act 283 of 1909. Because that act pre-dates the state’s Headlee Amendment, it could be levied by the board and would … [Full Story]

Kristin Judge, a Democrat who represents District 7 on the Washtenaw County board of commissioners, received a resolution of appreciation at the board’s Oct. 5, 2011 meeting. It was her last regular board meeting before her resignation takes effect on Oct. 9. She announced her decision to step down on Sept. 30, citing potential conflicts with a job she recently accepted with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).

After receiving a framed copy of the resolution, Judge got a standing ovation from her board colleagues and staff, and several commissioners praised her work on the board. Conan Smith (D-District 10) described her as a “force of nature,” while Rob Turner (R-District 1) cited her energy, passion, and compassion. Ronnie Peterson … [Full Story]

At its Oct. 5, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners passed a resolution honoring winners of the county’s 2011 Environmental Excellence awards. The county gave its overall Environmental Excellence Award to the Chrysler Group LLC for the Chrysler Proving Grounds in Chelsea, commending the firm for its waste reduction and recycling program, its model stormwater and erosion control system involving native plants, and its efforts to keep toxic materials out of the waste stream.

The Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission was given the Excellence in Water Quality Protection Award for its innovative stormwater management, use of native plants in landscaping, and pollution prevention. An honorable mention in this category was awarded to Horiba Instruments Inc.

The Leslie Science and Nature Center of … [Full Story]

At its Oct. 5, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners approved the appointment of Catherine Riseng to the natural areas technical advisory committee (NATAC), which advises the county parks & recreation commission regarding its natural areas preservation program (NAPP). Riseng is an aquatic ecologist researcher at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. She also is vice chair of the city of Ann Arbor’s greenbelt advisory commission. [.pdf of Riseng's cover letter and resume]

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county administration building, 220 N. Main St. in Ann Arbor. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

At their Oct. 5, 2011 meeting, Washtenaw County commissioners authorized hiring Greg Dill to the new position of county infrastructure management director, with a salary of $116,758. A separate resolution approved the creation of that post, with responsibility for information systems and technology, as well as management of the county’s buildings and other facilities. Some of those duties were previously assigned to the county’s information & technology manager, a position that was eliminated following the departure of James McFarlane earlier this year.

Dill has been director of administrative operations for the sheriff’s office, but previously worked for five years in facilities management for the county.

The creation of this new job and Dill’s appointment to it were originally on the agenda for the … [Full Story]

At their Oct. 5, 2011 meeting, Washtenaw County commissioners gave initial approval to renew a two-year contract with Governmental Consultant Services Inc., a Lansing-based lobbying firm. The contract would run from  Nov. 1, 2011 through Oct. 31, 2013 at $54,250 per year. That’s the same rate that the county currently pays, and is already built into the proposed 2012-2013 budget. [.pdf of draft contract]

GCSI lobbyist Kirk Profit attended Wednesday’s meeting. He and his colleagues most recently gave a formal update to the board at their March 2, 2011 meeting. GCSI provides lobbying services at the state level for several local units of government, including the city of Ann Arbor.

This brief was filed from the boardroom of the county … [Full Story]

Drain projects in Ann Arbor – including two related to the East Stadium bridge reconstruction project – were given initial approval by Washtenaw County commissioners at their Oct. 5, 2011 meeting.

The county water resources commissioner’s office was asked by the city of Ann Arbor to design and build stormwater control measures for the bridges along Stadium Boulevard between Kipke and South Industrial, according to a staff memo. The Allen Creek East Stadium bridges drain project and the Malletts Creek East Stadium bridges drain project will require in total no more than $415,000 for bonds issued with the county’s full faith and credit. The bonds will be repaid through special assessments on property in the drain district for this project.

Separately, county … [Full Story]

At its Oct. 5, 2011 meeting, the Washtenaw County board of commissioners gave initial approval to a contract with Sylvan Township related to the township’s bond repayment schedule. The township has been struggling to make payments on $12.5 million in bonds issued in 2001 to build a water and wastewater treatment plant intended to serve future development. The township expected that connection fees would cover the bond payments, but the development never materialized.

Now Sylvan Township – located west of Ann Arbor, near Chelsea – is facing default on its bond payment in May 2012, which the county will need to cover. The township board voted to put a proposal for a 4.75 mill, 20-year tax on the November 2011 … [Full Story]

The Washtenaw County board of commissioners is seeking applicants to fill a vacancy on the board following the recent resignation of Kristin Judge, who represents District 7 in Pittsfield Township. Her resignation takes effect Oct. 9. Applicants for this appointment must live in District 7 [.pdf of District 7 map].

