Ann Arbor City Council 3rd floor, Guy C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Building 100 N. Fifth Ave. Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Dear Council Members: As the South Fourth and South Fifth Avenue Historic District winds itself through the approval process, I am writing to you all in the hopes of offering some additional perspective. As a member of the Historic District Exploratory Committee for this area, I can tell you, serving on this committee is an amazing time commitment and requires significant expertise in the area of historic research. Hundreds of hours of research went into the report presented to you. Although there has been criticism that the committee, largely made up of preservationists, came to a self-fulfilling prophesy to recommend the area be designated historic, I cannot imagine that the make up of the committee could be any different. The committee members have vast knowledge of their craft and I respect their devotion to preserving America’s heritage. As a preservation-neophyte, Ina Hanel took me under her guidance to teach me how to research properties and without her I would have been a useless committee member indeed! I would like to tell you that I entered into the committee skeptical that the area was historic. I did not fully understand the legal definition of the term, nor the process. I have since learned a great deal about Ann Arbor’s history and specifically about the area in question. I have come to realize that given Ann Arbor’s age, it would be nearly impossible to find most of the central area of Ann Arbor as un-historic. Nearly every Ann Arbor neighborhood with structures built before WWII will be considered historically significant. The vast area within our city core currently designated as historic, demonstrates this. This is the heart of the matter: is simply being historic the sole criteria for designating an historic district? Under the current system, yes. Should it be the sole criteria? I hope not. Our committee, the “Fourth Fifth Historic District Exploratory Committee,” is a misnomer of sorts. We were a study committee tasked with the laborious job of cataloging every structure within the proposed district, researching its history, and determining if the item was contributing. Our work answers a single question: is this area historic? The committee was not tasked with analyzing economic effects that may result from this designation, nor the feasibility of its historic rejuvenation. We were not asked to analyze how a historic area would fit into long-term planning and land use for the City of Ann Arbor, nor how historic designation would fit into the current review of the R4C/R2A areas. We did not study how the area would affect long-term revenues for the city based on alternative uses. The reality is that our committee members are not experts in economics, urban planning, or urban finance. Our committee was made up of dedicated historians answering a single question. I do not believe this omission of purpose is a sinister one. I do however believe it is an inherent flaw in the system that is a disservice to the citizens of Ann Arbor. In a more ideal system, Council would hear from experts that would give a balanced picture of the ramifications of designating an additional area of our city as historic. This designation not only keeps the area in its current form in perpetuity, but is also a significant governmental intervention into housing in Ann Arbor. While you may not have the opportunity to hear from additional experts on this topic in an official capacity, it is my hope that my letter will cause some pause before accepting the recommendation of the study committee as the whole story of the South Fourth and South Fifth Historic District. I do believe the area is historic; however please consider that additional criteria should be evaluated when making your decision. Thank you for considering my thoughts. I am currently away from Ann Arbor for the bulk of the summer, however I welcome any questions you may have. You can reach me by email [...]. Sincerely, Rebecca Lopez Kriss Committee Member, South Fourth and Fifth Avenue Historic District Study Committee