City planning manager Wendy Rampson talks with developer Mike Martin of First Martin Corp. prior to the Ann Arbor planning commission’s Sept. 17, 2013 meeting. (Photos by the writer.)

Traverwood Apartments is a proposed complex of 16 two-story buildings and 216 one- and two-bedroom units on nearly 22 acres off of Traverwood Drive, north of Plymouth Road. It’s one of the first large residential developments in the last few years that’s come forward outside of downtown Ann Arbor. For part of the site, a rezoning would be required – from ORL (office, research and light industrial) to R4D (multi-family residential).

Developer First Martin Corp. is making the proposal. In response to a query from commissioner Bonnie Bona, Mike Martin explained that although the site would allow for denser development – taller buildings and more units – the cost of construction would have been high, and they didn’t think they’d be able to charge the amount of rent necessary to make a larger project feasible.

The site is east of the city’s Leslie Park golf course, and south of Stapp Nature Area – created on land that First Martin sold to the city in 2003. Some of the discussion on Sept. 17 centered on pedestrian connections between those parks and the apartment complex, which will include a path running along the west side of the site, next to Leslie Park.

During a public hearing on the project, resident Paul Bruss supported the concept of that kind of public trail. He described a vision he shares with others, of a trail that would start at Stapp and loop south then west around the Leslie Park golf course, going north all the way to the Dhu Varren Woods Nature Area. “If we could figure out a way to connect all that as a necklace around Leslie golf course, this would be one of the premium trails in Ann Arbor,” Bruss said.

Commissioners Bona and Ken Clein advocated for more of a pedestrian focus within the complex. Calling First Martin and the architect firm Hobbes + Black “kind of the dream team for developing in Ann Arbor,” Clein – a principal with Quinn Evans Architects – expressed disappointment at the “cookie cutter” site design.

Depending the outcome of a staff review, the apartment project might be on the planning commission’s agenda for consideration as early as Oct. 1.

The other action item on Sept. 17 was authorizing two planning commissioners – Paras Parekh and Sabra Briere, who also serves on city council – to attend the Michigan Association of Planning annual conference, held this year from Oct. 2-4 in Kalamazoo. Their expenses will be paid for out of the city’s training budget for planning staff and related commissions.

Also during the meeting, planning manager Wendy Rampson gave a brief update on the work of consultants who are developing recommendations as part of a downtown zoning review. The consultants – Erin Perdu and Megan Masson-Minock – plan to present their report at the planning commission’s Oct. 8 working session, with commissioners considering the recommendations at their Oct. 15 regular meeting.

Traverwood Apartments

On the Sept. 17 agenda were items related to Traverwood Apartments, a proposed complex of 16 two-story buildings on the west side of Traverwood Drive, north of Plymouth Road. [.pdf of staff memo]

The project – being developed by Ann Arbor-based First Martin Corp. – requires site plan approval and rezoning, as well as approval of a wetland use permit. The site is east of the city-owned Leslie Park golf course and south of the city’s Stapp Nature Area and the Traverwood branch of the Ann Arbor District Library.

Aerial view of proposed Traverwood Apartments site at 2225 Traverwood Drive, north of Plymouth Road.

The total 21.8-acre site, which is currently vacant, is made up of two parcels: a 17.96-acre lot that’s zoned R4D (multi-family residential), and an adjacent 3.88-acre lot to the south that’s currently zoned ORL (office, research and light industrial). The smaller lot would need to be rezoned R4D. The property is located in Ward 1.

The project, estimated to cost $30 million, would include 16 two-story buildings for a total of 216 one- and two-bedroom units – or 280 total bedrooms. Eight of the buildings would each have 15 units and 11 single-car garages. An additional eight buildings would each have 12 units and 8 single-car garages.

The complex will include a 6,150-square-foot community building near the center of the site, with a leasing office, meetings rooms, a small kitchen and an exercise facility. An outdoor pool with patio will be located adjacent to the building. There will also be a play area with playground structures and benches.

The project likely will be constructed in phases, with the first phase consisting of 11 buildings on the southern portion of the site, and the community center. The complex will include 336 parking spaces – 152 spaces inside garages and 184 surface parking spaces.

According to a staff memo, the property has several significant natural features, including 196 landmark trees. The higher-quality native woodland, located on the northern portion of the site, will not be disturbed, but about 40 landmark trees will be removed for construction in other parts of the property. An additional 165 trees will be planted on the site to mitigate the trees that will be removed. The owner will also put in a woodchip path connecting to the adjacent Stapp Nature Area to the north. That nature area was created when First Martin sold eight acres to the city in 2003.

