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THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Three
Friday, May L t, ''2
Locals oppose townhouse development
'By GREGG KRUPA City Council meeting, more than 50 of the area's resi- Green-provide shopping facilities for the Village Green
dents came to a public hearing on the proposed rezon- development, Traver Lakes and Traver Knoll and
Ann Arbor City Council is in the process of consider- ing. Many voiced vigorous opposition to the project, North Campus.
ing the rezoning of a 38.3 acre parcel of land on Nixon, mostly on the grounds that the additional population Jan Roth complained about the high concentration
Road, north of Plymouth Road. The land is currently woul doverburden the area's road, shopping and recre- of rental facilities in the area.
zoned as "township," which allows for the building of ational facilities. "WE NEED more Oroperty owners to provide stabil-
single-family dwellings. Residents complained of the amount of traffic on ity to the land area," Rath said. "That's why I don't
If rezoned to "C-3" as proposed, the area could be the Nixon Road. glen Brightener suggested that the city's want to see City Council rezone the land."
site of Parkway Meadows, a 350-unit townhouse develop- traffic study of Nixon Road, which portrayed it as a The residents have some basis for their claims. A
sent. Two hundred ten units would house elderly citi- low-volume thoroughfare, may draw specious conclu- demographic map of the city prepared by the Ann
zens and 140 units would be for families. sions." Arbor city planning department shows the area to be
RENTAL SUBSIDIES could be available for tenants "THE STUDY was done over spring break when one of the lowest on the index of neighborhood services.
throsgh Section 8 of the Housing and Community De- many families were out of town," said Brightener. "It But, a high source in city government who refused
vetoupment Act of 1974 if' the Michigan State Housing was also done at, a time of the day when traffic flow to be identified said he thought the area's residents
Development Authority (MSHDA) approves of the plan. is usually at a minimum." were motivated by considerations other than the lack
However, the review by the MSDA is not the only Many of the residents expressed concern'that the de- of facilities.
hurdle city planners must face if they hope to erect velopment would overburden the area's shopping cen- "I THINK their arguments cover up a fear of low
the development on the proposed site. At last Monday's ters. Two centers - Plymouth Mall and Plymouth- See LOCALS, Page 12
'U' considerS new
- - - - g maternity policy
By MARY EILEEN DAI.EY
The University's personnel de-
partment has been presented
with a set of proposed guidelines
which would govern employe
maternity leave.
Presently, the University has
no steadfast policy regarding
such leaves of absence. Requests
for maternity leave are handled
on an individual basis. There is
no set time before expected de-
livery when a woman is excused
from work, and no determined
time when she must return. A
woman may take a disability
leave when she is deemed "un-
able to work."
DEFINING WHEN a pregnant
woman is no longer able to work
has caused confusion for em-
ploves wishing to take a leave
and has caused the personnel
department to suspect that some
women may be taking more time
off than is actually needed.
"Wp'think there's abuse," said
RTssell Reister. "There's wo-
men going out (on disability
leave) 6-8 weeks before delivery
and 6-8 weeks after."
This suspected abuse prompt-
ed the personnel department to
seek specific maternity guide-
lines.
TO DETERMINE precisely
how much time off a woman
needs before and after the birth
of her child, the University's
Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology was consulted.
According to the department,
a "healthy pregnant woman who
has no complications may be
expected to continue to work
throughout pregnancy."Depart-
ment'iembers added that three
weeks is a sufficient recovery
time following delivery.
Using this information, Reis-
ter and Charles Allmand of the
academic affairs office have
suggested a set of guidelines to
cover normal pregnancies and
deliveries.
THEY PROPOSE that women
not be granted sick time before
delivery, although vacation time
or an excused absence could be
taken.
They further suggested that
sick time be granted three
weeks after delivery, and any
time off exceeding three weeks
would be without pay.
Copies of the guidelines have
been sent to University deans,
directors and department heads
for feedback.
Need bucks
quick? Try'
'U' loans
By LISA FISHER
Suppose you needed $100 in
a hurry. low would you get the
money? Rob a batk? Ilid up
your roommate?
F o r t i n a t e 1 y, such
extreme me-isures aren't neces-
sary. The University can pro-
vide the extra money isi
pinch through its emergenc,.
loan program.
STUDENTS requesting emer-
gency loans must be enrolled in
the current term and must not
have any outstanding debts to
the University.
Students need only fill out a
See TRY, Page 12
Deal falls through
Real estate agents were about to make a sale on Bille Woodbeck's home in Livonia Sunday when
a small problem developed. The prospect was about to sign on the dotted line when a thunder-
storm toppled a hickory tree onto the roof of the house. The prospective buyers ran for their car
saying they had reconsidered.-
New IM hours
if that late racquetball game you played last
week was called because of darkness when they
shut the lights off, rejoice! The Central Campus .
Recreation Building is extending its hours on Tues-
days and Thursdays. The new schedule is: 8 a.m.
to 10 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 8
to 8 on Tuesday and Thursday; and 8' to 5 Satur-
day. The change takes place May 31.
Happenings.
... the Washtenaw County Muscular Dystrophy
Association is looking for volunteer camp attendants
for a camp to be held at Decatur, Michigan from
June 17 to 25 --call 769-8432 for more info ... the
International Center, 603 E. Madison, tackles the
TODAY
great outdoors this afternoon with a canoe trip,
leaving from the center at 4 p.m. ... GEQis spon-
soring a happy hour for all GSA's from 4 to 6 p.m.
at 514 E. William .. and the Spring BFA art show
opens at the Art School's Schlusser Gallery at 8
p.m.
Baby Driver
The driver got up to go to school in Ionia yes-
terday. He got his dog, sat down in the car, eased
it out of the driveway and went for a short spin
through the countryside. Nothing unusual about
that, except that the driver was only three years
old and he really did travel through the country-
side -/-a wheat field, a grove of oak trees and
-several ditches. Concerned neighbors called the
police after the car tipped over, but 3-year-old
Michael Ward and his dog were both uninjured.
"He wasn't going so fast, but he sure knew how
to drive," said Sheriff William Bensinger. "He'd
get down on the floor and operate the pedals,
then .get back up in the seat once he got the
vehicle moving and steer it." Mario Andretti, look
out.
On the outside
Imagine how bored the people in Honolulu must
by - they get this weather every day. Look for
sunny skies, a high of 84, and an overnight low
in the low 60's, followed by more of the same
tomorrow. Almost makes you nostalgic for snow.