Planners Ok Policies For 'new' Downtown

The first part of a plan for redeveloping downtown Ann Arbor, which recommends central city merchants not to try to compete with the Briarwood Shopping Center, was approved by the Planning Commission Tuesday night. The central area pohcy plan received the commission's stamp of approval with little debate. The 20-page document was approved intact except for five recommendations for immediate actions which the commissioners elected to temporarily delete for more study. The heart of the plan is numerous policy recommendations outlining what the role, character, land use policies, and transportation policies should be to pump new life into the downtown. This report and the future studies which will follow have been spurred by the construction of the Briarwood Shopping Center and the accompaning fears it might bring a death knoll for central area businesses. But the report notes, "It seems prudent for retail trade in the downtown not to attempt to compete with Briarwood on its terms, . . . "but rather to capitalize on those things which the downtown can do best." The three specific strengths credited to the downtown are specialty shops which do not require much space; the function as a service district for servicing residents in the entire central area; and the function as neighborhood service distriqts. "If these three retail functions can be maintained and strengthened successfully, then it is anticipated that other retail activities which would ordinarily not be able to compete with Briarwood will find the consumer support necessary to thrive in the downtown also," the report says. Other roles the .planners see for the downtown are headquarters for business, financial, professional and public offices; entertainment facilities such as restaurants, nightclubs, theatres and bars; a wide variety of housing, including high rise apartments; and as 4. transportation hub. The character of downtown, States the report, can be accomplished through preservation of historical structures. In connection with this the commission received a request from the Historical District Commission that the Haarer-Walker block (the 100 block) of W. Liberty be preserved. The city has been buying some ty on the southTlde of that block in anticipation of tearing the buildings down to make way for a parking lot. But Kingsbury Marzolf, University professor of architecture and a member of the State Historical Commission, said the buildings are good examples of 19th century commercial architecture and are still in sound condition. Frank Wilhelme, chairman of the Historical District Commission, also said the buildings are of "significant historical interest" to warrant preservation. Concerning the land use policies in the downtown, the plan recommends active acquisition of land for use as public open space and the encouragement of the same for some private land. A lessening in the use of right-of-way for vehicular trafüc is also proposed in favor of more consideration for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. One of the suggestions for immediate actions aimed at redevelopment was the removal of deteriorated buildings on land the city bought for the PackardBeakes bypass and use of that land for parking and open space. Planning Director Michael Prochaska urged this be left in, but he was overruled by the commission. The o.ther recommendations for immediate action pulled from the plan was a suggestion to begin accumulation of land for residential developments, especially in areas around downtown and between Main and State Streets; improvements of shopping convenience through . measures such as child care and drop-off centers, parking validation systems for shoppers and merchandise delivery services; conversión of vacant upper levéis of buildings to active uses; and preparation of a "concept plan" for the second phase of the study to speed up short range beautification projects. Other land use policies recommended include the use of air rights over streets for private development activities; promotion of concentrations of high density housing in the downtown area through medium and high rise structures; and retention of all Packard-Beakes land until final circulation plans have been developed. The transportation policies approved included a statement that circulation plans for traffic should be planned "to support the integrity of existing stable residential neighborhoods ; " and a policy saying pedestrian movement should be the main means of transit in the I town. j The report says the goals for I town were developed on the premise of I strengthing the existing functions which I make downtown the center of I ty focus. "The key to achieving this goal I centers on the presence of people ... 24 I hours a day . . . seven days a week . . . I to live, work and shop." With the completion of this policy I plan, and its acceptance by City Council, I attention will now be turned to the I al physical development planning. The I planners will next take a look at what I presently exists in downtown for I tual development plans can be prepared I Following this comes the last step in the I series of studies, consideration of physi-, I cal and implementation plans. The entire I study is scheduled for completion by I December, 1S74. I