Matt Kowalski, in giving the planning staff report, said there will be an extensive sidewalk system looping through the interior of the site, with connections to Traverwood Drive and to the nature area. There will be two new curbcuts onto Traverwood. The apartment complex’s drive will also be connected to an existing drive off of Traverwood that currently serves the office complex to the south and east.

There are three main wetlands on the site, including a natural pond with a wetland fringe, and a large regional detention pond built in the late 1990s as part of a broad stormwater management effort. One smaller wetland area will be removed. The owner must secure a wetland use permit from the city and a permit for wetland disturbance from the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality. The project also requires approval from the Washtenaw County water resources commissioner.

Although the city typically requests a parks donation for projects like this, Kowalski noted that such a donation has been satisfied because First Martin had reduced the cost of the city’s 2003 purchase of the natural area that’s now the Stapp Nature Area. [According to minutes of the Aug. 4, 2003 city council meeting, the city purchased the 8.1 acres for $650,000.]

The city’s parks staff is requesting a formal easement for a public path on the property, which will be included in the development agreement.

The city’s planning staff had recommended postponing action on the Traverwood Apartments proposal. Outstanding issues relate to utilities, natural features, connections from the site to adjacent properties, and wetland mitigation.

Kowalski reported that the owner had submitted revised plans on Sept. 16, but the planning staff didn’t have sufficient time to review those plans before the Sept. 17 meeting.

Traverwood Apartments: Public Hearing

Mike Martin of First Martin Corp. spoke briefly, introducing himself as well as Earl Ophoff of Midwestern Consulting and architect James Sharba of Hobbes + Black. He said they were there to answer any questions.

Paul Bruss, a nearby resident of the proposed Traverwood Apartments.

Paul Bruss also spoke, telling commissioners that he’s a runner who frequently runs through the property down to Leslie Park. “I’ve got buddies who do the same,” he said, and they wanted to ensure that the public path would run next to Leslie Park, and not through the apartment complex.

They’d prefer to keep the running trail as natural as possible, Bruss said. Some people have a fantasy, he added, that one of the amenities on the city’s northeast side could be a connector trail that allows you to go from Stapp Nature Area along the western side of the proposed Traverwood Apartments, and through Leslie Park. It would involve a bridge over the railroad, he noted, allowing you to go from the southern edge of Leslie Park golf course and into Black Pond Woods Nature Area. From there, you could go north through the Traver Creek Nature Area and Dhu Varren Woods Nature Area. There are wonderful ridges in Dhu Varren Woods, Black Pond Woods, Leslie Park Woods Nature Area – south of the golf course – and even in Stapp, he said.

“If we could figure out a way to connect all that as a necklace around Leslie golf course, this would be one of the premium trails in Ann Arbor,” Bruss said. It would actually be more stunning than running along the Huron River through Gallup Park. “Runners are looking for beauty, but we’re also looking for up and down,” he noted, “to keep our hearts in shape, I suppose.”

Bruss indicated an intent to talk to the Ann Arbor park commission about this idea, too.

Traverwood Apartments: Commission Discussion – Project Size, Design

Bonnie Bona noted that the staff report indicated that the project had been revised several times, in response to issues raised by citizens and staff. She asked how the plan had evolved.

Earl Ophoff of Midwestern Consulting reported that there had been seven alternative site plans, which are included in the staff report because they were presented at the mandated citizens participation meeting. Originally the development team was looking at larger buildings – on the order of seven to nine stories high, he said. Residents had given a lot of feedback about the trails as well as the native forest on the north end of the site, he reported. That feedback led the developer to rethink the location of the buildings, as well as the intensity of use.

Ann Arbor planning commissioner Bonnie Bona.

The result is that the project is proposing smaller buildings – only two stories – and smaller units of one and two bedrooms, Ophoff said. The total number of units also declined, from about 260 apartments in the previous iteration, to 216 units in the proposed version.

Bona noted that it’s unusual to see a developer propose a project with significantly fewer units than the city would allow. She wondered why that was the case.

Mike Martin fielded that query. He said it became obvious that in this particular setting, given the site’s topography, it wasn’t economically feasible to put larger buildings on the property. Originally, he said, they thought there was a market that wasn’t being served in that area, and that larger buildings might appeal to a particular demographic.

But they ultimately decided that while tall buildings might work downtown, it was more challenging in that northeast Ann Arbor location. “Frankly, [taller buildings] were very, very expensive,” Martin said, and people in that part of town don’t expect to pay rents that they might pay in a more urban location.

So it was a combination of the cost of construction, he said, as well as an assessment that they wouldn’t be able to charge the amount of rent necessary to make the project feasible.

Sabra Briere recalled that that at the citizens participation meeting, the developer had indicated there were two types of people who might be attracted to the new apartments: young families, and empty nesters. She wondered how the developer would define the demographic for the current version of the project.

