Ann Arbor City Council: May 5, 2025

This Ann Arbor City Council meeting was held in person at City Hall. Members of the public can participate in public hearings and public comment either in person or via phone.

Mayor Taylor was absent
CM Akmon was absent
CM Ghazi Edwin was absent
CM Harrison was absent.

Due to absences, consent agenda items requiring 8 votes were postponed.

A2Council Update Video

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: Water rates are increased. City staff estimate that the average residential customer will see an increase of 6%. Changes take effect on July 1, 2025. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Stormwater rates are increased. City staff estimate that the average residential customer will see an increase of 3%. Changes take effect on July 1, 2025. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Sewer rates are increased, City staff estimate that the average residential customer will see an increase of 3%. Changes take effect on July 1, 2025. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Development agreement for a 19 story apartment building “Chapter” at 1201, 1209 and 1213 South University Avenue. (Legistar)

• On March 4, 2024, the Planning Commission approved the site plan for this project, and recommended approval of the development agreement: https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-4-2025/
• The developers held a citizen participation meeting on July 11, 2024: https://a2council.com/1209-s-university-ave-citizen-participation-meeting-july-11-2024/
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2024/06/19-story-high-rise-proposed-on-ann-arbors-south-university-avenue.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/03/19-story-south-u-high-rise-approved-for-development-in-ann-arbor.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/05/development-agreement-okd-for-19-story-south-u-high-rise-in-ann-arbor.html

APPROVED: Ordinance amendments remove the requirement that residents get permits and register home alarm systems with the city, with annual renewals. As previously written, an applicant needed to submit information such as name(s) and address(es) of who was responsible for maintenance and operation, names and phone numbers of people receiving notice of alarm activation, type of alarm, and name/phone/address of company monitoring the alarm system. These requirements were deemed redundant and are now eliminated. (Legistar)

APPROVED (First Reading): The parcel at 343 S. Fifth Avenue (Downtown branch of the Ann Arbor Public Library) will be rezoned from PL (Public Land) to D1 (Downtown Core) in order to allow private ownership. The library is currently exploring a “public-private” partnership for future redevelopment. (Legistar)

• This rezoning was approved by the Planning Commission on March 4, 2025. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-4-2025/
• The AADL held a public meeting about the proposed rezoning on November 19, 2024: https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-downtown-library-rezoning-request-public-meeting-november-19-2024/
• The rezoning from PL (Public Land) to D1 (Downtown Core), as requested by the Library Board, will eliminate any requirement that the downtown library remain in public ownership or retain library services as a primary use. Rezoning anticipates sale of the downtown library property for high-rise development in a “public-private” partnership.
• At the May 5, 2025 Council meeting, the Council Liaison to the Planning Commission asserted that “It doesn’t have anything to do with center of the city,” referring to the adjacent parcel currently owned by the City. The “Center of the City” property is already zoned D1 (Downtown Core), but is protected by the City Charter. A charter amendment passed in 2018 requires that this parcel remain in public ownership for public use.
• City Council has directed a special election this August in order to repeal City Charter protections for the “Center of the City.” If approved by voters, that City-owned property will be transferred to the Library for $1. This transfer will allow the property’s sale into private ownership, at the discretion of the Library Board. Current members of the Library Board as well as the current Library director have endorsed the sale of “Center of the City” for private development.
• The vote in August anticipates the potential combination and sale of both public assets (the downtown library parcel and the “Center of the City” parcel) for private uses. As directed by City Council and the Library Board, two acres of publicly-owned land on that block will be sold for private high-rise development.
• A2ELNEL: Low Turnout Elections & No Questions: The Library Lot Proposals
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2024/11/what-could-a-new-downtown-ann-arbor-library-be-like-director-explains.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/03/future-of-downtown-ann-arbor-library-block-to-be-decided-by-city-voters-in-august.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/04/mayor-and-supporters-kicking-off-campaign-for-new-downtown-ann-arbor-library.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2025/05/high-rise-zoning-for-downtown-ann-arbor-library-site-gets-city-councils-initial-ok.html

