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From Northsidewiki
Welcome to the Ann Arbor Northside Neighborhood Association Wiki.
This is the official place where Northside neighbors can meet, discuss issues, make proposals, and generally keep in touch with each other.
We're just getting started. Come back soon, or better yet, add to this site. It's easy: click the "edit" tab to edit a page. You can add pages, too: search for a topic, and if it doesn't yet exist, you'll find a link to add a page.
Before you do any of that, please make a login for yourself, following the "create account" link in the upper right corner of this page.
Questions? Check out the FAQ, or contact Jeff Kupperman: jkupp@myprivacy.ca.
Oh hey, and if someone can make us a better logo, that would be super!
Avalon Housing at 1440 Pear St.
The Northside Neighborhood Association has been asked to pass on the following message from Michael Appel, Executive director of Avalon Housing (www.avalonhousing.org, 734/663-5858).
"Avalon Housing is purchasing the apartment building located on Pear St. on the near north side of Ann Arbor and we want to introduce ourselves to the neighbors. We are excited to add this property to our housing stock. If you, or other neighbors, are not familiar with Avalon, we were founded in 1992 and currently own and manage 210 units of rental housing scattered throughout Ann Arbor. This building will be our fourth property on the north side of the City, joining Carrot Way Apartments off Dhu Varren and smaller properties on Pontiac Trail and Broadway. You can also learn more about us from our website, www.avalonhousing.org.
"Avalon Housing is a leading provider of supportive housing, a model that combines quality, affordable housing units with supportive services that are available to our tenants on-site and as-needed. One of the hallmarks of our work is that our properties are fully integrated into their neighborhoods, creating housing opportunities for low-income persons and persons who have been homeless, while focusing on upkeep, safety and quality of life for tenants and the community. Avalon provides permanent housing and we emphasize the value of community both among our tenants and in our relationship to Ann Arbor and our neighbors.
"The Pear St. Apartments acquisition will maintain this commitment. We are happy to answer questions you may have about Avalon or this project. Please circulate this introductory email as appropriate and I invite you or others to contact me either individually or through the neighborhood association."
Plans for the African American Cultural and Historical Museum at 1528 Pontiac
UPDATE: Mitchell and Mouat have submitted the formal PUD zoning and site plan application to the City, and the Planning Commission public hearing has been TENTATIVELY set for July 15, 2008. The application is available for review at Mitchell and Mouat Architects, 113 S. Fourth Ave., 734-662-6070.
The African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County is hoping to establish a permanent home at 1528 Pontiac Trail, in the house that was moved from Washington Street in 2006. Mitchell and Mouat Architects have drafted a site plan, which was presented to a small group of immediate neighbors at a meeting on April 9, 2008 at the firm's offices. Information presented at the meeting -- all of which was preliminary and unofficial -- included the following:
- The Museum is planning to ask for a zoning change in the form of a Planned Unit Development (PUD). The PUD needs to be approved by the Planning Commission and the City Council, with public hearings at each stage. As explained in the meeting, the PUD would allow the property to be an exception to the current residential zoning, and it would be limited to the specific proposed use and the specific details of the site plan. Any change to the use or to the site plan at any point in the future would need to go through a complete process of re-approval by the Planning Commission and City Council.
- The property was purchased by an anonymous benefactor, who plans to donate the land to the Museum, pending PUD approval.
- The Museum intends to preserve the house's residential look and as much as possible of its original architecture. Landscaping plans include plantings, a wooden fence around most of the property, two rain gardens, and three rear parking spaces for staff on a textured paved surface that will double as a patio. Plans for the house itself include archival storage on the basement level, exhibit and meeting space on the first floor, and offices on the second floor.
- The Museum is talking with Bethel BME church and Northside School about using their parking lots for visitor parking.
- Cost estimates for external and internal renovations are being prepared by Mitchell and Mouat. They have found the structure to be stable and sound.
- The PUD approval process will likely extend into at least the fall, with construction beginning in 2009 if approved. Plans are to stabilize the landscaping this summer by planting grass on the currently exposed soil.
More information will be posted here as it becomes available.
Pontiac Trail reconstruction and related issues
Update: Construction was completed in Fall, 2007. Two pedestrian crosswalks were added, near the intersections with John A. Woods and Bowen Streets.
The stretch of Pontiac Trail between John A. Woods and the train tracks underwent reconstruction in the summer of 2007.
In connection with this, public meetings were held on Wednesday, April 25, and Monday, June 4, both at 6:30pm at the Northside Community Center.
While the meeting was officially just about the resurfacing project, issues of traffic calming, parking, and other matters related to Pontiac Trail were also discussed.
Meeting notes from April 25 are here.
Meeting notes from June 4 are here.
Comments are welcome -- please post them in the discussion area attached to the meeting notes page.
Planning for the Future
David has started a list of ideas for the future of the Northside neighborhood which, if they have support from residents, we will bring to the Planning Department and City Council.
Please add your ideas and/or comments.
City of Ann Arbor Non-Motorized Transportation Plan
There was a public hearing on Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006 about the proposed Non-Motorized Transportation Plan. Read about the plan at here, and send comments to planning@ci.ann-arbor.mi.us.
Email Group
Yes, we have an email group, too. Sign up by following this link. (After you sign up, you'll get a confirmation email; respond to that, and you'll be subscribed.)
Our President
The current association president is David Cohen. The official contact person (and unofficial webmaster) is Jeff Kupperman.
Techie stuff
This site uses MediaWiki software -- the same software that powers Wikipedia.
Consult the User's Guide for information on using the wiki software.
