More Unnecessary Development in A2

"Ann Arbor City Council OKs 42 North student apartments off Maple Road
Posted by Judy McGovern | The Ann Arbor News September 09, 2008 08:26AM

Hours of debate, fact-finding and agonized decision-making ended Monday when Ann Arbor's City Council OK'd a controversial student-apartment project off South Maple Road by a 7-4 vote."

42 North (a large-scale apartment complex aimed at student tenants) is a perfect example of an unnecessary development that is helping to ruin the landscape of Ann Arbor. The location of this development faces peaceful Dicken Woods Nature Area and will be a neighbor to the single-story, ranch-style development known as Surrey Park. This will be the tallest development (3 stories) south of Pauline Blvd. along South Maple Rd. It will have some 120 apartments and nearly 500 parking spaces.

Basically, almost nobody who lives in the area surrounding 42 North wants it built but it will be built. Grace Bible Church benefits greatly from this sale of property (which will also destroy two perfectly good ranch homes that were once homes for the ministry). Not only are they flush with cash but they will now have a built-in group of young people that they can proselytize within walking distance of their church.

Plainly, the area does not need such a development. Besides the obvious demands on local roads, storm drainage, and utility consumption, it is simply incongruous with its neighbors. A much better fit would have been a modest condo or single family home development but those models may not have been as financially attractive to either the church or potential developers. But everyone has asked the simple question: where do they think they are going to get all of the student tenants that they are aiming this development at? The University has recently expanded on-campus housing. New (much closer) off-campus developments have already been authorized. And nearby apartment complexes are all advertising for more tenants. Where are all of these new student tenants going to come from?

I'm disappointed in Grace Bible Church, the Ann Arbor City Council, and Mayor Hieftje. Such a decision begs the question: who runs Ann Arbor? It isn't the citizens. It isn't the Mayor. It isn't the City Council. Apparently, it is the developers who run Ann Arbor. Developers who are powerful enough to bull-doze local people and their government by threatening to bring in the lawyers and whip out a lawsuit which is exactly what happened in this very sad case.

Why Does Senator Barack Obama Hate Michigan?

Senator Barack Obama doesn't seem to like Michigan (I believe he's pointing at our star in the picture). He didn't want to help the democrats of Michigan have their voices heard by supporting some kind of primary re-vote. Of course, that wasn't in his best interest as he was satisfactorily ahead in the delegate count when the issue was brought up (maybe his tune will change if Sen. Clinton wins some more primaries).

But now, Sen. Obama wants to blame the Detroit auto industry for our nation's oil woes (see recent news story "Obama hits Big 3 on SUVs"). This is a well worn leftist doctrine to blame industry for nearly everything. You see according to this doctrine, industry is the faceless enemy out to rob us of our dollars, our freedoms, our future. Well I'm a centrist and I think the leftist doctrine is a bunch of hooey. What Sen. Obama fails to acknowledge is the "personal responsibility of each American" in regards to our environment and economy. The American consumer has had automobile choices (even from the Big 3) over the past decade that were reasonably fuel efficient. The American consumer voted with its pocketbook for SUVs and trucks. Well it is a free market (hear that Sen. Obama) and the American consumer wanted what its appetite demanded - large, hulking vehicles. The automotive companies simply met the desires of the consumers. Funny though, while Sen. Obama throws rocks at the Big 3, he fails to acknowledge that Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW and whole lot of brands also have large, hulking vehicles in their current portfolios. To borrow his own phrase "that's truth-telling" Sen. Obama.

The reality is the the stakes have changed. The world oil market has been infiltrated by speculators (like the housing market was until it went bust). Competition for available oil has increased because of a combination of world population and a thriving economies like those of China and some other emerging countries. Our own refining industry is overburdened. But in the end, we Americans are most to blame. We wanted what our psyches and appetites demanded - bigness. We Americans like all-you-can-eat buffets; biggie-sized meals; large McMansions; and big hulking vehicles. But Sen. Obama doesn't want us to look in the mirror. He would prefer to let us off the hook and shift the blame on to faceless industry. That's a shame. And that makes me question his overall judgment.

