90-acre Annexation Favored

The annexation of á'90-acre parcel of land that was called the "key" to development of southern Ann Arbor was approved by the Planning Commission Tuesday night. But while the commission agreed unanimously that the so-called WardMatthaei property should be annexed to the city, no decisión could be reached on plans to develope the land into a 1,147unit residential complex. The property is part of a Pittsfield Township península located between S. Main Street and State Street, directly north of the Briarwood Mali Shopping Center. The township must still act to release the land to the city. City Council must also approve the annexation. -The área planmtlining the general aspects of the proposed development is asking for four separate multiple family zonings for the land which would house from 2,500 to 3,000 people. Six acres of commercial and three acres of office zonings are also being sought. The commission deferred the área plan and zoning requests for the property when it became apparent there were not enough votes to favorably recommend it toCityCouncil. The oppósiton included a planning staff report which recommended denial of both.the zonings and área plan because, the planners said, the área plan does not conform with the city's general development plan and south área development plans. The staff also objected because no provisión was made to dónate or desígnate any land on the parcel for a potential elementary school facility. The report said school officials estimated more than 200 children of elementary school age would eventually live in the complex, or enough for a third of a new school. The land is presently in the Stone Elementary School district, which is said already to be overcrowded. The report also claimed 81 middle school students and 98 high school studente would live in the complex. But most of the opposition to the project during the commissioners' debate was centered on the density of the development. Commissioner Charles Rinehart opposed the plan, saying Ann Arbor's can't continue to have 75-80 per cent of the new housing be multiple family dwellings. He claimed the local market for townhouses is frying up. Commission Chairman John Laird agreed in part, saying he preferred a 5050 housing mix between single family and multi-family units. "We've got too much multi family in Ann Arbor," Laird dec}arted. "Other communities have had the guts and said 'stop' to more multiple, whycan't we?" But one of the owners of the land, Harold Ward, claimed single family detached homes are too expensive to sell. A $50,000 home, with $20,000 down and a 9 per cent mortgage rate, costs the owner about $500 a mönth, which people can't afford, Ward said. While there was some sentiment to simply pass the development on to council without further commission ment, Commissioner Elwood Holman j disagreed. "These 90 acres are the key to the entire development of southern Ann Arbpr," Holman said. "The commission has to come to grips with it. If we let it get away it'll haunt us in bits and pieces foryears." But the density of the proposed project was a point in its favor, said Commissioner Frederick H. Herrmann. Because the neighborhing Briarwood is a high intensive use área, a high density development next door is appropriate, he said. The only alternative to high density, he added, is urban sprawl. A decisión was eventually made to defer the zonings and area plan for two weeks. J