Martin replied that prospective renters would be typical for the demographic on the north side of town. The apartments aren’t designed for student housing, he said. Other large apartment complexes in that area – like Windemere or Ironwood – get a mix of graduate students and families. He expects the Traverwood Apartments would get a good cross section, including people who work at the nearby University of Michigan North Campus Research Complex (NCRC) and the EPA lab, both located on Plymouth Road. “We’ve tried to set up units to be as attractive to as large a cross section as we can,” Martin said.

Kirk Westphal asked about the materials of the buildings. James Sharba of Hobbes + Black replied that the buildings will be brick, cast stone, and almond-colored HardiePanel siding. The roof will be shingled, with standing seam metal.

Westphal also asked for clarification about the project’s phased development. Ophoff said the intent is to start development in the south, where the existing sanitary sewer main is located. If the timing, financing and marketing is such that it makes sense to pause after building the first phase, then that’s what they’ll do, he said.

Traverwood Apartments: Commission Discussion – Pavement, Paths, Pedestrians

Ken Clein wondered how much of the site is being paved. Matt Kowalski replied that he didn’t have that information at hand, but it could be provided. Kowalski also indicated that a photometric plan has been submitted, and is acceptable.

Earl Ophoff of Midwestern Consulting.

Clein also asked for clarification about where the public path would be located.

Ophoff described the location, running along the property’s west side next to Leslie Park golf course. The final layout will be designed in coordination with the city’s parks staff, he noted, in order to ensure connections with adjacent park paths.

Westphal asked about public access for this path. Kowalski replied that details are still being worked out with the parks staff, but it will likely entail a permanent easement of some kind, which will include requirements for maintaining the path.

Bona asked about the internal traffic circulation, specifically regarding pedestrians and bicycle traffic. Typically in apartment complexes, you feel like you’re driving through a parking lot, she said – “it’s just a lot of pavement and cars parked everywhere.”

The site plan for this project looks different, she said. Her interest in asking about this related to the dominance of vehicles compared to the comfort of pedestrians and bicyclists. She asked for more information about how the drives will be constructed. Bona also wanted more information about the sidewalks that are internal to the complex. It’s clear where the path is on the west side of the site, she said, but what about people who were entering the site from the east, perhaps walking in from the nearby office complexes?

Ophoff described how the main drive will loop through the complex. As much as they could, the developer’s team wanted to create a “street experience,” he said. For pedestrians, there will be a 10-foot-wide path along Traverwood Drive, with connections to sidewalks along the sides of the complex’s internal drive. The sidewalks also will be connected to the trails on the west and north sides of the property.

Responding to another query from Bona, Ophoff indicated that the locations of crossings for pedestrians will be clearly marked. Bona asked that when the project returns to the planning commission for consideration, it would be helpful to have a site plan showing the sidewalks in color, so that the location would be easier for commissioners to see.

Sabra Briere wanted to know whether the city or the developer would be responsible for plowing snow on the drives, and whether the drives will be wide enough for snowplows. Ophoff replied that these will be private drives that will be maintained by First Martin, not the city. Snow storage areas are indicated on the landscaping plans.

Planning commissioner Ken Clein, a principal with Quinn Evans Architects.

Clein echoed Bona’s request for a more clear depiction of the pedestrian walkways. He said he recognized the challenges of developing a large site like this, with significant natural features and unusual shapes, and he understood the goal of making good economic use of the site. However, he said, it’s disappointing that this project is designed around the roadway, with the buildings filled in around it. In that regard, it’s like most other projects of this type, he noted, and it results in a lot of pavement. Clein added that he understands the argument for it – that people will be driving in and out of the site. But there have been successful developments that have a lot less pavement and a lot more pedestrian-friendly design.

Clein described First Martin, Hobbes + Black, and Midwestern Consulting as “kind of the dream team for developing in Ann Arbor,” so it’s disappointing that the project isn’t more unique. It’s a “cookie cutter” kind of layout. He said he isn’t naive about the economics of development, but “we hope to get more than that. And sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t. Anyway, that’s my soapbox.”

Paras Parekh noted that the development has more bicycle spaces than the number required by city code. He asked about where those would be located. Ophoff noted that because there are so many garages and each garage includes a bicycle space, that alone exceeds the city’s requirements. Additional spaces are provided outside the apartment buildings and at the community building.

Traverwood Apartments: Commission Discussion – Natural Features

Paras Parekh asked how the developers will mitigate the small wetland that will be removed. Kowalski explained that right now, the wetland area – a former sedimentation basin for stormwater management, which has evolved into a wetland – is choked with vegetation. The developer recently submitted plans that detail how the removal will be mitigated, Kowalski said, but the city staff haven’t had time to review that proposal. That’s one of the main reasons why staff have requested postponement.

