Welcome to A2 Council Update, a recap of

the Ann Arbor City Council meeting on

July 6th, 2026. This meeting included

comments and discussion about amending

development requirements for bicycle

parking and storage, zoning properties

on Riverview Drive and Fuller Road that

were recently annexed into the city,

rezoning seven parcels at Huron and

First for a 10-story building,

regulating tree trimming and pruning to

prevent oak wilt, and directing the city

police department and city attorney to

protect houses of worship.

This is the voting chart for the City

Council meeting on July 6th, 2026. All

agenda items were approved unanimously.

Both council members from Ward 3, Travis

Radina and Aisha Gazi Edwin, were

absent. For Radina, this was his sixth

absence since taking office in November

2020.

For Gazi Edwin, this was her 21st

absence since taking office in November

2022.

You can find this voting chart and more

information about this meeting at

A2Council.com.

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The meeting included a presentation from

Mohammed Osman, chair of the Independent

Community Police Oversight Commission,

or ICPOC.

>> There are vacancies. There are five

vacancies so far. So, it's our

priority to recruit new candidates to

serve on our commission.

On a positive note, we interviewed two

potential candidates and we are moving

those nominations to the mayor and city

council through the proper procedures

for confirmation. We renewed our annual

membership with the NACO, which is the

National Association of for civilian

oversight of law enforcement. So far,

two commissioners are planning to attend

this year's conference. We held a

transparency meeting with Lieutenant

King of the professional standards

section

to review unredacted materials including

uh

body worn cameras and dashboard cameras

videos for a couple of complaints.

>> This week, after introductory remarks,

public comments, and staff explanations,

council discussed agenda items for about

25 minutes.

16 people signed up in advance to offer

public comment. Eight people spoke to

topics on the agenda. The consent agenda

this week included 20 items and

expenditures of over 4 million dollars.

Nothing was pulled for discussion.

Ahead of the meeting, one item was

removed from the agenda. An almost 3

million dollar contract would have put

all data collection and data storage

needs of the Ann Arbor Police Department

under the control of a single company.

Council considered an ordinance

amendment with requirements for bicycle

parking and storage in new developments.

Requirements for motor vehicle parking

have previously been eliminated.

In January, a previous version of this

amendment was approved unanimously at

first reading without discussion. In

February, when it would have been

approved at second reading, council

members raised concerns about where

requirements would be reduced based on

data from a study measuring actual use.

Council sent it back to the planning

commission where requirements were added

back in.

>> Among other things, the ordinance

requires bicycle parking at sites that

used to be exempt, emergency shelters,

parks, recreation, and open space, and

more, and makes bicycle parking more

plentiful, easier to find, and easier to

use, and increases the parking

opportunities for oversized cargo bikes.

>> The ordinance amendment was approved

unanimously at first reading. At a

future meeting, it will be the subject

of a public hearing and final approval

at second reading.

After a brief introduction, Council

unanimously approved zoning for a

recently annexed parcel on Riverview

Drive. At a future meeting, it will be

the subject of a public hearing and

final approval at second reading.

Without discussion, Council unanimously

approved the zoning of a recently

annexed parcel on Fuller Road. The

parcel is adjacent to and will be added

to First and Third Park. At a future

meeting, the zoning will be the subject

of a public hearing and final approval

at second reading.

Council considered a rezoning at Huron

and First Street, which will redevelop

and replace the Live nightclub and Last

Word bar with a 10-story building. Seven

parcels will be combined for the

development.

Earlier in the evening, public

commenters offered feedback.

>> The biggest issue with my with this

project that I have is that it displaces

two businesses that are successful and

are performing worthwhile functions.

The Live Friday happy hours is a

valuable showcase for hundreds of local

musicians annually. It may not have a

brass plaque near its front door, but

it's still a historic building. It's one

of the older commercial buildings in

town. The issue at

>> And at or the development of 315 West

Huron uh was brought to us last summer

by the developer, Mr. Talbert, which he

held a public forum. He dodged a lot of

issues. He had to be taken to task to

explain that

how much the units were going to cost.