If Senator Obama wants to really establish some "truth-telling" in our country then he needs to call-out the American consumer. But he won't. Tell America that it needs to buy (more likely lease) more fuel efficient "available" alternatives (my suggestions besides the obvious hybrids: Honda Fit, Ford Focus, Toyota Yaris or this fall's Saturn Astra). Fuel efficient vehicles are sitting on retail lots across America gathering dust and pollen just waiting for a good home (though I hear a few are finally rolling off the lots since gas recently surpassed $3.50 a gallon). Now that's some "truth-telling" that I'd like to hear from Sen. Obama. Also, he needs to assure us Michiganders that he doesn't hate us.

The Michigan Democratic Party Needs New Leadership

You decide? Not Democrats and Independents in the state of Michigan due to the January disaster also known as the 2008 Democratic Primary.

With the race for the Democratic Presidential nominee between Senators Clinton and Obama so close that each state has become a crucial battleground after Super Tuesday, I think it is now even more clear that the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) horribly failed Democrats and Independents in our state. The MDP and the National Democratic Committee (NDC) failed to negotiate (isn't that what politics is about?) and in so doing silenced the state of Michigan during this important part of the democratic process.

Like many other Democrats and Independents, I did not vote on the day of the sham Primary. What was the point? Even if I supported Hillary Clinton, a vote for her was a waste of time without legitimate delegates. The entire Primary was a waste of time and resources. The party Spin Doctors were out prior to the Primary trying to convince people to go vote "Uncommitted." What the hell does that mean? It would seem that the idea was to give up "my" opinion of the best suited candidate and place that decision fully into the hands of some fictitious delegate. Huh? And I suspect the MDP has a bridge across Lake Superior that they'd like to sell me too. No, I mean that I would "donate" for. Screw you.

What should happen following this debacle? Well who's responsible for not working out an agreement between the DNC and the MDP? From this state, the ultimate responsibility is with the leadership of this state's party and that is Party Chairman Mark Brewer. Simply stated: Mark Brewer should step down and clear the way for new leadership. The Michigan Democratic Party needs to work with the NDC and not run rogue and sacrifice the voices of Michigan voters.

Plum Market: Gold Plated not Sugar Coated

Upscale grocery shopping has finally come to the west side of Ann Arbor. We do have Arbor Farms Market and Fresh Season's Market which carry some of the same products but Plum Market is more on the scale of the Whole Foods chain witnessed locally on the east side of Ann Arbor off Washtenaw Ave. and home to one of the worst parking lots in North America.

My wife and I visited the new Plum Market for the first time this week and I can state quite certainly that this market will not hurt the local Krogers, Busch's, or Meijers stores. The Plum Market might as well be called the "Gold-Plated Plum Market" (just as some locally refer to Whole Foods as "Whole Wallet"). They openly refer to themselves as a "High-End Supermarket" and that translates for the rest us into "High-Priced Supermarket." They are seeking the Crème brûlée of the Ann Arbor incomes who frequent places like Zingerman's Roadhouse and the downtown Chop House Restaurant. Unfortunately, with the local closing of Pfizer, they've lost a lot of their target clientèle. And believe me, the usual frequenters of the Maple Village shopping center (which includes Kmart and one of the largest dollar stores in town) are not going to be shopping there very often if at all.

We did our "Food Tourist" walk-through with a hand basket and picked up a few things. Most of what we bought were semi-prepared or prepared foods. And they all tasted quite good but on the whole they were overpriced. One bargain was a Asiago-crusted French baguette. The blending of the Italian cheese and French style bread was very good and only $1.99 a loaf. They also had some very nice, rich oatmeal raisin cookies (with walnuts) for $4.99 for a package of 8. But the salad buffet was $7.99 a pound and that was for simple green salads that one prepares for themselves as well as for prepared salads. They should have different prices for those two types of salads. How about $12.99 a pound for Turkey Lasagna? It tasted very good but again, overpriced. I suspect that the same people who pay a ridiculous $2.50 for a cup of Zingerman's brewed coffee won't bat a groomed eyelash at such prices. I won't even get into the regular grocery item prices like toilet paper and milk because I guess you can't compare all natural, anti-biotic free, pesticide free, socialist made products to your typical grocery store item. But even this card-carrying Sierra Club member has his limits.

