001when my name is dick Mitchell the design review board is the committee in the city that promotes design excellence and we're a group of architects landscape architects a developer a contractor planner and representative from the public's Arts Commission to talk to designers early and there's in the process in and offer what we can to promote a few more now we have a real corner so Jeff could you take a member Cooper member Mitchell here member Kinley he's on his way member Perkins member singleton member Buckwalter member katar ski here good thank heaven for the next item on the agenda is the approval of the agenda does anyone see anything they would like to reorder or add to the agenda would someone like to move approval of the agenda please Jeff moves in seconded by Gary
002okay all in favor say aye thank you and now approval of our November 13th minutes which include the review of the project we saw last month are there any comments no ok would someone like to move approval please okay this time it's Gary and Jeff is the second sir all in favor please say aye aye anyone opposed okay thank you next on our agenda is public commentary we have two public commentary periods this one the first one is for items that are not on our agenda today and then following the review of today's petition above another public commentary if anyone has comments about the petition so is there anyone who would like to speak about items not on our agenda if you could step to the mic and give us your name and adjust please
003hi my name is sophie gray and i'm a very new addition to the public art Commission and really probably what I would like to talk about eventually as the building on the agenda but I just thought I'd introduce that I'm here and a couple of the things I would like to mention today are about the light pollution ordinance that dark sky associations is bringing before the council and also about bird protection where birds are the numbers are declining dramatically and one of the things that as a problem for birds in question migratory birds is windows and crashing into windows so I just wanted to raise those as an issue later on just so that they can be considered so perhaps not now but but later if that's okay that's what that makes sense that's fine
004thank you could you repeat your name and address first yes so we get it my name is Sophie Gris a sop hie create GRI ll et thank you thank you okay now regular business before we get into the petition today we need to approve the 2020 schedule which I can see attached but we discussed last month it isn't there Oh Cameron any comments on the schedule for next year okay would someone like to move approval of the 2020 schedule camera Gary looks like he's going to support all in favor say aye thank you okay now the petition for 340 East you're on the University of Michigan Credit Union we're gonna start out with Jeff Condor planning staff members port thanks dick I just have a brief summary the site is located on the west side
005of South Division Street between East Iran and East Washington streets in the midtown character overlay district the site includes the 1936 Art Deco building designed by Albert Kahn the original portion of the building was constructed at the corner of East here on South division streets a number of additions were added since then the Anna Bird News listed the building for sale in 2009 and ultimately sold it to the University of Michigan credit union the design plan proposes to renovate the southern portion of the existing building by converting an enclosed loading area into more usable space the facade of the south east corner of the existing building is also proposed to be substantially modified by providing large windows where no windows currently exist additionally the petitioner is proposing to demolish the one-story 394 square foot loading
006dock and replace it with a one-story 511 square-foot pedestrian entry area with service access the existing dumpster will be relocated from the loading dock area to the southwest corner of the site my staff report includes a number of comments on site context and site planning the building itself as well as building elements lastly staff did recommend the petitioner consider adding solar panels on the roof and ask the petitioner to consider black metal exterior siding to match the existing black trim color of the building and that's the submarine great thank you very much okay the design team is here if someone would like to make a brief presentation and introduce your team that'd be great thank you thank you my name is Dan Whistler with Daniel's and Rebecca architects 20 80 South State Street with me
007is Fred Vasquez a member of our staff and also members of the credit union Deanne Ramos the vice president of branch operations of facilities and credit units facilities manager Nicholas so we're here primarily to answer any questions that you may have but if if you're willing I will be happy to take you through a kind of a brief overview of the project and what we have contemplated for presentation as mr. cannon said we are working with an existing building that was originally dates from 1936 the North East quadrant of the building was the original Ericom building and this building has grown over time so in 1962 an addition was placed onto the west side of the building basically the same depth as the Albert Kaun which is about the northern half of our our building
008in 1965 another addition that opens Robertson right was added on to the southeast corner that addition primarily contained a large press bay for the growing and our news operations and that is that is our primary focus of this project within that portion of the building and then in 1986 a large somewhat large addition was added on to the southwest quadrant to the building and then in I think about 2010 2011 a portion of the 1965 Edition that was one story was raised up by adding a third floor and created it to be a three-story building in that portion so the building has evolved and changed over time our project is primarily focusing on the portion that was built in 1965 as Jeff said the crediting purchased the building from the Ann Arbor news in around
