Hello neighbors!
Welcome to my Ann Arbor City Council newsletter, where you can connect with primary sources to understand the work of your local government. My goal is to provide clear explanations of all the issues your elected representatives will be discussing at their next meeting and alert you to local policy and decisions that have been assigned to unelected Mayoral appointees.
This week’s agenda is fairly short, and includes a few land use and planning items at locations on Broadway/Maidens Lane and Newport/Bird/Victoria Circle. The Consent Agenda is relatively short, and includes a plan for traffic calming on Granger from Forest to Olivia.
I’d like to take a moment to share a bit of personal news, because I think it might be a helpful reminder about taking care of our health. In the last six months, my husband Peter has been in treatment for colon cancer and this week, he had surgery to remove a large tumor. Doctors are very optimistic about a path forward, but I am sharing this news because he had no obvious, discernible symptoms and no family history; it was identified during a routine colonoscopy. Due to my family history, I have been getting colonoscopies since I turned 40, so I know that these procedures are a bit of a chore and not a ton of fun. However, they are really important. If you are due to have your first or due to have a follow up, I encourage you to get on it and schedule a colonoscopy!
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Agenda
Below is my summary of issues on the City Council Agenda this week, with links to more information about each of them. If you have comments about any of these issues, you can email all of Council at CityCouncil@a2gov.org
Ann Arbor City Council Meeting
Monday July 17, 2023 7:00PM
Ann Arbor City Hall (2nd Floor)
301 E Huron St, Ann Arbor 48104
The full agenda (including a link to the latest published PDF agenda, and instructions for dialing into the meeting) is on the A2Gov Legistar website:
http://a2gov.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1062177&GUID=C34A240A-927A-4588-928D-77501A644084
City Council meetings are broadcast live by CTN on Comcast (channel 16) and AT&T (channel 99) and online at a2gov.org/watchCTN
Meetings are also streamed live on the CTN YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ctnannarbor
How to reserve public comment
People that wish to comment at a City Council meeting must sign up with the City Clerk’s office in advance. Speakers are allotted 3 minutes, with the first 15 speakers allowed to speak in a 45 minute session near the beginning of the meeting. Remaining speakers will speak at the end of the Council meeting. Public comment can be made either in person or remotely via phone/Zoom audio.
To sign up for public comment, please go to or call the City Clerk’s Office at 734-794-6140 on the day of the meeting between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM. At 4:00 PM, all speakers that have signed up are randomly ordered in “priority groups”. After 4:00 PM, speakers are added to the end of the applicable priority group in the order received. No new speakers will be added to the list after 5:00 PM. For more information, visit the City Clerk’s webpage about electronic meetings, section “City Council Public Commentary Time”
https://www.a2gov.org/departments/city-clerk/Pages/Virtual-Meetings-.aspx
Questions to the Agenda
In preparation for a Council meeting, Council members can ask questions of staff about scheduled agenda items. Questions must be submitted by noon on the Wednesday before a Council Meeting, and answers are returned the next day (Thursday) by 5pm.
AC-1 (23-1226) Agenda Response Memo and eComments – July 17, 2023
This agenda item has a PDF attachment with all questions raised by Council Members, and the answers provided by staff.
Communications from Council
CC-1 (23-1201) Resolution to Appoint Julius Buzzard to the Greenbelt Advisory Commission (7 Votes Required)
This appointment is from CM Radina, who serves on the Greenbelt Advisory Commission. This is being presented at this meeting, and will therefore be voted on at the next Council meeting. Seven votes are required because the nominee is not a registered elector of the City of Ann Arbor.
- Julius Buzzard – Greenbelt Advisory Commission
Communications from the Mayor
MC-1 (23-1174) Appointments – Confirmations
This appointment from the Mayor was presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting.
- James Booge IV – Public Market Advisory Committee
- Vincent Cavataio – Parks Advisory Commission
- Alexa Bush – Parks Advisory Commission
Consent Agenda
Below is the list of items included on the Consent Agenda. If no one on Council specifically requests that an item be pulled for discussion, the whole of this list will be approved in a single vote.
