Midwestern Consulting

Another example of a “development friendly-ier” Ann Arbor:

Ann Arbor Administrative Amendments (A4) to approved site plans permit increased building square footage of up to 10 percent of the approved floor area, or 10,000 square feet (sf), whichever is less.  An A4 is approved by staff, does not require a full site plan, Planning Commission, citizens participation, or City Council meetings. 

Larger additions or conversions of excess parking to building square footage can be done incrementally by breaking up proposed floor area increases into phases getting each phase approved separately.  Each phase is subject to the 10 percent/10,000 sf limit.    The additions are not cumulative and can be done in multiple stages that together exceed the 10 percent/10,000 sf maximum.

For example, an existing 100,000 sf retail center with 400 parking spaces now requires 323 to 377 spaces.  Parking could be reduced by up to 77 spaces, building square footage could be increased, or a combination of the two could be done to take advantage of the lower requirements. The maximum increase in building area is 23,870 sf (subject to maximum lot coverage and floor area ratio limits).  This could be done in three Administrative Amendments.

Earl Ophoff, LSA, is a registered landscape architect and senior project manager with Midwestern Consulting, Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Call Earl at 734.995.0200.

Ann Arbor’s parking space requirements passed in 1999-2000 means fewer spaces needed and more area available for development.

If you own an existing commercial building in Ann Arbor, you may be able to expand your square footage without going through site plan approval.

How’s that?  Ann Arbor’s parking space requirements passed in 1999-2000 means fewer spaces needed and more area available for development.

Office uses approved prior to 1999 were usually designed to meet higher parking count requirements.  Same with commercial uses approved prior to 2000. The reduced requirements create opportunities for additional development including adding square footage to your existing buildings, constructing new buildings, removing parking, or creating outlots.

Existing office and commercial uses in Ann Arbor may now have excess parking spaces that could be converted to additional income producing assets. New parking requirements for office use range from a minimum of 1:333 sf to a maximum of 1:250 sf.  Many office developments prior to 1999 were designed with 1:250 sf and even 1:200 sf. 

New parking requirements for some commercial uses are also given as a range.  Prior to 2000, retail stores and retail centers of under 300,000 sf were often designed with 1:200 sf.  Current reduced requirements range from a minimum of 1:310 sf to a maximum of 1:265 sf.

Another benefit:  new building square footage can be approved administratively, avoiding the higher cost of a full site plan, and the potential for public review, subject to additional limitations.

Earl Ophoff, LSA, is a registered landscape architect and senior project manager with Midwestern Consulting, Ann Arbor, Michigan.  Call Earl at 734.995.0200.

Nothing like an erosion of tax base to get government to change it’s hidebound ways.  We are glad to see that Pittsfield Township is leading the way in the Ann Arbor area as this AnnArbor.com article suggests.

David Kwan is a development consultant working for Midwestern Consulting.  David can be reached at 734.646.7109.