Laserfiche WebLink
I <br /> I <br />I <br />I <br /> I <br />I <br /> I <br />i <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />LOCAL PLANNING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM of the METROPOLITAN COUNCIL <br /> Publication No. 07-83-069 <br /> <br />COMMUNITY REFERENCE FILE: <br /> <br />NEGOTIATED ZONING STANDARDS <br />IN A PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT <br />Coon Rapids, Minnesota <br /> <br />PROJECT DESCRIPTION: <br /> <br />Shannon Park in Coon RaP~d~ is an exampl~ of one community's attempt to make <br />zoning s~a'ndArds respo~.s~ve.to'"the-~need for low- and moderate-income housing. <br />It is a plan~ed uniV..development that provides 140 single-family lots and 41 <br />townhouses in an area ~hat-Would provide 100 conventional, single-family lots. <br />The city negotiated a housing price ceiling contract with the developer to <br />ensure that the savings resulting'from reduced development standards would be <br />passed on to home buyers. <br /> <br />NOTABLE FEATURES: <br /> <br />Reduced development standards in a singleLfamily district, resulting in <br />higher density and reduced unit price. <br /> <br />Negotiated housing price ceiling contract assuring the affordability of <br />units. <br /> <br />Mechanism for adjusting price limits to respond to inflation, other <br />factors. <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />Local government officials have often been told that reduced regulatory and <br />public improvement standards can lower housing costs. But how much can be <br />saved? And what are the assurances that these savings will be passed on to the <br />buyer? These were central concerns as Coon Rapids evaiuated an innovative <br />development proposal to provide low- and moderate-priced housing opportunities. <br /> <br />Coon Rapids has traditionally viewed the provision of diverse and affordable <br />housing as a valid public objective. This attitude prevailed in the approval <br />of a number of past housing projects. In 1981 Coon Rapids gave final approval <br />to a planned unit development (PUD) that included several dramatic departures <br />from standards previously applied to single-family housing projects in the <br />city. The request for variations in the zoning standards was granted with the <br />understanding that definite limits would be set on the maximum sales price of <br />most homes in the development. <br /> <br />MEASURES TO REDUCE HOUSING COSTS <br /> <br />The planned unit development, Shannon Park, was proposed in a single-family <br /> <br /> <br />