In 2020, Ann Arbor kicked 

off a 10-year journey to a carbon 

neutral 
future. 
The 
ambition 

was encapsulated in a 138-page 

carbon 
neutrality 
plan 
which 

addressed 
high-emission 
sectors 

ranging from electric grid changes 

to 
transportation 
initiatives 
to 

residential constructions. Buildings 

account for the largest output of 

greenhouse gasses locally and in 

2020, residential buildings alone 

accounted for more than one-

fourth of the overall greenhouse gas 

emissions in Ann Arbor.

In line with the plan’s third 

strategy to achieve carbon neutrality, 

the plan proposes that all new 

constructions from 2022 to 2030 

have net-zero carbon emissions, 

meaning new properties should only 

use electric energy and should be 

able to generate their own renewable 

energy on-site. More than two years 

into the plan, where does Ann Arbor 

currently stand with respect to its 

transformative vision?

In an email to The Michigan 

Daily, 
Brett 
Lenart, 
planning 

manager at the Ann Arbor Planning 

Commission, wrote that only a 

small fraction of the buildings that 

have been planned or built since 

2020 are conforming to the city’s 

sustainability goals. 

“I 
know 
of 
one 
net-zero 

building proposed, two approved 

developments 
that 
require/

have committed to some level of 

electrification and a handful of 

other projects that have identified 

electrification as a goal, but it is not 

required,” Lenart wrote. 

The Daily spoke to developers 

and 
city 
officials 
about 
the 

progresses and obstacles underlying 

Ann 
Arbor’s 
efficient 
building 

commitment.

Process 
improvements 
that 

enable cost-saving sustainable 

construction

In 
small- 
and 
middle-scale 

housing developments, some local 

developers are leading the way for 

sustainable initiatives.

In 
particular, 
two 
proposed 

projects have garnered attention 

from Ann Arbor residents over 

the past couple of months. One of 

them is a quadplex, which has been 

called the most sustainable building 

in Ann Arbor and even the world. 

The quadplex is a new apartment 

building 
which 
is 
slated 
for 

construction in the Ann Arbor Old 

Fourth Ward neighborhood on North 

Division Street, and is designed to 

generate more energy on-site than 

it consumes. The development’s 

sustainability feats earned it the title 

of a “passive house,” or a building 

that is voluntarily energy efficient. 

The other project is a 79-unit 

apartment building which will be 

built on North Maple Street and 

relies solely on electric energy 

and geothermal heating — with 

15% of the units being priced at a 

more affordable cost, the building 

might just be the perfect recipe 

for Ann Arbor’s sustainability and 

affordability goals. 

For 
many 
developers, 

sustainability can be hard to achieve 

because of the high price tag often 

associated with environmentally-

friendly 
features 
like 
built-in 

renewable 
energy 
generation. 

According to the Office of Energy 

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, 

55% of the energy U.S. households 

consume is used to power heating 

and cooling systems. While heat 

pumps are more sustainable than 

traditional heating and cooling 

systems, it could also cost more to 

install them. 

Doug Selby, the long-time Ann 

Arbor developer and co-founder 

of Meadowlark Builders behind 

the Old Fourth Ward quadplex, 

told The Daily in an interview that 

efficient building envelope design — 

architectural models which prevent 

heat-loss to the outside environment 

and insulates the interior of the house 

by balancing internal and external 

environmental forces — could allow 

sustainable heating systems to be 

deployed in less costly ways. In 

general, better insulation means that 

less heat or air-conditioned air is lost 

to the outside environment.

“What do we do to make all the 

energy that we need to run this 

building on site?” Selby said. “The 

first thing I need to do is bring the 

energy consumption of this building 

way, way down. If you are building 

a low-energy building envelope, it 

offers the opportunity to redesign 

an HVAC system that uses a lot less 

ductwork and the equipment needs 

to be a lot smaller in capacity.”

Jeff Wilkerson, a local developer 

who leads the development of the 

North Maple project, said he also 

placed high value on constructing 

buildings with the envelope design. 

He said the reduced cost of energy 

has allowed him to plan for more 

affordable units in the building 

while upholding his commitment to 

full-electrification.

