Developer lays out updated plan to preserve historic Ann Arbor homes
Developer Alex de Parry outlined a brand-new vision for the City Place project tonight - one that calls for preserving a part of Ann Arbor history.
Joined by a preservation architect from Rochester Hills, the developer announced his intentions to preserve seven century-old homes that faced the wrecking ball under previous plans for the City Place apartment complex on South Fifth Avenue, just south of William Street.
"We are trying to do a project that is sensitive to historic preservation," said de Parry, president of Fifth Avenue Communities and Ann Arbor Builders Inc.
De Parry said he envisions a project in which the seven homes would undergo historic rehabilitation in tandem with the addition of two, three-story apartment buildings set behind them. Responding to concerns about parking, he announced plans to include underground parking with 1.5 spaces per unit.
Architect John Dziurman, standing side-by-side with the developer, told a small group of residents gathered at Conor O'Neill's Irish Pub he intends to help craft a plan that conforms with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. Those are the criteria under which any project would be evaluated by Ann Arbor's Historic District Commission if a historic district is established in the neighborhood.
The City Council recently formed a historic district study committee that is working to determine the historic significance of the Germantown neighborhood where de Parry wants to build. The committee is expected to report back next September.
Dziurman, who was hired by de Parry about two weeks ago, assured residents he'll see to it that the project is done right. He called himself a true preservationist and said he is a longtime member of the Rochester Hills Historic Districts Commission.
"I want these to be what you see when you walk down the street," he said of the seven homes along Fifth Avenue that will be preserved. "I want you to see the homes just as they were."
Commenting on a previous street scape concept for City Place that essentially involved taking the faces of the seven houses and sticking them on a new building, Dziurman said: "I would never be a part of that personally - that's crazy."
In attendance for tonight's meeting were two members of the Germantown Neighborhood Association, which has actively opposed the project. Beverly Strassmann, president of the association, shared her group's position in a letter to de Parry before the meeting.
"We very much appreciate that you have now decided to take a more preservation-minded approach to your plans, especially in the hiring of a preservation architect," Strassmann wrote. "At this time, all indications are that an historic district is likely to be approved that will include this block of South Fifth Avenue. As such, our neighborhood group has decided that it would be premature for us to participate in any discussions about a project that could potentially weaken that new historic district."
With that, Strassmann concluded by saying she hopes de Parry follows historic rehabilitation guidelines should he press forward.
The Planned Unit Development proposal de Parry is crafting is entirely different from a by-right site plan approved by the City Council last month. City officials admitted they were stunned when de Parry pushed forward with his by-right site plan, which the City Council approved out of necessity because it conforms with the city's zoning ordinance.
De Parry said tonight his focus is on crafting the new PUD, and he plans to have updated designs complete by the end of this month.
He said the sequence of the houses would not change, though it may involve tweaking the fronts. He said the houses would basically stay in place, but he plans to rebuild the foundations and nudge some of them closer to the street.
As for the two apartment buildings proposed for the back, de Parry said he has reduced the height and massing. He said he isn't sure yet on the number of units, but he envisions mostly one- and two-bedroom apartments and possibly some three-bedroom units.
Dziurman said he talked with an official from the State Historic Preservation Office Friday and is convinced the project can be done in a way that follows historic rehabilitation guidelines. He said he understands neighbors want to maintain the "rhythm" of the street, and that can be achieved.
"What goes on back here is really the key for everybody," he said, motioning to the two buildings that would go behind the homes. "We have to be careful that it doesn't overwhelm the site."
De Parry said a landmark tree - a bur oak located near the front of the project in the public right of way - has caused him to think creatively. He said he's been told the tree is "The Ann Arbor Tree," the same one depicted in the city seal.
