Planning commission recommends rezoning 3785 Varsity Drive to C2B, with site‑plan pedestrian/connectivity conditions

The Ann Arbor Planning Commission voted to recommend rezoning 3785 Varsity Drive (a roughly 1.26-acre parcel) from M1 (limited industrial) to C2B (business-service) and approved an accompanying area plan that envisions two buildings with about 51 bedrooms across the site.

The petitioner said a citizen participation meeting produced limited turnout and that a multimodal traffic study found peak-hour trips below the city’s threshold. Planner Michelle Bennett recommended approval, noting the site is in the city’s transition category and benefits from proximity to AAA transit (bus route 6A), but that development must respect southern floodplain/floodway constraints and include pedestrian improvements. She told commissioners that sidewalks and safe, continuous pedestrian connections to Ellsworth Road and adjacent residential areas would be required at the site-plan stage.

Remote commenters supported adding housing in the area but urged clear pedestrian connections to nearby Pheasant Run and the bus route. Commissioners debated the trade-offs of allowing housing in historically industrial pockets — especially the potential impacts on existing businesses that require semi‑truck deliveries — while recognizing the comp plan’s intent for transition zones to accommodate mixed use and mid‑rise buildings.

Commissioner Mills moved and Commissioner Wetherbee seconded the recommendation; the motion carried unanimously. Staff will require pedestrian connections and sidewalk construction as part of future site plan review and flagged floodplain constraints that shape building placement. The recommendation advances to city council for final action.