Developers submit revised proposal for 80-unit affordable housing project on Burton Road
Burton Commons, an affordable housing project that was sidelined by developers for years, has recently resurfaced with a revised site plan that scales back the project.
The planned residential development is located at 2805 Burton Road in Ann Arbor. Original site plans, which were approved by Ann Arbor City Council in 2007, were for five, three-story buildings totaling 120-units with 185 parking spaces. The revised plan reduces the project to five, two-story buildings totaling 80-units with 145 parking spaces.
Michigan-based MHT Housing Inc. and California-based Highridge Costa Housing Partners are partnering to develop the project.
The units in the complex are two and three bedrooms for working families earning about $23,000 to $43,000 annually, said Christopher Bric of MHT Housing Inc.
Although plans for the project were submitted years ago, Jennifer Hall of the Office of Community Development said that the developers struggled to get financing together due to the troubled housing market.
“The housing market just bottomed out at the time they were trying to develop and they weren’t able to get their financing together,” said Hall. “So they regrouped, relooked at the project and decided they’d have a better project if they reduced the units.”
Bric estimated that the project will cost $16 million, and he said MHT Housing is in the process of applying for tax credits through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.
“If we were to succeed and be awarded those tax credits, then almost immediately the financing would fall into place,” Bric said.
The architect for the project is J Bradley Moore & Associates and the engineer is Midwestern Consulting.
Bric said that the developers have held neighborhood meetings to receive feedback on the project, and the residents surrounding the proposed development seem to welcome the idea.
“There were some usual concerns, but in general, people are very welcoming in the neighborhood,” he said. “I think they like the fact that the project has been realigned to 80-units and not quite as big as it had been initially.”
Because the original project received city council approval in 2007, the developers recently submitted a revised development agreement and revised elevations to city council, which is set to be reviewed August 4.
Matthew Kowalski, city planner with the City of Ann Arbor, said that he anticipates the revised project moving forward.
“This is a scaled back project,” Kowalski said. “It’s very likely to be approved. I don’t think there’s going to be much opposition.”
Lizzy Alfs is a business reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2584 or email her at lizzyalfs@annarbor.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lizzyalfs.
Comments
lefty48197
Sun, Jan 22, 2012 : 5 a.m.
"People are very welcoming in the neighborhood"? That's funny. I know several residents who's property is adjacent to the proposed low cost housing development and I haven't heard of ANYBODY who supports this plan. Let's face it. This is just an attempt by Ann Arbor to annex more property and have it low cost housing so that they can blow their own horns and tell the world how great they are at providing low cost housing.
Trepang674
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 11:30 p.m.
Why no map??? perhaps they don't want the neighborhoods to catch on to what and where these affordable houses are going to be built.
Dog Guy
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 11:28 p.m.
What is the police response time to this location?
Lets Get Real
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 7:35 p.m.
So there is a Burton Road off of Packard Road, east of Terhune and west of US 23 in 48104 near the Orchard HIlls Smokler Subdivision and there is a Burton Road off of Jackson Road, in 48103. Wonder which group of neighbors are thinking they will be appearing before the planning commission. I'm just constantly amazed that we have subsidies to build "affordable housing" where no one who lives there has a stake and where in a few years we pay again to fix up what the entitled people didn't think enough of to take care of it. I'm so tired of paying for others. I have enough trouble paying for me. And, because I'm just over the threshold and responsible, I don't qualify to be considered for a nice, new place to live.
Lets Get Real
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 8:51 p.m.
Oops! My mistake, the Burton Road in 48104 is east of the Forestbrook Smokler Subdivision.
Veracity
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 7:20 p.m.
annarboral: Unfortunately, not everyone has your intellect, skills and training to obtain jobs with six digit salaries. Many citizens work very hard at menial jobs paying only subsistence wages or less. The Ann Arbor business community needs these people to fill low income jobs such as janitorial service, food preparation and delivery (hamburger flippers at McDonalds) or stackers and greeters at retail stores. Apparently, Ypsilanti does not have enough affordable housing or is not near enough to downtown Ann Arbor to fulfill the need for inexpensive residences.
aawolve
Thu, Jul 28, 2011 : 12:52 p.m.
@ annarboral- Yes, let's just raise the pay at McD's to $20 an hour, all problems solved. You should be president.
annarboral
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 8:48 p.m.
If we need people for jobs that are unattractive because they are low paying then the obvious answer is to raise the pay on those jobs until the wages are attractive.
annarboral
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 3:27 p.m.
Affordable housing is a politically correct name for tax payer subsidized housing. Why are we paying for this? The simple fact is that Ann Arbor is an expensive town. If you can't afford housing then you can't afoord anything else.. So we put low income people into an envirtonment where they are constantly reminded that they don't belong here. Affordable housing serves no practical purpose but to soothe the conscience of rich liberals. We need to return to basic values in this country, that is, people need to earn their way in life.
a2miguy
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 4:42 p.m.
Why are we paying for this? Because the last time I checked, this was AMERICA. The America I know and love is one where those of us who have lend a hand to those who have not. And "rich liberals"??? So now all of a sudden, it's liberals who are rich? Do you even realize what a bass-ackwards statement that is? But hey, if it serves your lame point, please... make up whatever silliness you want.
Enso
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.
And btw... the 'basic values of this country?" This country was founded on genocide and slave labor. Not the kind of values I want to go back to.
Enso
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 4:40 p.m.
And it gives kids a place to live that's not on the street. But I'm sure, as a conservative, you'd rather have these kids on the street.
foobar417
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 2:43 p.m.
@AnnArbor.com: It would be nice if, as a matter of course, if a story references a specific address or specific block if the address/block name was a URL to Google Maps. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can't remember where Burton Road (or any other random street in Ann Arbor) is located and therefore needs to cut and paste the address into Google Maps to understand the story.
Wolf's Bane
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 1:56 p.m.
Only scattered site housing works for the poor. Projects like this smack of intolerance and stupidity.
Elaine F. Owsley
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 12:18 p.m.
Where is Burton Road?
Epengar
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 6:44 p.m.
Burton Road is a dead-end road that runs north from Packard, immediately west of Highway 23. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2805+Burton+Road,+ann+arbor&hl=en&ll=42.246024,-83.685436&spn=0.021126,0.042701&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.005754,87.451172&z=15" rel='nofollow'>http://maps.google.com/maps?q=2805+Burton+Road,+ann+arbor&hl=en&ll=42.246024,-83.685436&spn=0.021126,0.042701&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=46.005754,87.451172&z=15</a>
Enso
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 12:33 p.m.
right next door to you.
Arboriginal
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 11:40 a.m.
What a horrid idea. Lumping all the poor folk together is an idea whose time has come and gone.
grye
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 5:52 p.m.
Would you rather have individual houses built throughout the city? This is the most economical way to handle a difficult situation. Instead of diss'ing the project, come up with a better solution.
Go Blue
Wed, Jul 27, 2011 : 11:32 a.m.
What a wonderful location! Seems this development will border nice, quiet US 23. Great for raising a family. This is the best everyone can come up with?