PAGE TWO
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1967
PAGE TWO THE MICHIGAN DAILY WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5, 1967
Skyscraper Plans Approved
As Key Officials Vacation
MAYNARD ST:
Second Bid Taken
After Withdrawal
NEW RECORDINGS:
Larrocha and Kraus Capture
Spirit of Granados, Mozart
(Continued from Page 1)
one pulled off by
the William
from Towne Realty (University Street Company."
Towers) after Towne Realty's "The developer is regaling peo-
ple at cocktail parties with his
building was under construction, account of the seduction of the
This presumably .raises questions ;mall town aldermen who were
in the mind of . . . developers dazzled by his scheme for a sky-
why they should have to cooper- scraper for their town."
ate with the city administration There are many who voice con-
to the extent the city administra-cern over the prospect of Ann Ar-
bor's tallest building completely
tior .had required." overpowering narrow two-lane
Larcon concluded: "When coun- Maynard and William Streets. One
cil has relied upon the adminis- City Council member suggests that
tration to achieve the best pos- "for the next 50 years or so we'll
sible agreement, has referred the have a 26-story building made
developer to this administration quately set back from the right
expressing conflidence in the lat- of way, with inadequate provision
ter, reserving always the right for its tenants, a miserable leg-
to review the final agreement acy to the future of Ann Arbor
that is reached. provided by a sandful of council-
"I do not know exactly how this men."
current proposal came to be han- But if the new building has its
dled differently, but I express my detractors it also has many pro-
sentiments along with those of ponents. One is the building's
the Attorney and the Planning ,rchitect, Harry King of the De-
irec or lrified n hethcasethf troit firm of King and Lewis.
future projects of this type. Other- "The strictly concrete" structure
wise, developers can reasonably is now going up, with completion
expect similar treatment from expected in Jan. 1968. "It'll have a
Council as was granted Mr. Klein- predominant look of glass with
pell.
One City Council member who bronze colored metal trim to hold
voted against authorizing con- the glass," says King.
struction of the 26-story Tower The ground floor is about 22
Plaza says that the William Street feet high. 'Supporting - columns
Company representative "obvious- will come down to form a portico
ly chose that Monday (Aug. 30) and the first floor will be set
when the three top city officials back 15 feet from the inside of
Nere 'out of town. I don't think "he sidewalk. The remaining 25
there was any quid pro quo - stories will come out virtually to
there didn't have to be. The ma- the sidewalk.
jority of council members were "I'm not concerned about the
just dazzled by a big investor, building being too high. I'm more.
In my years on the council I concerned about land coverage.
have never seen a smoother, more More height gives less land cov-
cooly arranged seduction than the erage. I went to the additional
height to create a plaza for the
building," says King.
Stegeman says he expects the
building to be "non-student-nol
undergaduates will live there fort
sure. "We'll have about the same
proportions as Maynard House,"
Stegeman said. "Graduate stu-
dents will fill 10 per cent."I
Stegeman says that on the basis
of experience with Maynard House
(Which stands across the street'
from the new Tower Plaza), only
"32 tennants" will have cars.
According to typical floor plants
the building willhaveabout 200 1
one-bedroom units and 100 effi-
ciency units. John C. Stegeman,
a "minor partner" with the Wil-
liam Street Co. and president of
Charter Realty Co. is managing
rental agent for the property says
he expects 425 occupants in the
building.
However, some think the oc-
cupancy could go as high as 500,
with 100 people living in efficien-
cies and 400 living in one-bedroom
units.
As it has turned out, the Wil-
liam Street Co. will not build any
of the 75 parking spaces previous-
ly arranged for. In a plan worked
out recently. with the city, the
William Street Co. will pay a
minimum of $2,500 annually and
assume any deficit up to $12,000
annually on the $1,014,694 addi-
tion to the Maynard Street car-
port, which will provide 278 addi-
tional parking spaces.
Regardless of the arguments
pro and con over Tower Plaza
there is little doubt that Maynard
Street will long live in the shadow
of the Aug. 30, 1965, council de-
cision.
'V
(Continued from Page 1)
little use for the Maynard Street
property, the University was wise
to dispose of the land as it did,"
said Vice-President and Chief Fi-
nancial Officer Wilbur K. Pier-
pont.
