Ann Arbor zoning changes promote density, green building

The proposed zoning changes for downtown Ann Arbor are in the middle of their own campaign season as sponsors get ready to go before City Council early next year.The city’s Planning Department is holding pubic briefings on the proposed changes this week now that they have been recommended for approval by the city’s Planning Commission. Think of the Planning Commission’s blessing as winning the primary and the getting City Council approval the general election. It’s why city planners are making the rounds with local residents about the proposed changes in both scheduled formal meetings and informal ones.”If someone wants to meet, I can do that,” says Wendy Rampson, a city planner with the city of Ann Arbor.The proposed changes call for creating more density and a traditional urban environment in the city’s core, downtown area. That basically means developers can build structures that are as much as 400 percent bigger than the lot size. Those numbers can go up if the developer meets certain criteria, such as making the building LEED certified or including affordable housing. For instance, a developer can build 650 percent bigger than the lot size if it’s a platinum LEED building. That number can bump up as high as 900 percent with onsite affordable housing.The city plans to hold meetings at 9 a.m. today in the City Council chambers of City Hall and again at 6:30 p.m. in the Washtenaw County building, 200 N Main St. Another will be held at 3:30 p.m. Thursday again in the county building. For information, call (734) 994-2802.Source: Wendy Rampson, a city planner with the city of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke