Ann Arbor's Greenbelt Program is starting to aggressively go after protecting more land this year.
The city sent out letters to landowners in the Greenbelt, asking them if they want to sell the development rights to their rural acreage. Previously, Greenbelt officials have employed a more take-it-as-it-comes approach, negotiating for land that is already for sale or waiting for landowners to approach them.
The Greenbelt Program has allocated $5 million to purchase development rights this year through this new solicitation process. Interested sellers can either land a deal quickly by offering the development rights at less than market value or they can go for market value, a tactic that usually necessitates grant funding and longer waits.
The Greenbelt Program purchases development rights to rural land around the city, so it can preserve and protect open space, natural habitats and farms while preventing urban sprawl. That land remains in private ownership and is often still used for the same rural purposes, such as farming and hunting.
In its first years (after voters approved the 0.5 millage in 2003) the Greenbelt Program moved more slowly and methodically. Higher land prices and limited funds also contributed to this approach.
However, the Greenbelt Program has been spending more and more lately on the strength of more money collected through the millage and falling land prices. More than 1,000 acres are now protected and many, many more are expected to come under the protection of the Greenbelt as the 30-year millage runs its course.
Source: City of Ann Arbor
Writer: Jon Zemke
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