The University also pointed out
that it had sold land adjoining the
325 Maynard site "some years ear-
lier." The property at 317 May-
nard and 325 Maynard was pack-
aged by Stepar for Jacobson
Stores Inc., at 311 Maynard, which
will build an addition there.
The University holds a $300,000
mortgage on the Jacobson prop-
erty at 311 Maynard. As of June
s30, 1966, the mortgage balance
was $242,669.
While Vice - President Pierpont
indicated in an interview Monday
he did not know "who Parsons is,"
the 36-year-old Detroit lawyer is
prominent in state as well as local
financial circles.
A 1956 graduate of the Univer-
sity's law school, Parsons is ap-
parently a business associate of
Fred Matthaei Jr., son of Regent
Fred C. Matthaei Sr. (R-Ann Ar-
bor). Both men are in a group of
young Detroit-based investors that
control the Bank of the Common-
wealth in Detroit, the Industrial
State Bank of Kalamazoo and the
Bank of Lansing. Parsons is chair-
man of the board of directors of
all three banks and Matthaei Jr.
is a director of all three. Regent
Robert J. Brown (R-Kalamazoo)
is also a director of the Industrial
State Bank of Kalamazoo.
Parsons was a director of the
Huron Valley National Bank of
Ann Arbor from 1963 to 1965. He
Text of City Administrator's Confidential
Memo to Council on 26 Story High Rise
has also purchased other Ann
Arbor real estate. On June 25,
1965, Parsons, Matthaei Jr., and
J. C. Holmes and their wives pur-
chased land in Pittsfield township
near Ann Arbor.
U Statement
On ILand Sale
(Continued from Page1)
erty, to invite another round of
publichbidding, or to accept the
next highest bid.
The first choice would have
meant continuing to hold property
too small for use on which the
University had an old, worn-out
building which was being replaced
by the new School of Music on
North Campus. Refurbishing the
old structure for other uses would
have been impractical.
The second choice would have
meant risking lower bids than
had been received, since the first
bids and the appraised value were
now publicly known.
The third choice was recom-
mended to the Regents because
Parson's bid plus Stegeman's for-
feited bond brought the price to
alomst 30 per cent more than the
appraisal. The Regents voted un-
animously to accept Parson's bid.
Wilbur K. Pierpont, the Univer-
sity Vice President and Chief Fi-
nancial Officer, said: "On the
basis of the appraised value of the
property, the alternatives open to
the Regents, and the fact that the
University had little use for the
Maynard Street property, the Uni-
versity was wise to dispose of the
land as it did."
ORGAN IZATION
NOTICES
USE OF THIS COLUMN FOR AN-
NOUNCEMENTS is available to officially
recognized and registered student or-
ganizations only. Forms are available
in Room 1011 SAB.
Baha'i Student Group, Discussion,
April 7, 8 p.m., 335 E. Huron, Apt.5.
. * *
Phi Eta sigma, Spring initiation, April
6, 7:30 p.m., Michigan Union.
Joint Judiciary Council, Meeting,
Wed., April 5, 6:30 p.m., 3540 SAB.
Scottish Country Folk 'Dance Club,
Dancing, Wed., April 5. 8-10 p.m., Wom-
en's Athletic Bldg. Step instruction
and practice-8-8:30 p.m. only.
Newman Student Association, Gradu-
ate student's mass and supper, April
5, 5 p.m., Newman Center, 331 Thomp-
son.
* 9*a
Christian Science Organization, Tes-
timony meeting, Thurs., April 6, 7:30-
8:30 p.m., 3545 SAB.
Engineering Council, Meeting April
6, 7:30 p.m., 3529 SAB.
U. of M. Rifle Club, Open shooting-
.22 caliore rifle and pistol, Wed., April
5, 7-9 p.m., ROTC Rifle Range. All
rifles and pistols furnished; ammuni-
tion available at a reduced price.
Crop and Saddle Coed Riding Club,
Riding on Thurs. nights, meet at Wom-
en's Athletic Bldg. at 6:30-p.m.
Le Cercle Francais, Le Baratin-enjoy
a French atmosphere, Thurs., April 6,
3-5 p.m., 3050 Frieze Bldg.
Campus Crusade for Christ, College
life meeting, April 7, 7:30 p.m., Alpha
Omicron Pi Sorority, 800 Oxford Rd.
g ol 11311PAnonsrano,!. a6144
I 0
By R. A. PERRY
Spanish LP's never truly cap-
tivated American audiences, but
in the last few years, the music
has received a reflorescence, part-
ly due to the interest in' folk
guitar.
