Election Endorsement: Vote Yes on Props A and B to support the Library

"Earth Day Celebration 2020, Center of the City Parking Deck" by Scott Trudeau. Proposals A and B would give the Ann Arbor District Library the opportunity to do something more with the Library Lot.

Vote Yes on Props A and B.

Gentle reader, the polls are open. If you are able to vote in the City of Ann Arbor, I think you should vote Yes on Props A and B. Libraries are good. Props A and B will get the community more library. Libraries are good, more library is better. Props A and B get Ann Arbor more library. You should vote for good things and that is why you should vote yes on these two city proposals.

Vote Yes for more libraries.

Props A and B would allow the Ann Arbor District Library (AADL) to fund a tremendous new downtown library by selling the development rights above the library to a developer who would build housing. Libraries are such incredible resources for the communities they serve. They are one of the few places in our community that can provide services without having to worry about a profit motive, which is really incredible when you think about it. The AADL is an outstanding library system that has shown itself to be dynamic and creative in the evolving ways it serves our community.

Vote Yes for a more sustainable, affordable, and equitable Ann Arbor.

Props A and B would allow AADL to sell air rights above the Library Lot to a developer. This in turn would allow the construction of dense housing on the site in addition to a new downtown library. More housing would help improve Ann Arbor’s housing shortage and reduce housing prices. More housing allows more people to access the city’s excellent amenities, such as the AAATA, AADL, and the Ann Arbor Public Schools. More downtown housing is sustainable because it is less carbon intensive, and allows people to live car-light or carless lives.

Furthermore, when building the Library Lane Parking Structure, an additional $15m was spent to build a superstructure that could support a 17 story building. It is important to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to us. It is a poor use of our planet’s scarce resources to not build a large structure on the Library Lot.

Vote Yes to get rid of a downtown surface lot.

The Library Green Conservancy (LGC), The Activating Committee, and the Council of the Commons have failed to build momentum behind their vision for the Library Lot. They have had no support on council since 2022. These groups have failed to build a broad base of support outside of their core members. They have had 7 years and nothing to show for it. According to former AADL Director Josie Parker, the LGC has a trackrecord of failing to act in good faith with the Library. LGC has shown themselves to poor stewards of Ann Arbor's resources. Some have even suggested they don't really want a park on the site so much as they want to prevent housing from being built there. This is especially true after the LGC dumped $10s of thousands of dollars they had raised in support of their park vision into opposing Props A and B in a legally dubious maneuver. If they truly supported a public park on the site, why not donate that money to the AADL and work together for a shared vision of a park?

The LGC has had 7 years to develop their vision for the Library Lot and nothing to show for it. Vote yes on Props A and B to give the AADL the opportunity to build something great for the entire community on the Library Lot. The AADL has a strong record of being a conscientious and trusted steward of Ann Arbor's Resrouces. They will build something great for the community with your support.

Previously:

Letter to Damn Arbor: The Library Green Conservancy and AADL
Guest Opinion: Put the Library Lot back on the ballot in 2023
Guest Opinion: Desolate and Uninviting—The Failure of 2018’s Proposal A and the Future of the Library Lot