Ann Arbor planners press ahead on draft land-use plan amid intense public comment on single-family zoning, trees and transit

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Ann Arbor Planning Commission continued a line-by-line review of Chapters 4 and 5 of the Draft Comprehensive Land Use Plan on April 29, hearing nearly six hours of testimony and holding detailed discussion on how the plan’s maps and district rules should balance increased housing supply, preservation of urban trees and coordination with transit and other city plans.

The session included more than 40 public commentators — many urging the commission to remove single-family-only rules so more housing can be built across neighborhoods, and many others urging preservation of neighborhood character, tree canopy and stronger public engagement. Commissioners and staff debated how explicitly the draft should show where denser development is envisioned, how to treat historic districts on the land-use map, and how to explain trade-offs between growth and natural-feature protections.

The meeting opened with routine business: staff called the roll and the commission approved the evening’s agenda and the minutes of the April 22 meeting. After public comment, Senior Planner Michelle Bennett led the staff presentation and a detailed, page-by-page review of the draft’s infrastructure, natural features and land-use sections.

Public comment: hundreds of concerns and support

During the public-comment period residents presented a wide range of positions. Some speakers framed the draft as a chance to increase affordability and keep young families in Ann Arbor. “We need as much housing as we can get, not just in downtown, but in all neighborhoods,” said a caller who identified himself as Gaurav, describing concerns about declining school enrollment and the loss of neighborhood peers.

Other speakers said the draft risks eroding single-family neighborhoods’ character and shade trees. “If you build apartment buildings in single-family neighborhoods, please don’t make them super tall,” said Holly Elliott of Miller Avenue, describing a…