0092010 and ever since this building has served as the headquarters of administrative offices for the credit union so the credit unit has not had a branch space to serve their membership within the building and so this project is primarily geared towards that to create a new branch to provide financial services direct to the members from this site so that's our primary focus as we take you through our building as I'm sure you're familiar the building sits fronting on the street we have an existing parking lot on the west side and the the primary areas that we're touching at least from an exterior standpoint are the southeast corner that addresses the intersection and and then removing the former loading dock or current loading dock and service area which is going to be created removing that adding
010a new entry for the branch and sort of maintaining the service aspect for the building for you no waste and recycling functions and then moving the dumpster and enclosure and everything that was in the loading dock per se it to a new enclosure that's on the west southwest corner of this site so that's kind of the overview the the portion of the loading dock were obviously raising grade so it's no longer depressed and bring in new very free entrance into the branch and then kind of creating a wall as a backdrop to help strengthen that sense of entrance and also screen kind of the service side of that portion of the building this is our existing plan you can see the sort of footprint in white of the loading dock it's fairly modest I think
011it's about 390 some square feet that were removing adding back about 500 square feet in the new branch through a physical change of about a hundred and seventeen square feet of of actual increase of footprints this is the branch footprint right now the since the ready unit purchased the building the press Bay which is really a three-story kind of height space or two-and-a-half storey height space has been sort of underutilized space it's basically storage now and so this project is going to capture and utilize that space we're in filling a extension of the third floor and that high base base and using the lower floor which is kind of really one and a half stories for the branch and the zone you see highlighted in blue the green area is the entry entry courtyard or
012elements as we come into the space this is sort of technically a three-story building the Albert Kaun building was designed as a two-story building with a small modest mezzanine and current our current approach and document in the building is that met original mezzanine is now called the second floor and that second floor is just a portion of the building it has very low floor two floors somewhat compromised as space goes and then what was the original second floor of the out building is now what we call third floors so a good portion of the that's just the southern half of the building actually has first floor a basement space and third floor space there's no second floor space so just just so you understand the general layout of how the lay of the land goes
013for the for the facility one major objective that's the second floor and this is the third floor infill where we're actually adding physical space with in side the existing building envelope sections that are showing the heights and then this is exterior elevations that are proposed the the two really major interventions with the building is to address the south east corner that fronts on the intersection of Washington and and division as I said that 1965 edition which was artfully designed really housed in the manufacturing space of that large press and did not have the need for windows or any type of natural light naturally what could have been nice but it was really manufacturing space not office space so it had a different purpose than what we see today so our intent is to sort of
014create a large glass wraparound Bay at that corner that will provide windows into the branch space make a stronger connection to the pedestrian streetscape as well as sort of really addressed the importance of that corner and the northbound traffic that we see on Division Street as you can see on the south side of the the Southside the to the left of our new proposed curtain wall glass corner area that is the extension of the 2010-2011 third floor infield where those tall vertical glass areas are currently shown and then to the left of that is the new proposed one-story branch entry and entry element so there is a change in grade from our our space and the sidewalk elevation so the first floor of this building is set we want to say about 36 inches or
015there abouts below below the sidewalk at the corner and so part of our strategy is to elevate space at that actual corner one of the things we're trying to not not make the building feel like you are kind of stepping into a basement or sort of subterranean space to try to bring the interior up and feel more like it's common with with the exterior and then that Plaza entry Plaza creates a series of sloping sidewalks and some few steps to sort of make the necessary changes so we can come into the first-floor entry at grade we have not considered using black metal panels over the proposed blue obviously University of Michigan credit union very much follows the spirit of the University and so blue is an important aspect of their brand identity and how they
