"We've listened and will continue to listen, and as we design the project we will certainly want to be sensitive to people's concerns."

Regent Julia Darlow (D-Ann Arbor) said during the meeting the regents appreciated input from the local residents and the mayor and that the regents were only being asked to approve one of the parking structures.

"That process has been going on for a long time and will continue to go on," she said. "It's not just what we get here at the meetings that we have been paying attention to."

She then made a motion to approve a resolution giving the go-ahead to one of the parking structures.

Regent Laurence Deitch (D-Bingham Farms) told the residents opposed to the project that while it is important to take the concerns of the residents into consideration, "the Medical Center is one of the spires of excellence at the University" and that it "needs to continue to grow for the overall growth and health of the community."

In an interview after the meeting, Deitch said the financial performance of the University is intertwined with the economic prosperity of the larger Ann Arbor community.

"The University is the economic driver for the community, so we have to work collaboratively with the community to the fullest extent possible," he said. "But at the same time we've got the responsibility to nurture the growth of the University. So, it's a balancing act."