Quantcast
Channel: MLive.com/ann-arbor
Viewing all 3641 articles
Browse latest View live

Ann Arbor city officials should be more careful when examining options for developing, upgrading city

0
0

It is distressing and frankly depressing to learn that the Water Treatment Plant is falling apart and will soon have to be replaced or substantially repaired. It would seem this is news to our mayor and all those expensive engineers and experts at City Hall. Following some unknown "study" we may get a plan and costs sometime down the road.

And this follows bridges falling down, again seemingly without anyone at City Hall knowing it was going to happen and no money at City Hall to replace it, and the mayor and his cronies at the DDA spending tons of tax money to build a huge underground parking structure next to the Library which, according to them, will support a 14 story hotel and conference center atop a postage stamp sized lot. Oh, did I mention their ‘deal’ never came to pass and the taxpayer is left with the bill….again.

Library_Lot_100212_RJS_001.jpg

One consideration for the surface Library Lot that has been proposed has been a public park — what do you think?

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Some of us will remember the fiasco of the city getting involved with the old YMCA building and operations, where the city ended up paying a ton of money to house a bunch of nice folks who were being nicely housed by the Y, well-run and needed. We lost a ton of taxpayer money in the process.

There are others I could mention, like a City Hall and Justice Center with no parking to speak of, but the point is simple. Our infrastructure is falling apart. These are the worst roads we have ever had, and I’ve lived here more 50 years and this mayor and his cronies are chasing rainbows, “Pretty City Awards” and a downtown more like Canyon City than “Tree Town, U.S.A.”

The Williams Street project is simply the mayor and the DDA’s thinly disguised plan the sell off all five of the cities remaining downtown parking lots for commercial development of unknown nature and description…presumably more “Canyon Cities” like the State Street campus area. The more the mayor can stuff in the better. That’s the mayor’s motto at City Hall and the DDA these days.

The plan is being touted by the mayor and the DDA as a development of Williams Street. It’s not Williams Street at all. It’s Main and Fourth and Fifth and Ashley…it’s all of downtown…no surface parking…period. Sold to the highest bidder.

Think about it. Where will you park?

Will there be any green space left? Certainly no room for a park.

Time for a change, folks. Wake up, Ann Arbor.

Donald H. Kenney is a resident of Ann Arbor.


Free Red Robin chili if Hell (Michigan) freezes over

0
0

redrobin.jpg

AnnArbor.com file photo

The Red Robin burger chain is offering a reason to hope for temperatures to drop this week — if Hell, Michigan “freezes over” this week, stores across the country will be offering a free cup of chili to lucky patrons according to a report in the Detroit Free Press.

If temperatures stay below freezing for a full day between Tuesday and Sunday, Red Robin will serve the first 100 customers in each of its stores a free cup of Chili on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

According to the Free Press report, Hell mayor John Colone will serve as Red Robin’s local weather expert for the week and will certify whether a full day of “frozen” weather occurs.

There are two Red Robins in the Ann Arbor area, one near Briarwood Mall, and one on Carpenter Road in Pittsfield Township.


View Larger Map

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2

Bedford principal: Administrators communicating about investigations into Pioneer altercation

0
0

021913_SPT_PioneervsBedford_MRM_26_fullsize.jpeg

Pioneer assistant Matt Felicia reaches for Jibreel Hussein after a heated exchange on the court following the game at Pioneer on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

Temperance Bedford High School principal Scott Stalker said Wednesday afternoon that administrators from his school and Pioneer High School have been in communication regarding the altercation Tuesday night following a boys basketball game at Pioneer.

Stalker said the two parties will determine if any investigations are necessary.

Stalker was present at Tuesday’s game, where Pioneer players had to be restrained during a postgame incident with Bedford fans. Pioneer coach Rex Stanczak said a racial slur was directed at Pioneer player Jibreel Hussein. Hussein attempted a dunk at the buzzer with his team up by three, and later pointed at his jersey in front of the Bedford student section.

Stalker said he spent the entire game within 15 feet of the Bedford student section and “didn’t hear any racial comments communicated at any time.”

“The Bedford High School players, coaches, students and parents were under control,” Stalker said.

He declined to say what he witnessed as precipitating events to the altercation.

Stalker was critical of public comments that were made following the incident. Stanczak told AnnArbor.com that “someone’s got to do something about these Bedford fans. I understand that they’re from a little different area of the world." Stalker did not specifically mention Stanczak.

“The issue, in my opinion, should not be used to make generalized statements about either school,” Stalker said.

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.

Are Michigan communities ready for an aging population? Conference in Ann Arbor raises questions

0
0

A statewide conference being held Feb. 28 in Ann Arbor will explore the questions surrounding whether Michigan is ready to meet the needs of a rapidly aging population.

Are city planners and public officials prepared for a demographic revolution? What will be the consequences if they fail to plan?

AARP Michigan says communities need to start planning now, as the growing number of people age 65 and older is demanding change in the way we look at our environment — from how we spend our time, to the homes we live in, to how we travel and provide health care and social services.

Mark Hornbeck, a spokesman for AARP Michigan, said Ann Arbor was chosen for the Age-Friendly Communities Conference partly because it's seen as a progressive, age-friendly community.

population_SEMCOG_2040.jpg

SEMCOG 2040 Forecast

In 2008, AARP Magazine named Ann Arbor the No. 1 healthiest city in which to live and retire — one of many age-friendly honors the city has received over the years.

In 2012, the Milken Institute ranked Ann Arbor No. 7 among small metro areas across the nation on its "Best Cities for Successful Aging" list.

The conference will be held at the University of Michigan Palmer Commons, 100 E. Washtenaw Ave., from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The day-long event will feature experts on aging, housing, transportation, demographics, economics, health care and community planning and design.

Local mayors, city managers, city planners, public health officials, policy makers and others from across the state are expected to attend the summit, which is open to the general public.

Attendees will hear from officials in cities throughout the country that have started planning for an aging population.

Tony Derezinski and Kirk Westphal, two of Ann Arbor's city planning commissioners, took a lead role in helping to organize the symposium.

"The public as a whole is definitely invited, but the focus is on people who are going to be making some decisions," Derezinski said. "It starts off with a big heavy dose of statistics on aging."

The share of the U.S. population age 65 and older is projected to increase from 13 percent in 2010 to 19.6 percent in 2040. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments predicts in its 2040 forecast the 65-and-over population will grow even more dramatically in Southeast Michigan.

Tony_Derezinski_file_photo.jpg

Ann Arbor Planning Commissioner Tony Derezinski reached out to AARP to help get a conference on aging in Ann Arbor.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

In Ann Arbor, the 65-and-over share of the population is projected to grow from 9.3 percent to 22.6 percent from 2010 to 2040. And throughout Washtenaw County, from 10.1 percent to 23 percent.

In raw numbers, a total of 88,797 residents 65 and older are expected to be living in Washtenaw County by 2040 — up 53,846 from 2010. That's a 154 percent increase.

About 28,036 people 65 and older are expected to call Ann Arbor home by 2040 —up 17,424 from 2010. That's a 164 percent increase.

Derezinski said those are pretty substantial increases, and they carry implications with regard to transportation, housing and health care.

He said Ann Arbor community leaders will be looking to learn from the conference as well as show attendees from other cities what Ann Arbor is doing to be age-friendly.

"We've done a lot here and yet there's more to do," he said.