Jeremy Peters asked for a description of the part of the property that was previously used for farming. Kowalski referred commissioners to the aerial view of the site that was part of their meeting packet. Most of the site south of the native woodland area was used for farming, he said.

Planning commissioner Jeremy Peters.

Peters expressed concern about soil quality, given that farming had occurred prior to the 1960s when there was less stringent regulation of chemicals that could be used. He wondered if any soil testing had been done.

Ophoff confirmed with Peters that the concern was about whether there had been an intensive use of pesticides, or whether there had been orchards that had been sprayed. Ophoff noted that no farming has taken place there for decades. Even by the 1940s, not much farming was taking place there, based on historic photos, he said. An environmental study was done, but soil samples weren’t taken as part of that. Ophoff indicated that no problems were identified.

Regarding trees, Westphal wondered if the site would essentially be clear cut, aside from the northern native woodlands that will be preserved. Ophoff replied that only one of the larger trees will be saved on the rest of the site, next to the community building. The topography of the site requires significant earth work and regrading, he noted.

Although it’s not required, Westphal said commissioners value any attempt to leave some of the vegetation in place as a buffer, to soften the appearance of a development. Ophoff pointed out that a hedgerow adjacent to the golf course will remain, as will trees on the south edge of the site.

Traverwood Apartments: Commission Discussion – Zoning

Westphal noted that the general area where this project is located is part of the city’s northeast area plan, which was developed during a lengthy planning process and is part of the city’s master plan. Zoning for that area had been part of that plan, he noted, but the Traverwood Apartments project is now requesting that a portion of the site be rezoned. He asked Kowalski for some insight as to why rezoning might be desirable, and what the alternatives might be if parcel weren’t rezoned.

Kowalski reported that residential uses were also considered appropriate on that site, and that the northeast area plan’s recommendations for that site are almost identical to the project that’s being proposed. Providing public access to the site was seen as a crucial element, he noted, and that’s why the proposed paths on the site are important.

Westphal asked Kowalski to comment on the intensity of use – comparing R4D to ORL zoning. Kowalski replied that he wasn’t a traffic engineer so he couldn’t speak to that issue, though he noted that the developer had completed a traffic study that was acceptable. Peak times would be different for residential use compared to office use, he noted, with residential traffic being more dispersed throughout the day.

Outcome: Planning commissioners voted unanimously to postpone action on the Traverwood Apartments project.

After the vote, Ophoff asked if there was a date for the project to be reconsidered. Planning manager Wendy Rampson said the next available meeting is Oct. 1. If all of the outstanding issues are resolved by then, the project would be on the Oct. 1 agenda. If not, the next meeting after that is Oct. 15.

Michigan Association of Planning Conference

At their Sept. 17 meeting, planning commissioners considered a resolution to authorize two planning commissioners to attend the Michigan Association of Planning annual conference, held this year from Oct. 2-4 in Kalamazoo.

Planning commissioners Paras Parekh and Sabra Briere, who also serves on city council, will be attending the October conference of the Michigan Association of Planners in Kalamazoo.

The resolution also authorized the reimbursement of eligible expenses from the city’s planning services conference and training budget.

Planning manager Wendy Rampson noted that the commission’s bylaws require approval for the use of training funds. Commissioners Paras Parekh and Sabra Briere would be attending, although they won’t be attending the entire conference, she noted.

Bonnie Bona reported that she had served as planning commission chair when the commission voted to make this authorization a part of its bylaws. It was done about five years ago, she said, when the city was struggling to overcome budget deficits. Rather than recommend that the training budget be removed, the commission thought it would be good to be more intentional about deciding whether to use those funds, she said. So they amended the bylaws to make authorization a requirement.

The issue is addressed in this section of the bylaws:

Article IV Membership
…
Section 2. Members of the Commission shall serve without compensation. Commission members attending meetings for the benefit of the Planning Commission, the Planning and Development Services Unit, or for Ann Arbor planning in general shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred. Reimbursements shall receive prior approval by the Commission at a regular meeting.

Parekh asked whether the resolution would still pass, if he and Briere did not vote. Rampson replied that the resolution required a simple majority vote.

Ken Clein noted that he attended the MAP conference last year, and that as a new commissioner at the time, he had found it very educational. He recommended that Parekh and Briere “soak up everything you can – planning-wise, that is.”

Outcome: The authorization passed unanimously on a 5-0 vote. Parekh and Briere did not cast votes. Eleanore Adenekan and Wendy Woods were absent.