016wish to promote themselves the the credit unions brand is probably can easily be summarized by the some of their newer branch facilities there their most recent branch in town or near town is on carpenter Road that is very similar to the the first I guess flagship branch on South State Street where the building is clad in limestone with glass and blue metal panels as way of trying to establish their connection to the University and the port and community that they serve so that is something that that was an important element we are currently under construction with a new branch in a renovated building on South University and that is also kind of in keeping with how we're treating the corner there and so this is part of their overall image and how they present themselves
017to their membership this is that corner from from the intersection you see the extension of the the original Albert Kaun building to the far right the 1965 Colvin Robinson building with black granite panels we are proposing to intersect some select windows into that new third floor space up along the top element and then turn the corner with a very glassy strong image that will provide not only windows out in connection to the street but you know view into the into the branch and the new sort of upper third floor space and this is a view of the new entry for the branch picking up sort of the diagonal or sloping blue metal roof that is indicative of their South State Street and carpenter road branches using limestone that matches the existing limestone on the building
018and reducing kind of a site wall that screens the sidewalk pedestrian experience and kind of channels you into the new entry into the branch and separates from the what is now going to be a green space and a sidewalk area that allow facilities to be able to still walk the waste a recycling out to the new dumpster enclosure so that is the extent of our brief presentation we're happy to answer any questions and take any comments that you have to offer we did we I guess we should say we have not considered solar panels on the roof but we will take that as a item of discussion back to the credit union president administration we do have on the southern portion of the roof a fairly clean roof scape and we are actually working at
019a another project for the credit union right now to replace their chiller which is going to remove that cooling tower which you can see in I don't know if it shows up here I guess you do see it in this for the brown blob up on the roof is a wood clad the equipment screen that is going to go away fortunately and so that whole southern portion of roof scape is fairly clean and south-facing and and I don't know that the credit union will want to sign up for adding those but we're proposing certainly doesn't prevent any of that from happening in the future so it's certainly an opportunity that may be considered yeah I asked her to answer any questions thank you Dan who would like to go first with questions and comments our
020understanding is we do not the project is going to go through the site plan site site plan process and go through an administrative approval and that is allowing us to not have to address the existing impervious area we are probably I don't have that exact number Fred does but we're going to be a net reduction in the pervious area with the green scape and changing the loading back so we're improving the situation but underground storm all the attention on this site is very costly other questions people are soaking it in go ahead I'm John I'm the I've got five minutes on this board I've been here for five minutes so I'm just getting the lay of the land I'm the representative the Art Commission and the City Council is interested in seeing more public art
021within development projects hence my reason so the first question I'm asking have you considered public art for this project and if so where and could you I would have to say we in the credit union have not considered public art the I guess the opportunities on the site are may be somewhat limited in terms of anything physical or three-dimensional sculptural we are proposing some low planners as we're trying to create great change from the street sidewalk to our sloping walk that'll create the very free access to the entry that could be an opportunity for something along there obviously we have a curving wall where we're proposing some signage at the entrance that is one of the maybe few areas where there's a somewhat of a blank canvas for art but we have not had those
022conversations with the credit union so we could certainly begin that conversation would you be open to ideas about about public art there I won't defer that yeah I think we would sort of be open to having the conversation with the Christian universe tration I would anticipate art is art is in the eye of the beholder correct so placing placing public art on a building I guess they would want to be somewhat circumspect of the nature of the art and I know in our current project under construction on South University the the building originally had some of the historic Street exhibit panels on the facade and where we were making modifications with new vendor book window openings we did not have the opportunity to keep those and the location so we had offered the crane you
023had offered to the historic street district commission or committee we could accommodate them on the other side so I think they were very willing to accommodate that those particular panels really spoke to the South University Street streetscape in that situation of hosting something like that and we can certainly take that I'm also a director on the historic Street exhibit program so and we applaud your willingness to to do that we this this may not fit into your fit into your definition of public arts but part of the credit unions brand is they they do a very nice job and if you have a chance to drive past the State Street branch their conference room internally is kind of decorated with a lovely mural of photos of campus it's all kind of monochromatic and blue tones
