Citizens Group Seeing Fruit Of Housing Effort

A belief by local citizens i"t Ann Arbor needed more high - q u a 1 1 1 y, moderately priced housing has led to the development of Poniiac Heights, a $6.2 million 350 unit complex on a 40 acre site on the city's north side. Occupancy for the city's newest cooperative housing complex is scheduled to begin late this month, according to Dennis J. Varían, director of sales for Foundation for Cooperative Housing Services Inc., the development's marketing and management agency. Pontiac Heights is sponsored and developed by Ann Arbor Community Development, Inc., a non-profit citizens group committed to creasing AnnArbor's supply of moderately priced housing. "None of us are making any money f rom this nor will we be living in the development," said Peter Darrow, a local attorney who is one of the guiding spirits behind AACD. Monthly charges range from $103 for a onerbedroom unit to $154 for a four-bedroom unit, and include lawn service, snow and trash removal and maintenance. Income ceilings range from $6,350 per year for a f a m i 1 y of one child to $11,850 for a family of seven. The project is starting as a rental operation but is expected to be organized into a cooperative within a year, Varían said. This means that the title for the complex will pass from AACD to the commuity residents. About 220 of the 350 units have been sold, Varían said. "We're getting a heterogeneous group of people- students, white and blue collar workers, some retirees, young professional people, a group which is really a good cross section of Ann Arbor," he said. The development consists of 64 townhouse buildings and a community center arranged along the sides of a shallow valley, which bisects the site. Ihe valley floor is being developed as a common open paCf sured by the Federal Housing Administratio-i's 221d3 program, eligibility for the development is related to gross family income. Darrow said that major hurdles faced and cleared up by AACD's volunteers included acquiring a site, gaining FHA approval and raising "seed" money when it was needed to keep the development moving. The group incorporated as AACD in June of 1965. After öorrowing $50,000 from a private foundation for a down payment, the volunteers requested Ann Arbor Township to release the land to allow annexation to the city. Going to the city was the only way to get water and sewer services, Darrow said. The Township refused to release the land. "So we started a petition drive, knocking on doors and asking people to support us in a referendum," he said. Township and city voters approved the annexation and required zoning by the city to allow for multiple family units. Meanwhile the need for more money was growing. A total of $40,000 was needed to pay interest on the land and for architectural and site planning services. The AACD volunteers who were members of the Ann Arbor Coop Credit Union tnnk agement services f o r more [ than 40,000 cooperatively owned housing units, throughout the United States. Offices are located in Detroit. The FHA commitment was a unique one, Darrow said, beeause it was to AACD and the Pontiac Heights Cooperative. Usually, the commitment is made only to the developing group and must be transferred later. The dual commitment will allow for the easy transfer of control from AACD to the community residents next year, Varían said. Although Pontiac Heights is nearly complete, AACD sees its work continuing. "We're still committed to providing good, moderately p r i c e d I housing for our city," Darrow I said. "The need still exists. I It brought us together in 1965 I and it is keeping us together," I he said. AACD officers are: Mrs. I Betsy Barlow, president; I Richard Wagner, first vice I president; Rev. William I ker, second vice president; I Mrs. Elisabeth Jenkins, I retary; and Richard W. I ten, treasurer. AACD board members are I Percy Bates, Mrs. I ion Blacke, Mrs. Barbara I Cartwright, Mrs. Jaye I sythe, Mrs. Mary Newcomb, I Robert Schueler, Kevin I livan, Mrs. Anne Remley, 1