It's one of the last places that people

my age and younger people who are

starting to go there can enjoy live

music that is culturally diverse and has

a history in Ann Arbor.

The building is part of Ann Arbor's

history.

And to see it torn down for a 10-story

high-rise, which will only ingratiate

this developer's profit and sense of

narcissism,

in my opinion, is wrong.

>> The sights and sounds that emanate from

beloved corners and haunts like what is

at First and Huron are what draw people

in and to our city center. I don't think

a single one of you know or care about

this party that's about to be killed.

What you're tearing down will become a

coffee shop if the plan goes as we were

told.

>> What I envision are a bunch of rich

people living in this building

eventually complaining about all the

homeless people across the street. And I

think it's going to put a tremendous

amount of pressure on that building and

that organization and the mission that

they do for those people. And my wonder

is what's going to happen to the Delonis

Center in the future. Are they going to

get kicked out? It's been a part of Ann

Arbor's culture as the Rubaiyat and

Robbie's at the Ice House and a you

know, a former disco that was a safe

place for LGBTQ+ people.

Um Ann Arbor's losing its cultural

identity.

>> Councilmember Dish offered a

substitution with this explanation.

>> The purpose of the amendment um is to

reflect that two sections of the

ordinance have changed since the version

considered at the Planning Commission.

>> The substitution removed specific

references to affordable housing,

sustainability, open space, and

sensitivity to neighboring properties.

It was accepted as a friendly amendment.

>> The permitted principal and special

exception uses shall be all of those

provided for in the D2 zoning district,

except that the 60-ft height limit

imposed by the First Street Overlay

District will not apply.

What is currently permitted on by

D2 and the first layover district is

roughly seven stories. This building

will be 10 stories, but it will have the

same density and massing that it would

have had if D2 zoning remained in place.

So, this is an infill site.

We always have to work a little harder

to make those work because they're not

starting on a blank slate.

>> Only a portion of the project is an

infill site. Over half of the project

will require the demolition of existing

brick buildings from the 19th century,

one of which includes the live

nightclub.

Council discussed the rezoning.

>> The project proposes housing at a

diversity of price points on floors 1

through 10, which will contain a mixture

of studio, one and two bedroom units.

And 15% of the units will be 60% AMI

affordable housing or a payment in lieu.

The affordability requirements may

remain may remain in place for up to 99

years, but the PUD supplementary regs

specify that the affordability

requirement will be lifted at 25 years

when the abatement ends. This is a Ward

5 project.

The business owners have spoken publicly

in favor of the sale of this building.

>> We know that this is zone D2, so it is

available for redevelopment. We

can't

um

play favorites to businesses that we

love or don't love in in our community.

Not that I don't love them all in the

fifth ward.

>> City staff answered questions.

>> Uses that are provide are allowed are

those in the D2 zoning. I would assume

that is short-term rentals. I just

wanted to make sure that that is

correct.

>> As to the first question,

uh to confirm, yes, this property is

zone D2. Currently, that does allow all

types of short-term rentals, and this

proposed planned development would

replicate those DT uses so nothing would

change in that regard. This petitioner

does has expressed that they may and

seek brownfield redevelopment incentive

through the Michigan State Housing

Development Authority. That would come

to city council for consideration

ultimately the county that could add

additional term of affordability beyond

what the supplemental regulations state.

>> I do have some some concerns I'm going

to need to contemplate between first and

second reading regarding the

term limit of 25 years for the Fort

Willow housing and supplemental

regulations as well as um

the fact that short-term rentals are are

currently permitted within this.

>> I just want to know

what why did we settle at 25 or what's

25 years here?

>> Yeah, so the in this case

ensured it's what's offered and is in

the planning commission's estimate

estimation and recommendation to you

that that term provides an adequate

adequate time period. Um but ultimately

obviously that's up to your

determination now.

>> The rezoning was approved unanimously at

first reading.

At a future meeting it will be the

subject of a public hearing and final

approval at second reading.

Council considered an ordinance

amendment that will regulate the

trimming and pruning of oak trees in the

city in order to prevent the spread of

oak wilt. The ordinance directs that

from March 1st to December 1st oak trees

will not be cut or trimmed. In that time

period any wound to an oak tree must be

sealed or painted within 24 hours.