A $30 registration fee includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Registration is being handled online at http://aarp.cvent.com/MIAgeFriendlyConf until Feb. 21. Anyone having problems with registration is asked to contact Andrea Palmer at apalmer@aarp.org.

Conference partners include AARP Michigan, the city of Ann Arbor, American Planning Association Michigan Chapter, Michigan Municipal League, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan, University of Michigan, Office of Services to the Aging and Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Milken_Institute_aging_rank_2012.jpg

In 2012, the Milken Institute ranked Ann Arbor No. 7 among small metro areas across the nation on its "Best Cities for Successful Aging" list. Here's what it had to say.

Milken Institute

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Smokehouse 52 barbecue restaurant opens in former Chelsea Market location

0
0

02202013_NEWS_SmokehouseBBQ.JPG

Smokehouse 52 is located at 125 S. Main St., in downtown Chelsea, next to the corner of Park Street and Main Street.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Phil Tolliver said there were two pieces of wisdom that convinced him to open his own restaurant.

The first was former President Ronald Reagan's, "America's too great for small dreams," and the second was from rapper Young Jeezy, "scared money don't make money."

Tolliver's Smokehouse 52 opened Wednesday at 125 Main St., the space formerly occupied by the New Chelsea Market.

The New Chelsea Market moved to Chelsea Shopping Center on South Main Street near I-94. AnnArbor.com previously reported the move was after the owners were forced to relocate the business when their landlord sold the Main Street building.

02202013_NEWS_SmokehouseBBQ-1.JPG

Owners Jennifer and Phil Tolliver sit inside at their new barbecue restaurant Smokehouse 52 in downtown Chelsea.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Although the menu includes other items, the restaurant will emphasize what Tolliver called the "four food groups" — slow-cooked barbecue cuisine, beef brisket and pulled pork, smoked chicken and St. Louis ribs.

"It’s getting to that throwback, slower cooked kind of food," he said.

Tolliver takes "slow-cooked" seriously — he cooks those staple dishes for up to 18 hours in two bole hickory pits he bought handmade from a company in Missouri.

"We’ll be known for our barbecue," he said. "From the very beginning, I said I want to be great at a few things — I don’t want to be good at everything."

Though he emphasized the traditional barbeque items, the menu will feature other entrees such as smoked portobello mushrooms, fried chicken, burgers, salads, steak, cedar-roasted salmon, and pimento bacon macaroni and cheese baked to order.

Although some higher-end entrees exceed $20, Tolliver said most of the items are between $10 and $12.

"I didn’t want to break anybody’s bank," he said. "I wanted the whole family to be able to afford some barbecue."

The Wednesday opening is considered informal and will be followed by an official opening once the restaurant receives its liquor license, sometime in the next few weeks.

02202013_NEWS_SmokehouseBBQ-2.JPG

The inside of Smokehouse 52 located at 125 S. Main St. in downtown Chelsea.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Once the bar is open, Tolliver said he'll have seven craft Michigan beers on tap, as well as a selection of wine and liquor drinks.

"Barbecue and bourbon always go pretty hand in hand, so we’ll have a nice bourbon selection," he said.

Hours of operation haven't been set in stone yet and will be determined based on the flow of customers. For now, the restaurant will open at 5 p.m. and stay open until customers stop coming in.

"We’ll kind of just see how it shakes out," he said.

By the weekend, the restaurant will be opening at 11 a.m. for lunch.

The restaurant seats 174 and will not be accepting reservations. If at capacity, Tolliver said a server will ask for a cellphone number from the waiting party and will then "tell them to go enjoy downtown Chelsea instead of sitting there staring at each other."

CVS manager calls police after spotting woman attempting to steal alcohol

0
0

The Saline Police Department arrested two Wayne residents Monday following an attempted retail fraud at a CVS pharmacy, according to The Saline Reporter.

The article said the two, Stephen Michael Foreman, 26, and Sharon Marie Velasquez, have since been linked to other crimes in nearby areas including Northville, Wayne and Livonia.

The manager of the CVS, located at 413 E. Michigan Ave., contacted police after spotting the woman trying to walk out with two black bags full of bottles of alcohol. Police reports say the woman set off the store alarm as she tried to leave and returned to set the bags down and went back to her car.

Officer Mark Jensen, who was nearby, responded to the call and asked Velasquez to pull over where he discovered the car had been stolen out of Wayne. Police also found a purse and several wallets in the car.

Both suspects are being held at the Washtenaw County Jail.

Propeller's 'Twelfth Night' is likely to both haunt and amuse you

0
0

12th-Night.jpg

John Dougall in Propeller's "Twelfth Night"

photo by Manuel Harlan

Malvolio in tear-away pants? Sir Andrew Aguecheek in boxing gear while “The Eye of the Tiger”’s iconic chords briefly prime the audience for a fight?

Such cheeky contemporary touches, paired with Shakespeare’s original text, are acclaimed, all-male British theater company Propeller’s trademark. Even so, Propeller’s “Twelfth Night” - now being presented courtesy of UMS - indicates, by way of its opening tableau and its washed-out palette (lit by Ben Ormerod), that no matter how many laugh-out-loud moments might ensue, sadness, loneliness and human cruelty lies beneath the play’s story.

A dust cover on some furniture, a slumped chandelier, and movable wardrobe-like set pieces are placed in front of a photographic backdrop of dark storm clouds. This is fitting, in one sense, since a shipwreck that separates twin siblings Viola (Joseph Chance) and Sebastian (Dan Wheeler) sets the story in motion; but the clouds don’t go away after the storm has passed.

Both siblings find themselves in Illyria. Viola decides to dress as a man named Cesario and serve the local Duke, Orsino (Christopher Heyward), while Sebastian is left to find his way with his loyal friend, the captain, Antonio (Finn Hanlon). Viola soon falls for Orsino, but must, in Orsino’s stead, make romantic entreaties to in-mourning Olivia (Ben Allen), who takes a shine to Cesario.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s self-righteous steward Malvolio (Chris Myles) annoys Olivia’s heavy-drinking uncle, Sir Toby Belch (Vince Leigh), and serving woman, Maria (Gary Shelford), to such a degree that the pair decide to convince Malvolio that Olivia’s in love with him; and Toby champions his friend, the squirrely Sir Andrew Aguecheek (John Dougall), as a potential suitor for Olivia.

Confused identities abound in “Twelfth Night,” and director Edward Hall (and designer Michael Pavelka) seizes upon this visually by having the ensemble wear plain, identical masks throughout the show. Cast members also peer out from doors and windows flanking the action, underscoring the haunting sense that the characters are always being watched.

And as with all Propeller productions, music plays a starring role. The ensemble sometimes sings, and sometimes forms a masked band (that calls to mind the “Star Wars” cantina band), or contributes a solo or duet to set the tone between scenes. Plus, Shelford offers some terrific tap dancing after intermission, and the closing scene rendition of “The Wind and the Rain” will likely give you goosebumps.

The all-male production can be occasionally problematic, since Viola and Sebastian are to be dressed like each other and mistaken for each other. Chance and Wheeler, sporting platinum blond hair and a grey suit each, look alike enough that Hall has to, in one instance, visually include a quick shipwreck flashback so as to establish that it’s Sebastian in the scene, not Viola. And there’s not much spark between Chance and Heyward.