024and we had proposed something like that similar in this building where you'd be able to kind of see that through the through though the glass areas that we're presenting ourselves to the street and so there's kind of an image of I guess a visual image whether you consider that artwork or not but but it was something that that helps to I have seen that III but I'd defer possibly my other board members might have other questions if they who would let go next Gary Gary sure Mike I'm sorry excuse me I was saying I think it's the building's unique in downtown for such a large building that all the additions that occurred over periods of time followed a common theme each addition respected the previous previous remember when he built the rear addition with the
025black granite with undyed to the existing black granite on the building but done in a in a more contemporary way at the time and then the new entrance it's off here on street we've developed in that same style and I think was quite compatible to building the original Albert Kaun portion of the building is certainly eligible for the National Register and could be listed and is significant architectural II the 65 addition by Colvin Robinson is utilitarian in a way but it's quite respectful with original building I think that the fact that this addition is such a contrast that does not include any of the original materials it stresses your brand identity which I understand why you want to do that but I think it's not respectful to building and in any way I think that
026the brand identity could be expressed in the signage some of the components of the building but I don't see the need to make the entire statement your brand identity from our perspective as a design review board I am generally going to be critical of of this approach and in this design I think that the example you show on South University would be exactly like this and I think that addition is or that modification to that building it's unfortunate may I respond sure go ahead I appreciate your your your comments and your thoughts just to clarify you're I think your comments are are mainly geared towards the core the corner glass intervention understand your your sentiments we are in in the other aspects of the project we are being very sympathetic to the existing materials the
027new entry element where the loading dock used to be is being clad in limestone indicative of the context trying to be sympathetic to to not only be what was the original 65 portion of the building but also the 2010-2011 third floor extension of that the we hope that we may make some improvements to the 1986 edition that it was Addison Jacobs benefactor I worked at that project in my earlier days the the they're glazed block that they used as you know to be indicative of black granite has never looked good since day one because it wasn't properly cleaned so we hope to maybe to make some improvements on that the 1962 I don't think we have an image of it in our presentation but the 1962 edition is that the Colvin Robinson along Division Street
0286501 on Corinth excuse me yeah front side it's where the new entrances or the current entrances that think you comes into the 62 Edition one word who the architect was for that but the the 65 Edition where we're working is I think call the Robinson but the 1962 edition that most people don't really see other than what fronts on here on that faces the parking lot actually the majority that facade is a curtain wall system it's a 1962 version of curtain wall so it's a little long in the tooth and somewhat tired but our sort of intervention on the southeast corner of using glass and curtain wall is is actually not unlike the you know in terms of general spirit not unlike what we have actually faced in the parking lot but it's just in
029a a 1960 iteration of that so I just wanted to point that out as a part of our thinking and and how we were trying to be mindful and respectful of the the existing conglomeration of buildings that are on the site okay Jeff Thank You next I don't one of the best examples of this era of architecture even though it was added on to several times as gary said the additions were always pretty sympathetic to the original Albert Kaun design I don't find anything about what you're doing to the corner of this building to be in keeping with to be respectful of any of that former architecture and I don't really think that it's good designed to begin with even if it stood by itself on a site I don't like the blue color being
030introduced as such a as a I'd feel the same way if Nike came into town I wanted to put a Nike swoosh on the corner of the building and say that that was their brand I feel the same way about this it's just inappropriate I don't mind what you're doing to the loading area I think having a main entrance for your facility is fine over there it's sort of tucked behind the corner I still don't like the blue not I have nothing against blue or the University of Michigan I just think that this black and white and tan building it it just doesn't fit with it in my opinion the fenestration along the south side I'm not sure if that was when that edition was done but I like that I don't see why that
031couldn't have been incorporated with this so I mean I hope you'll take some of these comments to heart I just think that what you're doing to this building is not good I think it would be nice if if the building is sort of being adaptively reused into 20:19 that there are elements of the existing architecture that could and should be used I have to agree with Gary and Jeff's comments I know this is a tough building it's a we've talked about it in the past and but I and I have I love the credit you know I've been a member for 40 years continued to be and I'll find your branch whether it's got blue on it or not I think the brand identity is taking over the design in this case and and I
