Title
Resolution to Approve a Participation Agreement with Scio Township and Washtenaw County for Purchase of the Davenport Property and Appropriate $231,000.00 (8 Votes Required)
Memorandum
This resolution approves a participation agreement with Scio Township and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission for the purchase of 79.204 acres owned by the Davenport family in Scio Township. The resolution also appropriates $231,000.00 (30% of purchase price) from Open Space and Parkland Preservation Millage proceeds for the purchase.
The landowners applied to the Scio Township Purchase of Development Rights Program and the Township has been the lead agency in the negotiations with the landowners. The Township commissioned an appraisal with a value date of February 27, 2025 that determined the fair market value of the property to be $770,000.00. As the lead agency, Scio Township will acquire fee title to the property and will cover due diligence and closing costs in addition to the acquisition costs listed below. Scio Township will also manage the property as a public nature preserve.
Bluebelt
On April 1, 2024, City Council approved a series of amendments to Chapter 42 - Open Space and Parkland Preservation of the Code of Ordinances. Through these changes, a new sourcewater protection district was established, allowing the Greenbelt program to work outside of the standard Greenbelt district and expand the City’s opportunities for sourcewater protection projects within the Huron River Watershed upstream of the City and limited to Washtenaw County. The primary objective of this overlay district is to engage in permanent land conservation that directly protects the City's drinking water quality. While still defined in the Chapter 42 under the boundaries of the “Greenbelt District,” this sourcewater protection district has since been named the “Bluebelt.”
After a year of research and engagement with other City staff, the Huron River Watershed Council, Ann Arbor Water, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission staff, Legacy Land Conservancy, and multiple township land preservation programs, Greenbelt staff proposed and the Greenbelt Advisory Commission adopted on October 9, 2025 an operations framework describing eligibility criteria and additional standards for fundable properties in the Bluebelt. With this framework formalized, staff began accepting applications for the Bluebelt and requests for partnerships.
Davenport is the first project to be presented to City Council under the new Bluebelt.
Davenport Property, Scio Township
The Davenport property is 79.204 acres of woods, wetlands, and farmland. It is adjacent to and would act as an expansion of Scio Township’s established 50-acre Sloan Preserve. The property fronts on Marshall Road, just west of Baker Road.
The Davenport property qualifies as a Bluebelt project because of the approximately 0.36 mile of Mill Creek running through it, the 0.25 mile of additional Mill Creek tributary, and the extensive vegetated and forested riparian buffer surrounding those waterways. Mill Creek flows downstream from the property about 3 miles before joining with the Huron River, passing through some private land but also Dexter Community School land and City of Dexter parkland. The farm fields on the property, currently low-impact alfalfa and hay, will remain, though Scio Township may later conduct ecological restoration of the fields. The forest is primarily healthy second-growth and characteristic of floodplain forest. The open wet sedge meadow was found to have certain fen indicators.
After Bluebelt eligibility was determined, the property was scored using the preexisting Greenbelt scoring system. It fell in the 70th percentile of open space property applications received by the Greenbelt program-also in the top five highest scoring open space properties ever evaluated-in the scoring system developed and approved by the Greenbelt Advisory Commission. The Greenbelt Advisory Commission considers this parcel a priority for acquisition due to the relatively large size of the property and its natural areas, close proximity to other protected properties, and high percent cover of wetlands and surface water.
The Commission recommended approving the participation agreement and funding at their January 8, 2026 meeting.
Proposed Project Budget
Total Purchase Price $770,000.00
Washtenaw County $269,500.00 35%
Scio Township $269,500.00 35%
City of Ann Arbor $231,000.00 30%
Staff recommends approval.
Staff
Prepared by: Rosie Pahl Donaldson, Land Acquisition Supervisor
Reviewed by: Derek Delacourt, Community Services Area Administrator
Approved by: Milton Dohoney Jr., City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The City wishes to contribute to the purchase of the property depicted on the attached map, tax parcel H -08-18-100-044 (“Davenport Property”);
Whereas, Scio Township has offered to hold title to the property;
Whereas, Chapter 42 of Ann Arbor City Code establishes the Greenbelt District and authorizes the City to purchase land and conservation easements on property within the district with Open Space and Parkland Preservation Millage proceeds;
Whereas, Chapter 42 of Ann Arbor City Code authorizes City Council to enter into agreements for joint acquisition of land and easements in the Greenbelt District with other government agencies; and
Whereas, The fair market value of the property was determined by an appraisal as required by Section 1:321 of Ann Arbor City Code;
RESOLVED, That the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized and directed to execute a participation agreement with Scio Township and the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission for purchase of the Davenport Property, after approval by the City Attorney and City Administrator;
RESOLVED, That $231,000.00 is appropriated for this purchase from the Open Space and Parkland Preservation Acquisition Millage Fund fund balance to the FY26 Parks and Recreation Open Space and Park Acquisition Millage Fund;
RESOLVED, That all amounts appropriated herein are without regard to fiscal year;
RESOLVED, That the City’s contribution is contingent upon the approval by the City of the purchase documents and appropriate due diligence, including review of title work, an environmental assessment, and survey, as appropriate; and
RESOLVED, That the City Administrator is authorized to take all appropriate actions to implement this resolution, including the determination of satisfactory due diligence, exercise of all determinations and authority delegated to the City under any agreement, and the execution and management of ancillary documents, instruments, and agreements after approval by the City Attorney.