Even so, Allen and Shelford do fine work, imbuing Olivia and Maria with some sauciness and sass without pushing too hard. And Liam O’Brien’s Feste, who opens and closes the show, lends a darkly vaudevillian air to the proceedings.

With a running time of nearly three hours, “Twelfth Night” is at its funniest and most brilliant in the boxtree scene, when Malvolio finds and reads the letter he thinks was written by Olivia, and Malvolio’s cross-garter-reveal scene, which demonstrates that although Hall doesn’t traffic in camp, he and his company do sometimes push elements to their limit for comic effect.

But the laughter stops while watching Malvolio suffer in prison, blindfolded and miserable and ashamed. We, as the audience, are implicated in the character’s pain, and Hall doesn’t let us off the hook. Like the storm cloud backdrop, the sting of our culpability subtly lingers after the lights come up.

Propeller's "Twelfth Night" continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday. For tickets, visit the UMS website.

Jenn McKee is the entertainment digital journalist for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at jennmckee@annarbor.com or 734-623-2546, and follow her on Twitter @jennmckee.

Lincoln boys get a boost heading into matchup against Dexter

0
0

devin-haygood-lincoln-boys-basketball.jpeg

Lincoln sophomore Devin Haygood makes contact with a Dexter defender on Tuesday, Jan. 29.

Daniel Brenner | AnnArbor.com file photo

How big of a difference the return of a point guard can make.

Lincoln finished out last week with the low point of an up-and-down season. The Railsplitters lost to Adrian, 37-36, falling to a team with two SEC wins in their fourth straight defeat.

Thirty-six points was the team’s second-lowest point output of the season, and the team scored just 21 over the final three quarters.

“Our ball movement got stagnant and we didn’t get touches in the high post as much as we’d like,” Lincoln coach Rich Marion said then. “In the next three quarter we struggled against the zone.”

Tuesday was the opposite. The Railsplitters nearly doubled their offensive output in a 71-47 win over Chelsea. Seventy-one points marked the most Lincoln has scored this season.

The difference: Railsplitters point guard Sherrod Motley-Dismuke returned to full strength from a four-game absence to score 14 points.

After an injury in practice, Motley-Dismuke missed four games and was hobbled for the Adrian game. Tuesday was a different story.

“Last night was his first full game ready to go, back in game shape, and he looked like it,” Marion said. “It’s really a boost.”

And with less than two weeks to go before district play, the Railsplitters hope it can point them in the right direction heading into the postseason.

“I’m just glad they were rewarded with a good performance and getting back in the win column,” Marion said. “I think they needed that for their psyche going forward.”

Motley-Dismuke was one of three Railsplitters to score in double figures Tuesday. Tyler Mabry had 17 points and Lazon Hicks had 14.

The resurgence of Lincoln’s offense bodes well heading into a Thursday Game of the Week matchup on the road against Dexter, 7 p.m. in the teams’ second-to-last league games of the season.

Dexter is coming off of its third-lowest scoring output of the season Tuesday, but managed a win over Tecumseh, 35-28.

“It was a low scoring, slug-it-out kind of game,” Dexter coach Randy Swoverland said. “We got up on them early and maintained that lead.”

The game will be a rematch of an earlier season matchup that came down to the final buzzer, when Lincoln’s Tyler Hinton drove the length of the floor and hit a bucket with less than a second left to give his team a 48-46 win.

To earn the sweep over Dexter and a chance to move into a tie for second in the league standings, Marion said his team will need to communicate well on defense and get hands in the faces of the Dreadnaughts' skilled shooters.

“You have to be real solid in what you do defensively,” Marion said.

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.


Check out Oscar contenders at the movies this week

0
0

Oscar contenders downtown

With the Academy Awards just a few days away, you still have a chance to see some of the nominees in theaters before Hollywood’s big night - Sunday, Feb. 24!

silver-linings-playbook.jpg

"Silver Linings Playbook"

“Amour,” winner of the Palme d’Or at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, continues at the Michigan. “Silver Linings Playbook,” nominated for 8 Academy Awards including nominations in every acting award and a Best Picture nomination, continues at the State Theatre.

To fully flesh out your Oscar ballot, make sure you see the truly wonderful Oscar-nominated short films: one program of animated shorts and a separate program of live-action shorts, playing exclusively at the Michigan Theater throughout the week. Check www.michtheater.org for show times.

Opening at the multiplex

Inspired by true events, "Snitch" stars Dwayne Johnson as a father whose teenage son is wrongly accused of a drug distribution crime and is looking at a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 10 years. Desperate and determined to rescue his son at all costs, he makes a deal with the U.S. Attorney to work as an undercover informant and infiltrate a drug cartel on a dangerous mission—risking everything, including his family and his own life. The initial reviews for this action-thriller are surprisingly strong. “Snitch” opens Friday.

From the producer of "Paranormal Activity" comes "Dark Skies," a supernatural thriller that follows a young family living in the suburbs. As husband and wife Daniel and Lacey Barret (Josh Hamilton and Keri Russell) witness an escalating series of disturbing events involving their family, their safe and peaceful home quickly unravels. When it becomes clear that the Barret family is being targeted by an unimaginably terrifying and deadly force, Daniel and Lacey take matters in their own hands to solve the mystery of what is after their family. No advanced reviews and a mid-February release do not bode well for this suburban horror fantasy; “Dark Skies” opens Friday.

Opening downtown

In the Swiss film “Sister,” Simon (Kacey Mottet Klein) lives with his older sister (Lea Seydoux) in a housing complex below a luxury ski resort. With his sister drifting in and out of jobs and relationships, 12-year-old Simon takes on the responsibility of providing for the two of them. Every day, he takes the lift up to the opulent ski world above, stealing equipment from rich tourists to resell to the local kids down in the valley. He is able to keep their little family afloat with his small-time hustles and his sister is thankful for the money he brings in. But when Simon partners with a crooked British seasonal worker, he begins to lose his boundaries, affecting his relationship with his sister and sending him into dangerous personal and legal territory. Mary F. Pols of TIME Magazine says, “A penetrating study of familial bonds, quietly devastating in parts, beautiful on whole and destined to make you fall in love with a practiced and entirely amoral preteen thief.” “Sister” plays Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 26 and 27, at the Michigan Theater.

Special screenings downtown

The Michigan will host “The Greenhorns,” a documentary that focuses on the new generation of farmers at the heart of the nation’s local food movement. Following the movie, participants can meet with representatives from the Michigan Young Farmers Coalition. “The Greenhorns” plays tonight at 7:30 p.m. The Fly Fishing Film Tour returns to Ann Arbor! The goal of the Fly Fishing Film Tour is to energize the industry and inspire film makers to create new cutting edge films to both entertain and educate outdoor enthusiasts. The Fly Fishing Film Tour plays Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.

In “Friday,” Ice Cube plays Craig, a guy who manages to get fired on his day off (though he claims it's through no fault of his own) and spends the day hanging out with his buddy Smokey (Chris Tucker) and trying to avoid his father (John Witherspoon), who wants him to find another job immediately. But Smokey has an even more serious problem and needs to come up with $200 by the end of the day or he'll be in a world of hurt. “Friday” plays as part of the New Line and New Hollywood film series on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.

“Child 31,” presented by the Catholic Urban Project, is a short documentary that tells the story of Mary’s Meals, the international charity which feeds more than 700,000 hungry children every day. A Q&A with Mary’s Meals founder Magnus MacFarlane-Barrow will follow the screening. “Child 31” plays Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Michigan Theater.