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. The board is expected to make an appointment at its Oct. 19 meeting. Applicants must submit: (1) a letter of interest and resume, including a home address; (2) identification of political affiliation; (3) a current list of past political leadership/involvement; and (4) a statement of 500 words or less, responding to the board’s Strategic Priorities and Budget Principles. The … [Full Story]

Former Washtenaw County commissioner Christina Montague is the first and so far only person to file as a candidate for county commissioner in the 2012 election cycle – well ahead of the May 15, 2012 filing deadline for the Aug. 7 primary. An Ann Arbor Democrat, Montague plans to run in the new District 7, which covers an area on the east side of Ann Arbor that’s now represented by Democrat Barbara Bergman. Bergman is not seeking re-election. [.pdf of Montague affidavit] Andy LaBarre, also a Democrat, has also indicated his intent to run in District 7, but has not yet filed.

Democrat and current county commissioner Yousef Rabhi picked up nominating petitions earlier this week, and plans to run for … [Full Story]

Two weeks after the Ann Arbor planning commission postponed action on a site plan for The Varsity at Ann Arbor, the same group recommended approval at its Oct. 4, 2011 meeting. The city’s planning staff previously had recommended postponement to give the developer – Potomac Holdings of Bethesda, Maryland – more time to address several outstanding issues, which were described as minor. The project will now be forwarded to the city council for its consideration.

Since the Sept. 20 meeting, some minor modifications have been made on the proposal for the 13-story apartment building at 425 E. Washington St., east of the 411 Lofts building and west of the First Baptist Church. (Currently on the site is a two-story office building that formerly … [Full Story]

Following postponement at its Sept. 8, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor planning commission recommended approval of changes to a University Bank site plan for property at 2015 Washtenaw Ave., known as the Hoover Mansion. The proposal will now be forwarded to city council for approval.

The proposal would increase the number of allowable employees from 50 to 59 at the bank’s headquarters and add a new parking lot on the site, with a setback of 24 feet from the eastern property line. A continuous six-foot-high wall is proposed along the eastern and southeastern property lines, to screen the parking lot from 2021 Washtenaw Ave. and 2107-2109 Tuomy. The changes require amending the supplemental regulations of the site’s planned unit development (PUD) … [Full Story]

Organizers of the sixth Ignite Ann Arbor are taking applications for speakers: “Ignite talks are 5 minute talks where the speaker gets 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds. We think that breeds creativity, and we like to see talks on a very wide arrange of topics, as you can see by looking at some of the previous talks … There is still untrodden territory! After seeing some 70 talks in Ann Arbor so far, we have yet to have had an act of fiction, for instance.” The deadline for submission is Oct. 10. The event is on Sunday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. in the University of Michigan’s Blau Auditorium. [Source]

A proposal for a new county recreation center in Ypsilanti’s Water Street area is the focus of an Ypsilanti city council working session on Tuesday, Oct. 4, held prior to the council’s regular evening meeting. A memo from Bob Tetens, director of the Washtenaw County parks & recreation department, outlines the proposed East Side Recreation Center and is included in the council packet. [.pdf of memo from Tetens]

In the memo, Tetens states that the new center would be similar, both in size and characteristics, to the county’s Meri Lou Murray Recreation Center, located on Washtenaw Avenue at Platt Road. However, the programming and other features would be unique to the Ypsilanti area community. The MLM rec center has … [Full Story]

At its Oct. 3, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council reconsidered the Heritage Row planned unit development (PUD) for South Fifth Avenue, after declining to do so almost a year ago – on Dec. 6, 2010. This time around the council successfully suspended the council rules to allow for the reconsideration, and voted unanimously to reconsider the project and then to postone it until the council’s Oct. 17 meeting.

At that Oct. 17 meeting, the city staff will have worked with the developer to incorporate the developer’s various requests into the site plan and zoning for the project. The last version of Heritage Row considered by the council would preserve the seven houses and construct three new apartment buildings behind … [Full Story]

At its Oct. 3, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council again delayed action on a resolution of intent for the use of the proceeds from a street/sidewalk repair millage that will be on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Voters will be asked to approve two separate proposals: (1) a 5-year renewal of a 2.0 mill tax to support street repair projects; and (2) a 0.125 mill tax to pay for sidewalk repair.

The resolution of intent would specify that the street repair millage will pay for the following activities: resurfacing or reconstruction of existing paved city streets and bridges, including on-street bicycle lanes and street intersections; construction of pedestrian refuge islands; reconstruction and construction of accessible street crossings and corner ramps; and preventive pavement maintenance (PPM) measures, including pavement crack sealing. [.pdf of resolution of intent]

Councilmembers had questions about the need to have any resolution of intent, as well as the status of millage revenue use inside the geographic area of the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority.

