Ann Arbor City Council: November 17, 2025

Nov 17, 2025 | City Council

Affordable Housing | Arbor South | Brownfield | Marijuana | UDC Updates

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.

Legistar
YouTube
Newsletter
Voting Chart

A2Council Update Video

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

For the second meeting in a row, two items related to the Arbor South development were removed from the agenda on the day of the Council meeting. A public hearing was also cancelled.

At the beginning of the meeting, Mayor Taylor said these items were removed from the agenda because “some concerns have been expressed by council members and others and there are modifications to the proposal being contemplated.”

REMOVED: A brownfield plan will divert tax incremental financing (TIF) of an estimated $345,054,904 or not in excess of $373,825,905 with administrative fees to support the development of “Arbor South” at State and Eisenhower. The TIF will be diverted for the maximum timeframe: 30 years, through 2057. (Legistar)

  • Of the total TIF, about $184,866,844 will fund parking structures and $160,188,060 will fund off-site sanitary sewer trunklines and interceptor, water, storm sewer, bus rapid transit stop, pedestrian improvements and other utilities. An estimated $2 million will be used to remediate a gas station on-site.
  • The developers of Arbor South have declared a private investment of $406,000,000.
  • A brownfield plan with such a high percentage of public investment is typically ineligible for TIF funding.  A staff report explains that developer-reimbursable Brownfield TIF should not exceed 20% of overall project investment.
  • Eligibility for this brownfield plan seems to depend on approval of the Public-Private partnership at this same Council meeting.

REMOVED: By resolution, City Council will approve the purchase of property from the developers of Arbor South for City-owned parking decks. The City Administrator will be authorized to negotiate and finalize terms of a public-private partnership with co-developers Oxford Companies and Crawford Hoying. Approval of this item requires eight votes and will permit the purchase of property at Arbor South (at an unnamed price) subject to “availability of funds.” A detailed purchase agreement will not be voted on by Council and budgeting for the purchase could happen with a simple majority vote. (Legistar)

  • As part of the public private partnership, City-issued bonds in the amount of not less than $166,390,000 will fund parking structures to meet the needs of residents and visitors to Arbor South. These structures will then be owned and maintained by the City.
  • From the staff memo: “Transforming one of Ann Arbor’s most automobile-dependent districts into a walkable urban neighborhood requires major infrastructure investment that cannot be supported by the private sector alone. To achieve this, the City and the developer intend to enter into a public-private partnership in which the City will finance, own, and operate three parking structures”
  • From the agreement: “the privately owned components of the Project are contemplated to be served by three public parking structures”
  • According to the agreement, the bonds will be paid back from two sources: Brownfield Plan TIF revenue and “Net Parking Revenues” from the parking structures. The agreement does not include any estimate of what the city might extract in fees from parking structures at State/Eisenhower (“Net Parking Revenues”). That revenue will be “computed and determined by the City.”
  • Also unknown: the “Parking Structure Purchase Price.” The purchase price of each of three structures will be negotiated in consideration of “the Parking Structure Budget, the mutually approved land value and such other direct third party costs.” Money for the purchase price will be “negotiated either through authorized Bonds, an approved City budget or other appropriate funding source.” The purchase of each deck will not come back to City Council for a vote, but will be “reasonably approved by the City.”
  • The issuance of City bonds will include approval of an “inducement resolution,” which is required when public bonds are used by private entities. Approval of that resolution allows the opportunity for resident petitions demanding a public vote (Special Election) on the issue. When the City issues bonds to fund public capital projects, Council approves a “notice of intent” resolution that functions similarly.
  • Council last approved a “notice of intent” in January 2025 to issue $12 million in bonds to fund a new fire station on Huron Parkway. (Legistar) The opportunity to petition is the same for both types of City-issued bonds: “The Bonds will be issued without a vote of the electors unless a valid petition requesting such a vote signed by not less than 10% or 15,000 of the registered electors of the City is filed with the City Clerk within forty-five (45) days after publication of this notice. If a valid petition is filed, the Bonds may not be issued without an approving vote of the majority of the qualified electors of the City voting thereon.”
  • The Arbor South project will redevelop seventeen acres of parking lot into 1000 rental housing units, 30 owner-occupied units, a 150 room hotel, a public plaza, and 100,000 sq feet of retail/commercial. Approximately 200 – but not fewer than 150 – of the rental housing units will be affordable, in a separate building to be owned by Ann Arbor Housing Commission.The City will issue more bonds to fund these affordable units at Arbor South. A staff memo explains: “City Council is expected to separately authorize the issuance of City bonds to finance an anticipated amount of $18 million for the affordable housing building, backed by affordable housing millage revenue and/or rents.”

APPROVED: Council authorized the purchase of a condo at Ashley Mews in order for it to be maintained as an income-restricted primary residence (i.e. affordable housing unit). The City investigated and found the unit to be out of compliance, not functioning as a primary residence. After purchase, the condo can be sold to an income-eligible buyer, to serve as a primary residence. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Amendments to the marijuana ordinance will reduce location restrictions relative to schools. Marijuana businesses were previously restricted from locations within 1,000 feet of schools. That distance is reduced to 100 feet. Additional concerns will be considered on a case-by-case basis via the Special Exception Use permitting process for marijuana businesses. Marijuana growers will no longer be required to annually report energy used, water used, and sanitary sewer discharge; that information will now only be provided to the City Clerk “upon request.” (Legistar)

APPROVED: A 1-acre parcel at 1155 Arlington will be rezoned from TWP (Township) to R1A (Single-Family Dwelling). This parcel was recently annexed into the City and the zoning designation was consistent with the adjacent zoning, surrounding land uses, and the Comprehensive Plan. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A 5.7 acre parcel at 2600 Pontiac Trail will be rezoned from TWP (Township) to R4A (Multiple-Family Dwelling District). This parcel was annexed in 2022 and is anticipated as a component of “The Village of Ann Arbor” development. (Legistar)

APPROVED (Back to First Reading): Ordinance amendments will address guidelines for how trees and vegetation can be cultivated on private property adjacent to streets and sidewalks. Trees, shrubs and vegetation must allow 8 feet of clearance over sidewalks and 14 feet of clearance over streets. Amendments specifically address corners, where growth in a “sight triangle” can obstruct the view of pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists. (Legistar)

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for November 17, 2025 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for November 17, 2025 Part 2

Subscribe To My Newsletter

I write an Ann Arbor City Council newsletter with my summary of agenda items coming before Ann Arbor City Council, plus news and events of interest to Ann Arbor residents. I send my newsletter out the weekend before every Council meeting so that you can see what’s on the agenda and have an opportunity to reach out to City Council with any concerns.

The weekend after Council meetings, I send an "A2Council Update" newsletter with my voting charts and highlights of how issues were decided.

Sign Up