Title
Resolution to Approve Downtown Plan Amendments (CPC Recommendation: Approval - 7 Yeas and 0 Nays)
Memorandum
Approval of this resolution will adopt the Downtown Plan, as amended, as a subplan of the City Master Plan and incorporate the downtown Future Land Use Map and Zoning Plan into the Central Area Plan. These amendments support the proposed Ann Arbor Discovering Downtown (A2D2) zoning and parking amendments currently under review.
In October 2007, City Council passed Resolutions R-07-494 and R-07-495, which approved the downtown zoning and urban design recommendations developed by two citizen advisory committees as part of the A2D2 initiative. The resolutions requested that the City Planning Commission initiate amendments to the Downtown Plan to support the implementation of these recommendations.
The Downtown Plan was adopted by the Planning Commission and City Council as an element of the master plan in 1988. The plan was updated in 1992 as part of the Central Area Plan process. The amended plan (attached) has been edited from the original to a provide framework of objectives and action strategies that retains much of the same wording as the original. Changes to the narrative were made to incorporate recommendations from the Downtown Development Strategies Implementation Plan (Calthorpe Report), the A2D2 advisory committee reports, and the Non-Motorized Transportation Plan, as well as input from the public and Washtenaw County agencies.
Highlights of the amendments include:
§ The existing condition section has been updated and new sections on transportation and infrastructure systems have been added.
§ Guiding values for infrastructure capacity and sustainability have been added.
§ Recommendations for sustainable public infrastructure systems have been added.
§ A future land use map has been added.
§ A section on non-motorized recommendations has been added, incorporating the recommendations of the Non-Motorized Transportation Plan.
§ The parking principles recommended by the A2D2 parking and transportation advisory committee have been incorporated into the Parking section.
§ The recommendations of the A2D2 development review advisory committee have been incorporated into the Development Review section.
§ The recommendations of the A2D2 zoning and urban design advisory committees, such as additional premium options, zoning changes and design guidelines, have been incorporated throughout the document, where appropriate.
§ Changes recommended by the Washtenaw County agencies as part of the outside review have been incorporated throughout the document, where appropriate.
§ The section on Streetscape improvements has been edited to remove the references for pedestrian, shared and vehicular streets, since this classification system is no longer used in developing streetscape plans.
The amended Downtown Plan was distributed for public comment in May 2008. Comments were compiled by the Washtenaw County Department of Planning & Environment and transmitted in July 2008. The Planning Commission held duly noticed public hearings on August 5, 2008 and February 19, 2009. The Planning Commission adopted the amended plan at its meeting of February 19, 2009 and recommended City Council adoption.
Staff
Prepared By: Wendy Rampson, Systems Planner
Reviewed By: Mark Lloyd, Planning & Development Services Manager, Jayne Miller, Community Services Administrator
Approved By: Roger W. Fraser, City Administrator
Body
Whereas, The Downtown Plan was last updated in February 1992;
Whereas, In October 2007, City Council passed Resolutions R-07-494 and R-07-495, which requested that the City Planning Commission initiate amendments to the Downtown Plan to support the implementation of the Ann Arbor Discovering Downtown (A2D2) zoning and urban design advisory committee recommendations;
Whereas, The Master Plan Review Committee of the Planning Commission worked with staff to develop draft amendments to the Downtown Plan from January through April 2008;
Whereas, The City Planning Commission distributed for review the draft Downtown Plan amendments, consistent with the State Planning Enabling Act (PA-33 of 2008);
Whereas, Duly-noticed public hearings were held by the City Planning Commission on August 5, 2008 and February 19, 2009; and
Whereas, The City Planning Commission adopted the Downtown Plan, as amended, at its meeting of February 19, 2009;
RESOLVED, That City Council adopt the Downtown Plan, as amended, as a subplan of the City Master Plan; and
RESOLVED, That the Future Land Use Map and Zoning Plan for the downtown be incorporated into the Central Area Plan.