The Moravian, Master Plan being considered by Ann Arbor Planning Commission next week
The Moravian is back on the Ann Arbor City Planning Commission's agenda for next week - and so is action on the city's Master Plan.
Planning commissioners will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday inside city hall, 100 N. Fifth Ave.
They'll hold a public hearing and action on a planned unit development zoning district and PUD site plan for the 0.85-acre Moravian project at 201 E. Madison St., between Fourth and Fifth avenues two blocks south of downtown.
The Planning Commission is being asked to rezone the site from R4C (a multiple-family dwelling district) and M1 (a limited industrial district) to a PUD district. The developer proposes constructing a 63-unit, four-story, multiple-family residential building with 164 bedrooms, 90 parking spaces underground, and three work units at the ground level.
Developer Jeff Helminski of the Moravian Co. recently told AnnArbor.com he thinks the market is strong for the product he's offering. He's gearing the project toward the area's young professionals.
The Moravian is taking shape after Helminski’s partnership was unsuccessful in getting approval to build a 14-story tower called The Madison on the same site last year. He came back to the city with new plans in December, and has been fine-tuning the proposal with planning staff since.
During the public hearing, individuals may speak for three minutes. The first person who is the official representative of an organized group may speak for five minutes; additional representatives may speak for three minutes.
Also on next week's agenda is a public hearing and action on the city's Master Plan. The city is consolidating the four City Area Plans (South, West, Northeast and Central) to create a single document that includes all substantive information from each area plan. City officials say the document can be updated more regularly and will include goals and objectives that can be applied more broadly.
City officials said no substantive information has been added during the consolidation process, but major changes will be proposed in the second phase of the planning effort, which may be initiated in 2010. Action on the Master Plan previously was recommended for approval by the Planning Commission on May 5, but is being brought back for reconsideration.
Ryan J. Stanton covers government for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529.
Comments
Moose
Sat, Oct 3, 2009 : 2:57 p.m.
You have to wonder, if as some people suggest that developing anything in Ann Arbor is so onerous, why do developers continue to want to build here? If any one, group or thing is causing developers headaches it's a leaderless council and an ineffectual planning commission. They are the difficulties and headaches that result in projects like the Moravian, not community groups or the rest of the city.
PersonX
Sat, Oct 3, 2009 : 9:52 a.m.
Unfortunately, there is pressure on the planing commission to promote "density," which has become a somewhat meaningless word that is just a euphemism for supporting developers. Politicians who have higher ambitions have to balance appealing to voters, who have recently demonstrated that they are not in favor of destroying old neighborhoods with ugly large buildings, with the need to play up to people with money who might support them in future campaigns. The Moravian is completely out of character and out of scale with its surroundings, is in the flood plain, and would provide less affordable housing than is now on the site, so the PUD should be rejected out of hand, and yet one suspects that it will be a difficult fight to get it stopped, even though there is absolutely no need for such a horrid building.
Moose
Fri, Oct 2, 2009 : 2:37 p.m.
The "young professionals" might live in the Moravian, but they'll work in the townships. Then when less expensive housing is built in the townships closer to their jobs, they'll move there, leaving an ugly building available for student rental.
PersonX
Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 6:19 p.m.
This is certainly better than 14 stories, but it is still a bit of a monstrosity that is completely out of character with the surrounding neighborhood. How can it receive a PUD if that is the case? Why are so many people trying to put up student housing under the guise of "young professionals" when there is really not much need for more such housing with new dorm rooms coming on line and no increase in student population? If we are going to keep development rational, we need changes in tax laws so that developers cannot gamble so easily and then write off their losses if the project is a dud, leaving another eyesore in our communities.
a2grateful
Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 6:13 p.m.
The aerial perspective of the plan is interesting. The proposed building fits well with its surroundings.. Writer ducks.... Goes to kitchen to start popping popcorn.... Munch, munch, munch...
Alice Ralph
Tue, Sep 29, 2009 : 2:28 p.m.
Hmmm. Sorry, but the Moravian looks more like five stories, even if one is just kdiguised parking. Consider the scale of the existing buildings shown. (The teensy ones.) Five stories is still nine stories less than fourteen. The whole thing might be still more plausible if it were on or two stories less. Isn't some of this site in the floodway? As for the Master Plan, it isn't really about what hasn't been added. It's about what's missing. Ann Arbor is full of character and contrasts. We'll be sorry if we buy the 'one-size-fits-all' concept without planning for what comes next.