032agree that this this is a very unusual building and very important building for downtown Ann Arbor I'm so happy you guys are in it and using it but it's I think it's it's the addition at the corner and that's really what I'm my focus is on the entry I think is works well and I think give some some identity on the street I think you can see it it looks like at least from this you can see it as you're coming approaching the building from the vision or Washington but the and and I'm I think appropriate interventions are appropriate district or historic buildings but this doesn't there's nothing about it that that picks up on the existing building there's no rhythm there's no Heights cut materials anything and I think you know I'd I'd hope
033that maybe in this case that the historic building could have a bit more importance I guess to then thus the the brand identity I your comments about the back being more of a curtain wall or storefront you know is more the back it's sort of that really on Ali but the parking lot the back side where this is like a very important corner that you see coming down division everyone sees so I think there's a little difference there and then the other comment I had was about the windows and I just wanted I didn't have a chance to drive by on the way here but there's the notes on here those windows are new on the division side the littles and you know I am yeah the little punched opening so there I mean if
034did you think about picking up maybe more on the I understand maybe the need to put some light in that space it was a manufacturing space but to pick up maybe on the other windows that are along that side they just find those who punched openings a little awkward there I assume you have some maybe some issue with a ceiling height or something but you know it you know may there's a way to deal with that because it it they look awkward and like little punched openings instead of like designed in intentionally I don't disagree with you that we proportioned as you can see from this image the Albert Kaun building has a much taller parapet and actually physically has a parapet on that portion of the building the 1965 Edition has essentially a gravel
035stop and no parapet so we are dealing with some architectural issues with where we can place windows we had studied different options we felt this was the most ideal or most optimal option we are picking up the sill datum you really can't go much higher than that and the other aspect of this that is coming into play is there is cross bracing within the column base and so these are strategically placed where we are not cutting through cross bracing so we have sort of limited opportunities where we can't just do everyday without some major structural intervention to the building's lateral stability so we did look at different options and this seemed to be the most regular and most most fitting that we could achieve given the existing quarry yeah I'm really in agreement with my
036colleagues here on the lack of response to the historic building and so I sit here I'm thinking you know you could with the blue I also find it to be it's almost like a tack on color and I understand the branding I've seen the carpenter road standalone building and I just wonder if you know you could make more of a statement like less is more in this case because you could do something more would take a little blue and use your entry Plaza I really like that move I think that's gonna be a great addition to the street and maybe you know people could find below the entry with the blue like oh there's there it is let let them find it and maybe that wall that's a wall right with the University of Michigan
037with a sign on it that could be where you play around with the color I mean looking at how that blue sits next to the granite I just on that wall I don't see them looking good together you know the black and blue and the tan it's just a big jarring contrast that doesn't have a rationale and so if you can do something that I'm just also have my head thinking work with your entry make it that's your focal point where yeah where am I going okay then jazz that up even a little bit I mean I think it's already working with the blue doorway I also wonder about the slanting blue over the entry Plaza that line is you know not fitting in with the building that much and I'm not sure I guess
038it's like a leaden slope down but if you look at the whole area it doesn't really fit the line to the building it is unique in that it's trying to help to emphasize the entry so one can find it obviously you you might expect the interest to be at the corner and because we're somewhat mid-block with this with this entry element to kind of come in as a very free entrance without steps we you know we you saw the opportunity of a an accent color splash to draw the eye so I mean the last thing I would like is somebody walking down the street to have difficulty trying to figure out where the entrance is so it was in that thinking of trying to say this is this is where you go to you know
039we want we wanted the corner to to not only create a window into the credit union but also to you know to sort of address that special aspect of the the site but we didn't want people to stand there at the corner trying to find the front door so this was you know and I am sure what you're saying what's the where's the right level of pizzazz right right I hear what you're saying okay thanks for listening yep John on sorry go ahead John as I have been reminded by my good Lord member Jeff Perkins buildings are are so the challenge I would have and this is actually a supported agreement of other folks that if I took a photograph of the 1962 edition the entrance it it has railings that touch on Art Deco