"I hate to say a tree is driving a lot of this, but this tree is driving a lot of it," he said of the site configuration. "I want to stay far enough away from this tree to make sure we don't damage the tree or have something happen to it."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
PersonX
Sun, Oct 18, 2009 : noon
The tree isue is a red herring that really does not require this much discussion; I do not recall it being a major issue before, and was brought up recently by the developer, not by anyone else. There have always been more serious objections to the various incarnation of the plans for City Place. The one that most are discussing here does not seem to exist yet, and will undoubtedly be unveiled soon. We will be able to evaluate it then, but right now it just seems that this story serves as a pretext for venting based on preconceived notions and fairly obvious interests. Some of us reserve judgment...
JPhil
Thu, Oct 15, 2009 : 6:19 a.m.
The matter of right project would be one that meets current ordinances and would have been shown as what can be built versus what they would like to build as I recall...I think that may be part of the application process, but even if not, it is good to know what is allowed under current ordinances. And if the trees have always been protected, then comments made at public hearings that the tree(s) were at risk were wrong.
townie
Wed, Oct 14, 2009 : 12:01 p.m.
The drawing for the City Place "matter of right" project was created late last fall when the "Brownstone PUD" was before the planning commission. It was held up at that meeting by one of the City Place design team in order to threaten the commissioners with what might be built should the PUD be turned down. It's all there in the meeting minutes. The street trees have never been at risk in any of the various versions of City Place. Protecting the burr oak or any of the other trees on the extension is not new to this latest version.
JPhil
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 7:09 p.m.
Billy May. Oh so true. Tom Whitaker just moved in to the neighborhood...and now he is block captain.
JPhil
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 7:06 p.m.
Personx. Perhaps I am missing something. Why is it blackmail to get approval for something you are allowed to do under current zoning ordinances. Are you saying that it is up to the whims of the city to approve what they want? And if they don't like something for whatever reason, they can skirt their own ordinances and do an obvious "taking"? It is no secret that council voted for the historic district solely to stop a project that met all of the city's ordinances. I am not a fan of the student housing project, but this was too obvious an attempt to stop a development solely to please a small handfull of people. Perhaps it boils down to votes. I realize that just because one is an owner of commercial property in this city does not give one the right to vote....you just get to pay the taxes.
Moose
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 11:33 a.m.
Ann Arbor has successfully evolved to the point where it has a vibrant downtown AND beautiful historic neighborhoods. It's hard to argue with that kind of evolution. The comments by Hactin about homeowners getting a tax credit for taking care of their older home in a historic district smacks of generational sour grapes. There's a lot of hard work and long hours by owners to get a measly tax credit.
PersonX
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 11:02 a.m.
I think you are right that you are missing part of the story. The neighbors met with Mr. de Parry a number of times and proposed different scenarios; at one point there was much give and take, I understand, and then things broke down. Right now there is nothing to give, as the new plan has not been shown to anyone outside of the one meeting which apparently few attended, as it was not clear until one day earlier that a new version would be shown. I do not understand the adamant defense here of something no one has seen. As for dormers and the like, no one, including the developer, liked that plan, which was pushed through--and approved, so please no complaints--as a form of blackmail to put pressure on a PUD approval. We will have to wait until that is submitted to make judgments. To get back to the dormers, my recollection was that the discussion was a technical one about hight, not about aesthetics. One of the requirements of a PUD is that a development has to fit into the surroundings; none of the plans proposed until now in any way did that. We shall have to see what the new one looks like.
Hactin
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 10:17 a.m.
The historic neighborhood push here is overblown and it will cripple the evolution of this city. In this town, historic preservation is all about tax credits for the home owners. Take a drive and see all of the poorly maintained rental properties and tell me that the owners are really concerned with anything else.
Hactin
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 9:45 a.m.
The historic neighborhood push here is overblown and it will cripple the evolution of this city. In this town, historic preservation is all about tax credits for the home owners. Take a drive and see all of the poorly maintained rental properties and tell me that the owners are really concerned with anything else.
a2cents
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 9:43 a.m.
How is unit defined? 1.5 parking spaces per unit sounds laudable, but aren't there up 12 bedrooms per "unit"? Down here in the student ghetto, one car per bedroom is more the rule and cars are crowded into anywhere they'll fit.
Hactin
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 9:42 a.m.