One of the finest records of
1966 was Alicia de Larrocha's per-
formance of assorted piano pieces
by Enrique Granados. (Epic LC
3910). Following the acclaim ac-
corded this disc, Epic has this
month released a set of Twelve
Spanish Dances also played by
Miss de Larrocha (LC 3943).
Granados (1867-1916), was a
keyboard virtuoso, but his music
offers more than just technical
challenges, but Miss de Larrocha
overcomes these with ease. Where-
as Liszt, with whom Granados has
been compared, describes only the
mannerisms of the Romantic im-
pulse, the equally romantic Grana-
dos captures the soul, the resigna-
tion, and the spirit of the Span-
ish people.
He does so, however, in a most
exciting manner, much like Goya,
whom Granados worshipped. It is
the celebration of serious con-
cerns, never self-pitying but iener-
gizeA, which characterizes this
music.
The recently recorded Twelve
Dances, though a bit more severe
in mood than the ebullience of the
pieces on the former recording,
lose no impact for their relative
lack of decoration. Miss de Lar-
rocha, who directs the Academy
Granados in Barcelona, never uses
her infallible technique for any
spurious effect., She plays totally
from within the music; her light-
ening touch, never flaccid, and her
subtle sense of rubato is never
loose but coiled.
Lili Kraus is another female
pianist who has recently won press
attention. During this last concert
season in New York, she played
the complete cycle of Mozart piano
concertos, and Epic has been re-
leasing her performances of the
same in three-record sets.
The most recent set contains
Mozart's first six piano concertos
and the much later No. 25, K 503.
Mozart "composed" the first four
works when he was only ten and
actually they represent a stringing
together of little sonatas by vari-
ous minor masters of the period.
The works are pleasant pufferies
to hear and remarkably enough
show all the signs of the airy,
open, joyous, Mozartean spirit.
Offering marked contrast, the
Concerto No. 25 is a grandly struc-
tured and emotionally moving
piece, but it does not receive in
Lili Kraus's hands the refined
workmanship that it warrants.
The final rondo, for instance,
lacks the light lilt it should have
and minor embellishment are
needlessly exaggerated. M is s
Kraus' touch is also just a shade
too syruppy and the orchestra
seems more enthusiastic than con-
trolled. For the ultimate in grace
and precision, listen to the Fleish-
er Szell rendition.
This set then would make a
pleasant addition to any record
collection, but it hardly represents
a perfect production, Although
the three-record set sells for the
price of two, the bargain is lessen-
ed somewhat by the fact that most
sides run under twenty minutes,
and one lasts only fourteen.
(Recordings w e r e ' obtained
through the courtesy of Discount
Records.)
THE WALTER READEJR/JOSEPH STRICK PRODUCTION
--
" ULYSSES' A SUPERB FILM!
It is astonishing that anyone would try to film
the sprawling 'Ulysses', and even mnore aston-
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that truly reflects and actually clarifies James
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STARTING WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12
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Admittane wilt beden.d to a.11under 18 years of age.
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R .
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a1
Editors Note:
Following is the text of the
September 2, 1965 confidential
memo from Ann Arbor City Ad-
ministrator Guy Larcom to the
mayor and city council members
regarding the August 30 council
decision to approve construction
of a 26 story high-rise in Ann
Arbor. Larcom was out of town
when the building was suddenly
put on the August 30 agenda and
approved by Council.
To: The Mayor and Members of
the Council
From: Guy C. Larcom, Jr., City
'Administrator
Re: 26-Story High Rise Building
and Council Procedure
Since there is noother way for
me to communicate with you re-
garding the above subject, I am
sending you this memo stating
some of my concerns regarding
Council action on the proposed 26-
story high rise building, taken at
the meeting on Monday, August
30. The -City Attorney and Plan-
ning Director share these con-
cerns.
First, I made up the Agenda
without this item being included
on it on the assumption that the
Building and Safety Department
should complete its review of the
plans to determine conformance
with zoning, housing and building
codes and regulations. Time was
also needed for review by the
Traffic Engineer, Utilities, and
Public Works Departments in
terms of problems that might be
created. Once this review would
have been completed, and if the
plans were approved as conform-
ing to all codes, ,then the Coun-
cil would take up the question of
whether the building should beI
authorized as a matter of policy.
