Agenda - Planning Commission - 06/12/2017 - Special

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City Feel Tax Revenue: The proposed plan will increase the density of the site. This will, in turn, increase the amount of fees the city will collect from the normal building process. It will also increase the tax base and tax revenue the City gets on a yearly basis. Surrounding Area: The site has certain aesthetic limitations. It is a mostly flat field abutting to a future Business Park to the South, Multi -family to the West (Capstone proposed increased density), Alpine Drive to the North, and Single family to the East. There is little to no elevation changes and very marginal tree cover. The diversified housing od single family and detached townhomes is a good fit for its surrounding. Variety of Housing Price Points: Per Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, Median home prices in the Twin Cities Metro area are $245,000. The community needs for sale housing at affordable prices and a portion of this plan would be directed at those types of products. It also has a product for a traditional "move -up" buyer. Roof Tops: An increase of housing activity is sure to bring additional interest for the commercial/business park/COR retail developments in the City of Ramsey. Housing for workers and additional customers are very important for prospective offices/businesses and increasing the retail business like restaurants. Builder Diversity: Having additional builders in the community will help the buyers considering purchasing in Ramsey by offering multiple choices and price points. Only having 1 builder in this corridor may hamstring the city by artificially delaying development of multiple parcels. Pace of development: This proposal would finish the area with the least amount of prolonged road construction and all work would be completed at the same time. Opening Puma street multiple times for varying lengths of time is not beneficial to surrounding residents or businesses and increases the overall costs to parties involved. Business Support: Giving the proposal approval would be a strong sign of support to business leaders of the community, showing Ramsey's commitment to a growing work force and customer base. The potential for this development to also decrease the City's contribution to the Puma Street project should not be overlooked. If Paxmar is willing to go above and beyond 50% of the cost, it should be seriously considered by the City, not to mention that more infrastructure around adds value and interest to the surrounding properties.