The resolution of intent would stipulate that sidewalk repairs inside the Ann Arbor DDA district will not be funded by the sidewalk repair millage, except when the sidewalks are adjacent to single- and two-family houses. A recent meeting of the DDA’s operations committee revealed a measure of discontent on the DDA’s part about the intended restriction inside the DDA district and the lack of communication from the city of Ann Arbor to the DDA about that issue.

The resolution states that both inside and outside the DDA district (otherwise put, throughout the city), the sidewalk repair millage would be used only to pay for sidewalk repair adjacent to property on which the city levies a property tax. One impact of that resolution of intent, if it’s adopted, is that the city’s sidewalk repair millage will not be used to pay for repairs to sidewalks adjacent to University of Michigan property.

This brief was filed shortly after the city council’s meeting concluded. A more detailed report will follow: [link] [Full Story]

At its Oct. 3, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council voted to establish an Energy Financing District and a Property Assessed Clean Energy program (PACE). The council had formally expressed its intention to establish an Energy Financing District and a PACE. The vote came after a formal public hearing.

The resolution of intent refers to a report, which describes in detail the project and property eligibility for PACE, as well as project size, application process, and financing, among other elements.

At its March 7, 2011 meeting, the council had voted to set up a $432,800 loan loss reserve fund to support the city’s planned PACE program. The money for the fund comes from an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) awarded to the city by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Through its PACE program, the city of Ann Arbor will help commercial property owners finance energy improvements through voluntary special assessments. By establishing a loan loss pool, the city can reduce interest rates for participating property owners by covering a portion of delinquent or defaulted payments. [Some previous Chronicle coverage of PACE: "Special District Might Fund Energy Program"]

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] [Full Story]

At its Oct. 3, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council approved annexation of six properties on the west side of the city, all inside a well prohibition zone that was expanded in March 2011. The expansion of the zone came as a result of a consent agreement between the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources and Environment, which relaxed environmental cleanup requirements on Pall Corp. The previous prohibition zone had been established because of 1,4 dioxane groundwater contamination caused by the Pall Corp.’s Wagner Road facility, formerly owned by Gelman Sciences.

Annexation will allow these properties to connect to city of Ann Arbor water services. Pall has paid all petition filing fees as well as the connection and improvement charges for water and sanitary sewer service that are related to the annexations. All of the parcels are currently a part of Scio Township. They will be annexed with the R1C (single-family residential) category. These annexations are not part of the systematic township-to-city annexation strategy authorized by the city council at its Sept. 19, 2011 meeting.

[Google map of well prohibition zones and property locations] [.jpg of map with well prohibition zones and property locations]

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] [Full Story]

At its Oct. 3, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council voted to deny a request for the rezoning of a South State Street property, so that it could be used as a medical marijuana dispensary. The request was denied on a 3-8 vote.

The owner of Treecity Health Collective, a dispensary at 1712 S. State, had requested that the city planning commission recommend the location be rezoned from O (office) to C1 (local business). The owner had also asked that the area plan requirement for that location be waived. However, at their Aug. 16, 2011 meeting, planning commissioners recommended denial of the requests, based on a staff recommendation, stating that C1 zoning is not consistent with adjacent zoning, land uses and the city’s master plan.

And at their  Sept. 19 meeting, councilmembers were hesitant to vote down the rezoning, and instead decided to delay their vote. The council is looking ahead to another rezoning request in the same vicinity on South State – for Biercamp Artisan Sausage and Jerky – and appears keen to treat them in parallel fashion. At its Sept. 8 meeting, the city planning commission recommended denial of Biercamp’s rezoning request, which would allow the sausage business to sell a greater variety of products beyond those manufactured on the site.

The Treecity Health Collective opened in 2010. This summer, the Ann Arbor city council approved amendments to the city’s zoning ordinances that prevent medical marijuana dispensaries from operating in office zoning districts – those changes were set to take effect on Aug. 22, 2011. Rather than relocate the dispensary, the business asked for the zoning change. The property – located on the west side of State, south of Stimson – is owned by Francis Clark.

A recent court of appeals ruling has raised legal questions about the existence of dispensaries under Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act. However, the Ann Arbor city council decided at its Sept. 6 meeting to proceed with the appointment of four out of the five members of its medical marijuana licensing board and subsequently appointed the five member. That body met for the first time on Sept. 21.

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] [Full Story]