See you at the movies!

Russ Collins is executive director of the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor. Tune in to the audio version of “Cinema Chat” on WEMU radio (89.1-FM) each Thursday at 7:40 a.m. and 5:40 p.m., or listen to it online at WEMU's web site.

For some officers, one mentor can influence the rest of their career

0
0

Sometimes the brightest lights in our lives shine for only an instant. Such was the case with “TR.” TR was one of the many great partners I had over the years, but probably the guy who taught me the most about what it meant to be a cop.

TR had only a month more seniority on the Ann Arbor Police Department than I had, but he was a veteran who had been around. During the early 1980s the Detroit Police Department (DPD) laid off a number of police officers. The Ann Arbor Police Department benefited from those layoffs by hiring some really outstanding officers. Several stayed until their retirements in Ann Arbor. TR was one of those officers laid off, but he eventually went back to Detroit when he was recalled.

police_car.jpeg

Sometimes keeping your distance is key to keeping your cool when you're a police officer.

AnnArbor.com file photo

TR came to the Ann Arbor Police Department, via DPD, Inkster PD and the Central Michigan University PD. His assignment in Detroit had been in a major crimes mobile “cruiser car” manned by three burly no-nonsense plainclothes officers and a uniformed sergeant. When the “Big Four” car arrived on scene, somebody was going to jail.

We met and immediately hit it off and as soon as I was off my field training we partnered up. I had some great field training officers, but TR’s mentoring was like an advanced degree in street policing.

The first thing TR taught me was that I should “never take any of this (insert expletive for stuff here) seriously.” What he meant was that I should keep my sense of humor. Laugh at the ridiculous predicaments that humans get themselves into, enjoy the show, do a good job, but not get “too involved.” Police work can eat you alive if you do not maintain a little distance.

TR’s lesson continued, “These people you are dealing with aren’t your people.” Meaning that the calls I went on were not involving my family or close friends. TR added that since I was an Ann Arbor kid, if the call I went on did involve one of “my people” a good supervisor would take me off the case and even if they did not, I should take myself off and give it to another officer because I would not be “policing” objectively.

TR kept his distance, maintained his sense of humor but also was one of the most compassionate officers I have known. TR had a way with people and a style I have borrowed from throughout the years.

I remember him speaking to a distraught mother whose emotionally disturbed son had to be taken into protective custody because he was a serious threat to himself and his family. The woman was crying and very upset.

TR spoke to her in a very low, very slow voice. He knew the woman was agonizing over her decision to have her son taken into protective custody to get a psychological evaluation. TR turned the woman around toward him and made her look him in the eye when we were about to go into her son’s room to handcuff him for transport to the University of Michigan Emergency Psychological Services.

TR told the woman, “Now listen ma'am, we need your help. My partner and I are going in now to get your son. When we do, there might be a scuffle or fight that sounds terrible, but you have my word that my partner and I will do our best not to hurt your son.” This was before TASERs, the mere presence of which is often enough to persuade even an emotionally disturbed person peacefully into handcuffs.

TR continued, “Ma'am I need your promise that you will stay in this room and let us do our work until we call you in there—no matter how much noise you hear. Do we have your promise, because you have ours?”

That minute or two of bonding between police officer and citizen in need—that moment which bound us by a common problem and mission—was a moment of police genius that I never forgot. Those few extra words and eye-to-eye contact to explain what might happen--but that we were on the same team — really calmed that scene and many more for me throughout my career.

TR was a master policeman and he was funny. I never laughed as much in a police car. I was with TR the night we faced an “armed suicidal”; man brandishing a butterknife in his hand, a crazed look on his face and a live blue parakeet on his head.

TR and I worked midnights and loved to prank each other. One of the games TR and I played—as double units still probably play—was trying to make your partner laugh or pause while broadcasting on the police radio.

The officer not broadcasting using gestures, facial expressions or low inaudible comments—that could not be heard on the radio—tries to make the officer-broadcasting crack up on the air. The game is won if the broadcasting officer maintains his or her composure while talking on the radio—or—lost if the broadcasting officer has to take his or her thumb off the transmit button in order to laugh.

Another game we played was the old get your partner talking and not paying attention and drive them next to the curb where there is a misaligned lawn sprinkler. If the passenger officer’s window was down, any collateral spray the driver experienced was worth the laugh.

In the end, TR went back to the Detroit Police Department where he rose to the rank of deputy chief. When he left Ann Arbor he told me, “Partner no one else but you would believe me, but I have to go back. Those are my people in Detroit and somebody has to protect them.” In retirement TR still serves the citizens of Detroit, mediating disputes between high school students in the Detroit Public Schools. Thanks TR—you rock!

Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware and watch out for your neighbors.

Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who writes about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.

Official: Concrete company illegally dumping on private property

0
0

Ypsi_Twp_Cement_Dump.jpg

Chunks of old cement are piled on a 1.5 acre illegal dump for an Ypsilanti concrete company.

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

A concrete company is using a New York City-based holding company’s property as an illegal dump, Ypsilanti Township officials say.

Township staff recently discovered the site cleared in a heavily wooded lot off South Congress Street.

At its Feb. 11 meeting, the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees authorized township staff and attorneys to take legal action against Hearns Concrete for using the private property as a dumping ground for broken cement, vehicles, construction equipment, construction materials, an old pool and other general debris.

The site is of particular concern because it lies near the Miller Drain and officials estimate it has been there for at least 10 years. At some points, where the debris gets near the drain, it is piled as high as four feet deep.

“This is going to be a major cleanup operation,” said Mike Radzik, director of the office of community standards. “It’s essentially a landfill.”

An employee at Hearns, 212 N. Lincoln St. in Ypsilanti, declined to comment.

The township also plans to contact the 17.5-acre parcel’s owner, Lincorp Holdings, which has left it heavily wooded and undeveloped for the 30 years it has owned it.

Ypsi_Twp_Cement_Dump_1.jpg

Discarded vehicles on the property

Tom Perkins | For AnnArbor.com

An approximately 350-foot driveway leads to the 1.5 acre clearing, which is just east of Hewitt Road on the south side of Congress. The driveway is attached to the driveway of a home on the neighboring lot, Radzik said.

Township officials also found the remains of an underground pool that was broken up and pulled from the ground at the former Eastern Highlands apartment complex several weeks ago. The complex used to be owned by jailed landlord David Kircher and is undergoing a major renovation.

Radzik said officials noticed the blue pool liner at the site and a company employee confirmed it was the Eastern Highlands' pool.

“We put them on notice that there would be legal documents coming their way soon,” Radzik said.

Tom Perkins is a freelance reporter for AnnArbor.com.

Online traffic-monitoring system for Washtenaw County freeways delayed

0
0

MIDRIVE_Map.jpg

The map shows the location of cameras operating in the metro Detroit area.

MDOT map

Technical issues have delayed the activation of online cameras that will monitor traffic on Washtenaw County freeways, but state officials hope they’ll be working within a few months.

“I’m hoping for summer,” said Michigan Department of Transportation spokeswoman Kari Arend.

Live_camera2.jpg

An image from the camera on M-14 east of Sheldon Road.

MDOT camera image

The system was originally scheduled to go live sometime last year. It’s been delayed by technical issues with the software and user interface, Arend said. Once the cameras are active, anyone will be able to go to MDOT's website, Michigan.gov/drive and get a live view of traffic on the freeways from the cameras.