After the meeting, Rampson told The Chronicle that the training budget for planning staff and various planning-related commissions is $8,000. That budget covers the planning commission, historic district commission, and zoning board of appeals. MAP conference fees, lodging, transportation and other expenses are expected to be $500-$600 per person.

Communications & Commentary

During the meeting there were several opportunities for communications from staff and commissioners, as well as two general public commentary times. Here are some highlights.

Communications & Commentary: D1 Zoning Review

Planning manager Wendy Rampson gave a brief update on the work of consultants who are developing recommendations as part of a downtown zoning review. The consultants – Erin Perdu and Megan Masson-Minock – plan to compile results from the most recent public survey as well as from a public forum held on Sept. 19. They’ll be preparing a report to present at the planning commission’s Oct. 8 working session, with commissioners considering the recommendations at their Oct. 15 regular meeting.

For more background, see Chronicle coverage: “Priorities Emerge in Downtown Zoning Review” and ”Downtown Zoning Review Moves Forward.”

Communications & Commentary: North Main Huron River Task Force

In her update from the city council, Sabra Briere reported on the work of the North Main Huron River Corridor task force, which has submitted its final report. The report includes a recommendation that the planning commission look at “river district” zoning. There is no such zoning currently in the city, but other communities have enacted this type of zoning along the riverfront, with attention to massing, height, and transparency of buildings for this gateway into the city. That’s something that might come before the planning commission in the future, she said.

Extended Absence of Adenekan

Because of health issues, planning commissioner Eleanore Adenekan has not attended a commission meeting or working session since May 21, 2013. The planning commission’s bylaws state:

Article IV Membership
…
Section 8. Members are expected to attend regularly scheduled meetings and to notify the Chair and the Planning and Development Services Unit in advance if they expect to be tardy or absent. The Planning and Development Service Unit shall maintain attendance records and shall report to the Chair if an attendance problem appears to have developed. If a member misses more than three (3) regularly scheduled meetings in a row or four (4) or more meetings in a sixteen (16) month period, the Chair shall notify City Council. The Commission officers may discuss the matter with the member in question and if sufficient improvement in attendance does not occur within a reasonable time, the Chair may recommend to City Council that the member be removed.

Responding to a query from The Chronicle after the Sept. 17 meeting, planning manager Wendy Rampson said that mayor John Hieftje has been notified of Adenekan’s extended absence, but there is no indication that he intends to replace her on the commission. Adenekan recently contacted Rampson, and indicated her intent to resume attending meetings soon. The commission’s next regular meeting is on Oct. 1.

Present: Bonnie Bona, Sabra Briere, Ken Clein, Diane Giannola, Jeremy Peters, Kirk Westphal, Paras Parekh. Also: City planning manager Wendy Rampson.

Absent: Eleanore Adenekan, Wendy Woods.

Next regular meeting: Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013 at 7 p.m. in the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron St., Ann Arbor. [Check Chronicle event listings to confirm date]

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Aerial view of proposed Traverwood Apartments at 2225 Traverwood Drive, north of Plymouth Road.

The total 21.8-acre site, which is currently vacant, is made up of two parcels: a 17.96-acre lot that’s zoned R4D (multi-family residential), and an adjacent 3.88-acre lot that’s currently zoned ORL (office, research and light industrial). The smaller lot would need to be rezoned R4D.

The project, estimated to cost $30 million, would include 16 two-story buildings for a total of 216 one- and two-bedroom units – or 280 total bedrooms. Eight of the buildings would each have 15 units and 11 single-car garages. An additional eight buildings would each have 12 units and 8 single-car garages.

The complex will include a 6,150-square-foot community building near the center of the site, with a leasing office, meetings rooms, a small kitchen and an exercise facility. An outdoor pool with patio will be located adjacent to the building. There will also be a play area with playground structures and benches.

The project will be constructed in phases, with the first phase consisting of 11 buildings and the community center. The site will include 336 parking spaces – 152 spaces inside garages and 184 surface parking spaces.

According to a staff memo, the property has several significant natural features, including 196 landmark trees. The majority of the woodland, located on the northern portion of the site, will not be disturbed, but about 40 landmark trees will be removed for construction. An additional 165 trees will be planted on the property to mitigate the trees that will be removed. The owner will also put in a woodchip path connecting to the adjacent Stapp Nature Area to the north. That nature area was created when it was sold to the city in 2003 by the owner of the Traverwood Apartment property.

There are three wetlands on the site, and one will be removed. The owner must secure a wetland use permit from the city and a permit for wetland disturbance from the Michigan Dept. of Environmental Quality.

The city’s planning staff had recommended postponing action on the proposal. Outstanding issues relate to utilities, natural features, connections from the site to adjacent properties, and wetland mitigation. City planner Matt Kowalski reported that the owner had submitted revised plans on Sept. 16, but the planning staff didn’t have sufficient time to review those plans before the Sept. 17 meeting.

