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Sabra Briere, right, argued for establishing multi-family zoning for the Nixon Road properties at the Ann Arbor City Council's meeting on July 20, 2015, while Sumi Kailasapathy, left, argued against it.
(Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News )
The Ann Arbor City Council gave initial approval Monday night to establish residential zoning needed for a controversial pair of housing developments.
The council voted 8-3 in favor of the multi-family zoning designations that would allow national homebuilder Toll Brothers to build 472 new residences immediately north and south of Dhu Varren Road on the west side of Nixon Road on the city's north side.
The three council members opposed due to concerns about the development proposals were Mike Anglin, Jack Eaton and Sumi Kailasapathy.
Other council members agreed there are valid concerns about what's being proposed, particularly the potential impacts on traffic congestion, but they argued the zoning that's being requested is appropriate and in keeping with the city's Master Plan, and the city is making sure that traffic issues are addressed.
For instance, the city is requiring the developers to pay to create a roundabout at the Nixon/Green/Dhu Varren intersection to improve traffic flow.
The zoning requests for the so-called Nixon Farm North and Nixon Farm South properties, both of which were recently annexed into the city from Ann Arbor Township, were on the council's agenda for first reading Monday night.
They'll come back for second reading and final approval Aug. 17. The council will hold public hearings at that meeting.
A map of the Nixon Farm North and Nixon Farm South properties at the intersection of Nixon and Dhu Varren roads.
The site plans are not yet before council, though it's likely they'll be on the agenda when the zoning requests come back.
The council is being asked to establish multi-family zoning for the 69-acre property at the northwest corner of Nixon and Dhu Varren, which would allow development of 208 carriage houses in 51 buildings on a private drive network.
Separately, the council is being asked to establish multi-family zoning for the 41-acre property at the southwest corner, which would allow development of 264 attached townhouses in 51 buildings on a private drive network.
Woodbury Club Apartments, another controversial housing development proposal in the same general area, also came before council Monday night.
The council postponed approval of the zoning and site plan to Aug. 17, following a recommendation from the city's planning staff.
The council is being asked to establish multi-family zoning for the nearly 54 acres of farm property at the southeast corner of Nixon Road and M-14. The city recently annexed the property into the city limits from Ann Arbor Township.
The $27.5 million project proposed by the Birmingham-based Bleznak Real Estate Investment Group involves building four three-story apartment buildings with a total of 282 units and 575 parking spaces, plus a clubhouse and a pool.
The developer is making a special request to allow the buildings to exceed a 35-foot height limit and rise to about 39 feet to allow the clustering of units to preserve open space, with 86.2 percent of the site remaining open space.
Council Member Jane Lumm, an independent from the 2nd Ward, mentioned there still are outstanding issues regarding the city's potential to purchase 25 acres from the developer as parkland. The city is awaiting a response from the developer.
Council members spent some time Monday night discussing concerns about traffic congestion along Nixon Road where the new developments are proposed.
Council Member Sabra Briere, D-1st Ward, made a case that part of the problem is lack of interconnectivity between different area subdivisions.
Eaton said he's uncomfortable establishing zoning allowing dense housing before traffic issues are resolved. He said the council too often zones property and then regrets that it can't say no to new developments that are proposed.
Kailasapathy raised concerns about the potential loss of natural areas, saying it's sad that the city's Greenbelt Program is working to protect farmland outside the city while land inside the city is being developed. She argued not every piece of developable land in Ann Arbor needs to be developed.
Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com or 734-623-2529 or follow him on Twitter.