Council approves 42 North site plan after lengthy debate over wetlands, traffic and parking

The Ann Arbor City Council voted to approve the 42 North site plan, development agreement and wetland-use permit for a proposed multifamily development on 15.32 acres at 1430 South Maple Road.

The resolution (DB1) was moved by Councilmember Lowenstein and seconded by Councilmember Teal and passed following extended public comment and council deliberation that centered on wetlands mitigation, traffic-level-of-service concerns and the amount of proposed parking.

Matt Kowalski, city planner assigned to the project, and Laura Tree Moore Spears of Natural Area Preservation described the wetland mitigation approach. Planning staff and Natural Area Preservation said the site contains multiple small wetlands across three subwatersheds (Allen Creek, Mallett's [sic] Creek and Honey Creek), and the mitigation plan consolidates replacement wetlands in a single mitigation area. Planning staff pointed to Chapter 60 (wetlands preservation) and Section 5.213 subsection 5 as the code pathway allowing mitigation to be placed in a single location within the Huron River direct discharge area when on-site mitigation is impractical.

"It's far more practical to combine them all into one…