I wish them well as I do all Ann Arbor businesses and they'll need good luck here in Michigan's near recession economy. Maybe they'll learn to moderate their prices over time and attract the other 80% of Ann Arbor and the surrounding townships. I'll check back in a few months and see if the prices have come back to reality. In the meantime, it's back to Krogering with an occasional visit to Trader Joes and Fresh Season's Market.

*** 6-24-08 UPDATE ***

We have returned to Plum Market recently. The Ann Arbor News had a Sunday coupon offering $5 off of a $25 or more purchase and so we thought we'd check back in. I was pleasantly surprised to see some decent savings on products sprinkled throughout the store. Milk was being offered at a special price of $2.99 a gallon which is very reasonable these days. I noticed that the Turkey Lasagna in the prepared section has been reduced to $9.99 a pound. East Wind Peanut Butter was only $2 a jar. There are some very attractive Ice Cream choices from select dairies if you are into that food group. But unfortunately, most of the fresh produce was still overpriced in comparison to any market on the west side of Ann Arbor. The majority of food offerings are of the gourmet or specialty sort which has its customer base, though let's face it, they aren't the type of customers that worry about the rise in gasoline prices. It will be interesting to see how Whole Foods (aka "Whole Wallet" to a friend of mine) will compete when it opens its' new store on Eisenhower Blvd. sometime later this year.

The Day After

It's finally the day AFTER the 2006 elections. No more phone calls left on my answering machine soliciting my vote. No more flyers in my mail to recycle. No more screaming TV and radio ads to try and tune out. Peace at last. Here's a few post-election thoughts:

On the Gubernatorial election: Supposedly, Dick DeVos spent nearly 40 million dollars of his own money to have the voters of Michigan thoroughly and totally reject the Amway heir. I hope he has some bucks left over for a Great Lakes booze cruise because man, he's gonna need one.

On Proposal 2: The Detroit suburbs have spoken. I guess it's time to stop encouraging ethnic and economic minorities as well as women into good Universities and into professions that have traditionally excluded them (show me a woman surgeon or mechanical engineer - very rare). I guess as a white male, I should feel "more" empowered than I already am.

On Proposal 3: I'm sorry that juveniles and the disabled can't hunt Doves in Michigan. Maybe they should just shoot paper targets until they're ready to step up to hunting real game.

Leave my parking lot alone!

Ann Arbor has parking issues. We residents all know that. I've cruised city streets looking for empty spots. Whether it's a Friday night or Sunday morning or Kerrytown or Main Street, parking has its challenges. But now I read that some city officials are coveting (for purposes of constructing a Police-Court building) the surface parking lot next to the Main Library off 5th avenue. Leave my parking lot alone! This is a very convenient city lot for people to visit the library or to do business along Liberty street. I agree with Library Board Chairwoman Margaret Leary in that such a move would isolate the Main Library. And I feel it would condemn it. Many residents use that lot to go to library events along with just going in to pick up materials. And when the Federal Building lot across the street is full (as it often is), that lot is critical to doing business there. And I'm sure patrons of the nearby Afternoon Delight and Seva restaurants would also be heart broken. This city parking lot is absolutely needed and a pox on the city official who tries to take it away.

Ann Arbor District Library - Pittsfield Branch

I've now visited the Pittsfield Branch Library several times to pick-up requested materials. So I've looked around a bit at the city's newest branch library and have mixed feelings about it. This isn't a negative review but look at it like constructive criticism.

At this point, time has past where useful critiquing about the exterior can make a difference but I will say that aesthetically, it's an ugly building. It's hard, cold and metallic and everything that I don't like in modern architecture. It looks like a place that you would find frozen embryos and not paper books to browse. But at the same time, I applaud the library organization for incorporating a lot of environmentally friendly materials and energy conserving construction. That is not done enough these days and should be something that ALL commercial construction should aspire to. The property has also been well utilized with the natural resources honored and preserved. So points for materials and methods but loss of points for aesthetics.