This was the logical way of pro-
ceeding, and this is what the City
Administrator and Planning Dir-
ector told the developer would be
done here.
The Agenda was approved with-
out this item on it in accordance
with the established procedure
and with the authorization of
the Mayor Pro Tem. When citizens
and concerned city officials called,
they were told this matter was
not on the Agenda for Monday
and some presumably did not at-
tend for that reason.
The City Administrator, City
Attorney and Planning Director,
who have been active in this mat-
ter, were not at the meeting when
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'the matter was brought up on the
floor. In the case of the Planning
Director, it would have been pos-
sible to attend if this matter had
been scheduled.
Council did not follow the usual
practice of having negotiations
conducted by the City Administa-
tor with the developer, as has been
the case with all other major City
developments. Although, the de-
veloper did meet in preliminary
fashion with the City Administra-
tor and Planning Director at
Council's sugestion, his main ap-
peal has been directly to Council
and he has assumed that he did
not have to deal with City admin-
istration.
In accordance with usual policy,
Council would have asked for re-
ports from the City Administrator,
Attorney and Planning Director on
the multiple policy and legal ques-
tions a project of this size and
dimension presents: parking, traf-
fic, utilities, density, setbacks, et
cetera, all of which, should have
had some bearing on the final
decision regarding the proposed
building.
The question of investment
made by the developer as a legal
basis for proceeding, is one of
which City Attorney Fahrner is
an expert, having successfully
tried a similar case on behalf of
the City through the Federal Dis-
trict Court and the Federal Circuit
Court of Appeals ,n Cincinnati.
In that previous case, Northwest
Park Construction Corp. claimed a
substantial investment in land,
leases, and in plans and property
sold to the City for a park. So,
in this regard, and in other relat-
ed legal issues, the situation here
was roughly parallel.
The City Administrator, who
worked closely with the Attorney
in the Northwest Park case, has
substantial experience in review-
ing many development plans on
behalf of the City. In this case
he already had told the developer
that the only investment he
could claim, regarding the high
rise building, was the cost of the
plans that had been drawn to
date, which he estimated to be 1
perhaps forty to sixty thousand
dollars. The land, of course, re-
tains great value even if not de-
veloped as a 26-story building.
It appears that the same basic
plans could be used for an 18-
story building,,for example, elim-
inating <most of the loss relating to
plans.
With Council backing, the ad-
ministration would have continued
to negotiate for at least some rea-
sonable provisions regarding park-
ing, density and height. It is my
firm belief that the size and den-
sity of the building could be re-
duced and some parking required,
and still provide a highly profit-
able investment return to the de-
velopers. Put another way, the
developer never felt obliged to
demonstrate to the City, in terms
of figures and cost, why his de-
velopment had to be of this size
to pay an adequate return. He
would have had to furnish this to
the administration.
The 75 spaces to be provided un-
der a loose legal arrangement by
the developer at some distance
from the site do not compare fav-
orably with the 499 spaces secured
by the City administration from
Towne Realty after Towne Real-
ty's buiding was under construc-
tion. This presumably raises ques-
tions in the mind of Towne Realty3
and other developers why they
should have to cooperate with the,
City administration to the extentI
the City administration has re-
quired. Equally, the sufficiency of
the performance bond is question-
ed. It is presumed that the $150,-
000 amount is based on $2,000 per
space for 75 spaces. Thus, the per-
formance bond presumably ap-
plies to parking-structure space
cost, but would not necessarily in-
clude expensive land cost.
In summary, throughout his
negotiations, Mr. Kleinpell and
his organization have gone direct-
ly to Council on the assumption
that the political approach was
best for his purposes and has as-
sumed no necessity of dealing dir-
ectly on a cooperative basis with
the administration. As stated a-
bove, this has not been the pro-
cedure in the past, when Council
has relied upon the administration
to achieve the best possible agree-
ment, has referred the developer
to this administration expressing
confidence in the latter, reserving
always the right to review the final
agreement that is reached.
I do not know exactly how this
current proposal came to be han-
dled differently, but I express my
sentiments along with those of
the Attorney and the Planning
Director in the hope that this
will be clarified in the case of
future projects of this type. Other-
wise, developers can reasonably
expect similar treatment from
Council as was granted Mr. Klein-
pell.
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Revolution-
based on Gorky's
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SHORT: "SUGAR
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INTRUDER IN
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