CA-1 (23-0966) Resolution to Approve a Construction Contract with D&R Earthmoving, LLC for the Landfill Cover Improvements Project – RFP# 23-20 ($236,704.35) and to Appropriate $236,704.00 from the Solid Waste Fund (8 Votes Required)
CA-2 (23-1071) Resolution to Approve a Best Source Purchase Order with Universal Filtration & Pumping Solutions, Inc. for a Pump Hydraulic Unit and Control Panel ($60,790.00)
CA-3 (23-1073) Resolution to Approve a Sole Source Purchase Order to Hach Company for Turbidimeters and Controllers ($79,776.00)
CA-4 (23-1095) Resolution to Approve a General Services Agreement with Utilities Instrumentation Services, Inc for On Call Electrical and Instrumentation Support Services at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, RFP #23-32 (Not to exceed $100,000.00)
CA-5 (23-1166) Resolution to Approve a Contract with Fiber Optic Management, LLC d/b/a Turnkey Network Solutions for On-Demand Fiber Optic Architecture, Engineering, Design, and Construction RFP #23-31 (Not to Exceed $200,000.00 annually)
CA-6 (23-1056) Resolution to Approve the Installation of Traffic Calming Devices on Granger Avenue (S. Forest Avenue to Olivia Avenue) ($40,000.00)
CA-7 (23-1152) Resolution to Appropriate and Increase the FY24 SmartZone LDFA Budget by $400,000.00 (8 Votes Required)
CA-8 (23-1171) Resolution to Approve Renewal 3 to the Professional Services Agreement between Carlisle/Wortman Associates, Inc. and the City of Ann Arbor for On-Call Third Party Building, Rental, and Planning Services ($350,000.00)
CA-9 (23-1127) Resolution to Sell 350 S. Fifth to the Ann Arbor Housing Development Corporation ($6,200,000.00) (8 Votes Required)
CA-10 (23-1178) Resolution to Approve Street Closures for University of Michigan Football Games for the 2023 Season
CA-11 (23-1179) Resolution to Approve Changes to Traffic Patterns and Parking on Certain City Streets for the 2023 University of Michigan Student Move-In Program from August 23 – August 27, 2023
CA-12 (23-1181) Resolution to Approve Street Closing for the NTI Block Party – Wednesday, August 2, 2023 from Noon to 1:00 AM on Thursday, August 3, 2023
CA-13 (23-1180) Resolution to Approve Street Closings for the UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Block Party – Monday, August 14, 2023
Public Hearings
Anyone wanting to comment on these issues may speak for 3 minutes, without having specifically reserved time. Issues subject to public hearing will also be up for a vote by Council later in the meeting.
PH-1/B-1 (23-1022) An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Map, Being a Part of Section 5.10.2 of Chapter 55 of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor, Zoning of 6.4 Acres from C1A/R With Conditions (Campus Business Residential District) to C1A/R With Conditions As Amended (Campus Business Residential District), 1140 Broadway/Beekman on Broadway Rezoning (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 9 Yeas and 0 Nays) (ORD-23-19)
The Conditional Zoning Statement of Conditions for 1140 Broadway/Beekman would be amended, lifting the requirement that a future building conform to a site plan previously approved. In 2018, the 6.4 acre property was rezoned from PUD (Planned Unit Development) to C1A/R with conditions, including a site plan that would attach to the zoning designation. The development at 1140 Broadway is comprised of three buildings, two of which are already built. The amended conditional zoning will apply to the third building and “enable significantly more dwelling units to be constructed within approximately the same approved building mass.”
The significance of this zoning change – and a new site plan – were discussed at a public engagement meeting hosted by the developer in January.You can watch that meeting and find links to MLive stories about the meeting here:
https://a2council.com/1140-broadway-street-public-engagement-meeting-january-17-2023/
PH-2/DB-1 (23-1024) Resolution to Approve 999 Maiden Lane Site Plan and First Amendment to 1140 Broadway Development Agreement (CPC Recommendation: Approval – 9 Yeas and 0 Nays)
This is a new site plan, related to the rezoning petition in B-1. The proposed development at 999 Maiden Lane is a single building within the larger 3-building 1140 Broadway/Beekman development project. This site plan is for a 1.4 acre building site with a proposed 180.200-square foot building, 7-stories tall.
This site plan was considered and approved by the City Planning Commission on May 2. 2023.
https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-may-2-2023/
The new site plan adds 119 dwelling units, a change from 617 (prior site plan) to 736 (new site plan).The transportation impact analysis (TIA) for this development used a 2017 assessment, based on 617 units. The City staff report (5/2/23) explained that a professional engineer must confirm that this TIA is still valid.