This brief was filed from the second-floor council chambers at city hall, 301 E. Huron. A more detailed report will follow: [link]

The wood floors used as part of Traverwood’s design – featured in the video “Up From Ashes” – include wood from dead ash trees harvested at the branch’s site on the north side of Ann Arbor. It’s the only wooden flooring in any of the system’s buildings. As part of regular maintenance, the floors need to be resealed every year.

From the AADL’s post: “The finishes used that adhere to standards that are in keeping with the sustainable principles used to build the building have not held up to the high traffic in that location. The floor needs to be sanded, repaired in some places, and recoated and sealed. We could simply throw all caution to the wind and finish the floor like a basketball court, but that seems shortsighted and unjustified. A product that meets our standards, and is proven to hold up well in high traffic areas will be applied. Annual maintenance on these wooden floors will always be required, but it is our hope that extensive work will not be required for years.”

The first time Traverwood was closed for this purpose was in 2009. At an August 2009 meeting of the library board, AADL director Josie Parker informed board members that an initial attempt to reseal the floors had been done incorrectly. The library then had to hire a contractor to sand down the floors, reapply the sealant and let it dry. Prep work included wrapping the shelves of books and other items in plastic, to keep them clean amid the dust from sanding.

The Ann Arbor District Library's Traverwood branch will be closed starting Thursday, Aug. 20 and reopening on Friday, Aug. 28. (Photo by the writer.)

Ann Arbor District Library board meeting (Aug. 17, 2009): The Traverwood library branch will close Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. and remain closed until 9 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 28, the result of difficulties with a floor resealing project. It’s connected to a two-day closure earlier this month, when sealant incorrectly applied to the branch’s hardwood floors failed to dry.

Josie Parker, the library system’s director, announced the unanticipated closing at Monday night’s board meeting, but it was a different closing that stands to have a longer-term impact on the library: The recent closing of The Ann Arbor News. Parker and the board discussed plans by the owners of The News – Advance Publications – to give the library most of its archives. Though no formal agreement has been reached, the board authorized up to $63,000 to lease storage space for bound newspaper copies, newspaper clipping files and most photo negatives. Parker called the digitizing, organizing and use of the archives an exciting, major undertaking, with “huge implications” for the library.

At Monday’s meeting, Parker also told the board about a live webcast she’ll be making next week as part of an international library conference – a reflection of AADL’s growing reputation as a model for library programming and technology.

But of most immediate concern to library patrons will be the Traverwood closing, and that’s where we’ll start our report.

Traverwood

Traverwood, the newest of the system’s five locations, opened just over a year ago and is well-used. The branch reported a door count of 32,213 people in July 2009 – second only to 59,749 at the main downtown library.

A distinct design – featured in the video “Up From Ashes” – includes wood from dead ash trees harvested at the branch’s site on the north side of Ann Arbor. The wood was used for the floors – the only wooden flooring in any of the system’s buildings. As part of regular maintenance, the floors need to be resealed every year. This was the first attempt, Parker said, and they thought they could do it themselves. They’ll be contracting out the work in the future, she said.

Because the initial attempt was done incorrectly, workers will have to sand down the floors, reapply the sealant and let it dry. Prep work includes wrapping the shelves of books and other items in plastic, to keep them clean amid the dust from sanding. The entire project, including the initial resealing, will cost about $8,000.

While the branch is closed, staff from Traverwood will work at other locations. Items put on hold can be picked up at the downtown library, Parker said. The Traverwood dropbox attached to the building will stay in use, but the portable dropbox in the garage will be removed until the library reopens.

The public will be notified with a post on the AADL website, Parker said, as well as an email sent out to all cardholders.

Ann Arbor News Archives

Advance Publications, which owns the Ann Arbor News and decided to shut down the 174-year-old newspaper earlier this year, has agreed to give AADL its archives. At this point, the agreement has not been formalized, though Parker told the board that it is “all but” final. The board will have to approve whatever legal agreement is reached – meanwhile, Parker is looking for space to store the collection. On Monday, she asked for authorization of up to $63,000 to lease a maximum of 3,500 square feet (at $18 per square foot). She hasn’t yet identified a space, but said she expects to pay less than the amount requested, given the general availability of vacant office space.

The archives include all bound volumes of the Ann Arbor News and the Ypsilanti Press, which the newspaper acquired in 1994. The library will also get the paper’s photo archives of up to 1 million items – excluding negatives and images of University of Michigan football and basketball. The newspaper’s extensive clipping files will be going to the library as well. “It’s not a small piece of history,” Parker said, noting that the library has been asking for access to the clipping files in particular for two decades.

