Ann Arbor land use plan nearing final stages, some residents oppose it
Ann Arbor's is getting close to the finish line, but there are still several reviews and revisions officials will need to make before the city council and planning commission vote on it.
City officials say they haven't done a comprehensive land use plan since 2009, but many of their core goals still remain focused on affordability, sustainability and equity. The comprehensive land use plan doesn't directly make any changes or decisions to land management, but it does set the policy on what decisions the city should make in the years to come.
"It is setting the goals and it's going to be used as a strategic piece, policy document, prioritization tool to help us decide what resources to deploy to achieve that," said Ann Arbor planning manager Brett Lenart.
Lenart says this plan will set policies to promote affordable housing development, sustainable use of land and energy, and to mend the scars of racism in real estate and restrictive covenants.
"It's really important to us to start thinking about how to break down those boundaries and those barriers so more people can come to our city, more people can thrive, and more people can work here," Lenart said.
Some community members have organized in opposition to the plan, saying it won't achieve its three guiding goals.
"What was lost is the opportunity for the groups who were discriminated against to build intergenerational equity. There's nothing in the plan to help rectify the problem; they're just identifying the problem that we can recognize and agree upon as a problem, but we have to do something directly about it," said Ann Arbor resident Tom Stulberg.
The planning commission will review the plan and any feedback at its July 15 meeting.
