Comments on: Final Forum: What Sustains Community?

By: Manfred Schmidt

Manfred Schmidt — Tue, 01 May 2012 01:24:05 +0000

If Professor Kelbaugh wants more density downtown, how about some plans to provide sufficient grocery shopping nearby to accommodate more residents. As it is, most urban dwellers have to drive several miles to reach a supermarket, which negatively adds to the carbon footprint. As for parkland as a priority, it’s one of the things that keeps Ann Arbor a decent place to live in comparison to communities such as West Bloomfield and Farmington Hills. I’ve been an Ann Arborite since I first came to this country in 1954 and it’s certainly one of the main attractions of the city as far as I’m concerned.

By: TeacherPatti

TeacherPatti — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 01:07:19 +0000

I’m kind of worried about follow through, too. There some bitchin’ (yeah I said it) ideas in that article but a) what are the plans for follow through, b) how can community members help? and c) when we will check up on these ideas to see which ones have happened or are being worked on?

By: tim

tim — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 19:16:09 +0000

Tom,

Were I not an A2 expat who lived there for 30 years, I’d say it sounds cynical. But it doesn’t. My own opinion is that council suffers from ADHD and a lack of passion or commitment. Nothing would turn opinions faster than council and the city admin actually DOING something great, and not just talking about it ad infinitum.

A2 is a very good town. But it still hasn’t learned how to be great.

By: Tom Whitaker

Tom Whitaker — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:41:32 +0000

I wouldn’t count on any significant action, Tim. This is just one in a long line of “feel good” planning studies that take up a lot of staff time and citizen effort only to be stuffed into a drawer and forgotten.

There will likely be a final report that is lauded by the planning commission and praised by council members seeking re-election, just before they take a symbolic vote on accepting it. But instead of incorporating it into the master plan or more importantly, the zoning ordinance, it will quickly be forgotten as the next “study du jour” is requested by Council. Only when some future controversial issue comes along will people ask, “Hey, I thought we fixed that back in 2012 with that what-cha-ma-call-it study?” They will then be told no, that in fact it did not get formally addressed, and its presence in a study report carries no legal weight or even any political weight, if it goes against the current council group-think.

Meanwhile, our zoning ordinance remains a sloppy mish-mash that is not in compliance with the 2006 Zoning Enabling Act, and our master plans are overdue for updating, with many popular provisions having never been incorporated into the zoning, some 20 years after the fact.

Sorry. Does that sound a little cynical?

By: tim

tim — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 14:24:48 +0000

This is what makes towns like Ann Arbor different. Presuming there is some follow-through and significant action, this is what will help towns survive and prosper in the future.

The topic made me think of a book recommendation: Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010, by Charles Murray.