Agenda - Council - 08/27/2019 - Laserfiche WebLink

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RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCLUSIONS living units are designed in three-, four-, or even six -unit buildings in a variety of configura- tions. The swell of support for twinhome and one -level living units is generated by the ag- ing baby boomer generation, which is increasing the numbers of older adults and seniors who desire low -maintenance housing alternatives to their single-family homes but are not ready to move to service -enhanced rental housing (i.e. downsizing or right sizing). Traditionally most twin home developments have been designed with the garage being the prominent feature of the home; however, today's newer twin homes have much more ar- chitectural detail. Many higher -end twinhome developments feature designs where one garage faces the street and the other to the side yard. This design helps reduce the promi- nence of the garage domination with two separate entrances. Housing products designed to meet the needs of these aging Ramsey residents, many of whom desire to stay in their current community if housing is available to meet their needs, will be needed into the fore- seeable future. Twinhomes are also a preferred for -sale product by builders in today's market as units can be developed as demand warrants. Because twinhomes bring higher density and econo- mies of scale to the construction process, the price point can be lower than stand-alone sin- gle-family housing with similar finishing's and square footage. Move -up twinhomes have especially been popular in the Twin Cities Metro Area over the past five years and have commanded price premiums. Most new twinhomes in the Twin Cities have catered to the move -up or "right -sized" buyers that have commanded prices from $350,000 to $550,000 on average. Most of these homes feature a main -level floor plan averaging 1,500 square feet plus lower levels, resulting in an average total finished square footage of about 2,350 square feet. Lot sizes typically average about 40' wide and range from 36'wide to 50' wide. Twinhomes would be well -received in Ramsey and could start at $300,000 for a slab -on - grade product while offering buyers the option for a full basement increasing the square footage to about 2,500 finished square feet. Detached Townhomes/Villas — An alternative to the twinhome is the one -level villa product and/or rambler. This product also appeals mainly to baby boomers and empty nesters seeking a product similar to a single-family living on a smaller scale while receiving the ben- efits of maintenance -free living. Many of these units are designed with a walk -out or look- out lower level if the topography warrants. We recommend lot widths ranging from 45 to 55 feet with main -level living areas between 1,600 and 1,800 square feet. The main level living area usually features a master bedroom, great room, dining room, kitchen, and laun- dry room while offering a "flex room" that could be another bedroom, office, media room, or exercise room. However, owners should also be able to purchase the home with the op- tion to finish the lower level (i.e. additional bedrooms, game room, storage, den/study, etc.) and some owners may want a slab -on -grade product for affordability reasons. Finally, builders could also provide the option to build a two-story detached product that could be mixed with the villa product. MAXFIELD RESEARCH AND CONSULTING 145