A letter addressed to the Planning Commission from Ann Arbor native Ken Burns about the Draft Comprehensive Plan. Read by resident Tony Pinnell at the April 1st, 2025 meeting:

--------------

March 31st, 2025

To the Planning Commission, Ann Arbor,

Word has reached me that the planning commission in Ann Arbor has prepared a draft comprehensive land use plan that many residents fear will alter the city's college town landscape too radically. I've read that while smart high-density development is welcome at many locations, the plan's broad-stroke approach exposes much of old Ann Arbor to tear down and high-rise building catering only to wealthy buyers and high-end renters.

I grew up in Ann Arbor in a small modest wooden house that's still there in Burns Park at the bottom end of Wellington Court, a little back alleyway off of Cambridge. I went to Burns Park Elementary, Tappan Junior High School, and Pioneer. I graduated in 1971. I walked down Minerva Road, Olivia, and South Forest every day. It delights me that school children of Burns Park who perhaps watched some of my work may actually pass by my house and maybe, just maybe, be inspired.

Creativity is born from knowing and curating our past while exploring and embracing the future. Ann Arbor has traditionally enjoyed a strong sense of the past mixed with innovative cutting-edge thinking. My hope is that the town can find a healthy, productive balance to modernize intelligently and ergonomically, but also to retain, nourish, and rejuvenate its storied history and architecture. That moderation and balance will keep your sense of place strong.

Sincerely,

Ken Burns