0 Page A2 8 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 5, 1985 Task force to examine housing zoning laws 0 By SUSAN GRANT The Ann Arbor Planning Commission has established a task force to examine the possibility of changing city zoning laws pertaining to sororities, fraternities, and other group housing. The committee, called the R2B Planning Task Force, was established after the Collegiate Sorosis Sorority bought a house on Lincoln Avenue earlier this year and wanted to add a 4,400-foot addition. THE neighbors objected because they felt that 40 more residents in the neighborhood would increase the neighborhood density and add to parking problems. The house addition meant the house could never revert to a single-family home. The neighbors also thought that the sorority in the area violated city zoning codes. When the city allowed the sorority into the neighborhood, the residents decided to sue the city and the sorority. Neighbors said that after the city's zoning codes were rewritten last year, no one told them that during the revision, the zoning laws were slightly changed. IN 1984, a house had to have 5,000 square feet of existing floor space to be expanded for group use. This is not true with the new law. "This is not the way the law is sup- posed to work," said Morley Witus, the neighborhood's attorney. "The government must let people know before it changes the zoning," he said. The trial was scheduled for late July. THE TASK force was created to avoid zoning conflicts in the future. "The task force will look at the area and give the residents, fraternities, and sororities a chance to elaborate on their concerns,'' said Martin Overhiser, the planning department director. One concern which Overhiser has heard from residents is that some residents have purchased large houses and want to protect their in- vestments. They are afraid property values will go down if group homes move in. A representative for the sorority has said that in other areas where there are fraternity or sorority houses, property values have not decreased. DONNA Ricther, -a planning com- mission member, said the task force will provide an opportunity for people to "get together and discuss potential problems." "We could discuss what the conver- sion (of the sorority house) will mean to the neighborhood. Would it really mean affordable housing, or will it take away affordable housing for families?" she said. The task force "will (also) showI everyone that the neighbors are generous and open-hearted people," Ricther added. * THE 13-member committee is com- posed of members from the Ann Ar- bor City Council, the Planning Com- mission, the Inter-Fraternity Council, the PanHellenic Association, the Historic District Commission, the North Burns Park Association, and - others. 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