Site Plan | Taggers Village

Site Analysis, Plan & Design

This was the culminating project for a cognate course in Land Use Planning at the U of M's School of Architecture & Urban Planning during my graduate program at SI. "The course covered a broad overview of land user planning issues from the perspective of a professional planner" (Kahan). In this class we focused on sustainable land use practices, of which I have tried to incorporate into the following site plan. These include higher-density living, pedestrian orientation, and the preservation of natural features.

April 2009

Document Copy

Project Description

The site is a vacant 27 acre parcel bordered by South 1st Street on the East and West Huron on the North. The initial phase of the proposal is located on the northeast corner of the lot, occupying approximately 7 acres. The conceptual PUD suggests a mixture of uses including multi-family residential (74,000 SF), office (26,000 SF) and retail (43,500 SF). The plan proposes a pedestrian oriented village complete with retail space specifically designed for a food market, outdoor dining and seating areas. Also included in the plan are other sidewalk storefront retail facilities and second floor office space. The majority of the square footage is earmarked for residential usage with a proposed 50 units. Underground parking is provided for residents in building A. Storage for bicycles is included for residents and visitors to the site.

Community Analysis

The conceptual PUD will integrate with the surrounding neighborhoods (zoned R1, R2, R3). The pedestrian oriented retail space will accommodate residents of the surrounding community as well as the tenants. This proposal addresses the common lack of community necessities such as walkable access to grocery and dining facilities. The proposal will have minimal impact on existing public schools as the majority of tenants will not consist of large families. The proposed plan will have minimal impact on traffic patterns due to the pedestrian orientation of the site. This project will compliment the surrounding areas and Ann Arbor as a whole.

Natural Features Impact

The site has natural features including a substantial wetland area and dispersed woodland areas. The site also has 25 landmark trees which do not fall within Phase I of development. During Phase II of development, these trees will be protected and preserved. The wetland and woodland areas will also be preserved. Two retention ponds will be created to accommodate runoff and help to preserve these natural features.