Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
March
Year
1965
Copyright
Copyright Protected
Rights Held By
Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

By Jay Stielstra (D) (City Council, Fourth Ward) "Planning” is a word frequently heard in local political circles this spring. These are some of my feelings about the direction our planning should take.
High - rise apartments are good for Ann Arbor - if properly located - if properly. designed. I believe they should exist in or near the core of the city. There, nearness to business and schools would make driving almost unnecessary; nearness to stores would make shopping Stielstra easy and give a needed boost to our Central Business District. High-rise apartments can be one answer to urban decay and suburban sprawl, with these preparations:
1. Space must be provided for adequate parking.
2. Location must be chosen for best traffic flow.
3. Police and fire protection, as well as public transportation needs must be considered in advance.
Planning must precede all of Ann Arbor's growth - on the city's fringe as well as downtown:
1. Property of single family home owners on the edge of the
city should be protected, Multiple-unit housing in this area creates traffic congestion and increases the need for expensive road, building.
2. Wohaust establish a procedure whereby the township and the city jointly plan and regularly review the potential use of areas which will be annexed.
3. We must build low-rent housing. The need is pressing -on economic grounds - on humanitarian grounds.
"Planning” is not just a word. It's a way of assuring that Ann Arbor's growth means happiness for the many, not just financial gain for the few.