Ordinances – Second Reading
In order to amend the city code, Council must vote to approve the change, via ordinance, at two Council meetings. The following proposed ordinances were approved at a previous Council meeting, and are also subject to a public hearing as listed above.
B-1 (23-1022) is the same as PH-1 above
DB-1 (23-1024) is the same as PH-2 above
Ordinances – First Reading
In order to amend the city code, Council must vote to approve the change, via ordinance, at two Council meetings. The following proposed ordinances are being introduced for “first reading”. If approved, the ordinance will be voted on at a subsequent Council meeting (“second reading”), where it will also be subject to a public hearing.
C-1 (23-0973) An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Map, Being a Part of Section 5.10.2 of Chapter 55 of Title V of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor, Zoning of 11 City-Initiated, Annexed Parcels On Newport Road, Bird Road, and Victoria Circle from TWP (Township) to R1D (Single-Family Dwelling District) (CPC Recommendation: Approval 5 Yeas and 2 Nays)
Eleven annexed parcels will be added to the zoning map of the City of Ann Arbor. The parcels are located on Newport Road, Bird Road, and Victoria Circle and will be rezoned from TWP (Township) to R1D (Single-Family Dwelling district). This zoning is distinct from the surrounding R1A zoning but will allow increased opportunity for the properties to be divided for additional housing. Single family use is consistent with the City’s Comprehensive Land Use plan.
The distinction between R1A and R1D is explained in the Unified Development Code: “Application of the R1D and R1E district may require a greater degree of services than the less dense Single-Family Zoning Districts. To assure health, safety and welfare, any future R1D and R1E zoning areas should be contingent upon the availability or provision of adequate public services to serve the higher densities permitted by that district, in addition to other pertinent planning considerations.”
The minimum lot size for R1A is 20,000 sq. ft; the minimum lot size for R1D is 5,000 sq. ft.
The minimum front setback for R1A is 40 feet; the minimum front setback for R1D is 25 feet.
A chart with these and other differences between the two zoning districts (e.g. setbacks, lot width, etc) can be found in section 5.17.3 on page 80 of the “Unified Development Code Eighth Edition (February 26, 2023)” at the link below.
https://www.a2gov.org/departments/planning/Pages/Unified%20Development%20Code.aspx
C-2 (23-1175) An Ordinance to Amend Section 1:207 (Transportation Commission) of Chapter 8 of City Code
An ordinance amendment will lift the requirement that one commissioner be the “owner or operator of a transportation business operating in the City of Ann Arbor.” The Transportation Commission was first established in 2016, when the Taxicab Board was disbanded. Since 2016, the Transportation Commission has included eleven members:
- 6 members of the public
- 1 owner or operator of a transportation business operating in Ann Arbor
- 1 member of the Planning Commission
- 1 member of the Commission on Disability Issues
- 1 individual appointed by the board of the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority
- 1 member of City Council
After this amendment, seven members of the general public will serve on the Transportation Commission.
Motions and Resolutions
The following agenda items are motions and resolutions, which are approved or rejected in a single meeting. Agenda items marked “DC” are proposed by Council members, items marked “DB” are proposed by City boards and commissions, items marked “DS” are proposed by City staff.
DC-1 (23-1172) Resolution to Appoint Derek Mehraban to the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission
This appointment is from CM Ghazi Edwin (who serves on the Human Rights Commission), CM Harrison (who serves on the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission) and CM Song (who serves on both the Human Rights Commission and Independent Community Police Oversight Commission). This was presented at the previous meeting, and will therefore be voted on at this Council meeting.
- Derek Mehraban – Independent Community Police Oversight Commission
DC-2 (23-1205) Resolution Recognizing Garrett’s Space as a Civic Nonprofit Organization Operating in Ann Arbor for the Purpose of Obtaining a Charitable Gaming License
City Council would officially recognize Garrett’s Space as a local civic nonprofit for the purpose of obtaining a charitable gaming license from the Michigan Charitable gaming Division. A raffle will be held on August 21, 2023, at Lake Forest Golf Club, 3110 W. Ellsworth Rd., Ann Arbor, MI 48103.
Thank you for taking the time to be informed about our local government!
Elizabeth Nelson