The space they’ll need must be climate controlled, Parker said – though the archives haven’t been in climate-controlled conditions at The News building, “from the moment we get it, we want to do right by it,” she said. They need access to a loading dock, since the bound copies will arrive on pallets. They’d also like the location to be on a bus line and fairly close to downtown, so that library staff can easily reach it.

The library has permission to digitize the photo negatives as well as the clips – but not the bound copies. A new business – AnnArbor.com, launched earlier this year by the newspaper’s owners – plans to digitize that portion of the archives themselves. Board member Margaret Leary asked Parker whether there was a time frame attached to the digitization of that part of the archives. Leary pointed out that the library would be paying to store the bound copies, which will be getting more fragile each year and more difficult to preserve. She wondered whether they could revisit the issue, if the owners hadn’t moved to digitize those papers within, say, three years. Parker said she would discuss it with them.

Leary also noted that the $63,000 was an amount to cover a lease for just one year. What happens after that? she asked. Parker said she didn’t know yet. She stressed that it was a gift, and that Advance also would be paying to move the archives. However, she said, it’s like getting a free kitten – there will be costs involved.

Board member Carola Stearns asked if there were sufficient staff resources to handle the project. Parker said that staff have lined up to be involved, but that until they actually get the archives, they won’t know how much work it will entail. Eventually, there will be programming associated with the archives as well, she said – but again, it’s too soon to know what that might involve. “It’s a fun mystery – a very fun mystery,” Parker said.

Ed Surovell raised a broader issue: What’s the future of other newspapers in the state, and their archives? He guessed that other newspapers owned by the same company might see a similar fate as the Ann Arbor News. “I don’t mean to foretell their doom, but I doubt this is the only one they will deaccession.”

It might be an opportunity to create a statewide repository, Surovell said, “and what better place for it to be than here, in the real capital of Michigan?” That’s especially true given what’s happening with the Library of Michigan, he said. [Gov. Jennifer Granholm recently issued an executive order abolishing the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, of which the Library of Michigan is a part.] Surovell suggested that the board consider whether AADL should take leadership in this.

Rebecca Head said there could be grant opportunities as well, since AADL could serve as a model for this type of archiving project. Parker said that they’d already been considering these broader issues. “It has huge implications for the library here, for the community and for the state,” she said. However, they can’t move ahead until a formal agreement is reached and the library actually has access to the archives.

When in Rome …

At 6 a.m. on Monday, Parker will be making a presentation and answering questions in a live webcast about innovative public library programs. The early hour reflects the international audience she’ll be addressing – the U.S. embassy in Rome is hosting her talk, and 6 a.m. here will be noon in that time zone. The presentation is part of the International Federation of Library Associations’ World Library and Information Congress, held this year in Milan, Italy. Questions will be asked in multiple languages, and translated into English.

Parker told the board that AADL has a reputation for innovative programs and projects. One recent example is the digitization of the Ann Arbor News archives, she said. She’ll also discuss the summer reading program, which she characterized as a uniquely American service. Parker had earlier given the board an update on this year’s AADL summer reading program, which she said has seen the highest participation since she arrived as director in 2001. That might be because more families are staying home this summer, due to the economy, she said.

Elevator Repair

The economy came up again, indirectly, in a board action taken Monday night. One of the motivations for wanting to build a new downtown library – a project that was put on hold last year because of unfavorable economic conditions – was the fact that current systems in the existing building are starting to fail. The freight elevator, for example, broke down in May. Ken Nieman, the library’s associate director, said that when it became clear that the problem was more complex than they initially thought, they enlisted the advice of O’Neal Construction. Owner Joe O’Neal and staff member Tim Stout attended Monday night’s board meeting.

There are two options, Nieman said: 1) replace the broken cylinder that operates the elevator, or 2) install a new elevator. AADL solicited bids for both options, and asked O’Neal to review the bids and interview the contractors. Three companies – Detroit Elevator, Otis Elevator and Schindler USA – bid to replace the cylinder. Only Detroit Elevator and Schindler bid to replace the entire elevator.

Because the replacement cylinder would be larger, the project entails taking out the faulty one and drilling a slightly larger hole, which goes down the equivalent of four stories underground, Nieman said. They’d keep the existing elevator doors and car.

Installing a new elevator would be more expensive. A new elevator would use a cable system rather than the cyclinder used in hydraulic models, and they’d have to fill the existing underground hole with concrete. The project would require a general contractor, adding to the cost.

Based on O’Neal’s advice, Nieman said the library recommended replacing the cylinder and awarding the contract to Detroit Elevator, which made the lowest bid at $112,814. When queried by board member Carola Stearns about why Detroit Elevator was significantly lower than the other two bids, O’Neal said that Detroit Elevator does their own drilling – the other two firms would have to subcontract out that work.

