Washtenaw Ave. clearly isn't the prettiest street in Washtnaw County, but some local stakeholders have some ideas on how to change that.

Excerpt:

Planners have dubbed the five-mile stretch of Washtenaw Avenue from Stadium Boulevard in Ann Arbor to the water tower in Ypsilanti as the Washtenaw Avenue Talent Center.

And they have a bold initiative for it over the next 10 to 20 years.

Its creators say the plan aims to reduce sprawl and increase density along the route, relying on the rising demand for public transit and pedestrian-friendly connections. Features include reduced building setbacks, mixed-use development and affordable housing that will help Washtenaw County retain talented young residents.

Development would concentrate along transit “nodes” on the route.

“We’re imagining that there are areas that could definitely support three-story buildings,” said Anya Dale, senior planner in the Washtenaw County Office of Strategic Planning.

Read the rest of the story here and an interesting conversation about where the ugly begins on Washtenaw on the MarkMaynard.com blog here.