The historic neighborhood push here is overblown and it will cripple the evolution of this city. In this town, historic preservation is all about tax credits for the home owners. Take a drive and see all of the poorly maintained rental properties and tell me that the owners are really concerned with anything else.
JPhil
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 9:18 a.m.
Sellers is correct. I happen to live in the neighborhood and do feel that this has been a very one sided discussion. If you don't agree with GNA, then your opinion does not count. There are residents here who feel intimidated by the vitriolic comments that have been made and are hesitant to come forward for fear of also being personally attacked. Open dialog has always been the key if issues are to get resolved. No one gets everything, but all get something. As to the trees, from reading the article again, the developer is saving the street trees and especially the oak tree. What's the problem...
sellers
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 8:46 a.m.
It appears on the surface that the developer is giving in quite a bit, even after it was approved. I am not seeing much give from the residents? Am I missing a side of the story? Trees are planted. Trees grow. Trees die and or get cut down. It happens. It's all about moderation.
JPhil
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 8:41 a.m.
"Horrid" is the eye of the beholder. From what I saw of the two building plan that was approved, there are other newly built buildings in AA that have the same design. And the whole issue of the dormers...just drive around the Old West side and you will see many houses that have the same large dormer design and these houses were built in the 1920's. It was economical then and is economical now. Salt box houses can also incorporate this dormer design as it creates usuable space in what would otherwise be an attic. So this design is not new.
PersonX
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 8:20 a.m.
Were any of the posters at the meeting? It seems premature to talk about something that we have yet to see and analyze, a2grateful, who seems to have nothing better to do, as usual, is simply trying to provoke, but are there any posters who were at the "unveiling"? It seems to me--and I was not there--that the whatever may happen, the resistance to the ludicrous plans that had been proposed for the site has been fruitful. Those that would simply back any development no matter how horrid should think about that.
JPhil
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 6:42 a.m.
I applaud the developer for wanting to save the street trees, especially the large oak tree. What does it matter if this is the "Ann Arbor Tree" or not...it is being saved. And as to the plan, this is what everyone wanted to see anyway, so it will be a win win for everyone.
a2grateful
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 6:20 a.m.
Looking forward to seeing Alex de Parry's latest iteration of City Place.
Concerned Citizen
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 12:21 a.m.
It does sadden me that some folks have become so flippant. I have, in fact, planted well over 100 trees in "the townships", but none of them will provide the shade to the surrounding yards, and yes, even parking lots, that these trees provided. They were a gift to the neighborhood from previous "neighbors", and they were cherished.
frozenhotchocolate
Tue, Oct 13, 2009 : 12:03 a.m.
michigan used to be a huge forest, trees got cut down, plant a tree in the townships and call it even. But i'd rather it be a taco bell or kroger, even better, both.
Concerned Citizen
Mon, Oct 12, 2009 : 11:41 p.m.
(I should clarify,..."removed" was a poor choice of words on my part, in this instance:) The very day after the "groundbreaking", several heritage trees were chain-sawed down to stumps, their limbs sawed-up, shredded and hauled away leaving enormous voids in the landscape and the canopy.
Concerned Citizen
Mon, Oct 12, 2009 : 11:24 p.m.
When these plans are presented, are issues of various "accesses" to the project site from neighboring properties spelled out? The current "Big Dig" has resulted in huge, healthy trees being removed on borders of neighboring properties because the "project" fills the entire city property... Mr. Stanton, do you know if residences may also be demolished as pathways to the "Big Dig"? (None of this has been shown or mentioned in the plans,...but, as you recall only "landscaping plants" were to be "relocated" and yet, the trees came down the VERY day after the "groundbreaking" was "celebrated". (Also are there MORE trees to come down?)
Marvin Face
Mon, Oct 12, 2009 : 10 p.m.
"He said he's been told the tree is "The Ann Arbor Tree," the same one depicted in the city seal". Who told you that, Alex? That's funny. I have heard this exact thing said about no less than three other trees in Ann Arbor. Depicted on the seal, indeed!