Dharma's Council Newsletter, March 16, 2025
- dharmafora2
- Mar 15
- 6 min read
Neighbors,
City Council meets Monday, March 17 at 7pm. Before a preview of our agenda, here are some updates.
City of Ann Arbor Helps Save DTE Ratepayers Over $1 Billion Across Electricity and Gas Cases
Thanks to the City of Ann Arbor’s active participation in Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) cases, DTE ratepayers have saved more than $1 billion in electricity and gas costs over the past several years. A recent memorandum from the City Attorney’s Office details this success, highlighting Ann Arbor’s role in nine MPSC proceedings since 2022.
Lawton Elementary School Open House on Reconstruction, March 20th
The Ann Arbor Public Schools Capital Program is hosting and Open House in the Lawton Elementary Library/Media Center March 20 from 6:30-8pm. Visitors will have a chance to meet the architects and design team planning a new Lawton Elementary School building for AAPS. Current plans anticipate using a portion of Lawton Park for a new playground. Based on the proposed site plan, this appears to be so that Lawton can expand car-based drop off. While the City does not oversee AAPS plans, use of park property for schools use would be subject to a City Council vote. Learn more about the Lawton Project on the AAPS Bond website.
City Council Meeting, Monday, March 17 at 7pm
Responses to Council Member Questions. Topics include:
High Impact Grants and Annual Mini-Grants as Part of the New Human Services Partnership
Disbanding the Design Review Board
Resolution on the Arbor South Project, which would include the City Owning, Operating, and Bonding for Parking Decks
Agenda Highlights
Allmendinger Park Improvements (CA-8). City Council will consider a resolution to
approve a $533,990 construction contract with E.T. MacKenzie Company for infrastructure and accessibility upgrades at Allmendinger Park. The proposed improvements include accessible parking spaces, new entrance and pathway pavement, updated fencing, grills, and stormwater enhancements to improve both usability and sustainability. This follows on playground improvements made in 2023.
Approve FY25-27 Allocations for NHSP Mini Grants (CA-9) If passed, this resolution would allocate $495,087 in funding through the New Human Services Partnership (NHSP) for FY25-27 for Safety-Net, High Impact and Mini-grants. There are several funding sources for this initiative: the Washtenaw County General Fund ($1.2M annually); City of Ann Arbor General Fund ($1.2M annually), Washtenaw Urban County ($316k annually), and the Washtnaw Urban County Community Development Block COVID grant (one time $608k). This program replaces the previous Coordinated Funding model to address poverty, racism, and trauma as root causes of inequity. To learn more about the program and see last year's recipients, visit https://www.washtenaw.org/3705/Mini-Grants.
2025 Annual Street Resurfacing (CA-14). City Council is asked to approve a construction contract with Cadillac Asphalt, LLC (Cadillac), in the amount of $5,316,300.85 for the rehabilitation and resurfacing of various City streets and asphalt paths, and the construction of new sidewalks. This includes ~8.4 lane miles of resurfacing work on 23 local streets and 3 major streets, as well as segments of asphalt paths along Eisenhower Parkway and State Street. Also included is one new sidewalk installation on the south side of Independence Boulevard from Victoria Avenue to Essex Road. The project also includes the installation of traffic calming devices on Bird Road (Newport Road to Huron River Drive), Arella Boulevard (Stadium Boulevard to Pauline Boulevard), Henry Street (Golden Avenue to Packard Street), Mershon Drive (Scio Church Road to Delaware Drive), and Worden Avenue (Jackson Avenue to Dexter Avenue). Lastly, it is anticipated that this contract will be utilized to install concrete work for crosswalks on Jackson Ave/Huron Street. Construction is anticipated to begin in April 2025 and be completed by November 2025. This year's projects are listed on the City's website.
New Net Zero Fire Station (CA-17 and DS-2). There are two items on our agenda to move forward with the replacement of Fire Station #4 at 2415 S. Huron Parkway. The existing Fire Station # 4 is over 60 years old and in poor condition. The facility does not provide adequate areas for modern firefighting equipment and personnel, including gender appropriate facilities. Additionally, the location of the building on the curve of the roadway creates a hazard for City staff, equipment and the public. The $10.63 million construction contract would be paid for through the sale of General Obligation Capital Improvement Bonds. The new facility will be a Net Zero fire station, potentially the first of its kind in Michigan, designed to generate as much energy as it consumes. Sustainability features include solar panels, a geothermal heating/cooling system, and an advanced energy management system. The project will also incorporate stormwater improvements.
