Ann Arbor City Council's empty blather and capitulation

The Ann Arbor City Council last night expressed frustration, anger, invictives and consternation.....then rolled over like trained pets as they capitualted to the closing of one lane of Main Street outside Michigan Stadium to construction crews who have been driving city residents batty with noise. Since the University is under state law, allowing them to work on Michigan Stadium from 6am-10pm SEVEN days a week, the city council could do nothing about the noise or work schedule. But when U-M showed up hat in hand to close the lane on Main Street, the City Council yowled and pewled and then did what the University wanted with assurances from the U that they'd TRY to keep it down.

NICE, well played City Council. Way to back your residents up on that. The University never even alerted the city they'd need the lane closed when the project started. They just simply assumed that the City Council would capitulate......and they did.

And because the University simply decided to go ahead and screw over their neighbors, the city now cannot start work on a planned $7 million city project to replace water and sewer mains and rebuild Pauline Boulevard.

ALL so U-M can have their precious football stadium done in time. They've said as much. University of Michigan talking head Jim Kosteva said the intensive construction is NEEDED to have no interruption in the football schedule. YOU suffer so U-M can make money.

The lane will be closed on Main Street from May of this year to July of 2009. The city council did require U-M to pick up costs related to fixing the strip of road that will bear the brunt of heavy traffic from trucks.