040it has the light sconces it has the limestone and and black granite sort of raised beds I took a photo of that and I took a photo of the rendering of the entrance of this you couldn't really tell it out they're both the same building and I'm wondering if that's intentional it sounds from the comments that are made that branding was the dominant sort of thing and I like tie on a comment that you made and this is probably directed more to the credit union folks the spirit of the University if there is any architectural spirit to the University of Michigan its Elbert cot he's designed angel Hall Clements library Hatcher the Ruthven old museum is now going to be the Regents Center I mean Albert Kahn's blood and soul is into that University I
041would like to encourage you and however there is no place at the university that describes that I mean there's no one place and your building could provide that particularly that storage area that limestone kind of thing it's right not all sort of what if you did the same thing the wayfinding and the historic markers that are on there South University building if you put that on there and maybe a wayfinding map so that it would you could show that you know that Albert Kahn's buildings around the university you could also describe the kind of various kind of additions and I must agree with with with my board members I am NOT an architect but you know I look at the 36 and the 62 and the 65 additions and they're playing homage to Albert Kahn
042Oh question and I thought I'm glad that you're using limestone for that I think they pretty much exhausted however some small little details maybe you could consider is the raised beds there could that be granite and could there be a seating on top of that and we have guidelines indicating that the pedestrian so you know I'm 73 I walk around town I'm constantly on the lookout for some place to rest so it would really be an enhancement and like I think Tamara was a 40-year member they are the credit union so my wife and I she's on the faculty that if if you could also that you already have a limestone on that entrance what about some Art Deco sconces just some lighting sconces to sort of touch on the entrance so try to get
043and if you could get black granite on the beds and art deco lighting sconces and you know that I've noticed that there are leaf medallions that that Albert Kahn put on the original building that sort of took 5/4 I think it's the the sections of newspapers and stuff like that this is a credit union what if you took off of that and did money medallion so you know from wampum rights of Bitcoin okay but you know just teasing it I know the blue is an issue for everyone and it is for me and I'm not minimizing that I'm just saying that if you if you seize the opportunity of Albert Kaun and have this be a location where you can easily see that the U of M campus through some kind of wayfinding and that's
044part of our guidelines the pedestrian experience and a description I'm sure the street exhibit program would be more than willing to help advise you so those are just some ideas I think it's an improvement on the loading dock site I must say that but I am struck with the challenge of looking at that front entrance it kind of looks someone told me architectural mullet you know like business in the front party in the back or something like I I have a hard time so if you could give me a way of explaining this to Ray dinner I would be very appreciative that's bill I see you've turned your mic on I did way too I would like to say okay I I agree with with the comments from my architect cohorts here I think something
045is more sympathetic to the con design particularly the blue and I want to speak to your concern about the wayfinding and people coming up to the corner and feeling stupefied of how to get in the building this is supposedly one of the smart cities of the country I'll be willing to bet that everybody can figure out where that front door is it's certainly the next time so I'd be less concerned about that you certainly have the opportunity for the University of Michigan credit union signage whether you do with this finally this way or not they see where it is I don't think that having the blue there is a significant enhancement for the wayfinding I think that people generally would find it a detraction sort of like what happened with the halo what the no
046that Fiasco of the stadium I'm not saying this is like the halo but there are some footballs and story is someplace that you could put on the top anyway I think some work is still to be done so thank you I think that we've seen a lot of projects I've been on the board several years and art at you know our board is it's basically not obligatory and you're not required to directly respond to our input and you know however I think most people come before us take our input seriously and I really think this is probably in the last three years project that we would like to to have you reconsidered and seriously reconsider and I think it's a move in the wrong direction I think you really need to start over and work
047with the existing building and let go of the major brand identity statement okay and I've got some comments I'm gonna differ a little bit from some of the commentary game you might going to the North elevation I know you're not doing much there but if you could sure right great right in the middle right so I I see Huron in Washington is two very different streets yeah Geron has high volume traffic east and west and it is the the elevation that North elevation have the most eyes on it as people are going by but it said 25 miles so this this sort of sort of this majestic Albert Kaun facade is really something I think could be celebrated and and the credit union has done a great job with little discreet signage up in the
