Ann Arbor Planning Commission to review site plans for U-Haul expansion
The Ann Arbor Planning Commission will consider site plans Tuesday evening for expansions to the U-Haul at 3655 S. State St.
Samantha Keating is petitioning on behalf of Twenty Five SAC, the Arizona-based owners of the franchise, to build multiple new structures and an addition to the primary retail building on the site.
The U-Haul on South State Street is asking the Planning Commission to approve site plans for new self storage units and an expansion to their current retail building.
Paula Gardner | AnnArbor.com
The planning commission staff recommended the commission postpone a vote on the plan until the developer has had a chance to respond to concerns regarding landscaping and engineering issues.
City planning manager Wendy Rampson said the recommendations by the staff are made two weeks before the meeting in order to give public notice and because discussions between the city staff and developers often progress before the meeting.
“In this case, there are still questions about the amount of landscaping they have to provide,” she said.
“They have a lot of paved area and driveways so we’re going back and forth with them about what it’s going to look like.”
The planning commission staff also has asked the developers to upgrade the accessibility of the location for walkers, bikers and people using public transportation.
“What we point out to people is that sometimes it’s not so obvious that pedestrian access is needed,” Rampson said.
“But a lot of staff people who work at a gas station or a U-Haul take the bus to get to work, so it isn’t unusual for people to need that access because they either cannot, or choose not to, take a car to work.”
Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Get in touch with Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2
Comments
Ricardo Queso
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 3:35 p.m.
Staffed by the happiest people on earth!
ChrisW
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 3:15 p.m.
Just waiting for the requirement of providing "affordable rentals" for those less fortunate.
CobraII
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 3 p.m.
I bet the Planning Commission wants sidewalks around the building so that the people waiting in line to rent a U-Haul can go for a walk after they get their truck.
Dave
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 2:43 p.m.
If they want to do this they need to put islands in so traffic cannot make dangerous Uturns because they missed the turn onto 94.
Dog Guy
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 1:44 p.m.
I can't believe that Ann Arbor isn't in exchange requiring this U-Haul to have freight bicycles, carrier cycles, freight tricycles, cargo bikes, cycletrucks, and other human powered vehicles available for rent.
John of Saline
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 4:28 p.m.
Rickshaws?
DonBee
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 3:19 p.m.
Dog Guy - Don't you know that next year the city and county are going to team to require all car and truck dealers to sell 2 dollars worth of bicycles and other human powered vehicles for every dollar of fossil fueled vehicles they sell.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 1:25 p.m.
and it appears from Google satellite there are sidewalks and a bus stop right in front.
Ben Freed
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 1:32 p.m.
It certainly would appear that way. Perhaps they are being asked to provide a pedestrian path from the sidewalk to the front of the building to avoid pedestrians walking down through the driveway.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 1:24 p.m.
I'm more talking about landscaping. "In this case, there are still questions about the amount of landscaping they have to provide," she said.
Ben Freed
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 1:31 p.m.
OK, understood on the landscaping point. I think at that point it has to do more with enforcing city code than anything else.
Ben Freed
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 1:21 p.m.
Craig, Wendy explained to me that it's easy to discount the concerns of pedestrians at places like U-Haul that don't seem like they would attract a lot of foot traffic. However, the employees at this and other "car driven" businesses might need safe crosswalks and sidewalks to reach their jobs in a safe manner.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 11:36 a.m.
Given the location and the surrounding area these "concerns" of the city paid staff are unfounded and a simple case of people trying to justify their paycheck. Its State Street and I-94.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 10:32 p.m.
a2cents, no offense but an hour before your post I indicated my major concern was twisting them over landscaping. And there are sidewalks and a bus stop right in front of the place.
a2cents
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 2:28 p.m.
You seem to be saying that the area is the exclusive domain of the auto. Despite numerous impediments, peds and cyclists do exist there.
ThinkingOne
Tue, Jul 2, 2013 : 12:43 p.m.
You would be surprised then to see the number of people using the bus stops just south of I-94. There is that little mini-shopping area there, the businesses on State Circle, the gas station and the McDonald's. Doesn't that bus also service Ellsworth Rd, with the co-ops? There seems to be a regular number of people getting on / off there. Don't know but I would assume a number of them must work in that area. The real issue to me is people getting into & out of the gas station and State Circle with the U-Haul directly across the street. Can be quite messy.