The inside of the building is also a mixed bag. I like the open architecture that allows for lots of natural lighting from the southern exposure. There's a roominess that invites nice deep breaths. There's also a lovely reading room with a centrally placed fireplace and some comfy chairs. Plants have been brought in to create a natural break between walkway and lounge area. But beyond those things, trouble lurks everywhere. The shelving is incredibly industrial looking in keeping with the hard exterior. Ugly and uncomfortable furniture lurks in almost every alcove. The chairs are in hideous colors and resemble some sort of sling-back torture device where only children under 12 are able to get in and out of without pulling or straining some muscle. Then there's the centrally located noise device that allows patrons to fire balls using pressurized air up tall tubes. I say bring a lovely tree into the building which could grow there or create a small green habitat with different plant species that could be beautiful and educational. Anything but the noisy, ugly monstrosity that now inhabits the library's central location. Points for the sitting room but negatives for most everything else.

There's plenty of room for improvement is my overall opinion. I hope the Pittsfield Branch Library will evolve over time and turn into an inviting and comfortable environment as should be the case for all libraries.

Dick DeVos De-evolves

What's wrong with the Republicans in this state? I was just starting to like Gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos as he was saying some interesting things about how to move our Michigan economy in a better direction. Then he goes off endorsing the so-called "Intelligent Design" theory (which is the new version of Creationism) stating that he'd like to see that taught in our public schools. Sorry Dick but anyone who's studied and respects science knows that "Intelligent Design" does not meet empirical laws of serious scientific study. Where are the moderate, reasonable "Milliken" Republicans that once inhabited this state? Extinct, I guess.

The Chop House Restaurant (Ann Arbor)

In my couple of decades spent in and around Ann Arbor, I've ventured into quite a few of its' eateries. I truly enjoy different cuisine and I seek out a variety of dining experiences. I've paid for many expensive meals and as long as the overall experience is enjoyable, I suck it up and drop the plastic on the table.

Now onward to the point of this piece which is a review of The Chop House restaurant in Ann Arbor. First of all, I was there a few years ago and found it a fine dining experience with some stand out items on the menu. So a birthday rolled around again and I thought it was time to head back to this fondly remembered place.

Entering the restaurant off Main Street, you initially look at the bar...which looks back at you with the eyes of several well-heeled patrons. The bar holds people that gravitate towards expensive German cars and Italian suits. Lots of smugness in their faces and expensive booze in their palms. They are Ann Arbor's young, pretentious nouveau riche.

Then it's over to the hostess station (which also doubles as a coat check station). Friendly greetings and smiles abound and then we march off towards our table. As we pass through the long and narrow dining room, large oil canvases adorn the walls and white table linen is everywhere. Good wood is used throughout on floors and tables. Chippy patterned fabric covers the cushions along the side area while most the place in filled with many small rectangular tables. A Chicago steakhouse influence is felt throughout. We are given a decent seating in the back of the main room (along the cushioned side) looking out towards the rest of the patrons.

Now to the menus. First the wine list is long and expensive. The word "expensive" will now begin to appear frequently throughout the rest of the review. There wasn't a glass of wine under $9.95 while most half bottles were as expensive as many other average restaurants' bottle prices. So I ordered a Cosmopolitan instead. It was priced much less than a glass of wine ($5.95) and probably tasted better than most of the wine-by-the-glass choices. My dinner companion balked at the choices and stuck with water.

Time to look at the dinner menu. Now I recall from years past that The Chop House wasn't by any definition cheap but it fell short of the "expensive" category but that's no longer the case. This IS an expensive place to eat. There exists only 5 entrees barely under $30 while all of the beef choices are near or over $40. The waitress gave us some verbal choices from the specials which even included the rare delicacy of Kobe beef (we believe it went for around $80).

We both settled on a Filet Mignon special which included garlic mashes and asparagus. We thought this a good deal because all the entrees are ala cart so adding full side dishes would just push the price way up. Besides, I wanted a bowl of Lobster Bisque ($5.95) which I recalled from my last visit was excellent.

