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David Fair: This is 89.1 WEMU on a post-election Wednesday. Voters in Ann Arbor have changed the future of what the city-owned Library Lane property will ultimately look like. Proposal A and B both passed by a comfortable margin. Proposal A allows transfer of the property to the Ann Arbor District Library. Proposal B rescinded a 2018 voter-approved city charter amendment that called for creation of a Center of the City commons. That plan and ballot measure was put forth by members of the Library Green Conservancy, who had a particular vision for that part of downtown Ann Arbor. Rita Mitchell is president of the Conservancy and is on the other end of the WEMU phone line. Thank you for making time today! I appreciate it!
Rita Mitchell: Thank you, David!
David Fair: You put a lot of time and effort into trying to defeat these proposals. It took quite a while for the absentee ballots to be fully counted and render a final decision. What was your initial reaction when you saw the numbers?
Rita Mitchell: Well, of course, I was disappointed that we didn't prevail, but I just want to also introduce that the Library Green Conservancy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, all-volunteer group. And in the end, I acknowledge that the numbers--and elections are about numbers--didn't support the approach that we wanted to take, which was to continue working with the city to establish a public open space that would support the community at the Center of the City. But the numbers are a thing that I think tell an interesting story because in 2018, or compared to 2018, the total number of people who voted was like 23,500. We had 26,752 voters who supported the Center of the City in 2018. So, the spread of the percentage vote of yes/no was greater, but the total number of people who voted was actually less on both sides of the issue than earlier. So, it proves that a summer vote is a different situation than a general election vote. And we feel supported by the community in general and by the votes from yesterday and in 2018.
David Fair: You said you do accept the numbers and the passage of Proposal A and B, but I'm curious as to whether you see an avenue to continue discussions through the ongoing process for the draft of the City of Ann Arbor's Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
Rita Mitchell: I don't know if I see that Comprehensive Land Use Plan as an issue with respect to our goal, but the library has proposed an open space on part of the space that was addressed in the proposals yesterday. And they have said, very much as we did, that they intend to have a public engagement process, and we would like to participate in that as well as members of the community. I think that's consistent with where we have had our thought process.
David Fair: We're talking with the president of the Library of Green Conservancy in Ann Arbor, Rita Mitchell, on 89.1 WEMU. Now, there was a lawsuit filed alleging the language of these two ballot proposals was misleading and amounted to fraud being committed on the voters of Ann Arbor. A hearing on that matter is still scheduled for August 27th. Is that something that you think should be dropped at this point or is it something you would like to see go through the process?
Rita Mitchell: Yeah, I would like it to go through the process because I think it will help all of us as members of the public understand the language and how important the language of a ballot issue is to being clear and specific about what it intends. And so, I support proceeding with it.
David Fair: Well, if, in fact, Tuesday's vote stands and the plan does move forward, where does your greatest hope and optimism lie for the new plan for the Library Lot as it's called?
Rita Mitchell: Well, in the end, I hope that it is in the range of interesting and fun that we had in mind. And I know that our group has been criticized as being interested in a cement-covered area. But I actually believe that the space that we talked about--the Library Lot area-with creativity and with careful engineering that understands what limits and opportunities there are in a space can make it a good place for people to be an interesting place and one that actually has some kind of surprises. So, I hope that to participate in that with the libraries as that group moves forward with it.
David Fair: Thank you so much for taking time today, Rita! It's much appreciated!
Rita Mitchell: Thank you!
David Fair: That is Rita Mitchell, President of the Library Green Conservancy in Ann Arbor, a group that fought hard to defeat Proposals A and B on the August 5th ballot. That did not happen, and, as a result, the future of the so-called Library Lot has changed. A little later in the program, we'll talk with Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor, who falls on the other side of the issue. He's quite happy with the result, and we'll find out why and what comes next in that conversation. For more information on all of this, stop by our website at WEMU.org. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU.
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