It was written when the Friends were in the process of saving DW
LATEST NEWS: Focus changing from preservation to stewardship. Now that Dicken Woods has been saved as Ann Arbor parkland, the main focus of Friends of Dicken Woods will be shifting from the preservation of the woods to an active stewardship program. Stay tuned for more. Next Meeting of Friends of Dicken Woods tentatively scheduled for early February 2004. More details to come. Oct. 8, 2003: The Ann Arbor City Council voted to purchase Dicken Woods on Tuesday October 8, 2003! Read more.
In November 2002, the Dicken neighborhood
of Ann Arbor received alarming news that a large Novi
development corporation planned to install their
standard large mass townhouse developments in the midst of our
neighborhood of single family homes. But the story doesn't end there ... [Read More ...] The developer has the money, but it's our neighborhood, our city, and our Master Plan. And we're saving Dicken Woods! The Friends of Dicken Woods next meeting is tentatively scheduled for early February 2004. More details to come on exact date/time. All are welcome! Please join, even if you can only stay for part of the meeting. There are no further obligations (though any help is welcome!), just come along, meet your neighbors and other concerned citizens, and stay informed. The Friends met most recently on November 3, 2003. The meeting minutes are available. |
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The
developer, we learned, is homogenizing S.E. Michigan with
major developments in over 16 area communities to-date, and
more on the way. Their vision for our neighborhood called for
3+ story high, large mass buildings dropped within 25 feet of the existing
houses, most of which are single story ranch
homes. While there is nothing wrong with townhouse developments in general, the
proposed new large mass apartment style structures would tower over and
dwarf the adjacent houses of the existing neighborhood.
And worse,
the developer's profit was to be
realized at the expense of a beautiful wooded natural area,
home of important natural features including wetlands,
woodlands, significant slopes, and extensive wildlife. The
site, known as Dicken Woods, lies within the headwaters of Allen's Creek, itself an important
environmental entity in Ann Arbor with a major impact on the
quality of the Huron River.