In a press release published 

Monday on their website, the 

Graduate Employees’ Organization 

announced they have filed unfair 

labor practice charges against the 

University of Michigan. GEO is 

claiming that the University has 

failed to bargain in good faith 

during 
their 
ongoing 
contract 

negotiations. GEO is also alleging 

that the University has failed to 

provide information on benefits 

and 
workplace 
safety 
during 

negotiations, 
which 
employers 

are legally obligated to do under 

Michigan State Law.

According to the press release, 

GEO and the University had agreed 

they would have a tentative 2023-

2026 contract agreement by March 

1, as outlined in Article XXVI of 

their previous contract. According 

to that contract, if a new contract is 

not negotiated by the end of the day 

on May 1, the 2020-2023 contract 

will continue to be in effect.

March 1 passed over Spring 

Break, with GEO claiming that 

the University “made no serious 

effort to honor” their agreed upon 

deadline for a tentative contract. In 

the press release, GEO also detailed 

their distaste for other actions taken 

by the University during contract 

negotiations, including considering 

the use of a state mediator, which 

GEO claimed was highly unusual. 

GEO expressed their disappointment 

with other regulations related to the 

negotiation process which restricted 

the number of GEO members 

allowed in the bargaining sessions 

and availability of virtual options to 

view the negotiations.

“(The 
University) 
spent 
the 

first two months of bargaining 

attempting to shut grad workers out 

of their own contract negotiations, 

taking the highly unusual step of 

calling in a state mediator before (the 

University) had passed or responded 

to a single substantive proposal,” the 

release said.

In an email to The Michigan 

Daily, University Spokesperson Kim 

Broekhuizen claimed that GEO’s 

allegations related to the unfair labor 

practice charges are unfounded.

“It is disappointing that GEO 

has chosen to take this step as the 

University has and will continue to 

negotiate in good faith to achieve a 

fair contract,” Broekhuizen said.

In 
the 
press 
release, 
GEO 

President Jared Eno claimed the 

University was stalling negotiations 

rather than working with the 

union in good faith to improve the 

conditions of graduate students.

“Instead 
of 
working 

collaboratively to solve problems, 

the University has undermined and 

stalled negotiations for months, 

going so far as to break the law,” Eno 

wrote. “Meanwhile, grad workers 

are selling their plasma, skipping 

meals, waiting inordinate amounts 

of time for gender-affirming care 

and struggling to escape abusive 

supervisors. Enough is enough. It’s 

time for the University to take these 

contract negotiations seriously and 

provide grad workers with a fair 

contract.”

Broekhuizen emphasized that 

the University continues to be 

committed to negotiating with GEO 

and settling on an equitable contract. 

“The University’s focus remains 

at the bargaining table, where the 

University is committed to working 

through all issues pertaining to 

wages, hours and working conditions 

of GSIs’ and GSSAs’ employment,” 

Broekhuizen said. “This includes 

the University’s latest compensation 

offer, which was presented to GEO 

on Feb. 10, and to which GEO has not 

yet responded.”

In 
their 
current 
bargaining 

platform, GEO is asking for an 

increased wage of $38,537 per year, 

the elimination of copay for mental 

health care and the establishment 

of an unarmed community response 

team on campus.

GEO 
has 
been 
negotiating 

with 
the 
University 
since 

November, during which they have 

demonstrated on campus multiple 

times to garner support for their 

cause. There is currently an open 

letter with over 500 signatures 

from campus organizations and 

individuals, all voicing their support 

of GEO’s platform.

2 — Wednesday, March 15, 2023
News

GEO files charges against the University

NEWS BRIEFS

Ann Arbor developers address city plans for 
more sustainable buildings

The Graduate Employee’s Organization files charges against the University of 
Michigan for unfair labor practices

Ann Arbor city officials and developers discuss the process and obstacles of 
implementing the city’s sustainable building goals

ANN ARBOR

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

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NOIR Runway Fashion models display the works of local fashion designers at Odyssey: The Hero’s Journey at the Power Center Saturday Night.

