Summary
Council added a 10th parcel (548 S. Fifth Ave) to the 15-story, ~240-unit Dean II project and approved the Dean II Area Plan. Supporters say it's exactly where dense student housing belongs; opponents call it spot zoning that removes an R4C buffer, misses affordable housing that a PUD could have captured, and funnels traffic into dead-end streets.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 2
Discussed at 1 meeting in the last 60 days; most recently Nov 5, 2026.
Impact analysis
Critics say using a PUD instead could have yielded 36 affordable units or about $3.5 million for the affordable housing fund.
The developer gets a squared-off site, and students get more housing near campus on the tax rolls.
Fifth Avenue neighbors say the D1 boundary pushes a high-rise edge into their residential block with no affordable housing in exchange.
Mentions & discussions (3)
City Council — November 5, 2026
Council added a 10th parcel (548 S. Fifth Ave) to the 15-story, ~240-unit Dean II project and approved the Dean II Area Plan. Supporters say it's exactly where dense student housing belongs; opponents call it spot zoning that removes an R4C buffer, misses affordable housing that a PUD could have captured, and funnels traffic into dead-end streets.
Ann Arbor aims to expand downtown zoning around University of Michigan campus
Ann Arbor aims to expand downtown zoning around University of Michigan campus MLive.com
City Council — March 2, 2026
Council rezoned nearly an acre between Fifth and Fourth Avenues to allow a 14-story student apartment tower. Neighbors called it a spot rezoning that jumps ahead of the new comprehensive plan and crushes nearby historic homes; supporters said the housing crisis demands density near downtown and transit.
Related development
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for Ann Arbor
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.