From road improvements to housing and more, City Council took many actions in 2023 to improve city services and enhance the quality of life for residents. Even as we dive into new initiatives this year, like our housing affordability and sustainability strategy (see report), it’s important to pause and reflect on the progress we’ve made. To that end, here’s a rundown of how Council worked to lead Ann Arbor forward in 2023. (Hat tip to my ward mate Dharma Akmon for compiling many of these links!)
City Services
Completed several major road construction projects, including (but not limited to):
Scio Church Road improvement project: replaced water mains and pavement, closed sidewalk gaps, and installed buffered bike lanes.
South Main Street Water Main project: replaced water main, resurfaced road and added bump-outs.
State and Hill Streets Improvements project: on State Street, resurfaced road, replaced water mains, implemented safety improvements for all users of the roadway, and addedprotected bike lanes in each direction (note: the Hill St. portion of the project will be carried out in 2024).
Directed the City Administrator to improve data transparency and performance management so that residents can more easily track the city on its ambitious goals.
Approved a contract that will bring public restrooms to our downtown.
Took steps to create the city’s first election center to ensure that our elections remain secure.
Won $1 million in state funding for a splash pad in Southeast Area Park, $5 million for a 20-megawatt solar energy installation outside the city’s Wheeler Service Center, $800,000 for the Ann Arbor Housing Commission’s affordable housing efforts, $500,000 to help the city launch an unarmed crisis response program, and $1.2 million to rehab pool facilities at Forestbrooke Athletic Club.
Housing
Began the development of the city's new comprehensive plan, specifying that it should:
Implement those portions of the A2Zero Living Carbon Neutrality Plan applicable to land use and development activity in the city.
Make recommendations for adding new homes and densifying single-family zoned areas and other areas and zoning districts.
Develop recommendations that promote fewer zoning districts and categories.
Initiated a full review of the city's building and development process with the aim of streamlining and reducing the costs of building new housing. The city released a report and recommendations, and Council will act on these recommendations shortly.
Used American Rescue Plan funds to purchase 8 duplexes to be made permanently affordable housing.
Eliminated Floor Area premiums and maximum Floor Area Ratio from the city's downtown districts. Unfortunately, these premiums did not work – resulting in zero units of affordable housing – and slowed the creation of all new housing downtown.
Approved a development at 721 South Forest that will add 228 residential units and 733 bedrooms near central campus while also contributing $4.7 million to the city's affordable housing fund.
Approved the rezoning of a portion of Briarwood Mall to enable the construction of 354 residential units and a grocery store on a parking lot and long vacant Sears building.
Equity and justice
Passed a Driving Equality Ordinance restricting police from pulling over motorists for relatively minor offenses. This law is the first of its kind in Michigan.
Amended the city’s non-discrimination ordinance to give people returning to society from jail a fair shot at jobs with contractors hired to do work for the city, and to make it illegal for businesses to discriminate against someone based the type of government identification card they carry.
Created a new advisory committee to ensure the city isn’t getting its employee uniforms and apparel from sweatshops.
Launched a pilot guaranteed basic income program aimed at low- and moderate-income entrepreneurs in Ann Arbor.
Climate Action
Launched process to negotiate a new heating franchise that responsibly phases out fossil fuels in our homes and businesses.
Passed an ordinance that will help home buyers understand the energy efficiency of the homes on the market in Ann Arbor by requiring a simple Home Energy Score (HES) assessment to be conducted before the home lists for sale. The Home Energy Rating Disclosure (HERD) will make a home's energy use easy to understand (for example, like miles-per-gallon/charge rating for a vehicle). These assessments will be provided for free. Learn more on the HERD page.
Approved an agreement for the administration of the Home Energy Advisor Program, which will help residents interested in making their homes more energy efficient.
Approved an agreement for the administration of a Residential Rebate Program, which will incentivize residential adoption of energy efficiency, high-efficiency all-electric energy equipment, electric modes of transportation, and distributed energy resources. The rebate program will be targeted to progress equity goals through income-qualified rebates.
Passed an ordinance to regulate the use of gas leaf blowers, which are particularly toxic for the environment and human health. Ann Arbor will completely ban gas-powered leaf blowers on January 1, 2028. Until then, gas-powered leaf blowers are restricted to use between October 1 and May 30.
Transportation
Expanded our all ages, all abilities bike network outside of the downtown on State and Division streets.
Won an award of $3.8M from US Dept. of Transportation's “Safe Streets and Roads for All” program for local transportation safety initiatives.
Adopted an improved neighborhood traffic calming program that will incorporate traffic calming measures where they are needed as part of capital road improvement projects.
Adopted a policy to accelerate safety improvements on multilane roads where the vast majority of the city's severe crashes occur.
Approved a contract to construct the first phase of a larger project to build a pedestrian tunnel that will extend beneath the railroad tracks between Barton Nature Area and Bandemer Park and close a key gap in the Border-to-Border Trail.