Residents Oppose Traver Apartment Plan

"Save Black Pond" became the rallying cry at last night's meeting of the City Planning Commission as residents near Leslie Park and Traver Road protested the proposed development of the Isberg-Courtelis 34-acre site with apartments. Starting with a color slide presentation and ending with a petition drawn up by Northside Elementary School children, teachers and residents attempted to oppose the zoning of the land for multiple-family dwelling. A representative of the neighborhood area planning organization, Mrs. Sylvia Lewis, also attacked the proposed multiplefamüy zoning saying that "multiple-family housing saturates the area." Reason for much of the concern is that the Isberg site is a heavily wooded area surrounding a pond. Overlooking Leslie Park Golf Course, the area has been used by nearby school children as a nature, study area. One of the developers, Don Geake, said the peculiar nature of the site was such that multiple-family housing, grouped in a planned project, would preserve more of the basic nature of the land than would single-family development. Commissioner John Laird summed up the discussion when he said that the residents' basic objection was that the land was not a public park. Because the site was not a public park, the commissioners had to act upon the owner's request for zoning the site. The question, according to Laird, was the density of the development. Commissioner John Kurkjian suggested that the project be given a zoning fix of R1C/R3 with a density no greater than R1C (single-family). The matter was finally deferred until such time that the developers could submit another site plan for the area. In the meantime, the planners decided to call the matter to the attenion of the Board of Education o see if the board would be interested in acquiring the pond. At the end of their meeting, commissioners returned to the matter and approved the annexation of 4.76 acres owned by Marion E. Abbott. The Abbott land is part of the Courtelis-Isberg joint petition. Arthur E. Carpenter was denied his petition to change .4 of an acre on Jefferson and First St. from R2A (two-family) to "Townhouse." Reason offered by Carpenter for the application of a new zoning classification was that it would permit the construction of single-family homes with greater density than now permitted but with substantially less density than now permitted in apartment zoning. Saying he is concerned with deterioration in central Ann Arbor, Carpenter stressed that something must be done to preserve the essential integrity of the Old West Side. Present zoning requires, s a i d Carpenter, that large parcels of land have to be put together in order to develop. Such large complexes would violate the character of the area, Carpenter said. He asked the commission to consider the matter. Supporting Carpenter was Chet LaMore, president of the Old West Side Association. LaMore asked for a study of the Old West Side by the planners to determine how inadequate and deteriorated housing may be replaced without violating the old character of the neighborhood. LaMore reminded the commissioners that they did not have much time. The commissioner's reply was that they are not against innovations in zoning that would enhance the residential area, but that more study is needed and that it could not move on the matter at this time. The petition submitted by Nancy Hallen Gould to annex 12.62 acres on W. Liberty was deferred at the petitioner's request. The petition of Barton, Inc., to rezone 15.77 acres on Scio Church Road and Maple Road extended from R1C (single-family) to R4A (multiple-family) was sent to City Council without recommendation after commissioners split in disagreement and voted four to three. Objection to the apartment project was expressed by Kurkjian when he said, "Are we prepared to zone the 44 miles of expressway around Ann Arbor to multiple?" Joining Kurkjian in voting against the petition was John Laird and John Spelman. Regarding the area plan submitted by the same developers of the Barton (Schenk) development, the vote was four-to-three against the plan. Laird, Spelman, Kurkjian and Douglas Crary objectcd to it. The petition submitted by 1700 Geddes Corp. to rezone .105 of an acre on Linden at S. University from R4C to P was transmitted to City Council without recommendation after commissioners split on the vote. Approved was the petition submitted by Herman A. Huhn to annex .57 of an acre on Burwood and Thaler. A zoning fix of of R1C was given the property. Also approved was the Huron Valley National Bank site plan on .94 of an acre on Stadium at Pauline. Denied was the petition of L. W. G. Enterprises, Inc., to rezone 1.44 acres on Platt from R1C to O (office).