Washtenaw County received 11 video cameras, eight message boards, three travel time signs and 13 travel detectors or devices that help determine traffic flow. The cameras, which have already been installed, are located at major intersections, including Interstate 94 and U.S. 23, I-94 and State Street, I-94 and Ann Arbor-Saline Road and U.S. 23 and M-14.

The message boards and travel time signs already are working, Arend said. The travel-time signs, which display estimated travel times to places like downtown Detroit and M-14, are on eastbound I-94 east of Zeeb Road and on north- and southbound U.S. 23 north of Geddes Road.

The message boards are placed in strategic locations on area freeways and can be used to warn motorists of crashes or construction congestion ahead so they can choose an alternate route.

The system is similar to one in use on freeways in the Detroit area. The closest working camera to Washtenaw County at the moment monitors traffic on M-14 west of Sheldon Road.

The federal government paid the $3.2 million cost for the project.

Fraternity house addition and rezoning for townhouses on Ann Arbor Planning Commission agenda

0
0

Theta_Delta_Chi_021813_RJS_001.jpg

The building at 700 S. State St. in Ann Arbor that houses the Theta Delta Chi fraternity at the University of Michigan has existed since the 1920s at this site. The fraternity has plans for a 2,366-square-foot addition on the back of the house.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

The Theta Delta Chi fraternity at the University of Michigan has plans for a 2,366-square-foot addition on the back of its house at the southwest corner of South State and Monroe streets.

The fraternity's request for a special exception use and site plan approval goes before the Ann Arbor Planning Commission at 7 p.m. Thursday inside city hall, 301. E. Huron St.

Also returning to the Planning Commission's agenda is a 24-unit townhouse development proposed for 2081 E. Ellsworth Road just east of Stone School Road.

The City Council on Feb. 4 referred the Summit Townhomes project back to the Planning Commission for re-evaluation of the proposed zoning designation.

Fraternity addition

Under the city's zoning, fraternities are regulated as special exception uses. The fraternity proposes keeping its current limit of up to 33 occupants, which includes one required resident manager.

Theta_Delta_Chi_021813_RJS_003.jpg

The addition will fill in the area between the two existing wings on the south side of the house, which backs up to a paved parking area with a Dumpster and recycling bins.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

The city's planning staff is recommending approval.

The addition would go the south side of the house, which backs up to a paved parking area with a Dumpster and recycling bins.

The parking area wraps around the west and south sides of the house. The proposed plan converts the side yard to the south into a large patio.

A new shed for a Dumpster, recycling carts and bicycle storage is proposed near the southwest corner of the site.

According to plans on file with the city, the addition includes expanded restroom and shower facilities, common space, a resident manager's apartment and a bike room with nine bicycle spaces. The floor area of the building would expand from 12,386 to 14,752 square feet.

The addition would stand 31.8 feet tall, which requires a variance from the allowed 30 feet, though the existing house already has a non-conforming height of 36.3 feet.

A notice mailed to nearby residents, which lists the Hopkins Burns Design Studio as the contact for the project, states the addition will fill in the area between the two existing wings on the house.

Theta_Delta_Chi_addition_sketch_022113.jpg

A sketch of the proposed addition on the back of the fraternity house.

Hopkins Burns Design Studio

"This addition will provide new life safety and accessibility features, new toilets and showers and other shared amenities," the notice states, adding the improvements also will include new fence and landscape screening, new site lighting and stormwater management capabilities.

Fraternity member Matt Rodman, a U-M junior, said the project is about providing safety and comfort for tenants living in the house. He said about 28 people live in the house at the moment.

"They're adding a couple more singles, they're putting some new furniture in the bedrooms for us, and then they're also going to do some things like create common rooms on the second and third floor, and that's basically it," he said.

According to a staff report by City Planner Jill Thacher, the building at 700 S. State St. has existed since the 1920s at that site and has helped define the character of the neighborhood.

Thacher noted the property first appears in the 1931 Polk City Directory as the home of Theta Delta Chi. The fraternity previously had been across the street at 621 S. State St.

Ellsworth Road townhouses

2081_Ellsworth_zoning.jpg

This map shows the zoning for the proposed Summit Townhomes site and surrounding properties near the intersection of Stone School and Ellsworth Roads. The Ann Arbor Planning Commission voted 6-1 last June in favor of a proposal to annex the 3.3-acre parcel at 2081 E. Ellsworth Road from Pittsfield Township into the city limits, but it's zoning designation is still being debated.

City of Ann Arbor

As for the Summit Townhomes project, the city's planning staff has recommended R3 zoning be approved to allow the townhouse project.

City PlannerMatt Kowalski stated in a new staff report that a townhouse use, as proposed, is consistent with the zoning recommended by the city's master plan, would limit access points to Ellsworth Road, provides the least traffic impact on adjacent roads, allows for clustering units, and requires preservation of a minimum of 65 percent open space.

During the City Council's discussion on the zoning earlier this month, concerns were raised regarding density, traffic and stormwater impacts. Council members requested the Planning Commission examine whether a lower-density zoning would lessen impacts on the surrounding area, and they asked for staff to report on the need for parks in the area.

The city's planning staff has prepared an overview, including a more in-depth discussion of the master plan recommendations and a comparison examining three potential zoning designations for the property: R1C (Single-Family Dwelling District), R2A (Two-Family Dwelling District) and R3 (Townhouse Dwelling District). Staff's recommendation for R3 zoning stands.

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Duo Security continues rapid growth after move to Kerrytown

0
0

Duo Security quadrupled both revenue and staff in 2012 as it moved from the Tech Brewery to its new offices in the old Bay Design building in Kerrytown. The company has nearly 50 employees and is continuing to hire according to a story from Concentrate Media.

techbrew2.jpg

Duo Security CEO Dug Song (right) used to run the company from the TechBrewery but now works out of the old Bay Design building in Kerrytown.

Mark Bialek | AnnArbor.com file photo

The security firm helps users protect their information by using two-factor authentication software. The technology allows its users to log in to sensitive information with their mobile devices.

Duo Security has more than 1,000 clients including Fortune 500 companies and research institutions, according to the Concentrate report. They expect to hire 10 new employees by the end

Tuesday night at an A2NewTech meetup, co-founder and CEO Dug Song announced to the crowd that the company is looking to hire developers as they continue to grow.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2

Union members vote down negotiated contract at Saline auto parts plant

0
0

A combination of former Automotive Components Holdings employees and probationary workers at the Faurecia automotive parts plant in Saline voted down a union-negotiated contract with Devon Alpha Services II on Monday.

Union officials expressed frustration with the vote, while leaders of a group that filed charges against the UAW with the National Labor Relations Board said the vote showed the union was failing its members.

faurecia.jpg

Faurecia officially took over the plant from Automotive Components Holdings in June of 2012.

Courtesy of Faurecia

Much of the conflict surrounding the contract centers on the timeline of the document’s release and the scheduling of the vote.

The plant’s union chairman Jason Heath posted signs late on the night of Feb. 14, announcing that the new contract was finalized and that a vote would be held Feb. 18. The flyer also announced informational meetings to be held the same day as the voting.

According to union officials, the four-day period between the flyer’s posting and the vote was not an uncommon time period, especially for a relatively short contract. The contract between the two parties was 20 pages long including supplements for both ACH employees and probationary employees.

Copies of the contract were available for employees to review and while they were not advertised on the flyer, union officials say they were readily available to any employee who made an effort to acquire one.

Debi Muncy, a former Ford employee, said she spoke with employees in the plant who felt they were not given enough notice about the vote or time to review the contracts.

DevonII_announcement.jpg

This notice announcing the informational meetings and vote on the contract was posted Thursday night by plant chairman Jason Heath.

“Everything that comes down to them is presented as ‘do this or you’re done here,’ and it’s all done in a very rushed timeline with no information,” she said.

“This was really a one-day notice, not four. If they want to count Saturday and Sunday they should have made some attempt to reach out to people before Monday.”

Union officials say they understand the transition from ACH to the new payroll company is confusing for some employees, but they believe that this contract presents an opportunity for employees who otherwise would be unemployed.

Some former ACH workers at the plant chose to continue as temporary workers rather than hiring on full time with new owner Faurecia. The ones currently being employed by DAS II are the ones who had not yet been placed in a Ford plant at the time ACH disbanded in late 2012.

“This was actually one of the best agreements we’ve got for people at former ACH plants,” a union official said.

“It turned out to be a bit complicated because we’re trying to give all of our members options. This was unique to Saline that these people were able to continue working. At all the other locations, all extra members got laid off… It was different here than the rest of the plants but it was better, we thought.”

According to the contract, the ACH employees transferring to DAS II have no change to their wage or benefits from a previous agreement reached between the UAW and ACH in August, 2010.

ACH employees are reminded in the document that as they transfer to DAS II, they are still considered temporary employees and in the event of a reduction in force, “ACH employees shall be laid off first in accordance with their seniority.”

Most former ACH employees at the plant are waiting to be transferred to Ford’s Flat Rock plant. Muncy said the frustration level of those employees has been growing since they were first hired in, most of them in 2006 and 2007.

“Just last week a group of people were told they were going to be transferring to Flat Rock finally and then at the last minute it was pulled back,” she said.

“And things do change like that, it’s not uncommon, but for this particular group to say that and then pull it back again is just not fair. They’ve been temporary workers for so long it plays very prominently in their feelings.”

DevonII_ACH_Contract.jpg

These terms, found on page 17 of the contracted between the UAW and DAS II outline the terms for ACH employees transferring to the new entity.

The union officials said their next step will be to go back in to the plants and talk with people to try to find out why the contract was voted down. They said they believe frustration on behalf of people who have not been transferred to Ford might have been a bigger issue than the bargaining agreement itself.

The transfer dates for many employees have been pushed back. Some who were told they would have jobs in Flat Rock by February have now been told that their hire in date will not come until May or June.

Muncy and fellow organizer Pat Meyer, who filed the NLRB charge against the UAW, said the issues go beyond the delayed transfers to Ford plants. A new attendance policy, or “point system,” has drawn the ire of some plant employees. Under the new system, ACH employees are allowed 8 “points” during the 2013 calendar before they are fired.

Muncy and Meyer say the points are an unfair system that can punish employees for being injured on the job or refusing overtime work. Union officials characterize the system as an attendance policy that is actually more similar to Ford’s agreement than the employee’s former system was.

“We don’t negotiate for people to not come to work,” an official said.

“We negotiated a very fair system… it’s just different than what they’re used to.” When they get to Ford, they will be working under an agreement that’s very similar to this one.”

The non-ACH workers who voted on the contract are workers who are in their first 90 days of employment at the plant. Under the contract, new employees would technically be employed by DAS II until they complete their probationary period and would then be hired into full-time jobs as Faurecia employees.

With the contract voted down, DAS II workers will continue to work without a collective bargaining agreement until union officials determine the cause of the no-vote and return to the negotiating table with Devon Alpha Services II. Once a new contract is negotiated, it will be brought back to the employees for another vote.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. You can sign up here to receive Business Review updates every week. Reach out to Ben at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2


SEC girls crossover games take center stage in high school basketball matchups

0
0

crystal-kedroske-dexter-girls-basketball.JPG

Dexter's Crystal Kedoske takes the ball to the hoop against Saline earlier this season.

Daniel Brenner I AnnArbor.com

It’s late in the season, the games are getting closer, and the picks are getting harder.

I went 5-0 last week for a Beat the Press sweep, but it was far from a breeze.

The Huron boys topped Saline by nine, but led by just four in the final minute after going up by 18 in the half. The Huron girls trailed by four entering the fourth quarter before pulling off a comeback win. I could have easily dropped two right there.

It’s enough to make me sweat plenty as I scour Twitter for scores.

And I’ll be sweating plenty more this week, because it’s SEC girls crossover week. That means we have five games including area teams that are designed to be as close as possible.

Most of the SEC boys games are taking place Thursday, while the girls crossovers will take place Friday. So our Beat the Press picks will focus on the girls teams as they prepare for districts.

First on the list is a battle of first-place teams that’s quickly becoming a familiar one. Huron beat Dexter, 49-37 in their first matchup. The teams meet again Friday in the crossover, and could meet again next Friday for a district title.

While the River Rats have gone 4-1 since the first meeting, three of those wins have been by seven points or less. Tuesday night, they were losing at halftime to Skyline before winning by double digits.

But Huron coach Steve Vinson thinks his team is done with the slow starts.

“They won’t come out flat on Friday I guarantee you because we’re playing Dexter,” Vinson said. “Then after that, you know because we’re one and done, I don’t think it’ll happen anymore. I don’t think it’ll happen anymore.”

I’ll have to agree. Huron has shown up big for big games. I’m going with the River Rats.

Beat the Press winners

People who have “Beat the Press” so far: 68
Kyle’s overall record: 29-6 (.829).

Kyle Austin covers sports for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at kyleaustin@annarbor.com or 734-623-2535. Follow him on Twitter @KAustin_AA.

Design Review Board offers critique on North Main Street condo development

0
0

overallgreekchurch.jpg

A rendering of the proposed Kerrytown Place project shows two of the three proposed buildings viewed from North Main Street.

Rendering by Robert Latsko

Two members of Ann Arbor’s Design Review Board took at a closer look Wednesday afternoon at a condominium development proposed near downtown Ann Arbor.

The seven-member review board, which was missing the majority of its members at the meeting, discussed Kerrytown Place: a 19-unit condo project proposed on the former Greek Church property at 414 N. Main Street.

The meeting is required before the development team moves forward in the planning stages, but implementations of the board’s suggestions are voluntary.

Local developer Tom Fitzsimmons of Huron Contracting LLC purchased the North Main Street property at a tax foreclosure auction last year and then proposed the 19-unit condo development. The project replaces what originally was planned for the site in 2006: an 11-story, mixed-use building called The Gallery.

facade.jpg

The facade of the Main Street building shows the units' private entrances, upper-level balconies and "urban-style" feel.

Rendering by Robert Latsko

The roughly $10 million project consists of a three-story, nine-unit townhouse fronting North Main Street, a four-story, eight-unit townhouse along the mid-block alley, and a two-story, two-unit townhouse fronting North Fourth Avenue. There would be a public walkway connecting Main Street and Fourth Avenue.

“Overall, I like the effect of it, quite frankly,” board member Bill Kinley of Phoenix Contractors told the development team. Fitzsimmons is working with architect Chris Allen and landscape architect Chet Hill.

Tamara Burns of HopkinsBurns Design Studio added: “I think it meets the intent of the design guidelines.”

Much smaller in scale than The Gallery, Fitzsimmons said Kerrytown Place acts as a nice transition between McKinley’s commercial building to the south and the residential properties to the north.

Each unit would include two parking spaces, which is provided in the basement of the buildings and under a second-level overhang. Because McKinley has an easement for 57 parking spaces, those also will be provided on the site.

Fitzsimmons said the condos will be marketed for sale, but pricing hasn’t been determined. The units have two or three bedrooms and range in size and configuration. The upper levels have balconies and there is a shared courtyard between the two larger buildings.

The Design Review Board’s main concern with the project was the street-level garage doors on the Fourth Avenue building. Because people would walk past the doors, Kinley and Burns were concerned about the pedestrian experience. They compared it to the Denali building on East Liberty Street.

fourthave.jpg

The portion of the development facing Fourth Avenue is a three-story duplex building. The Design Review Board was concerned about the street-level garages and how those would affect the pedestrian experience.

Rendering by architect Chris Allen

They suggested reconfiguring the parking in that building so it would include some landscaping on street-level.

“Then it wouldn’t look like you’ve got a commercial garage,” Kinley said.

Another concern was with the “alley building” - the four-story, eight-unit building - and the materials used on the top floor.

“I don’t know that these buildings are tall enough to go to completely different materials on the top floor,” Burns said. “I don’t know that you need to change the material up there.”

Fitzsimmons said the project still is in preliminary planning stages and the development team still could make slight alterations to the plans. He assured the board that as the owner of the property, they would handle maintenance of the public walkway from Main Street to Fourth Avenue.

There will be a citizens participation meeting for the project before it goes before Ann Arbor’s Planning Commission and City Council.

For more information on the project, read this related article: Developer proposes condominiums for former Greek church property

skyview.jpg

An overhead view of the Kerrytown Place project shows the two larger buildings with a shared courtyard in the middle and the smaller Fourth Avenue building to the east. The project is surrounded by residential and commercial uses.

Rendering by Robert Latsko

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

Endowment campaign considered to expand affordable housing services in Washtenaw County

0
0

The Washtenaw Housing Alliance is considering a campaign to raise money for a $17 million endowment that experts hope could end homelessness in Washtenaw County.

The endowment would provide long-term funding for new units of permanent supportive housing, a type of housing that includes services to keep homeless individuals on track.

The county already has 230 units of this type of housing. Julie Steiner, executive director of the Washtenaw Housing Alliance, said the county could end homelessness with the additional 500 units.

022013_AVALON-HOUSING-CARROTWAY.JPG

Jim Latoski from Statewide Interiors of Ithaca, prepares a door frame for painting at one of the three-bedroom town homes at Carrot Way Apartments in Ann Arbor, which is run by Avalon Housing.

AnnArbor.com file photo

“We know what it takes to end homelessness. We know that this housing is critical,” Steiner said.

More than 4,700 people in Washtenaw County experience homelessness each year, according to the Washtenaw Housing Alliance. A number of them are chronically homeless — and the only way to make sure those individuals stay in housing is through permanent supportive housing, Steiner said.

Funding the construction of affordable housing units is not the issue, Steiner said.

Permanent supportive housing requires support services from agencies. Funding for those services comes from government grants and programs — which Steiner said have become increasingly difficult to acquire.

Permanent supportive housing is provided by organizations like Avalon Housing, Steiner said. The housing is different from Section 8 vouchers with private landlords, Steiner said.

Steiner said the services help address underlying contributing factors to homelessness, such as mental health issues and recurring health problems. “You’re meeting people with what their needs are,” Steiner said.

It costs about $5,000 per year per household to provide the support services, Steiner said. It’s also about six times cheaper to have homeless individuals in permanent supportive housing than in shelters, she said.

The Ann Arbor Community Foundation and the St. Joseph Mercy Health System have each contributed $1 million toward a Washtenaw Housing Alliance endowment for supportive housing.

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners founded the Sustainable Revenue for Supportive Housing Services Task Force in 2007 to find ways to permanently fund the expansion of those affordable housing services.

After a year, the task force came up with a three-part plan: Educate the public about the need, pass a millage and then create an endowment to sustain the revenue.

However, as the recession hit, passing a millage became less and less likely and it was never proposed, Steiner said.

“People were not going to increase their taxes for something like ending homelessness,” Steiner said. “The notion of continuing to move forward with an endowment is still out there, but it’s a very big dream and effort.”

The Washtenaw Housing Alliance has hired the consultant firm Hammond and Associates to evaluate the relative success and potential structure of an endowment campaign, Washtenaw County Commissioner Felicia Brabec, D-Pittsfield Township, announced at a recent board meeting.

Brabec announced the $17 million figure as a possible amount for the endowment at the meeting, noting raising that money would be “quite the undertaking.”

"The endowment is an important endeavor for our community in addressing homelessness in our area,” Brabec said.

The exact details of what the $17 million would be able to accomplish is what the consultant will determine, Steiner said.

“This is not the normal kind of fundraising that’s been done in this community,” Steiner said in reference to the sizable $17 million figure. “We really have to move slow and make sure there’s support.”

Amy Biolchini covers Washtenaw County, health and environmental issues for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at (734) 623-2552, amybiolchini@annarbor.com or on Twitter.

Popular pizzeria to open in Arbor Hills Crossing on Washtenaw Avenue

0
0

Related story: Cafe Zola owners opening new restaurant on Washtenaw Avenue

Luciano Del Signore plans to bring his passion for fresh and light Italian food to Ann Arbor this year when he opens a restaurant on Washtenaw Avenue.

Del Signore, a distinguished Metro Detroit chef, signed a lease to open a Pizzeria Biga location at the under construction Arbor Hills Crossing shopping center.

luciano_del_signore.jpg

Chef Luciano Del Signore plans to open a Pizzeria Biga location in Ann Arbor.

Photo from Pizzeria Biga blog

“We thought that the Ann Arbor market would be a great place to show our products because Ann Arbor has very food conscious people,” he said.

As the chef behind Southfield’s Bacco Ristorante, Del Signore has gained regional acclaim after several nominations from the James Beard Foundation for Best Chef in the Great Lakes region. The Detroit Free Press also recently named Bacco Ristorante its “Restaurant of the Year.”

Del Signore’s Pizzeria Biga restaurants — with existing locations in Southfield and Royal Oak — use all-natural pizza dough and wood-fired ovens that bake at 900 degrees. Del Signore makes the sauces and many other products in-house.

“We’re purists when it comes to food,” he said.

The Pizzeria Biga menu includes Neapolitan-style thin-crust pizzas, small plates, wood-roasted entrees like chicken and salmon, pastas, soups, and salad.

Del Signore said pizzas range in price from about $9 to $14. To staff the 4,100-square-foot Ann Arbor restaurant, Del Signore will hire 35 to 40 employees.

“I’m excited,” he said. “Pizzeria Biga is something I developed with the thought in mind that we would be able to pop up several of them and keep them all in Michigan in different neighborhoods.”

arborhills.jpg

A portion of the under construction Arbor Hills Crossing center, pictured late last year.

Joseph Tobianski | AnnArbor.com

Pizzeria Biga will join Cafe Zola — a downtown Ann Arbor European-inspired cafe — at Arbor Hills Crossing when the entire shopping center opens on Aug. 22.

The 100,000-square-foot development broke ground in June and will bring restaurants, retail stores and office space to the Washtenaw corridor. Max Reiswerg of Illinois-based North Shore Properties Group, the company handling leasing at Arbor Hills, said there will be one other restaurant joining Cafe Zola and Pizzeria Biga, but he’s still in lease negotiations with that tenant.

“Restaurants are really a big deal to us,” he said. “We’ve had the opportunity to do all the chains, and we elected, since our center is very special and unique, to try and go with local chefs or regional restaurants.”

Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.

Task force recommends complete overhaul of Ann Arbor's public art program

0
0

Ann Arbor could see sweeping changes to its taxpayer-funded public art program if a task force's recommendations are approved by the City Council.

The city's public art task force has been meeting regularly since its formation in December and it's close to finalizing a set of proposed ordinance changes to take to council.

Among the recommendations coming out of the task force: Hire a full-time public art administrator, establish a new fund for accepting private donations, engage the community more in the selection and funding of art projects, and eliminate the Percent For Art funding mechanism that automatically channels 1 percent of city capital project dollars to a pooled public art fund.

Allmendinger_mural_021113_RJS_001.jpg

A series of mosaic-style murals on the columns of a shelter at Allmendinger Park was the result of a collaboration between artist Mary Thiefels and members of the community who donated items to be included. It's one of a handful of city-funded public art projects completed under the city's Percent For Art Program, which could be replaced with a new program soon.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

Sabra Briere, one of five council members who make up the task force, said the plan is to have the proposed ordinance language finalized at the task force's next meeting March 1.

After that, the changes to the city's controversial Percent for Art Program could end up on the City Council's agenda for first reading March 18, with a public hearing and final reading April 1.

"The issues that we particularly wanted to speak to were those consensus issues that included how and where public art should be placed, what we should use as the funding to pay for public art, and how we could change our public art ordinance in order to allow for temporary art, art that the public selects or the public helps to pay for, and performance art," Briere said.

"We're also working with language that would eliminate the so-called Percent For Art funding mechanism, but would allow capital improvement projects to have public art associated with a project and have it what we call 'baked in' as an ingredient of the project," she said.

Under a Percent For Art ordinance approved by the City Council in 2007, 1 percent of the budget for city capital projects — up to a limit of $250,000 per project — is set aside for public art.

Millions of dollars from various city funds, including the water and sewer utilities and the streets and parks millages, have been channeled into a pooled art fund as a result. The funding mechanism has left the city's Public Art Commission with its hands tied at times — legally able to spend the pooled dollars only on permanent art installations that somehow relate to the source of the funds.

The City Council voted in early December to partially suspend the Percent For Art Program while the five-member task force looked into options for taking a new approach.

The task force's formation came after city voters in November rejected a proposal that would have replaced the Percent For Art Program with a dedicated millage for public art.

The five task force members working out a new solution for public art in Ann Arbor are Briere, Sally Hart Petersen, Stephen Kunselman, Christopher Taylor and Margie Teall.

Stephen_Kunselman_021913_RJS_001.jpg

"They're good recommendations," said Council Member Stephen Kunselman, who has been one of the biggest critics of the city's Percent For Art Program. "They're going to make some good changes in the art program."

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

"They're good recommendations," said Kunselman, who has been one of the biggest critics of the city's Percent For Art Program. "They're going to make some good changes in the art program."

The task force has determined the pooled Percent For Art funds place a burden on the city's staff to effectively account for each funding stream. It recommends eliminating the pooled funding and removing any reference to a specific percentage of a capital project budget for art.

Instead, the city's staff would have to work to determine whether a specific capital improvement project should have enhanced design features, including either enhanced architectural work or specific public art. And then the funding for such elements would be included in the budget for the project, and that would become part of the request for proposals process for the project.

"The biggest thing for me was making sure we weren't taking money out of our restricted funds and we're going in that direction, so I'm really pleased," Kunselman said.

"It'll be baked into capital projects where council feels it's appropriate. The reality is that's how a lot of percent for art programs actually work. They bake that art into the project itself."

Kunselman said money from restricted funds like the streets millage and the water and sewer utilities still could be used to pay for public art. It just wouldn't be channeled to a pooled fund without a specific project in mind — it would have to be planned up front.

He said the Stadium bridges project is a good example of a project that could have benefited from that approach. Instead of including public art in the project from the start, the city is now trying to figure out how to use $360,000 in pooled art funds for art of some kind on or near the new bridges.

"Rather than having art attached after the fact, art can be a part of the project at the very beginning and that's really important," Kunselman said.

Sally_Hart_Petersen_Sabra_Briere_021913_RJS.jpg

Council Members Sabra Briere, left, and Sally Hart Petersen both serve on the council's public art task force. The task force found there are many successful public art programs around, and the acceptance and enthusiasm for public art grows when the community is involved in the process.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

The task force found there are many successful public art programs around, and the acceptance and enthusiasm for public art grows when the community is involved in the process.

The task force is recommending establishing a funding mechanism that allows members of the community to propose and raise funds for specific pieces of art, including projects in public locations with no connection to city capital improvements. Briere mentioned the idea of a bronze Adirondack chair in memory of Coleman Jewett at the Farmers Market as the type of project that could be funded through what the task force is calling an "Art in Public Places Trust Fund."

The city doesn't have a mechanism to accept tax-exempt funds, so the task force recommends working with an organization such as the Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation to establish a fund into which donations for public art can be placed. The task force wants that fund to be able to accept direct donations through one or more "crowdfunding" websites such as Kickstarter.

The task force also found that good public art programs, however they are funded, rely heavily on professional staff.

The city has a part-time public art administrator right now, but the task force argues the city needs a professionally trained public art administrator employed more than 50 percent of the time.

The Percent For Art Program's pooled funds include more than $400,000 of unallocated dollars at the moment. The task force recommends those funds be placed in the proposed Art in Public Places Trust Fund, and that funding for up to two years worth of salary and benefits be paid from the fund for a full-time administrator to help reorganize the program and establish new relationships with the city's staff as needed for any capital improvement projects with artistic elements baked in.

The task force recommends the city's staff review the implementation of any changes in the ordinance after three years. The timing is based on the task force's awareness that capital improvements might take longer than two years to move from inception to completion.

Dreiseitl_Ann_Arbor_RJS.jpg

This $750,000 bronze sculpture/fountain in front of Ann Arbor's city hall is considered the signature achievement of the city's Percent For Art Program.

Ryan J. Stanton | AnnArbor.com

The task force wants to include temporary and performance art in the list of types of public art that could be funded through the trust fund, but it hasn't determined a solution for that yet.

Some task force members voiced a concern that if each project that includes enhanced architectural design or public art elements needs to be approved by council, future councils might not honor the consensus position that some public dollars can be used to enhance Ann Arbor's public spaces.

Some also believe the best funding mechanism remains a dedicated millage for public art, and the task force is asking that idea not be permanently shelved.

Teall, a staunch defender of public art, said there are risks as well as gains by going with the approach recommended by the task force, and she considers it a compromise.

"My own focus has been on maintaining not just public funding, but a responsibility that I think we have to help support cultural and artistic endeavors in the city," she said.

"It's my hope that we don't lose out on opportunities for actually publicly funded art," she said, expressing fears that art could be "value-engineered" out of projects by future councils that don't want the city paying for public art. "That's a risk that we're going to have to take, and hope that future councils value art as much as they value parks."

Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.

Viewing all 3641 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images