048upper architrave I think it's very subtle and very appropriate the the thing that I see in that elevation that jumps jumps off the page at me is the main entry right in the center Bay it's been it's drawn here as as a door and transom it's actually a window that's with our new wall below just like the windows on either side correct it in on the East elevation - of the original aluminum doors at the south end of the Albert Kaun original building are still intact and they're they're pretty cool though the small canopy yeah yeah and there's a little rounded yet very so a gesture - to this facade might might be to try to recreate or maybe if they still exist reinstall those two doors I I know you don't want that to
049be an entry it doesn't have to be a functional doorway maybe you can facilitate that with with Hardware options but in if that facade could be made more like it was originally designed and it's very close and may be effectively lighted with some up lighting I think as people are going by at 20 miles an hour it would give a real good glimpse it would be a very majestic statement I think and and become our public art I think we don't need to do much that beside other than just respect it and and let that be the public art in and also the street is is the entry point that you'll continue to use presumed for the business function all the office spaces where's the correct Washington Street to me is is quite different and
050looking at the same image along Division the East elevation the the building that the original at work on building can be seen with a real high architrave with the two bands of inset aluminum and then right at the midpoint where I don't know which year edition that is but where the printing press used to be it steps down three or four feet so it starts to recede the bays are still detailed and constructed the same way they're not glass they're granite but it it's it's a stepping back from the original Albert Kaun design I think the same thing happens on the North elevation at the barrier free entry everything steps back and what's that original building shine so so to me making the most of that and illuminating that building and in letting it be
051seen is is one design approach and then as you move further south I'm not as trouble by the more contemporary proposal you've made it the corner and I questioned a little bit about all that South in East glass and how do you properly condition that space but but I'm sure you can can manage that so and as we get back to Washington which is a very different experience many fewer cars it's a lot more pedestrian right there were three banks on that same block main command over in Co America across the street there's a lot of student population it's become my office is just around the corner and it's become quite a pedestrian thoroughfares it's it's where people choose to walk as opposed to here on so I like aspects of what you've done maybe
052you can go to the South elevation again or the perspective you yeah the perspective you might yeah yeah there we go I I like the pedestrian scale of of the sloping canopy I I think that then and that creates something that is not intended to be majestic as the two-story Albert Kaun pieces on on here and I think it responds to to the pace of Washington Street as opposed to the pace of Huron so I I think you're on the right track the blue doesn't bother me I I get branding you're competing already with two banks in the same block and you're you're one block closer to the students than Bank of Ann Arbor is so so I understand why why you're doing that it doesn't trouble me as much as it does some of
053the other folks in when to pick up on one thing you said in mr. Tarek is the the Albert Kahn building actually does bring granite to grade which Albert Kahn knew a lot of things that US architects have forgotten and that is much more durable and Wetherill with with how we meet the sidewalk the 65 Edition chose not to do that and then we have these very nice rhythm of Bay's black granite panels but that limestone that comes to meet the sidewalk and turns the corner and meets the sidewalk along Washington and we can see if you look and drive by that that limestone is not fared well because of that so when we developed the notion of this entry Plaza and the lows raised planners I thought was those are want to be kind
054of seat height walls certainly not opposed to thinking about that and with with granite to maybe bring some of that material back onto this side we can certainly explore that with the credit union but as we change grade there I think there is an opportunity for a portion that to be comfortable and seat higher than that it may tail off where it's you know no longer comfortable for most but that may be an opportunity and there certainly is may be some opportunity to knit some of those materials together so we can give some thought to that thanks Tamara were you did I interrupt you it was just a I was staring at this I was in the comments about finding the entry that's the other thing that just troubles me a little bit about this
055corner is that it is it really draws you it's it's very large and it's gonna have a lot of light and a lot of activity going on and and it draws you to it but then you can't get in there and that's that's just it sorry I just was I wouldn't had that on to dessert you don't think it I don't think it needs it as you know I think you're gonna be drawn to that I think that what you've done it the entry itself and your your awning or cannot be coming out to the you know I'll pass the building it looks like it extends past the building it does yeah I mean I more I look at that I really like what you've done there and the scale of it and I just
