We oppose the destruction of the 3420 Glazier Way urban forest and urge the Ann Arbor City Council and the Ann Arbor Planning Commission to reject the proposed annexation, rezoning, and site plan for the Glazier Heights townhome project.
At 3420 Glazier Way in northeast Ann Arbor, the proposed 76-unit Glazier Heights development could clear-cut over 450 trees across an 8-acre wooded site. We understand that Ann Arbor needs housing, but not at the cost of wiping out a mature urban forest that already does so much for the community. This project does little to save any trees and should be stopped or greatly reduced to benefit the people of the City of Ann Arbor.
This forest is not empty land. It is a dense, established tree canopy that helps absorb stormwater, cool the neighborhood, and support wildlife habitat. Once it is gone, it cannot be quickly replaced. The loss would permanently weaken the natural buffer that protects nearby homes and streets, and it would add to the urban heat island effect at a time when Ann Arbor should be protecting every tree it can.
The site is also directly south of the Glazier Hill Nature Area, making it part of a larger natural landscape that deserves care, not removal. Replacing this wooded area with high-density R4E development would be out of character with the surrounding residential area and would break up the green space that gives this part of Ann Arbor its identity.
We ask our city leaders to choose a better path: protect the 3420 Glazier Way urban forest, respect the Glazier Hill Nature Area, and plan for growth without sacrificing one of the city’s most valuable natural assets.
The proposed density is completely inappropriate for this area. The traffic impact this would have is extremely dangerous at an intersection that has already had many accidents and one related death. The loss of this forest would be terrific for the ecosystem.