WHA Board Resolution to oppose Ann Arbor City Proposal A

The Washtenaw Housing Alliance’s Board of Directors has created a resolution to oppose Ann Arbor’s City Proposal A, on the November 6th ballot.

Whereas the Washtenaw Housing Alliance (WHA) is a coalition of non-profit and government entities working to end homelessness in Washtenaw County;

Whereas homelessness cannot be ended in Washtenaw County without more affordable housing units and resources for affordable housing and, at this time, the City of Ann Arbor’s Affordable Housing Fund does not have the resources necessary to create more affordable housing units;

Whereas, after a broad public input and request for proposal process, the Ann Arbor City Council voted to sell the development rights of the “Library Lot” to Core Spaces to develop the site as a hotel, apartments, retail space, and office space;

Whereas the City of Ann Arbor has agreed to put half the proceeds of the sale of the Library Lot, estimated to be $5 million, into the City’s Affordable Housing Fund to create permanent affordable housing in Ann Arbor;

Whereas the sale of the Library Lot would also allow the City to move forward with opportunities to develop the City-owned “Y-Lot” as a mixed-use and affordable housing development;

Whereas the Core Spaces development will add an estimated $2 million annually in tax revenue that benefits the community in the form of public schools, road improvements, public transportation, and parks;

Whereas the Core Spaces developer has agreed to build and maintain a 12,000 square-foot plaza on the site for public use for 99 years at no expense to the city as part of the development;

Whereas a citizen-led proposal, known as Proposal A, on the November 6 ballot aims to convert the city-owned Library Lot into a park and public gathering space without an identified source for creation, maintenance, and programming of a park space on the Library Lot, such that this will result in a deficit from the existing Parks and Recreation budget without citizen input;

Whereas the City of Ann Arbor already has 159 parks and 15 park facilities representing more than 10% of the City’s Land; and,

Whereas Proposal A would prohibit the Core Spaces, or any other development, of the Library Lot in perpetuity; now, therefore be it

Resolved that the Washtenaw Housing Alliance Board of Directors opposes City Proposal A and WHA encourages Ann Arbor residents to oppose it as well.

For more information:

Everyone Loses with Prop A

Ann Arbor Mayor Encourages Citizens to Vote NO on Proposal A