Title
Resolution to Waive Sidewalks at the Racquet Club of Ann Arbor, 3010 Hickory Lane (CPC Recommendation: Approval - 6 Yeas and 1 Nays)
Memorandum
Approval of this resolution will allow the waiver of the installation of a portion of the public sidewalks required in the Racquet Club of Ann Arbor Site Plan. The Racquet Club of Ann Arbor is requesting the waiver.
Public sidewalks must be constructed on the site’s Hickory Lane and Geddes Avenue frontages, as required by the City’s Public Services Standard Specifications (PSDSS). The PSDSS allows minor variations to the specifications and requirements for sidewalks by the Public Services Director in exceptional circumstances, but requires that major variations to these specifications which relate to City policy aspects of these specifications must be approved by City Council resolution.
The Planning Commission on March 17, 2015 recommended denial of the Club’s request to waive the public sidewalk requirement along Hickory Lane and Geddes Avenue. Subsequent to the Planning Commission meeting, the petitioner revised the site plan to respond to Commission concerns by including the sidewalk segment along Hickory Lane from the main entrance drive north to Geddes Avenue.
At its July 20, 2015 meeting, City Council approved the site plan but postponed action on the sidewalk waiver request and referred the revised sidewalk proposal back to the Planning Commission for its review and recommendation regarding the remaining two sidewalk segments.
On August 5, 2015, the Planning Commission reviewed more detailed information provided by the petitioner about the cost and feasibility of constructing a public sidewalk in the Geddes Avenue right-of-way (see attached staff reports). The Commission recommended that City Council approve the Racquet Club of Ann Arbor’s request for a waiver from the requirement to install public sidewalks along the Geddes Avenue and Hickory Lane (south of the entry drive) frontages for this project because the costs would be excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use for these sidewalks. The Planning Commission also alerted the petitioners that this finding may not be applicable for future projects at this site.
Attachments: 8/5/15 and 3/17/15 Planning Staff Reports, 3/17/15 Planning Commission Minutes, and 5/15/15 Site Plan Submittal 3
Staff
Prepared By: Chris Cheng, City Planner
Reviewed By: Wendy L. Rampson, Planning Manager
Sumedh Bahl, Community Services Area Administrator
Body
Whereas, The Racquet Club of Ann Arbor has requested a waiver from the Public Services Standard Specifications to install public sidewalks along the site’s frontages on Geddes Avenue and a portion of Hickory Lane;
Whereas, The Public Services Standards and Specifications require sidewalks be provided on both sides of all streets in the City of Ann Arbor and the Non-Motorized Plan recommends a sidewalk fronting this site along Geddes Avenue to enable the neighborhood a safe and direct connection to the Huron Parkway pedestrian ramp;
Whereas, The Non-Motorized Plan recommends bicycle and pedestrian ways shall be established in new construction and reconstruction projects on both sides of a street in all urbanized areas unless the cost of establishing bikeways or walkways would be excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use, where “excessively disproportionate” is defined as exceeding twenty five percent of the cost of the larger transportation project;
Whereas, Meetings between City staff the Racquet Club of Ann Arbor took place to review the costs of constructing sidewalks;
Whereas, The Ann Arbor City Planning Commission, on August 5, 2015, recommended approval of the sidewalk waiver request; and
RESOLVED, That City Council waives the installation of public sidewalk along Geddes Avenue and the portion of Hickory Lane located south of the entry drive as part of the Racquet Club of Ann Arbor Site Plan.