After making our entree choices, some bread arrived and so did my soup and my companion's Caesar salad ($6.95). Well the Lobster Bisque wasn't quite what I remembered as the once tablespoon of Lobster shrank to the now teaspoon of Lobster before the base was poured over it. Though it was good, it wasn't as meaty as before. The Caesar salad was acceptable if not just a wee bland.

Let's move on to the main entree. Our Filet Mignon specials ($50 each) arrived and they were not what we expected. A small but tall piece of filet was sitting in a shallow pool of garlic mashed potatoes right in the middle of the plate. On either side was a half of a piece of asparagus. Yes, that's one piece of asparagus, sliced in half and placed on either side of the centered filet. Wow. I mean asparagus isn't endangered or the most expensive vegetable on the planet but it seemed to be in this place.

We eat slowly trying to enjoy our little 12 ounces of meat. Each of our filets were done exactly as we had requested and exhibited a fine flavor. But by itself, the filet costs $39.95 and I'm sorry but it just ain't worth it.

We finished our meals and of course, there's no desert offered here as they want to send you to their expensive and uncomfortable desert cafe (La Dolce Vita). So instead of leaving my perfectly comfortable table, I thought I'd have a cappuccino to finish my meal but following my request, I was told by my waitress that their machine didn't froth well. I settled for a coffee and digested.

Finally, even after their generous birthday discount (50% off a 2 person ticket), we barely got out of there under $90. And though the service was very professional, it was almost too professional and overly formal. I prefer my service less formal and with more warmth. The surroundings aren't that special and possibly even a little bland and somewhat claustrophobic with almost no windows and so many tables. We won't ever go there again because if I want a nice steak, I can always go to either Weber's Inn or Knights which are not nearly as expensive and give you far more food for your money. And happily, they are places in which the asparagus is not an endangered vegetable.

(Originally posted 3/16/06)

Zingerman's Roadhouse Restaurant (Ann Arbor)

First of all, I've lived in this area for nearly twenty years. I've eaten and enjoyed food from both Zingerman's Deli and their Bakehouse. They always use top-notch ingredients and the food is almost always well prepared albeit a little on the expensive side. Service is always outstanding if not overly eager to please.

So when the restaurant chain Bill Knapps imploded and came to a sad end and Zingerman's bought the Jackson & Stadium location, I was hopeful. Bill's had been an old friend as the place was nearby and the food was simple, down-home cooking. Zingerman's was promising a "roadhouse" which as a traveler around this great country, I'd eaten in many such places and found some really good food at reasonable prices.

I've now eaten a brunch and a late lunch at ZR's and I can tell you unequivocally that I will not be returning until something is done about the absurd prices. How can a place fashioned after the "American Roadhouse" honestly charge their prices? They border on insane. They are ridiculous. The last time I was there, I watched a family of four sit down, get water and the menus, only to stand up and leave before ordering after they looked over the menu. I'm 99% sure it was the prices that put them off. So what kind of prices am I speaking of? $7 cup of clam chowder. $6 sliver of cake. $15 grits plate. $12 macaroni and cheese. It goes on and on. $40 (with tip) for a two person lunch should be expected.

On top of the absurd prices, the BBQ is not that good. The BBQ at Ypsilanti's Smoke House Blues restaurant is much, MUCH better. Also, the atmosphere is unappealing. One room includes the bar and standing-room tables allowing waiting patrons to sip or munch. This is a loud, noisy room that actually allows the waiting patrons to stand over many of the seated diners as they try to eat the overpriced food. Another room is crowded with picnic like bench tables and is also very loud. The fireplace room is more peaceful but the decor is just uninspiring. A few small maps and pictures can be spotted with great effort on the walls but nothing resembling a true American roadhouse atmosphere. It's like some bizarre roadhouse for uptight, overpaid, espresso-drinking, babbling, Lexus-driving yuppies. Yeah, I don't like it.

So in the end, I now really miss Bill Knapps and can only hope that Zingerman's comes to its senses and makes some much needed adjustments to their first true restaurant venture.

(Originally posted 2/25/04)