056I guess like to just say I don't just don't think the corner is needed for a finding I need it I know Craigie members will sort quickly learn where the front door is to the branch but the the building will continue to have to public entrances the Huron Street entrance will continue to be their primary administrative office entry and this Washington Street entry it says primarily there to to serve the branch and and perhaps a higher foot traffic of people coming and going in and out of building so we are trying to make them somewhat distinct and unique maybe distinguish their two sort of different functions John just one Lionel and Sophie Jala who is our newest art commissioner has educated me about a new lighting ordinance that's going through the city and you I
057don't know if are aware of it or not but it's spearheaded by the Michigan dark sky Association and and this this is across the country I mean the point is is that its efficiency with blades it's not no lights it's just no lights above because they really do impact migratory birds and we're right on a migratory flight so I only mentioned this too to say that you should be aware that there's an ordinance coming that I don't know what your lighting is about but if you could think about it in terms of lighting down not up it would be appreciated by everyone it may be required by the time you get through planning also your curtain wall and wood wood what Sophie so eloquently says and has educated me and the Washtenaw safe passage and
058this is the Audubon Society and so forth that a lot of these curtain walls are killing birds and I have a modern addition on a mid-century modern house and and just over the past summer that at least five birds have killed themselves flying into these things and so it brings me back to public art that there are some public art applications that could not diminish this enhance this wall and help birds and there is a U of M artist Jim Cogswell he's a friend but I'm not promoting him he does vinyl on buildings and he's done a wonderful project on my children's hospital umma and it's spectacular so for that curtain wall it might be an option to think about public art and also helping birds my hat's off to Sophie for educating me and
059I'm trying to spread the word so to speak Thank You Jana any other final comments anyone okay thank you very much thank you appreciate your input in your comments and we'll we'll take it back to the credit union and fortunately Mike and yeah we're here able to hear it firsthand as well so we will we will take it under advisement and appreciate your time and and time to comment give us your feedback we've been encouraging people to come back and if your schedule allows we would like to see you back and see how yours you've responded and how the design is evolved next item on the agenda is communications to the board is there anything Jeff okay um and now is the opportunity for public commentary related to the project we just reviewed he could
060come back up and say her name again thank you very much for giving me two bites of the cherry um my name is Sophie gray I'm also on the public art Commission and my father was an architect and I'm a docent at luma and also an artist and so I just wanted to make two very short points about some of the discussion that we've had here one is because I was a docent I was giving tours of the Albert Kaun exhibition that was on a couple of years ago OMA and one of the things that struck me was that he went to Italy to study and he had an opportunity for a scholarship is a very poor young man he had an opportunity for a scholarship to go to Italy to study the proportions of
061the architecture there and made drawings of it and the thing that threw all the different styles and times because he was very long-lived that you noticed is his absolute and adherence to classical proportions and proportionality and none of the windows here in his building was square he is very conscious of you know golden section and and how elegant the proportions should be so that was one point and the other thing is about the entryway and making the entryway clear I mean I could well imagine for example on the the signage at the front which is a stone piece that you could have a beautiful three-dimensional sculpture maybe a metal sculpture that wouldn't stick out but would would be three damaged on nevertheless and would make it very clear that that was the focal point and
062where you go in so that's just another possibility for using art in a practical sense to say yes here it is come this way so to go back to the point John was making that about the upcoming lighting ordinance it is being written in the correct kind of format right now and hopefully will be passed soon so to be aware of that it's probably very useful things there's not to have to go back and and rethink because not only birds but also insects are impacted and also humans and the the woman who started this whole Michigan dark sky Association is an astronomer at the University so she's very much aware that we miss seeing something that our ancestors are seen for millennia which is the night sky and we can now only see a few
063things in it so for all of those reasons sleep patterns of every creature and cue including humans is important so that's why the dark sky Association if you want to find more you can email Michigan mi dark skies at umich.edu and ask for information and then as John was mentioning the the impact on birds of large thick glass and the reflections that they see and misunderstand in them is huge and if you want some information about that I can supply it to you perhaps if you contact me if you buy the public art Commission also you can look at bird smart glass org bird smart glass dot org they have some examples there of the way it has been decals and sort of being used on windows to reduce impact on birds so thank you
064very much for allowing me that opportunity to contribute thank you any other final comments going back to the calendar are we missing a month at the end of the year it goes from October to December looks like the line okay that's great thank you anything else anybody okay motion to adjourn bill and Tamara seconds on favor aye thank you you