City staff explained the need for an

ordinance.

>> We looked at March 1st through December

1st. That's the time period in which we

would not allow trimming or pruning and

that's because this is when the fungus

and the bug is the most active and this

is is easily spread. So, that's a

prohibition period. And really this

ordinance was necessary because we want

to we need a tool and we need a tool

that we can use to one educate the

public because many of our residents

probably have no idea that oak wilt is a

thing

and that their trees are susceptible

during that time period. So, it's a tool

for that. So, this is a tool to also be

able to

let our contractors know that this is

out there and through education and

homeowners knowing not to hire a

contractor

this ordinance really is important for

that.

>> By friendly amendment, language was

added to clarify that residents will not

be held responsible for painting and

sealing limb damage in response to a

weather event. The ordinance was

approved unanimously at first reading.

At a future meeting, it will be the

subject of a public hearing and final

approval at second reading.

After a brief introduction, council

unanimously approved the

reclassification of a liquor license at

Anna's House Restaurant on East

Eisenhower.

Without discussion, council unanimously

approved temporary outdoor sales of

alcohol during Art Fair for the Michigan

Theater, Slurping Turtle, New York Pizza

Depot, and Sava's.

Council considered a resolution in

response to protests at houses of

worship. The resolution directs the Ann

Arbor Police Department to renew

training and directs the city attorney

to develop an ordinance modeled after

New York. When requested by a place of

worship, the police department will

develop a plan for protection and

security within 45 days.

The city attorney is directed to craft

an ordinance modeled after a recent New

York law. That New York law was recently

criticized by the New York ACLU as a

tactic to chill speech. Public

commenters spoke out in support of the

resolution.

>> This is a critical first step to

ensuring that places of worship in Ann

Arbor remain a safe and vibrant part of

the city. This fall, we'll celebrate my

daughter's bat mitzvah.

When our out-of-town friends and family,

many who live near blocks from Temple

Israel, arrive on Saturday morning for

Shabbat services, I expect many will

feel threatened, nervous, and unsettled

by the sight of the protesters as they

enter the synagogue.

>> I never imagined that one day I would be

standing here not as an advocate for

another community, but as a member of

one myself, asking for my own city to

help protect my own family. When my

daughter celebrated her bat mitzvah, one

of the my preparations was to prepare an

email warning our guests that they

should expect protesters outside our

synagogue. This is not something any

parent should have to do before a

child's religious celebration. Over

time, I've watched the rhetoric outside

of our synagogue shift from criticism of

Israel to targeting Jewish people and

Jewish identity.

>> Commenters referred to protests that

have occurred at a local synagogue for

over 20 years. This is the third city

council resolution in response to those

protests. In 2004, city council passed a

resolution condemning the protests.

In 2022, city council passed a

resolution condemning anti-Semitism and

declaring support for the Beth Israel

synagogue and all members of the Jewish

community in Ann Arbor.

This week, Mayor Taylor offered remarks

in support of the resolution.

>> The First Amendment protects much of

this speech, and of course, we obey the

First Amendment.

But, we also know that speech can create

fear and can be a prelude to conduct,

and that intimidation by speech is not

protected. The resolution directs the

administrator, upon request of religious

groups, to develop advanced plans to

respond to pickets and protests in the

event that those activities go beyond

protected speech and violate law.

The resolution directs the city attorney

to provide city council with an

amendment of consideration to augment

our disturbing the peace ordinance.

>> The resolution was approved unanimously.

The meeting adjourned before 9:00 p.m.

with no additional public comment. For

more information about this meeting,

visit A2Council.com.

>> Welcome

to this week's A2 Council moment of Zen.

>> If you didn't follow that, which would

be understandable, what I'm saying is

that planning commission had the

foresight that if you are a visitor to a

building, what is technically an upgrade

to a higher and more expensive level of

parking is actually not an advantage to

you because it means less parking that

is publicly accessible, not better

parking. So, there we are.

I'd like to give the beautiful nerds

their

>> They did.