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Planning staff lays out UDC options; commissioners lean toward starting with ‘hub’ areas
Summary
Staff presented implementation options for the comprehensive land use plan — including a citywide CLT text amendment, a floating residential district, or phased rezoning — and commissioners signaled a general preference to begin rezoning in hub areas while staff resolves lot-size, infrastructure and engagement questions.
Planning staff used the April 14 work session to walk commissioners through three broad ways to implement the comprehensive land use plan: (1) targeted rezoning that begins in hub or transition areas, (2) a citywide text amendment (the petition submitted by the Ann Arbor Community Land Trust) to allow duplexes/triplexes in existing residential districts, and (3) creation of a floating residential district that would be crafted and then applied by rezoning petitions.
Planner Michelle Bennett summarized the background memo, peer-city interviews and an engagement framework that breaks engagement into "inform, consult, involve, collaborate" and described 'light', 'moderate' and 'full' engagement levels tied to proximity to people’s homes. She told commissioners infrastructure-capacity studies are not complete and that staff expects those studies to inform timing and geographic feasibility for hub areas.
Planner Deo and Planning Manager Leonard described the technical distinctions: the CLT petition is a text amendment that would add duplex and triplex uses to existing zoning districts citywide but, as drafted, raises questions about how minimum lot area per dwelling unit is applied; the floating residential district would create a vetted district on the books that property owners could apply to use via rezonings. Planning staff cautioned the CLT language as submitted would require detailed edits to avoid unintended loopholes.
Commissioner reactions and sequencing: Commissioners debated whether to prioritize hub, transition or residential areas. A majority of commissioners expressed support for starting with hub areas — citing bigger near-term impacts from larger-scale development — and for returning later to residential questions once staff has capacity and infrastructure findings. Several commissioners and public commenters urged parallel engagement with neighborhoods and early, transparent outreach.
Legal and practical caveats: Commissioners asked whether the city can require affordability as a condition for additional units; staff and commissioners noted legal limits and recommended city-attorney review for inclusionary requirements. Planning staff also flagged the risk of litigation experienced by other cities and said they will return with options that include public-engagement methods and sequencing recommendations.
Next steps: Staff said it will return with a staff-developed illustration of what a 'hub-first' approach would look like, options for public engagement corresponding to each implementation path, and a formal analysis of the CLT petition when ready.