Hickory Way III Affordable Housing Development (PH-1 and PH-2). Located at 1146 S Maple, City Council is asked to approve a rezoning (from Township to PUD) and approve a site plan and development agreement for Hickory Way III, an Avalon Affordable Housing development. Approval will result in the construction of a four-story, 39 unit affordable housing apartment building with a 20 space surface parking lot. This development will operate in conjunction with Hickory Way I and II which are immediately adjacent to the north. All on-site amenities of any phase will be available to all the residents of the Hickory Way complex (note: as these are public hearing items, you do not need to sign up in advance to speak).
An Ordinance to Add Chapter 35 (Sustainable Energy Utility) to Title II (Utilities and Services) of the Code of the City of Ann Arbor (C-2). Following residents' approval in November, 2025 for Ann Arbor to establish a Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), this ordinance amendment establishes the SEU for the purpose of providing an opt-in, fee-based, supplemental, municipally-owned energy utility that provides 100% renewably-sourced electricity, heat, cooling, light, and power, as well as other energy-related services, at participating homes, businesses, and other properties in the City; and establishes standards, rules, and regulations with respect to the A2SEU, including prescribing the powers and duties of certain municipal agencies, departments, and officials with regard to the A2SEU. Read the new full ordinance language.
Disbanding the Design Review Board and Allowing Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (C-4). This is a first reading of an ordinance to eliminate the Design Review Board and shift design review responsibilities to city planning staff. This change, in response to a 2024 City Council resolution to direct the City Administrator to implement new processes and programs for housing development, aims to streamline the approval process. The ordinance also introduces greater flexibility for building materials, including allowing Exterior Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS), which were previously prohibited. The Planning Commission supported these modification in a 7-2 vote. I asked staff several questions about the Design Review Board: all told, it creates ~1 month of additional time in the process, the review is advisory (not binding), and it has had mixed results (from the memo "Staff’s opinion is yes, the quality of development was likely improved, but to a modest/incremental extent. During discussion at the Planning Commission, there was also identification that at times the Design Review Process resulted in undesirable outcomes/design."). Ann Arbor residents rightly care about the design of our built environment, especially in the downtown. While I agree that improvements are warranted, I do not think the solution is to get rid of the DRB all together, especially absent revisiting our current design guidelines.
Resolution to Authorize City Administrator to Negotiate City Participation in Arbor South Project, Including Potentially Owning, Operating, and Bonding for Parking Decks (DC-1). Passage of this resolution would authorize negotiations for potential City participation in the Arbor South development, a $469 million private investment that is planned to include 1,000+ housing units (210 affordable), a 150-key hotel, and 85,000 square feet of commercial space at State and Eisenhower in one of Ann Arbor TC1 districts. City Council is being asked to approve the city's participation in the project through the construction and operation of 3 parking decks through the issuance of limited tax general obligation bonds. This is a complex project and would be the largest Brownfield TIFF the City has ever supported. It's worth having a look at the responses to council member questions. In short, the City would issue an estimated $146 million in bonds. The project’s Brownfield TIF is expected to generate $304 million over 30 years, covering bond repayment and infrastructure costs. The parking structures are expected to generate revenue over and above what they cost ($46M over 30 years). The City is looking to establish Special Assessment Districts as a financial safeguard. While I have several concerns about this level of public investment, my primary issue is that the funds are not being used to advance the City's transportation goals for TC-1 zoning. Without public subsidies, new TC-1 developments would generate revenue that contributes to TheRide, supporting better, safer, and less car-dependent connections between corridors and downtown. However, under this plan, the City additional tax revenues for the next 30 years would instead go to paying for parking infrastructure (which the City would have a financial interest in making sure is filled) without any planned improvements to walkability or bikeability outside of the development itself—despite the development being separated from its neighbors across five lanes of traffic on State Street and lacking safe, non-motorized connections to downtown.
Email: DAkmon@A2gov.org | Phone/text: 734-492-5866
You can also communicate your thoughts via:
Email City Council: CityCouncil@a2gov.org
Comment at the meeting (remote or in person): Call the City Clerk's office at 734-794-6140 beginning at 8 a.m. on the day of the meeting to reserve a public speaking time. NOTE: you do not need to reserve time to speak during a "public hearing (PH)" item.
