🚨Comp Plan Action, Meet-Up Saturday, & Welcome Gifts!

📢 Call to Action: Tell Planning Commission to keep the Comprehensive Plan Flexible

We are in a housing crisis. So many of us struggle to afford our homes and have to make sacrifices to stay in Ann Arbor. As a city, we need to address this crisis with the ambition and urgency it deserves.

What’s Ann Arbor doing?

The Draft Comprehensive Land Use Plan is a high-level vision of Ann Arbor’s future. The Future Land Use Map outlines three broad categories for future zoning: Residential, Transition and Hub.

Unfortunately, City staff is now proposing a new residential category and restricting the current Residential zone to 3-units, banning small apartments from most of the city. Here are some of the consequences of this change:

1. A unit cap would limit the construction of badly needed housing.

2. A unit cap would push developers to build fewer, larger, more expensive units.

3. Applying a unit cap to all R1/R2 areas would reimpose the exclusionary policies of the past in most of Ann Arbor.

What can you do? 

The rush to add counterproductive limits to the map are a direct result of the voices fighting for the status quo. We need to make our voices heard, too. The Planning Commission will discuss this proposal on Tuesday, August 19th. Here’s how you can make your voice heard.

1. Less effort: Send an email to the Planning Commission ([email protected]) before noon, Aug 19th. You can also copy your City Council members: Their email addresses are here. If you want a little help, you can follow the template below. Use any parts that feel authentic to you.

2. More effort (and more fun): Make public comment via Zoom or in-person at the commission meeting on Aug 19th. Here’s our primer on making public comments. You can also show up and support other speakers without making a comment. We’d love to meet you. Let’s pack the room!

🤝 First Ever General Meeting!

We’re hosting our first-ever general meeting this Saturday at 1PM at the Downtown Library Community Room (3rd Floor). All members are invited — that means you! This meeting will be informative, participatory, and friendly. It’s a great chance to figure out how to get a little bit more involved. Space is limited, so please RSVP. We are working on setting up a Zoom option, so please tell us in the form if that would help you.

🏘️ Show Kindness to New Neighbors at The Grove at Veridian

Neighbors For More Neighbors A2 will support our friends at Avalon Housing by donating essential supplies for the basic needs of their residents. The Grove at Veridian is Avalon's newest supportive housing development and home to dozens of new residents. The individuals and families residing there are transitioning out of homelessness into permanent, stable housing. We have the opportunity to show our support for them with a simple welcoming act. We are collecting essential supplies to donate to Avalon's basic needs pantry in honor of the new residents at The Grove. High-demand items include those that are not covered by food assistance programs, such as cleaning supplies - mops, laundry detergent, dish soap, all purpose cleaning sprays - as well as diapers, baby wipes, and infant formula. You may donate directly through Avalon's Amazon wishlist. If you prefer to drop-off donations in person, please contact [email protected] to make arrangements.

Other questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected]

Support in one Second: Forward this email to your friends and neighbors.