APPROVED (First Reading): An amendment to the Unified Development Code (UDC) will modify processes for modifications to previously approved PUD (Planned Unit Development) districts. It will apply to a PUD district comprised of multiple parcels. In a PUD district of multiple parcels, the owner of one parcel can request a zoning change for their own parcel without getting authorization from the other parcel owners in the district. (Legistar)

• A PUD district is a special type of zoning that does not conform to standards for other zoning districts but is unique to the site and provides a benefit for the City that cannot be achieved through another zoning category. PUD districts are subject to “Supplemental Regulations.”
• From the UDC Chapter 55, Section 5.29.11.F(6): “The Supplemental Regulations shall include analysis and justification sufficient to determine what the purported benefit is, how the special benefit will be provided, and performance standards by which the special benefit will be evaluated.”
• Initial consideration of a PUD district requires authorization from all parcel owners, but staff propose this amendment because the authorization requirement “has the effect of neighboring property owners having an outsized effect on the ability of others to pursue modifications.” Staff offers the example of a property owner seeking to remove their parcel from a previously established PUD district.
• This UDC amendment was approved by the Planning Commission on March 18, 2025. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-18-2025/

APPROVED (First Reading): A recently annexed parcel at 3801 Stone School Road will be rezoned to PL (Public Land). This 3 acre parcel was previously in Pittsfield township and is owned by the Ann Arbor Public Schools. (Legistar)

• Annexation and rezoning was approved by the City Planning Commission on May 21, 2024. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-may-21-2024/

APPROVED (First Reading): A recently annexed parcel at 2862 Stone School Road will be rezoned PL (Public Land). This 2.65 parcel was purchased by the Ann Arbor Public Schools in 2021 and will be used for expansion of the Pathways to Success campus. (Legistar)

• Annexation and rezoning was approved by the City Planning Commission on May 21, 2024. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-may-21-2024/

APPROVED (First Reading): A parcel at 2325 Crystal Way will be rezoned from R4A (Multiple-Family Dwelling District) to PL (Public Land). This 9.859 parcel is city-owned land that will expand the Hickory Nature Area at 2817 Dillon Drive. It was donated to the City in 2019, with the development of “The One” at 2601 Pontiac Trail. (Legistar)

• This rezoning was approved by the Planning Commission on March 4, 2025. https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-march-4-2025/

POSTPONED: A new “Green Rental Housing” ordinance will require that rental units be assessed by a “Home Energy Rater” and issued a score based on a checklist of qualified assets. (Legistar)

• At the May 5, 2025 meeting, a number of public commenters spoke out against this ordinance. It was postponed to June 2, 2025 due to unanswered questions and Council absences. Council liaison to the Renters Commission, Cynthia Harrison, submitted a number of questions to the agenda which were not posted to Legistar until the day of the Council meeting. You can read them here: (Legistar)
• This ordinance does not apply to owner-occupied, single-family attached and detached homes, homes for the aged which are licensed by the State of Michigan, and Short-term Rentals. However, it does apply to single-family attached and detached homes for rent.
• The Renters Commission discussed this ordinance at length at their meeting on March 20, 2025. Commissioners raised serious concerns about how challenging the ordinance would be to implement, particularly for small landlords who do not currently charge high rents and do not have staff or resources to support compliance.
• The commission discussed a resolution expressing their direction to Council that the ordinance include a one-year voluntary compliance period. The resolution expressed their support for the Green Rental Ordinance only if the City could commit to sustained and dedicated funding for financial assistance programs targeting older housing (pre-1980) and units priced below-market (80-85% of area median rent).
• In March, the Renters Commission did not have a quorum to approve that resolution. The resolution was on the agenda for their April meeting, which was cancelled. You can read the resolution here (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart