Current version of proposed Downtown Design Guidelines:
The proposed Downtown Design Guidelines are available through the link above, to review at the Planning and Development Services office on the 6th floor of City Hall and at all Ann Arbor District Library branches, and to purchase at Dollar Bill Copying (611 Church Street, 734-665-9200).
Comments on the proposed Downtown Design Guidelines will continue to be collected until December 11, 2009. Individuals wishing to submit comments may do so through the A2D2 email address at A2D2feedback@a2gov.org, drop their comments at the Planning and Development Services office on the 6th floor of City Hall or email comments directly to Alexis DiLeo at adileo@a2gov.org. Comments received will be posted on this website. Individuals may request anonymity.
Comments
Comments are continually collected by staff on behalf of the A2D2 Steering Committee and posted on the A2D2 website (see links below). Go to the Design Guidelines Project Archive page to review meeting summaries from past workshops and public meetings.
Project Background
The Recommended Vision & Policy Framework for Downtown Ann Arbor (pdf), prepared in 2005 by Calthorpe Associates, calls for the development of new Urban Design Guidelines that:
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Encourage high quality building design
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Prioritize the pedestrian experience
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Complement the recommended overlay zones
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Clearly illustrate the goals and standards for each requirement while being as objective as possible
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Promote green building technologies
In 2006, City Council adopted a work plan for the Downtown Design Guidelines project and appointed an advisory committee to work with staff to guide the development of zoning changes and amendments to the Master Plan. Committee meeting notes and public workshop materials are provided on the Project Archive page.
On October 15, 2007, City Council approved the recommendations of the Design Guidelines Advisory Committee and directed city staff and the Planning Commission to move forward with implementing code amendments. The full report is provided on the Recommendations page.
On April 30, 2008, the first draft of proposed Downtown Design Guidelines was completed. After an initial review, the A2D2 Steering Committee temporarily postponed work on the guidelines to instead focus on the Downtown Zoning project. Attention returned to the guidelines in the spring of 2008 when the A2D2 Steering Committee requested revisions which simplified and streamlined the proposed document. A draft of the simplified, streamlined version was completed on August 28, 2009.
A public workshop to present the simplified, streamlined 8/28/09 draft of the proposed Downtown Design Guidelines was held on September 2, 2009. The City Council, Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority met jointly on September 14, 2009 to review the proposal. A revised draft was completed on September 30, 2009 and the City Council held a public hearing on this version on October 5 and November 16, 2009.
Updated November 24, 2009