Ann Arbor City Planning Commission: October 3, 2023

This meeting was held in person at City Hall.

Commissioner Lee was absent
Commissioner Mills was absent
Commissioner Wyche was absent

APPROVED: 900 Briarwood Circle Site Plan and Rezoning for City Council Approval. The developer proposes to replace the existing Sears store with a two-level grocery (57,649 sq. ft.) and a two-level sporting goods store (100,000 sq. ft.) with an adjacent playing field. The proposal also includes 354 multi-family residential units in four-story buildings, a parking garage, and redesigned parking with added landscaping. A new connector roadway will intersect with Briarwood Circle, east of Mall Drive. The 18.2-acre site will undergo rezoning from P (Parking District) to C2B (Commercial), affecting 8.29 acres. (Legistar)

• The site plan and zoning requests will go to City Council for final approval. City Council approved these changes at first reading on November 6, 2023: https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-council-november-6-2023/
• The developers held a public engagement meeting on February 16, 2023: https://a2council.com/briarwood-mall-sears-public-engagement-meeting-february-16-2023/

APPROVED: Site plan for 1655 Plymouth Road to build a 2500 square foot Taco Bell with a single drive-through lane, replacing a vacant Wendy’s restaurant. Site access to remain off Plymouth Rd and Osage Drive with 35 parking spaces located in front of the restaurant. (Legistar)

• The site is currently zoned PUD (Planned Unit Development), originally approved on December 1, 1986 and revised on June 20, 2000. The site contains a vacant Wendy’s restaurant with a single drive through lane. This layout and use is permitted by the PUD Supplemental Regulations.
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/10/just-anything-but-this-drive-thru-taco-bell-gets-reluctant-ok-in-ann-arbor.html
• https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2023/10/ann-arbor-taco-bell-proposal-spurs-talks-of-development-moratorium.html

POSTPONED: Proposed amendments to the Planning Commission bylaws are postponed to the meeting of November 14, 2023. (Legistar)

• These changes were initially approved by the Planning Commission on July 18, 2023 https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-july-18-2023/
• Minutes from that meeting summarized the proposed changes:
  • The investigation of alternative ethics, conflicts of interest and recusal language as discussed and directed
  • The modification of section 5.2 one from him or herself to themselves.
  • The removal of the proposed change to section 8.3 the time for a developer petition at the discretion of the chair
  • Modification of all votes from 6 to 5, where, appropriate by law.
• Approval of these changes was postponed from the September 19, 2023 meeting: https://a2council.com/ann-arbor-city-planning-commission-september-19-2023/
• From a staff report for the September 19, 2023 meeting (link)
  • Numerous concepts were discussed that arose during the Commission’s discussion on July 18th, that would benefit from additional discussion. To support a productive discussion of these concepts on October 3rd, staff will address the following items:
    • A method of Conflict of Interest that requires Planning Commission to act or vote on more or all declarations of Conflict of Interest.
      • If pursued, how would resolution occur if the Planning Commission deemed no conflict existed, while an individual does.
    • Could the use of abstention votes be utilized in the Planning Commission’s activities, as an additional option to a typical yes/no vote, or full recusal?

Legistar and Video Links

Legistar: https://a2gov.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=1069330&GUID=C6F62C14-A18F-4631-8C4D-D008D2779B7B

YouTube: https://youtu.be/GuffwDl-apg

CTN Video: https://ctnvideo.a2gov.org/CablecastPublicSite/show/8888

Meeting Length: 2h 40m