Though the actual work will only take two to three weeks, the replacement cylinder must be ordered and likely won’t arrive until November, Nieman said. Parker also warned that the work would be very loud, occurring mostly in the dock area, basement and the library’s first floor.

The board unanimously approved awarding the contract to Detroit Elevator for the repair work. O’Neal Construction will coordinate the work – their fee is part of the $112,814 approved for the contract.

Financial Report

As the first month in their fiscal year, July is typically a time when they have the lowest amount of cash on hand, according to associate director Ken Nieman, who gave the board an update on finances. At the end of July, AADL had $5.8 million in unrestricted cash, he reported, and a fund balance of just under $6.8 million.

Board Retreat

The library board is planning a retreat on Wednesday, Sept. 30 from 3:30-8:30 p.m. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at the Ann Arbor offices of the law firm Dykema Gossett, 2723 S. State St.

Board president Rebecca Head said that they’ll focus on strategic planning – the current plan runs through 2010. One major component of the plan that remains undone is to determine the future of the downtown library, she said. Last November, the board called off plans to build a new downtown structure, citing the poor economy.

The board needs to take the temperature of the community about what the library’s role should be, Head said – the downtown building is just one part of that. More broadly, “What does the community really want from the library system?” she asked.

Margaret Leary, the board’s secretary, asked that the retreat agenda include a discussion of finances and what their approach should be. In May, the board voted to lower the operating millage that it levies for the 2009-10 fiscal year – again, citing the economy.

Present: Rebecca Head, Margaret Leary, Barbara Murphy, Jan Barney Newman, Josie Parker, Carola Stearns, Ed Surovell.

Absent: Prue Rosenthal.

Next meeting: Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 at 7 p.m. in the library’s fourth floor meeting room, 343 S. Fifth Ave. [confirm date]

Adam Chaib in the ready-to-stack position.

At the Traverwood branch of the Ann Arbor District Library on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the room at the back of the building was awash with the colors of blue, purple, red, orange and green cups. On entering the room, the ock-ock-ock of cups getting stacked into pyramids then rapidly collapsed by small hands became audible. There were 20 or so kids from kindergarten through eighth grade at the event – enough to fill the room without making it feel cramped – which culminated in a competition with prizes awarded in the form of gift cards to Target.

Youth librarian Elizabeth Schneider, who organized the event, warmed the kids up with a little bit of cross-training: “You’re going to do it with your eyes closed, and when you’re done, do two jumping jacks!” Cup stacking itself just involves stacking and unstacking cups in various prescribed patterns. Competition is based on time.

Although the event was featured prominently on the events section of the Ann Arbor District Library website, we found plenty of people stacking cups who had just happened upon the activity on an ordinary visit to the library. Among them were Mirna Chaib and her son, Adam, who recognized the activity from his gym class at school.

Omairiana Chandler and Talaya Mathews prove that cup stacking can be a team effort.

Also there initially to visit the library’s regular stacks – of books as opposed to cups – was Karen Hague, with her granddaughters, Omairiana Chandler and Talaya Mathews. After an encounter with the cups, the two girls were ready to head off to find princess books, which is what they had really come for.

And Randy Clepper, who was documenting photographically the cup-stacking efforts of his two daughters, didn’t drive his family all the way from Columbus, Ohio, just to stack cups at the Traverwood branch of the Ann Arbor District Library. They were spending Thanksgiving weekend visiting his sister-in-law’s family in Ann Arbor, and the visit to the library seemed to have been planned independently of the cup-stacking opportunity. Clepper said that his daughters, who had been introduced to the activity at school, had a set of cups at home and practiced from time to time, but not every day.

Still, in the two categories of competition – with places 1-2-3 for each – representatives from Clepper’s clan took three of the six placings: Erin Clepper, 3rd place for the cycle; Gina Clepper, 2nd place for the 3-6-3 stack; Teresa Grijalva (the Cleppers’ cousin) 1st place for the 3-6-3 stack.

Incidentally, there were some folks there who did find out about the event through the library’s website: John and Celeste Choate, who were there with their daughter, Kathryn. Celeste is associate director of the Ann Arbor District Library, but said it wasn’t some internal memo, or special insider word of mouth that led her to discover the event. She actually found out about it by looking at the website.

Kathryn Choate completes a purple pyramind to match her sweater.

Gina Clepper practices the cycle stack after her competitive effort in the 3-6-3, which earned her a second place.

Erin Clepper's hands turn blue cups into blue blurs as she competes in the cycle stack. Her 16.8 second effort earned her third place.

Kathyrn Choat concentrates on her cups.