New Border-To-Border Tunnel And Trail To Connect Bandemer Park and Barton Nature Area

Morning, Ann Arbor! To start your morning off with some incredibly specific (and arguably useless) Ann Arbor news, the city will test its sirens tomorrow (Tuesday) at 1 PM.

If hyper-local news isn’t what you’re after, you’re reading the wrong weekly newsletter. Let’s dive in.

Read Time: 2.5 minutes

Reader Count: 1,855 townies

Percent of Ann Arbor Reading: 1.55%

ANN ARBORITES SHOULD KNOW

🥾 New Border To Border Tunnel: Goodbye sketchy railroad crossing, you won’t be missed. Last week the city started clearing trees along the path of the planned pedestrian tunnel and paved pathway that will connect Bandemer Park to the Barton Nature Area. Phase 1 of the project (creating the trail) is expected to be complete this summer and phase 2 (creating the pedestrian tunnel unde​rpass below the railroad) is expected to be complete later this summer, assuming all permits are approved. For an overview of the project, here’s the link to the city website (you’ll have to scroll halfway down the page).

🍎 New Child Care Center: Last week, the Ann Arbor Planning Commission unanimously approved Apple Playschool’s request to convert 503 Miller Ave. (an old church house) into a new child care center. The new location will be two doors down from another Apple Playschool childcare center (511 Miller Ave.). While the commission expressed sympathy for a neighbor who complained their house would be surrounded on both sides by childcare centers, the commission described Washtenaw County as a “child care desert” that needed all the help it could get.

🎬 AA Film Festival: The 62nd annual Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF) starts in two weeks. The nationally recognized indie film festival will feature 115 films (most are less than 20 minutes long) at the Michigan and State theaters from March 26 to March 31. For tickets, a trippy trailer, and a full list of films, here’s a link to the AAFF website.

MICHIGANDERS SHOULD KNOW

⚾️ High School NIL Deals: Like college athletes, high schoolers in Michigan may soon be able to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL). A state bill, that has been passed in the House, would allow high school student-athletes to sign sponsorship deals that have been approved by the Michigan High School Athletic Association. If the legislature is signed into law, Michigan would become the 31st state to adopt such a bill.

💰  Income Tax Rate: Last week, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the state’s 2024 personal income tax rate should remain at 4.25% instead of dropping to 4.05% (like it was in 2023). In 2015, Republican state lawmakers passed legislature that ensured the income tax would be reduced on any year that the state’s revenue outpaced inflation by a set amount. In 2023, that law was triggered and Michigan’s tax rate fell from 4.25% to 4.05%. State Democrats believe the law only binds the state to the reduced tax rate for one year, while Republicans argue the law binds the state to the reduced tax rate until new legislature increases it. The decision will likely be escalated to the Michigan Supreme Court for a final ruling.

⛷️ State Ski Resorts: After a winter of record high temperatures and low snowfall, ski resorts across the state have begun closing early (Mt. Brighton closed last week). Fortunately, after a seasonal drought was declared in 42 counties across the state (droughts can be because of a lack of rain or snow), federal disaster relief loans may be available to affected businesses. Outdoor businesses can apply for up to $2 million in aid through the Small Business Administration.

ON THE MARKET

4 Bed | 2 Bath | 2,224 Sqft | $420,000

4 Bed | 3 Bath | 1,800 Sqft | $795,000

5 Bed | 4 Bath | 4,867 Sqft | $1,625,000

ADOPTABLE HUMANE SOCIETY PETS

Sylvia | 4 months | Retriever, Labrador

Kirby | 11 years | Domestic Longhair

That's all for now! Have a great week in Tree Town!

- Andrew

P. P. S. - Rebecca Cunningham, U of M’s Vice President for Research and Innovation, has been named the new President of the University of Minnesota

P. P. P. S. - Scenario: you have $2.5 million to buy your dream Michigan house. Are you buying a 4-story lakehouse in Holland or a log cabin at Crystal Mountain?