Housing Progress, CLUP Review & New Transparency Tools

As we close out another busy year on City Council, I'd like to share updates on several major initiatives that reflect the values I hear consistently from Ward 4 residents: transparency, thoughtful long-range planning, sustained investment in affordable housing, and public safety systems that earn community trust. Thank you for staying engaged, asking questions, and helping shape this work throughout the year.

Comprehensive Land Use Plan: Council is Listening

This spring and summer saw robust discussion over the update of Ann Arbor's Comprehensive Land Use Plan, which aims to align Ann Arbor’s future physical development with residents’ values and priorities.

The city has been gathering public input on this effort for more than two years through surveys, open houses, neighborhood meetings, online tools, and dozens of public discussions. Throughout that time, residents have emphasized the need for more housing choices, walkable neighborhoods with small businesses they can reach on foot, and a modern planning framework that reflects our world today.

The updated plan introduces three simplified land-use categories — Hub, Transition, and Residential — that will guide zoning changes after the Plan is adopted. City Council and the Planning Commission have incorporated extensive community input into Draft Three, which is now publicly available.

Draft Three allows homes of up to three stories in the Residential category and permits three homes on parcels that today are limited to just one or two homes. Once the Plan is adopted, the Planning Commission will begin reviewing and revising land-use regulations that date back 75 years — rules that made housing more expensive then and even more so today, given current market pressures.

The city is now in the 63-day public review period, and residents are encouraged to read Draft Three, ask questions, and submit comments directly to the Planning Commission through the online form. The review period runs through 9 a.m. on January 5, 2026, and residents may submit more than one comment as they work through the material.

You can read Draft Three and submit comments at: a2gov.org/clup.

Ann Arbor Launches New Open Data Portal

Ann Arbor has launched a redesigned open data portal that makes it easier for anyone to access clear, reliable information about how the city works. The new platform brings together building permits, water-quality testing results, transportation and capital projects, sustainability data, and much more. You can now follow construction projects in your neighborhood, explore the city’s water system, or browse information related to parks, public safety, and infrastructure improvements across Ann Arbor.

This increased transparency has long been a community priority. You can explore the portal at data.a2gov.org.

Delivering on Affordable Housing

Dunbar Tower

In 2020, voters overwhelmingly approved Ann Arbor’s Affordable Housing Millage, a 20-year investment dedicated to building, maintaining, and acquiring homes for residents earning up to 60 percent of Area Median Income. Because of that commitment, more than 1,000 permanently affordable units have now been completed or are in the pipeline. 

This year, two major affordable housing projects moved forward. Dunbar Tower, a six-story, 63-unit development in Kerrytown, is now under construction and will provide 100 percent affordable homes for households earning up to 60 percent AMI, including supportive units and homes reserved for low-income artists and creatives.

The redevelopment of the former Y Lot at 350 S. Fifth Avenue also advanced, with Council approving one of the largest single-site affordable housing projects in city history. This development will deliver hundreds of deeply affordable homes in the heart of downtown.

You can learn more about the city’s affordable housing work at a2gov.org/housing.

Improving Public Safety Transparency

The Ann Arbor Police Department has launched a new public incidents dashboard that gives residents real-time access to crime and call-for-service data, sorted by type, date, and location. This is the first city-run tool that allows residents to explore this information directly, without relying on third-party services, and it represents a meaningful step forward in transparency.

You can explore the new dashboard at annarborpolice.org/dashboard.

Earlier this year, AAPD also implemented a new traffic-enforcement policy building on Council’s 2023 Driving Equality Ordinance, which limits stops for minor, non-safety equipment issues in order to reduce opportunities for biased or pretextual enforcement. Since then, these types of stops have dropped to zero.

Council has also directed staff to pursue a modernized records-management system that will further improve access to policing data and strengthen transparency in the years ahead.

Staying Connected

If you’d like to follow upcoming Council items, review city documents, or learn more about any of the initiatives above, visit a2gov.org or explore Council agendas and materials at a2gov.legistar.com.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve Ward 4 and always welcome your questions and feedback.